Edinburgh ranks among world’s top universities for sustainability
The University has been recognised as one of the top higher education institutions in the world for environmental and social impact.
The University has placed seventh globally out of a total of 1,751 institutions included in the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2025.
Out of the 26 institutions in the UK that made the top 100 listing, the University has also ranked as first in Scotland and joint second in the UK alongside Imperial College London.
This is the third year the QS World University Rankings – a leading world league table for the higher education sector – has included sustainability as a framework.
The ranking offers insights into each institution’s commitments to building a sustainable world with emphasis on their influence beyond campus grounds.
The University’s climb in this year’s rankings – from 15th to seventh in the world – reflects its work on teaching on sustainability and initiatives to build on engagement with local communities.
Widespread impact
The University remains committed to addressing environmental and social issues by embedding environmental and social sustainability across every aspect of its activities; from research and teaching, to its operations and estate.
This year’s rankings demonstrate the progress made by the University to reach its own ambitious targets to address climate change.
One focus is the scaling of renewable energy generation on campus,with more than 234,000 kWh of renewable energy generated during the 2022/23 academic year.
Elsewhere, a large-scale project to capture and store carbon dioxide emissions through the planting of trees and restoration of peatlands is one of the initiatives the University continues to invest in to jointly tackle the climate and biodiversity crises.
Other areas of work have seen sustainability and social issues embedded further into the curriculum, including a course, ‘Sustainable Development Goals: History, Progress and Beyond 2030’ launched at the Edinburgh Futures Institute in the last year.
Positive benefits
The University continues to engage with Edinburgh’s local communities to address social challenges and deliver positive change.
One initiative, launched in 2024 following a successful pilot, is the University’s Community Access to Rooms scheme.
The scheme offers free use of University spaces to help local groups hold meetings, workshops and events without the burden of usual room hire costs.
To date, the scheme has provided 3,000 hours of room bookings to more than 100 local community organisations, saving an estimated £27,350 in room hire costs.
