Auckland University has topped global rankings for it's impact on achieving sustainable goals. Photo / Dean Purcell
Auckland University has topped global rankings for it's impact on achieving sustainable goals. Photo / Dean Purcell
The University of Auckland has topped the world for its impact on achieving sustainable development goals for the second year in a row.
Announced overnight were announced overnight by the ' target='_blank'>by London-based Times Higher Education, the rankings measure the performance of universities against the United Nations goals.
Auckland University came first in the overall rankings against 850 institutions, ahead of the University of Sydney and the Western Sydney University.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Dawn Freshwater said the University of Auckland was ranked in the top 25 per cent for each of the goals it was measured against among the institutions from some 89 countries.
Its top areas were among four categories: life on land, involving the sustainable protection of ecosystems, life below water, involving sustainable use of the oceans and marine resources, good health and wellbeing and partnership for the goals, a mandatory qualifying sustainable development goal.
Freshwater said the university had focused on marine sustainability and land protection for a "considerable time", independent of the goals.
"Due to our location and the priorities resulting from our role as a research-led university, these have been areas where we have a natural emphasis," Freshwater said.
"Our physical proximity to the oceans and the land in Aotearoa New Zealand means we often lead the world in unique marine and land-based environmental research projects.
"In these and other areas the University recognises the importance and value of kaitiakitanga and mātauranga Māori in shaping a unique and distinctive approach to sustainability in this country."
The University of Auckland has topped the rankings for the second year in a row. Photo / File
Auckland University also topped last year's global ranking, which was launched in 2019 to measure the broader impact of universities.
"It highlights the work being delivered by universities within their communities, demonstrating the differences they can make to the world against measures such as providing inclusive and equitable quality education, achieving gender equality, and championing environmental sustainability," Freshwater said.
This year's result reflected the world-class outcomes achieved by staff of the University of Auckland, she said.
"The Impact Rankings' focus on sustainability has become even more relevant as we consider what a post-Covid world might look like, and how this enforced 'pause' might be used as an opportunity to reshape economies in more sustainable ways."
"There is a growing call for countries to use this crisis to radically rethink economic and social models.
"This includes concerns about increasing reliance on fragile global supply chains, dependence on single countries for essential manufacturing, precarious health systems, and placing too much emphasis on economic growth that puts unsustainable pressure on the environment."
Against this backdrop, the focus on sustainability is more relevant that ever, she said.
"In the post-Covid world we will be building on this in collaboration with our many stakeholders and communities.
"The Impact Rankings demonstrate how universities like Auckland can play a key role in thought leadership, in germane research, and in sustainable operations."
