Sustainability
Breathing life into sustainability at Waikato
Our performance in the Times Higher Impact Rankings
The 2023 Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings confirm the University of Waikato is making excellent progress when it comes to aligning its research, teaching, campus operations and engagement to the biggest challenges facing the world today.
The University is 92nd out of the 1,591 institutions ranked by THE worldwide, retaining its place in the top 100.
The Impact Rankings, now in their fifth year, assess how institutions are contributing to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - the key issues identified as the most pressing facing humanity and the planet.
We are proud to be ranked in the top 100 institutions in the world for 8 of the 17 SDGs, including SDG17 Partnership for the Goals (32nd in the world), SDG14 Life below Water (34th), SDG15 Life on Land (44th), SDG16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (48th), and SDG5 Gender Equality (51st).
QS Sustainability Rankings 2024
The University of Waikato has been recognised in the top 100 universities worldwide in the 2024 QS Sustainability rankings. The rankings highlight how universities are taking action to tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues, drawing on the framework provided by the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Universities are ranked on their performance in three areas: Environmental Impact, Social Impact and Governance. We are ranked 36th globally for Environmental Impact and 27th for Environmental Education.
Whaioranga Taiao, Whaioranga Tangata - our Sustainability Report
Showcasing the progress we made with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the name reflects our aspiration for both a healthy and connected environment and fair and inclusive communities, acknowledging that neither can exist alone.
Our progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals
Select from the tiles below to discover how we are contributing to the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Introducing our Assistant Vice-Chancellor Sustainability
Professor Lynda Johnston is Assistant Vice-Chancellor Sustainability for the University of Waikato. She is focused on shaping the University’s strategic academic approach to sustainability and environmental management, and providing academic leadership and oversight of its activities using the SDGs as a framework.
She is passionate about using the power of our research and our people to make significant, positive contributions on both a local and global scale and will play a key role in raising awareness of sustainability among staff, students and the wider community, and encouraging responsible use of resources via research, operational practices, partnerships, teaching and learning.