Essex in global top 100 of Times Higher Education Impact Rankings for third year running

Times Higher Education has named the University of Essex once again in the top 100 of its global Impact Rankings – which evaluates 2,152 universities across 125 countries. Essex is 58th overall in the THE Impact Rankings – the third year in a row Essex has earnt a place in the top 100.

The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings are the only global assessment of universities against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals. They use carefully calibrated indicators to provide comprehensive and balanced comparisons across four broad areas: research, stewardship, outreach and teaching.

Essex's overall global ranking of 58th places it 14th in the UK and the University is also ranked highly for a number of individual indicators, ranking 22nd for SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities (12th in UK), 28th for SDG 12 - responsible consumption (17th in UK) and 31st for SDG 5 – Gender Equality (2nd in UK), 40th for SDG 8 - Decent Work and Economic Growth (5th in UK), and 54th for SDG 13 – Climate Action (14th in UK).

SDG 5 - Gender Equality which Essex is 2nd in the UK for covers research on gender equality, the percentage of first-generation female students, student access measures, and the percentage of senior female academics.

Essex is also ranked in the top 200 globally for SDG 1- No Poverty, SDG 14 – Life Below Water, SDG 15 – Life on Land, SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions and SDG 17 – Partnership for the Goals.

Dean of Undergraduate Education Professor Dominic Micklewright, who helped oversee the University’s submission to the THE Impact Rankings, said: “We are delighted to have been ranked 58th which marks for the third year in a row a top 100 position. At Essex we are whole heartedly committed to making progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and channelling our expertise and resources to benefit regional, national and global society.

“Our culture of equality and inclusion at Essex have once again shone through as a strength in our impact rankings, something which is truly felt by our students, our staff, and those from around the World who work with us. There is much more yet to be done and at Essex we will continue to contribute to creating a fairer more sustainable society in the future.”

Director of Sustainability Rob Davey said: “We are proud that our institutional commitment to sustainability and the UN Sustainable Development Goals is recognised in the THE Impact Rankings. Our research and education strategies place a strong emphasis on investigating environmental issues, finding solutions and taking positive action.

“In addition to this as an anchor institution in the region, we are determined to ensure our operations reduce our impact and rise to the challenge of our declaration of a climate and ecological emergency.

“The University’s carbon emissions have almost halved significantly reduced in just over a decade and our new Carbon Management Plan is looking to further improve energy efficiency and increase the amount of electricity we generate on-site including further PV solar panels.

“Sustainability remains a fundamental part of our future planning and at the heart of the University’s strategy. Our ranking in the top 100 of the THE Impact rankings for the third year running reflects our progress and gives us even more momentum to go further."

Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research Professor Chris Greer said: “The THE Impact Rankings show once again our commitment to delivering research which has a local, regional and international impact while building partnerships around the world to take on global challenges and benefit individuals and communities. This all feeds into our research-led education for our undergraduate and postgraduate students, who are encouraged to be active members of our research community.

“It is good to see we rank particularly strongly for reduced Inequalities, responsible consumption, gender equality, economic growth and climate action – which are all important elements of our research agenda.”

A spokesperson for Times Higher Education said: “By excelling in a variety of SDGs, these universities showcase their commitment to addressing the world's most pressing challenges, including environmental sustainability, social inclusion, economic growth and partnerships.

“These leading universities are recognised for their overarching impact across several dimensions of sustainable development, making significant contributions to creating a sustainable and resilient future. Their broad-based excellence underscores the importance of holistic approaches to global challenges and highlights the critical role of academia in driving sustainable change.”