UTAS tops global list for climate action, second overall for educational impact
The University of Tasmania has topped a global list of universities for climate action – this is what the institution is doing right. >>
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The University of Tasmania (UTAS) has again retained its crown as the top higher education institution in the world for climate action.
The latest Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, released on Wednesday, show that UTAS has climbed to number two in the overall rankings, which grade universities across the globe for their impact on society and the environment, measuring them against the United Nations’ 17 sustainable development goals.
The rankings are determined in accordance with universities’ research, teaching, stewardship, and outreach. More than 2150 universities from 125 countries were assessed as part of the 2024 rankings.
UTAS rose from fifth in 2023 to second in 2024 after coming in at 76th in 2021 and 25th in 2022.
For the third year in a row, the university was number one for climate action. It was second in the life on land category, fifth for life below water, and ninth for good health and wellbeing.
UTAS Vice-Chancellor Rufus Black described the latest rankings as an “outstanding result” for the university and paid tribute to the staff, students, and partners who were helping to “make a difference for the world around them”.
“The challenges we face in responding to our climate emergency and creating a more equitable society can only be met through collective, sustained effort. We must pull on every lever available to us and embed sustainability in everything that we do.
“We are proud to be a university, and a state, recognised as a global leader in working towards a sustainable, equal and just world.”
UTAS chief sustainability officer Corey Peterson said the university aimed to “live up to our community’s expectations and our desire to be a transformative leader”.
“The results in these rankings validate our efforts while galvanising us to continue to lead. Universities around the world now see us as one of the global leaders in sustainability at a time when that really matters,” he said.
UTAS has been certified carbon neutral since 2016. It divested from fossil fuel investments in 2021 and now prioritises investment that aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals.
It has also significantly reduced embodied carbon in its new buildings and has set a commitment to slash gross carbon emissions by at least 50 per cent by 2030 when compared to its 2015 baseline.
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Originally published as UTAS tops global list for climate action, second overall for educational impact
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