We have reaffirmed our position among the world’s leading universities for sustainability.
The 2026 QS World University Rankings for Sustainability place Durham 24th out of 2,001 universities assessed across the globe.
The prestigious rankings grade institutions across three categories: Environmental Impact, Social Impact, and Governance.
This is our third consecutive year ranked in the global top 25.
We are also ranked ninth in the UK and 13th in Europe for 2026.
Our research contributes to international frameworks such as the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Paris Agreement, and the Agenda 2030 that sets the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).
By integrating sustainability into all our academic activities we’re helping shape how we can respond to global challenges through research and research-led education of future leaders.
Sustainability has many facets, and with the 2025 launch of our Durham University Space Research Centre we’re combining latest technological and scientific know-how with sustainable space activities.
The Centre will also support North East England’s expanding space sector.
This November, our researchers made significant contributions at the COP30 (Conference of Parties) climate summit in Brazil where world leaders gathered to discuss the future of our planet.
In particular, our Durham Centre for Sustainable Development Law and Policy is at the forefront of bringing climate change-related research to COPs each year.
For 2025, our seven-strong COP30 delegation featured experts in Law, Geography and Business, and two students.
The team contributed to multiple events and led our official UNFCCC side event.
This investigated countries’ latest climate pledges and the integration of gender equality.
It also introduced the Durham Declaration on Climate Change and Sustainability, signed by the COIMBRA Group Universities in Durham, in 2025.
Durham experts contributed to discussions spanning the intersection of human rights and sustainability, the global threat of sea level rise and how the law can promote sustainable economic growth.
We’re also driving change across our campus to ensure our everyday practices reflect our sustainability ambitions.
Our refreshed Sustainability and Biodiversity strategies set clear targets, including achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2035 and biodiversity net-gain on our campus by 2032.
Durham staff and students are actively engaged through our Greenspace initiative, helping to embed sustainable behaviour across the University.
We also help to advance citizen science through initiatives like our award-winning MammalWeb platform that monitors biodiversity, reflecting our dedication to connect rigorous research with real-world outcomes.
Our sustainability work on campus has secured us accolades from the national and international Green Gown Awards and we’ve been certified as a Platinum Hedgehog Friendly Campus.
The awards recognise our nature-friendly initiatives such as the creation of grassland and wildflower areas, incorporating hedgehog highways, re-introducing native trees and hedgerows and creating bat and bird habitats across our estate.
With our strategies in place and a firm commitment to achieving our sustainability targets, we continue to lead the way in turning ambition into action.
From decarbonising our buildings and restoring biodiversity on our grounds, to delivering impactful research on a global scale, we’ll continue to work hard to maintain our position as a global leader in sustainability.
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