The University of Nottingham’s commitment to sustainability has been recognised by an international league table, which has ranked it among the top 40 of the world’s ‘greenest’ universities.

Nottingham jumped a remarkable 85 places in the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2024 up to 33rd out of 1,403 global institutions. The university is placed 17th out of 493 European universities and 12th in the UK.

The rankings highlight the ways in which universities are taking action to tackle the world’s greatest environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.

Through research, teaching, strong governance and community engagement, universities have the expertise and opportunity to drive sustainable development forward to tackle the planet’s most pressing problems and ensure that generations of students are educated in the importance of the topic.

Professor Robert Mokaya, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Chair of the university’s Environmental Sustainability Committee, said: “I am very pleased that our work and efforts at being an environmentally sustainable university are being recognised with these significant achievements.

“Our environmental sustainability ambitions require a collective approach that cuts through research, teaching and the way we choose to operate across many activities.

“I am aware that many within the university community have made contributions to improving our sustainability in their own ways.

“I applaud them and hope that our collective efforts, along with specific projects and initiatives guided by our Environmental Sustainability Strategic Delivery Plan, will go even further and meet greater success in the coming years.”

The ranking comes on the same day that Nottingham was confirmed in 7th place by the UI Green Metrics, a ranking on green campus and environmental sustainability initiated by Universitas Indonesia, which judges universities on their environmental commitment and initiatives.

It also follows the university’s strong performance in the 2023 Green Gown awards last week, where it was highly commended in the Money for Good category for its approach to ethical and sustainable investments and a finalist in the Student Engagement category for its collaboration between its Grounds Team and Student Conservation Society on a programme of weekly sessions and projects to protect and nurture nature and promote conservation on its campuses.

Andy Nolan, Director of Sustainability at the University of Nottingham, said: “Being placed so highly in the QS World University Rankings is recognition for the breadth and depth of the university’s commitment to the sustainable development goals in its teaching, research and how we operate.

Alongside the 7th place in the UI Green Metric and our success at last week’s Green Gown Awards it shows the university is delivering on the commitments we’ve made in our strategy.”

Through its Environmental Sustainability Delivery Plan, the university has pledged to put sustainability at the heart of everything it does – through its research, teaching, campus activity, investments and work with partners.

It recently set out its commitment to making an outstanding contribution to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to address the complex challenges facing our planet and to secure a safer, fairer and more sustainable future.

In particular, the university’s research deliver solutions to complex problems and work with partners in the UK and across the word to ensure its innovations have transformative impact on people’s lives.

As part of the university’s ambitious, science-based carbon reduction target to reach net zero by 2040, it has recently received a multi-million pound injection to establish a new zero carbon innovation centre, primarily based on its Jubilee Campus.

As part of a collaboration with Loughborough University, the centre will consolidate the East Midlands’ position as a world leader in the development and deployment of innovation in green industries, attracting international investment and providing support for global businesses.

The venture has been funded with more £5 million from East Midlands Freeport, match-funded by the University of Nottingham and Loughborough University.

It forms part of the university’s ambitions to build a globally-significant Zero Carbon Cluster in the East Midlands.

By bringing together researchers from a variety of disciplines with a wide range of cross-sector partners, the cluster aims to attract and support top global firms, cultivate local innovation, train people in the skills needed for the net zero transition, and serve as a global model for a flourishing zero carbon economy.