The THE Impact Rankings identify and celebrate universities that demonstrate excellence in contributing to global sustainable development. Success in these rankings showcases the University’s commitment to addressing global challenges, including environmental sustainability, social inclusion, economic growth and partnerships. 

With an overall ranking of 79, Queen’s has excelled in several of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), in particular, SDG 14: Life Below Water, ranked =14th with a score of 90.1. This spotlights our world-leading research and activity in advancing sustainable management of marine resources, protecting coastal ecosystems and combating marine pollution. The University can credit a proportion of this result to the Queen’s University Marine Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research laboratory that serves multiple schools across the Campus.  Based in Portaferry, the facilities are used by university staff and students for research, teaching and outreach.  

Other notable performances include SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals where we were ranked 32nd in the world with a score of 95.7, putting us in the top 1% globally for this area. This result demonstrates our obligation to fostering strong international and local partnerships that support sustainable development across various sectors.  

Queen’s was also ranked =29th for SDG 15: Life on Land, with a score of 88, representing our work on combating biodiversity loss, promoting sustainable forest management and restoring degraded lands.  In addition to solid performances in SDG 14, 15, and 17, we performed well in SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities, ranking =31st with a total score of 84, spotlighting our commitment to championing equality and inclusion.  

The University also ranked comfortably within the top 100 for the sustainability metric of the QS World University Rankings, placing in the top 5% of universities globally for our commitment to sustainability and embedding climate action into everything that we do. These rankings identify which of the world’s universities are leading the way in social and environmental sustainability. The exceptional work done within this area contributed to the University’s overall ranking of =199. 

Commenting on the success, Professor Michael Alcorn, Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Sustainability and Strategic Projects at Queen’s, said:  

“Being recognised among the top global universities for sustainability is a significant achievement that reflects our commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals demonstrate how we are delivering real impact across a range of global challenges.  

“Guided by Strategy 2030 and our Net Zero Plan, we continue to embed sustainability into every aspect of university life—from advancing marine and biodiversity research to championing inclusion and forging impactful partnerships worldwide." 

Sara Lynch, Head of Sustainability at Queen’s University Belfast said: 

“As a university committed to embedding the Sustainable Development Goals across all we do, we are proud to lead the way in sustainability. This achievement reflects the dedication and collaboration of our entire university community.” 

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• Find out more about Queen’s commitment to sustainability.  
• Find out more about the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.  
• Find out more about the QS World University Rankings: Top global universities.