Bristol named 12th most sustainable university in the world

By Sofia Webster, Co-Deputy Editor

Earlier this week, the University of Bristol was named as the 12th most sustainable university in the world, according to the QS World Sustainability Rankings 2025.

The rankings judge 1,744 universities on more than 50 criteria ranging from environmental research and teaching to community outreach and the gender balance of staff.

In response to the ranking, Vice-Chancellor Evelyn Welch said, "This is an exciting moment for the University, and although we still have a long way to go, we are delighted that our efforts toward creating a more sustainable future have been recognised."

Alongside being ranked 12th most sustainable globally, Bristol also came 2nd in the 'equality' category, looking at the universities' disability support as well as how research improves global equality when judged against the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

This success can be accredited to numerous sustainable achievements throughout the University of Bristol over the last few years, not limited to the opening of its world-leading Cabot Institute for the Environment, Botanical Gardens with more than 4,500 plant species, scholarships supporting disadvantaged groups and a Green Labs certification for all of its laboratories - the first university in the world to achieve this.

Looking to the future, the opening of the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus in 2026 will offer countless more inclusive employment initiatives in hope of driving the university towards an even more sustainable future.