The University of Alberta ranks among the world’s top 30 universities for its ability to help bring about a more sustainable world, according to the 2024 QS Sustainability Rankings released today.
The U of A came in at 28th place worldwide — moving up 90 places from its rank of 118th last year in the inaugural release of the new QS rankings — and fifth in Canada, up from 10th last year. The university also ranked ahead of several Ivy League institutions including Yale University, Harvard University and Cornell University.
“These impressive results affirm the U of A’s leadership and excellence as we work collaboratively on a global scale to advance a more sustainable world,” says Bill Flanagan, president and vice-chancellor. “The U of A’s strategic priorities include tackling the world’s most pressing challenges to the benefit of all. You can expect our contributions to have an even greater impact in the future.”
Sustainability is a priority
Among those priorities are building on the U of A’s proven strength in research on energy and the environment — something Flanagan is highlighting on the international stage at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) this week along with Aminah Robinson Fayek, vice-president of research and innovation.
Recent examples of that research include combining carbon capture and storage with geothermal energy, analyzing the economic and environmental potential of blending hydrogen and natural gas to heat homes, testing a way to improve mining yields while capturing CO2 from the atmosphere, and converting biowaste to jet fuel.
The university has “a large number of researchers who have chosen to focus their efforts on overcoming specific challenges we face in achieving the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals for 2030,” says Robert Summers, academic director of the U of A’s Sustainability Council.
“The emphasis on pragmatic, problem-focused research is one of the reasons we are being recognized as a leading institution in sustainability,” he explains.
One area in which the U of A is emerging as a leader is tackling global challenges in agriculture and food. Experts are looking at inventive ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while benefiting soil, examining how protecting natural areas could help capture carbon and growing greens under solar panels to assess the potential of producing renewable energy and food at the same time.
Other researchers are looking at how to mitigate the widespread social consequences of climate change, including helping vulnerable populations cope with the adverse effects, helping cities improve their planning for natural disasters and undertaking Indigenous-led research projects in more than 24 countries to examine links between biodiversity loss and Indigenous health.