Sustainability
We are working towards a more sustainable future, through our research, education, and partnering activities across our campus.
Enough for everyone, forever
We support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) – seeking peace and prosperity for all people and the planet, now and in the future.
Social and environmental justice are core values of our Vision and Strategy. We work in depth and breadth across all the Sustainable Development Goals.
Our continued high performance in global league rankings highlights our commitment and work towards sustainable development. It shows how the alignment of our work with the UNSDGs is driving education, research and innovation across the University.
We are ranked 64th in the world out of almost 2,000 institutions in the latest QS World University Rankings: Sustainability, with high scores across the categories of Environmental Impact, Social Impact, and Governance. This places us in the top 4% of institutions worldwide, a result consistent with last year's rankings (2025).
We are also ranked top 25 in the UK, and top 200 in the world out of 2,318 institutions in the THE Impact rankings. The breadth of our commitment to social and environmental justice is evident in our top 50 ranking for Responsible Consumption and Production and top 100 ranking across a further five of the UN SDGs: SDG 1 No Poverty, SDG10 Reduced Inequalities, SDG13 Climate Action, SDG 14 Life Below Water and SDG15 Life on Land
We are working towards a net-zero goal on campus, with an aim of embedding sustainability in everything we do, from our operations, to our teaching and research.
We have recently been awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for global research excellence in water.
It's important that we’re leading the way on sustainability – the biggest challenge facing the world – and it's significant that one of the driving forces behind this is not only our colleagues' commitment, but also our students.
Professor Jane Robinson
Pro-Vice-Chancellor Business, Partnerships and Place
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What we do
Our Commitment to Sustainable Research
Newcastle University is proud to be a signatory of the Concordat for the Environmental Sustainability of Research and Innovation Practice. This sector-wide agreement recognises the urgent need to reduce the environmental impacts of research and commits us to delivering world-leading innovation in a more responsible and sustainable way. Led by our University Executive Board, this step marks a clear commitment to driving real change.
Our focus areas include:
- Leadership and system change
- Sustainable infrastructure
- Sustainable procurement
- Emissions from business and academic travel
- Collaborations and partnerships
- Environmental impact and reporting
As part of this commitment, Professor Matthew Grenby, PVC for Research and Innovation, sits on the EAUC Oversight Group, which advises the UK research community and monitors progress towards the Concordat’s sustainability goals. A signed statement from Vice-Chancellor Professor Chris Day confirms Newcastle University's commitment.
Latest news
Newcastle engineer awarded £3m to help tackle climate crisis
Dr Sharon Velasquez Orta has been awarded a Green Futures Fellowship by the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Warmer ocean currents destabilise ice sheets, driving retreat
New research reveals how ocean warming triggered the large-scale retreat of the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream (NEGIS) - offering vital clues for understanding its modern-day vulnerability.
Exposing the hidden carbon cost of potash imports into Brazil
Brazil’s potash imports carry higher carbon footprints than models predict, Newcastle research finds.
