Bournemouth University lands top spot for sustainability

Bournemouth University (BU) has been ranked among the best universities worldwide for its sustainability.

It is placed joint 39th out of nearly 2,000 universities in the global Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2024.

The Impact Rankings measure the work of universities against the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs).

Each university receives a score against criteria for each UNSDG to create an overall score, which is then ranked against other participating universities.

As well as an overall ranking, universities are awarded rankings by goal.

Professor John Vinney, vice-chancellor of BU, said: “The UN Sustainable Development Goals are a useful driver for us in helping us to make sure we’re doing all we can to make the world a better place, and to act sustainably in the work we do.

“I’m continually proud of our performance in this ranking as it shows that our efforts are working – we will continue to strive to ensure that we make progress in protecting and preserving a sustainable environment now and in the future.”

Lois Betts, sustainability manager at BU, added: “Our annual report shows the progress we continue to make across all the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

“Everyone at BU contributes through their teaching, research and actions on campus and beyond.

“I am particularly pleased to see our world leading performance in SDG 12 Responsible Production and Consumption.

“This is due to our careful management of waste on campus to avoid landfill and achieve high recycling rates.

“We work closely with our supply chain partners, and the behaviour of our staff and students makes a big difference in reducing the amount of waste we produce by reusing and avoiding unnecessary purchases where possible.”

BU is in the top 10 for UK universities included in the rankings. It shares 39th place worldwide with Kyungpook National University in South Korea and the University of Newcastle in Australia.