University ranked in world's top 100 in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings League

Posted on: 29 April 2022 in Issue 1

The University has been ranked among the world’s top 100 in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings League – and number one for its partnership work in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The THE Impact Rankings capture universities’ impact on society, based on success in delivering the UN SDGs across four broad areas: research, stewardship, outreach and teaching.

The University of Liverpool has been ranked 88 out of 1,406 institutions overall, with a score of 89.1%. This is a 1.3% increase in our score in the previous rankings. This is a drop in the overall ranking from 72 last year, however this is due to a far greater number of institutions participating in the rankings this year rather than an absolute drop in performance. We remain in the top 6.5% overall for our work in support of the UN SDGs.

In specific measures assessing work towards the UN SDGs, the University was ranked first out of 1,438 institutions for the Partnership for the Goals SDG, scoring 100%.

The University also scored 90.2% for the Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions SDG and was ranked fifth in the world for this measure.

Sustainability Strategy

Nicola Davies, Director of Finance and the Executive Lead for Sustainability, said: “These are fantastic results for this year’s Impact rankings. Being 1st in the world for SDG 17 is a huge achievement, and although we are disappointed with the drop in ranking, in context we are delighted that our overall score has increased and that we are now 8th in the Russell Group. We are committed to embedding sustainability into everything we do across the University, and we see these Impact rankings as a tool to continue building on positive results and focus on the areas we need to improve on.”

Submitting evidence to the Impact Rankings provides an opportunity to showcase the work being delivered to support the University’s Sustainability Strategy, and allows us to demonstrate the differences we are making to the world we live in.

The University’s 2022 submission included evidence against the following SDGs:

  • SDG1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
  • SDG 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
  • SDG 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable
  • SDG 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
  • SDG 15: Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
  • SDG 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable, and inclusive institutions at all levels
  • SDG 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development

Our commitment

The University is committed to working to address the global challenges facing society and the environment, by improving health and education, reducing inequality, ensuring economic sustainability, protecting its shared environment and its biodiversity, and tackling climate change.

In January 2020, the University signed an accord committing to the UN SDGs and through this commitment, the University is helping to build a more sustainable society, economy, and environment.

The University is working to deliver the key aims of the Sustainability Strategy – to achieve net zero carbon by 2035, to reduce our waste by 50% by 2025 and for every student to undertake a Sustainability-related module, extra-curricular activity, or learning as part of their programme.

The application window for the University’s new Sustainability Fund recently closed with bids cumulatively worth £750,000.  We have recently increased our resource in relation to Sustainability, with a new Sustainability Programme team in place and roles being recruited with a focus on policy development, waste management, and the circular economy.