Sustainability has proven to be at the core of the University of Newcastle’s values after being ranked in the global top 30 for sustainable values and practices.
The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings are released annually and provide a global ranking based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) developed by the United Nations.
The rankings are the first global attempt to measure university progress specifically around the SDGs, including an overall rank and a rank for each of the 17 individual goals.
University of Newcastle’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Academic Excellence, Jennifer Milam, said there were several areas where the university had ranked highly.
“We’re incredibly proud that our university is making a positive difference to our region and the world, and the results from the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings show that we continue to lead both in Australia and internationally for sustainability,” she said.
“In Australia, we ranked in the top five in the country for 13 of the 17 SDGs, which is a fantastic achievement, including ranking number one in Australia for SDG2 Zero Hunger and SDG17 Partnerships for the Goals.
“Globally, we are also recognised as one of the best-achieving universities, ranking in the top 30 in the world.”
The University ranked in the top 50 for ten of the SDGs, including ranking fourth in the world for Partnership for the Goals (SDG17), 12th in the world for Good Health and Wellbeing (SDG3) and 16th for Climate Action (SDG13) and Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG7).
“We know that initiatives like introducing 100 per cent renewable energy and committing to being carbon neutral by 2025 have strongly resonated with our students and with our communities,” Milam said.
In 2020, the University of Newcastle was the first Australian university to implement a 100 per cent renewable electricity contract and has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025 across its Newcastle and Central Coast campuses.
It has recently begun investing in sustainable transport by installing electric vehicle charging stations across the Callaghan campus.
Other sustainability initiatives include a recycling program for disposable coffee cups, diverting them from landfill, and participation in a Plastic Police program that turn soft plastics into seating benches.
“We include sustainability principles in our values, research, teaching and the facilities we provide, and these results show how widely ingrained these principles are in all areas of our work,” Milam said.
Maia O’Connor