The university guide’s study consisted of categories in both environmental and social sustainability. Newcastle University placed fourth out of British Universities and came eighteenth overall, achieving a five-star sustainability rating from the guide.
The concept of sustainability is hard to define. Modern interpretations focus on a combination of environmental, economic and social factors working together to form a cohesive and safe future. QS based their rankings on three environmental factors: sustainable institution membership, sustainable education and sustainable research. Five social factors also contributed to the rankings with a major focus on equality and partnerships with universities in less developed countries.
There was a major focus on equality and partnerships with universities in less developed countries
A major point of contention for the rankings was the investment in fossil fuel industries from universities. 100 universities in the UK have now divested from the industry after facing intense pressure from students. This includes Newcastle. Edinburgh, which is ranked as the top British university in the guide, was previously heavily invested in the industry. Despite this, critics estimate roughly half of UK universities are yet to divest from the industry.
Within the social aspect, many British universities performed much higher in the categories of equality, employability and quality of life. Oxford and Cambridge frequently placed highly.
An area UK universities lacked in was ‘knowledge exchange’ with many institutions not having as many connections with universities and programmes within less developed countries. Newcastle scored highly in this element with 91.4 out of 100 available points.
Top ranked institutions within the US and Canada have gained an edge over British universities mostly due to having more sustainable investments and having greater global connections. However, there are still many universities lacking in sustainability.
There are still many universities lacking in sustainability
The guide expects the rankings to be published yearly and help students make an informed choice about the university and type of course they would like to study.