University of Auckland No 1 in Oceania and fifth in world for sustainability

Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland has been ranked first in Oceania and fifth in the world for sustainability in the 2024 QS World University Sustainability Rankings today. (10am 5 December GMT)

The result places the University of Auckland in the company of the world’s top universities, which include American Ivy League universities, the United Kingdom’s Russell Group and the Group of Eight, Australia’s leading universities.

This is the second year the QS organisation has highlighted the role universities worldwide have in taking action to tackle the world’s greatest environmental, social and governance issues. The University’s fifth place has been assessed against 1,403 tertiary institutions worldwide and its first place in Oceania is assessed from 46 institutions in New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific.

University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dawn Freshwater said, “This is a singular achievement by the staff and students at the University. It reflects the serious commitment and the collective mahi we have to support a fair, ethical and sustainable society.”

She said the result was remarkable when seen in the context of the doubling of the number of institutions included in the rankings. In the inaugural QS Sustainability Rankings in 2023, the University was placed tenth out of 700 institutions. This year's fifth place was achieved in the face of participation by an increased number of globally significant institutions.

The QS World University Rankings: Sustainability explore how tertiary institutions perform under three main categories. The University achieved a fourth place rank for Environmental Impact, which includes environmental education, sustainability and research. For Social Impact, the University achieved an equal 39th place, and in the new category, Governance, was ranked 41st.

The result comes after the University was ranked 12th in the world in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings for Sustainability earlier this year.