Massey shines in Sustainability Rankings

The Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Sustainability Rankings framework highlights the different ways in which universities are tackling the world’s greatest environmental, social and governance issues, which make up the three categories in which institutions are ranked.

The 2023 ranking has seen Massey rise 44 positions to now be ranked 81st in the world and third equal amongst New Zealand’s universities. These results are especially noteworthy considering that the number of universities included in the 2023 ranking has doubled, from 700 universities worldwide in the inaugural ranking last year, to 1403 this year.

In the Environmental Impact component to the ranking, Massey ranked 63rd equal in the world, up from 104th in 2022. Notably, Massey excelled in the Environmental Education section, with a placement of 40th equal in the world. Massey’s Master of Sustainable Development Goals, launched in 2020, is clearly contributing to this measure. In Semester 1 2024, a new Climate Change major will be available in this degree.

In the newly introduced Governance component, Massey is ranked 89th equal globally. This component assesses different elements of best practice in this area, such as the centrality of ethics, good hiring practices and open and transparent decision making.

In the Social Impact component, the university is now ranked 140th equal in the world, a significant increase of 84 places from last year. Of note is Massey’s positioning of 58th equal globally for Equality. The university also increased by more than 200 places each for the Health and Wellbeing, and Knowledge Exchange sections.

Commitment to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals

Provost Professor Giselle Byrnes says the positive results highlight Massey’s dedication to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Massey has made genuine commitments to strategically prioritising our work to align with sustainability actions and outcomes and it is very encouraging to see the improved results of our collective efforts reflected in the latest Sustainability Rankings. As a university, we have pledged our strong support for the SDGs through our academic and research work, as well as the operations of the university and this result is evidence of that commitment.”

Massey University has pledged its commitment to the SDGs, not only by integrating them into its research, but also into teaching, learning and sustainability strategies. This commitment is highlighted in the latest edition of Massey’s biennial publication Rangahau: Research at Massey, which features more than 30 academics and their teams who are actively advancing one or more of the SDGs through their research.

Many staff and students are also actively involved in the Green Impact programme, a United Nations award-winning programme which was launched at Massey earlier this year. The programme tackles everyday sustainability issues. A series of new webpages showcasing Massey’s work on the SDGs has also been recently launched.

Research on the SDGs has contributed to Massey’s rise of more than 200 places in the Environmental Research section of the QS Sustainability rankings, now ranked at 156th equal in the world. This component assesses research outputs in six of the SDGs (SDGs 7, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15).

These sustainability initiatives have also led to an Impact Ranking of 86th equal in the world for Massey in the 2023 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, released earlier this year. Notably, top 35 placings worldwide were achieved for both SDG5 – Gender Equality and SDG8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth. Additionally, Massey attained rankings in the top 100 universities worldwide for both SDG11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities, and SDG15 – Life on Land.