Otago has ranked in the top five per cent globally in the 2025 QS World University Rankings: Sustainability.
Otago’s sustainablity position has improved despite significantly more universities competing internationally for recognition of their sustainability efforts in the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2025.
University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka Head of Sustainability Dr Ray O’Brien says since the rankings were introduced in 2022, the number of universities included has increased by more than 1000.
“To be ranked in the top five per cent of this expanded pool is a significant achievement.”
In 2022, Otago ranked 47th out of 700 universities so was in the top seven per cent globally – this year, it was 78 out of 1740 institutions, putting Otago in the top five per cent.
Globally, Otago is within the top 100 for sustainable education and is again second in New Zealand.
That demonstrates Otago’s continued commitment to sustainability, and also reflects the dedication and hard work of staff and students throughout the University community, Ray says.
Otago’s underlying score has improved in the 2025 rankings compared to 2024 – from 87.6 to 89.6 out of a maximum of 100 – with small gains in the environmental sustainability, equality, impact of education, knowledge exchange and governance.
Otago’s strongest performance in the sub-components are environmental education – the provision and the impact of our education in environmental sustainability – and strong governance, as represented by open decision-making, a holistic and ethical organisational culture, student representation on governing bodies and financial transparency.
Otago values the QS rankings because the ranking system rates actions that make an authentic difference and the sustainability rankings contribute to the University’s overall ranking, rather than being an add-on.
“Our position globally is strongly influenced by how we address sustainability, 10 per cent of the points for our overall ranking comes from sustainability because we genuinely do so well compared others,” Ray says.
The University of Otago has decided to withdraw from the Times Higher Education University Impact Ratings to focus on the QS Sustainability ranking. While Otago was ranked 94th in the world in the latest iteration of the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, it was felt the Impact Ranking methodology does not adequately reflect Otago’s commitment and efforts to sustainability. In addition, a significant amount of Otago staff time is consumed preparing each year’s submission to the Impact ranking, and it was felt that the University’s resources would be better utilised elsewhere.
Sustainability is a focus in the University’s Pae Tata Strategic Plan to 2030, supported by the sustainability strategic framework, Tī Kōuka 2030, which has mātauraka Māori at its foundation.
Key components of Tī Kōuka include:
- Developing opportunities for students to learn about sustainability both through their programmes and campus life.
Examples of this academically include new minors in Sustainable Business and Sustainable Finance. Examples of the wider Otago experience supporting learning about sustainability include the thrift shop and sustainability hub Te Oraka and the Social Impact Studio, which promotes student-driven change through volunteering and leadership.
- Supporting decision-making across government and society through academic staff carrying out relevant research.
Examples of this include the Centre for Sustainability/Kā Rakahau o Te Ao Tūroa and the science-based policy school for climate change run by He Kaupapa Hononga.
- Creating a campus that reflects our sustainability values both in new developments and how we manage day-to-day.
Otago's residential college Te Rangihīroa is a great example of a building with sustainability in mind and our waste reduction success is an example of the day-to-day operational work.