University news

The University of Sussex has been ranked 8^th in the UK and joint 26^th in the world in the second edition of the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2024 published today (Tuesday 5 December).

The rankings are measured by assessing the different ways in which universities are taking action to tackle the world’s greatest Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues. This is based on three different categories: Environmental Impact, Social Impact, and a newly added Governance category.

The latest rankings feature 1,397 institutions globally and places Sussex highly across several categories. The university performed particularly well for Environmental Impact, ranking joint 19th. This acknowledges an institution's strategy and operations towards an environmentally sustainable future, as well as how institutions are educating students to understand and make a difference to the environment, and the impact of research aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

In addition, the University of Sussex was also ranked:

• 13^th overall in Europe in the rankings
• Joint 74^th in the world for Social Impact, which assesses employment opportunities and outcomes, equality, health and wellbeing, impact of education and knowledge exchange. This is a rise of 47 places on last year
• Joint 36^th in the world for Governance, a new category which assesses whether an institution has strong governance in place.

Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Sasha Roseneil says:

“It is highly significant that the QS World University Sustainability rankings about the contribution of universities to meeting the planet’s sustainability challenges have been released during the first week of COP28, when leaders from around the world have come together to agree how to tackle climate change.

“It is very encouraging to see Sussex ranked so highly, and being recognised for our world-leading and world-changing research, education and institutional practice. It is particularly pleasing that Sussex is ranked joint 16^th in the world for our work on equality, and overall 19^th in the world for environmental impact. Staff and students at Sussex are united in our commitment to tackling the urgent problems of climate change, biodiversity loss, food and water security, and a wide range of other global inequalities, as we strive to make a transformative contribution to the most serious challenges facing the world.”

The University of Sussex recently published its Annual Sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals Report, which reflects on the university’s sustainability initiatives and how they address the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

This past year has seen the university update its Biodiversity Strategy and Biodiversity Policy, which outlines how the university will increase the percentage of campus biodiversity from the 2022 baseline of 38% to 42% by December 2027.

In research, the University of Sussex Business School received a major philanthropic gift to establish the Bennett Institute for Innovation and Policy Acceleration to address and develop urgently needed policies and solutions to tackle some of society’s greatest challenges, beginning with climate change.

And in education, Sussex conducted an audit of the entire curriculum for its sustainability content, with the aim to ensure that sustainability is taught within all degrees. 

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