U of A ranks sixth worldwide and first in North America for sustainability impact

In the Times Higher Education (THE) 2024 University Impact Rankings, the University of Alberta ranked sixth in the world and first in North America for its impact on sustainable development. In 2023, the U of A ranked seventh in the world.

THE Impact Rankings assessed universities against the United Nations’ (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). In total, there are 17 SDGs that encompass the UN’s ideals for sustainable development worldwide. 

Bob Summers believes that this “recognition gives [the university] a lot of value.” Summers is the director of the School of Urban and Regional Planning and the academic director of the U of A Sustainability Council. 

“There’s tremendous work going on here. I think it’s so great to see it highlighted with this ranking,” Summers said. 

Summers highlighted two U of A programs that focus on sustainability. The U of A implemented its ten-year Zero Waste Plan in 2022. The plan aims to help the U of A become a zero waste and sustainable institution. 

Campus as a Living Lab is another way that the U of A has committed to improving sustainability, Summers said. This program allows research projects to use the campus as a testing ground for sustainable solutions. 

U of A should focus on sustainability and the SDGs, according to Summers 

According to Summers, the SDGs do not focus exclusively on environmental sustainability.

“It’s about ensuring that people have access to clean water, ensuring that people are not going hungry, eliminating poverty,” Summers said. 

“I truly feel that we have a responsibility as an institution, as academics, and people who are very privileged to ensure that the work we’re doing is targeted towards that.”

The SDGs are broad and cover a range of sustainability issues, including SDG 14, Life Below Water. The U of A ranked second worldwide and first in Canada for SDG 14, which focuses on the sustainable use the oceans, seas, and marine resources.

“I would have never guessed that life below water was something that would have stood out. But that’s the fantastic part about this process — it allows us to dig in, find, and identify the work that’s happening,” Summers said. 

He added that life below water is important for the same reason that land and biodiversity is “critically important.”

“It’s because they’re critical to the future of the planet,” Summers said. 

“Our role is advancing society forward,” Summers says 

According to Summers, sustainability is a pillar that has been identified by the university as critically important, and the research being done supports that. 

“As we hire new faculty, and as we move forward, these types of issues will be forefront. I think they should be and they will be in terms of who we bring on board, and certainly individual researchers themselves,” Summers said. 

Many researchers at the U of A adjust after learning that their research is connected to a SDG, according to Summers. “Part of our role is to simply raise awareness of the benefits and the value of that,” Summers said. 

The U of A is also looking into creating a Master’s of Sustainability degree that will be open to students. 

“There’s going to be growth at the undergraduate level of degrees and sustainability courses. So lots of really exciting things happening.”