University of Sheffield ranked 24th in the world for sustainability in QS rankings

The University of Sheffield has been ranked 24th globally out of more than 1,400 institutions in the 2024 QS World University Rankings: Sustainability, as well as 7th in the UK and 12th in Europe.

The rankings look at the different ways in which universities are taking action to tackle the world’s greatest Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) issues. These include areas such as environmental research impact and teaching; net-zero targets and emissions reductions; employability outcomes; equality; and health and wellbeing. They also consider how openly and transparently universities are governed.

The University scored highly in a number of categories. It is 10th globally for Health and Wellbeing, which assessed areas such as research in health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the provisions universities make on campus for health and wellbeing, including healthy food choices and access to physical and mental health support on campus.

It also scored highly for its Governance, coming 17th in the world. This section of the rankings looked at how well universities involve students and how transparent they are in decision making, and how often they are cited in government policy making.

Global top-40 positions were also achieved for Social Impact (20th), Knowledge Exchange (28th), Environmental Research (34th), Environmental Impact (38th) and Equality (38th).

Earlier in 2023, the University of Sheffield was ranked 42nd in the world and 8th in the UK in the wide-ranging THE Impact Rankings, which assess the impact universities are having on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Professor Koen Lamberts, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield, said: “We are immensely proud that our efforts to make the University of Sheffield more sustainable are being recognised. Together with our global top 50 placement in the 2023 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, this ranking shows that we are not simply ticking ‘green’ boxes; we are making substantial progress at embedding social and environmental sustainability into the whole university.

“We are equipping our students with the knowledge, skills and education they will need to overcome the global environmental and social challenges we face, while also undertaking leading research into a wide range of sustainability issues that will help us protect our planet and provide clean growth for the future. It is very important to us that the way the University operates is in line with our teaching and research, helping to support a sustainable city and region.”

The rankings come as the University of Sheffield recently opened its most sustainable building, the Wave, which is net-zero in operation and features ground source heat pumps, solar panels and sustainable planting. It has recently renewed its 100 per cent renewable electricity supply contract until 2025 and has achieved a 40 per cent reduction in its emissions since 2018. The University aims to be fully carbon neutral, both on and off campus, by 2038.

It is also continuing to make strides in social measures; all staff are paid the Voluntary Living Wage, which was raised to £12 per hour from November 2023. It has introduced equality action plans in key areas, including disability, race, LGBT+, gender and religion, belief and no-belief, as well as recruiting new roles to support staff mental health and disability.

The University’s full positions in the rankings are: