QS Rankings reaffirm Durham’s position in the world’s top 25 for sustainability

The QS World University Rankings 2026 have reaffirmed Durham’s position in the world’s top 25 for sustainability.

Out of 2,001 universities worldwide, Durham has ranked 24th for its sustainability. This marks the university’s third consecutive year of being included in the global top 25 institutions.

Durham also ranked 9th in the UK and 13th in Europe.

The ranking scores universities across three different categories: Environmental impact, social impact and governance.

Global influence on sustainability

Durham University experts have contributed to discussions on human rights and sustainability, addressing the global threat of rising sea levels and how laws can foster sustainable economic growth.

The institution’s researchers have made notable contributions at the COP30 (Conference of Parties) climate summit in Brazil, where world leaders gathered to discuss the future of the Earth.

The Durham Centre for Sustainable Law is at the core of integrating climate-change-based research to COPs each year.

The university has delegated featured experts in law, geography and business, and two students for this year’s event. The team have led an official investigation into nations’ latest climate pledges and the integration of gender equality.

In 2025, Durham also launched the Durham Declaration on Climate Change and Sustainability, signed by the COIMBRA Group Universities in Durham.

Sweden’s Lund University is the most sustainable

Rankings saw Lund University overtake the University of Toronto, which has held the spot for the past two years.

In the UK, the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) rose from 39th to 6th, and the University of New South Wales climbed from 12th to 7th.

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QS rankings revealed that, despite having fewer represented regions than the US and China, 30 of the UK’s 109 locations featured in the top 100. This is nearly double that of the United States, whose 240 institutions saw only 16 featured.

Sustainability on campus

Durham’s new sustainability and biodiversity strategies set clear targets, from goals of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2035 to biodiversity net-gain on campus by 2032.

Both staff and students implement such strategies around campus through the university’s Greenspace initiative.

Work to advance citizen science through initiatives like the award-winning MammalWeb, which monitors biodiversity, is part of Durham’s commitment to achieving real-world outcomes through research.

This agenda has secured accolades from the national and international Green Gown Awards, having been named a Platinum Hedgehog Friendly Campus.

Achieving global change through research

Durham’s research contributes globally to frameworks like the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC), the Paris Agreement and the Agenda 2030 that sets UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

By integrating sustainability into academics, Durham leads the way as a top 25 institution in shaping how universities respond to global challenges through research and research-led education of future leaders.

Successes include the launch of the Durham University Space Research Centre, which combines technological and scientific research with sustainable space activities.

The Centre will also support North East England’s expanding space sector.

Durham University said: “With our strategies in place and a firm commitment to achieving our sustainability targets, we continue to lead the way in turning ambition into action”.

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