Newcastle University ranked among the best in the world for sustainability

Newcastle University is ranked 24th in the world for actions taken towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

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Newcastle University has been ranked among the best in the world for sustainable development in the Times Higher Education Impact rankings.

Published on June 1, the university was placed joint 24th in the world with a score of 93.5, alongside National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan. It was the fourth highest placed in the United Kingdom, coming behind the University of Manchester (2nd), University of Glasgow (13th) and the University of Exeter (18th).

The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings are the only global performance tables that assess almost 1,600 universities against the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), with institutions evaluated across areas of research, stewardship, outreach and teaching.

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Newcastle University scored highly across a range of the 17 SDGs, including climate action, sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production and partnership for the goals. The university declared a climate emergency in 2019, and has committed to net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2030.

Professor Chris Day, vice-chancellor and president of Newcastle University, said: "I am very proud of our sustained performance in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, a recognition of how aligning our work with the UNSDGs is driving education, research and innovation across the University. Since the rankings were first released in 2019, we have been consistently placed among the world's best universities, highlighting the commitment and passion of our colleagues and the instrumental contribution of our students.

"Encouragingly, this year has seen record participation, and with that, the latest rankings highlight the importance of working together to push further and faster on environmental sustainability and social justice. This is exactly what we are determined to do, continue pushing the boundaries of knowledge and providing an exceptional education to play our crucial part in building a fairer, stronger and more sustainable future."