University College Cork ranked in world’s top five most sustainable third level institutions

University College Cork (UCC) is the fourth most environmentally friendly university in the world, according to an international ranking of third-level institutions from around the globe.

UCC was placed fourth in the UI GreenMetric World University rankings, announced at a ceremony earlier this month in São Paulo, Brazil.

This marks the eighth consecutive year in which the Cork university has finished in the top 10 of the rankings, and is an improvement of two places from last year.

Additionally, UCC has placed 12th or higher in the world in each of the annual rankings since their inception in 2010.

The educational, research and operational activities of institutions are examined, and last year saw 1,183 third-level institutions from across 85 countries assessed by the rankings.

Measures

Among the measures taken by UCC to increase sustainability was its ban two years ago of the sale of all disposable cups and plastic bottles on campus.

Over the course of those two years the university has saved more than two million disposable cups, as well as hundreds of thousands of plastic bottles. UCC also was an early adopter of the Government’s deposit return scheme, with two DRS machines on campus, both of them linked to charitable donations.

The university’s caterer, KSG, has implemented a ‘Positive Carbon’ AI tool in kitchens, which has resulted in large reductions in the amount of food waste produced.

These, along with other initiatives, have seen the total waste produced on campus reduced by 40% over the last five years.

Reduction

UCC has also seen a 32% reduction in carbon emissions, and in 2024 an ambitious two-year deep retrofit of the university’s Enterprise Centre was completed, resulting in an 80% reduction in energy emissions from the building. This was part of a programme of upgrades and retrofits to be delivered over the next five years, which will see UCC reduce its overall emissions by 51% by 2030.

The university grounds are managed for biodiversity and it is designated as an international open arboretum; in 2024, a new biodiversity trail was launched along the Cavanagh way.

Welcoming UCC’s fourth place in the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings, UCC’s head of sustainability and climate action office, Dr Maria Kirrane, said the university was proud to be placed in the top five most sustainable universities globally.

“This accolade represents the very real improvements we have made to not only minimise our environmental footprint, but to ensure our university contributes to a more sustainable society,” she said. 

“We could not have done this without the enormous efforts of all our staff, students, service providers and wider community.”

Commitment

UCC President John O’Halloran said he was delighted that the hard work of students and staff had again been recognised by a high placing in the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings. 

"We have shown our commitment to a more environmentally friendly university through our sustainability and climate action plan, supported by a dedicated office of sustainability and climate action. 

“We will continue to work towards our zero-waste and carbon-neutral targets, and to ensure all our operations inspire the transition to a more sustainable future.”