Manchester named best uni in world for action on sustainable development

The University of Manchester has been voted the world’s most environmentally friendly university by the Times in its Higher Education Impact Rankings. It came out top of 1,200 unis from 98 countries.

It is the top university in the world to have done the most work towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Some of the goals include: No poverty, gender equality and clean energy.

It also came first for its work towards the development goal for Sustainable Cities and Communities and Responsible Consumption and Production, as well as a second place for work in relation to Life Below Water.

So, how was this result reached?

The university has won due to its research work in these development goals, including creating sustainable infrastructure, creating cleaner skies, and removing harmful pollutants from industrial wastewater with innovative technology.

The university was voted top for its achievements for humanity due to having social responsibility as a core goal for its students.

These are achieved by: The pioneering civic engagement work of its cultural institutions, how students are engaged with the development goals, the commitment to a zero-carbon future, paying staff a living wage, and the quality of reporting of progress on each of the 17 development goals.

Vice-Chancellor Nancy Rothwell said: “We’re absolutely delighted to top the world in the Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings in 2021, but more importantly we’re pleased to be part of a growing community of universities committed to measuring and sharing their societal impact.”