Annual Sustainability Report shows University's real world impact

Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland has released its 2025 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Report, highlighting the University’s role as a national leader in research, education and community partnerships across all 17 UN goals.

Across the SDGs, the University community is tackling some of the most complex problems facing Aotearoa and the wider region – from poverty and housing to climate resilience, health and ocean conservation.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dawn Freshwater said: “In our complex and uncertain world, the Sustainable Development Goals serve as a compass for collective action. The annual SDG report shows the crucial role universities play as catalysts and leaders for sustainable transformation.”

The release of the report comes as the University again demonstrates its leadership in sustainability. It remains the highest-ranked university in Aotearoa New Zealand in the newly-released QS Sustainability Rankings: Sustainability 2026 and is ranked 28th globally. This year, 2,001 institutions took part in the rankings, up from 1,744 last year, reflecting the increasing competition in this space.

The University report shows particularly strong impact in SDG-aligned research output, with the University typically contributing around a quarter to a third of all New Zealand research publications in each SDG area, and more than a third in some fields. In 2024, for example, the University produced:

• 859 publications aligned to Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3), representing 36 percent of New Zealand’s output in this area.
• 209 publications aligned to Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10), also 36 percent of the national share.
• 234 publications linked to Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9), or 31 percent of New Zealand’s total.

Behind the numbers sit projects with real-world benefits. Health researchers are developing digital twins of organs, new childhood asthma treatments, wireless brain sensors and ‘natural’ pacemakers, while social scientists are tackling issues from AI-driven inequality to declining school attendance and housing affordability.

In the climate and environment space, teams are modelling future urban hazards using digital twins, tracing the climate impacts of Antarctic magmatism and underwater volcanoes, and leading global assessments of climate and health risk in small-island states. Marine scientists at Leigh Marine Laboratory have a new aquaria facility to study warming oceans, microplastics and aquaculture resilience.

The report highlights a deliberate shift to embed sustainability into campus design and operations as well as into student experience. On campus, new and upgraded facilities are being used as levers for well-being and emissions reduction:

Hiwa, the new recreation centre, shows a strong link between physical activity and academic success, with students who visit regularly recording significantly more A grades, particularly Māori and Pacific students.

Building-tuning projects across the estate are cutting electricity and gas use by optimising HVAC and control systems; some buildings are outperforming design energy targets by more than ten percent.

The redevelopment of Wynyard Street has turned a car-dominated service lane into a green, people-centred space with improved stormwater management and planting for biodiversity.

Operational data show progress towards the University’s net-zero ambitions. Greenhouse gas emissions in 2024 were 13.6 percent lower than the 2019 baseline, and work-related air travel emissions were down by 35.5 percent, already surpassing the 2025 interim target. Staff commuting is now incorporated into carbon monitoring, with two-thirds of surveyed staff using low-emissions transport options such as public transport, walking or bike and e-scooters.

Waste and water management are also targeted. In 2024, the University generated 2,244 tonnes of operational waste, with growing streams for recycling, composting and IT reuse, and is piloting initiatives like Repair Cafés and food-waste diversion. Campus water-use data are tracked alongside research and education programmes led by the Water Research Centre and community laboratories based at the marae.

For staff and students, equity and inclusion initiatives are framed explicitly through SDG lenses. The report highlights:

• Targeted scholarships and micro-credentials for Māori and Pacific students, particularly in STEM and health.
• New staff networks, including the Women of Colour network and African Staff Network, and a co-designed Gender Action Plan to address pay and progression gaps.
• Expanded disability support, including an Accessibility Toolkit and adoption of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower symbol.