An increasing number of prospective university students are more interested in the sustainability performance of the universities and colleges they are considering, rather than their rankings, according to new findings by the International Education Sustainability Group’s Climate Action Barometer (CAB).
The study, which gathered data from 22 institutions across 10 countries, found that more than three quarters (78%) of students would opt for a sustainable university over a top-ranked institution, while a third (33%) would pay more to attend a university with an established sustainability reputation.
Some 65% of students said that they would factor in the sustainability performance of a university in their choice to enrol there, while close to half (48%) noted that they would choose a sustainable university over an institution ranked in the world’s top 100.
In 2024, nearly 700,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent were associated with international education, with student travel accounting for roughly 83% of emissions, the data showed.
Commitment to climate action
Despite this growth in demand, while most universities have stated their commitment to climate action, performance was weaker when it came to emissions reduction initiatives and staff involvement in sustainability efforts.
Just 19% of international staff report being ‘mostly responsible’ for climate-related efforts at their institution, while a third say they are ‘moderately’ responsible and just under half state they are ‘somewhat’ responsible.
At the same time, close to two thirds (64%) of institutions expect that their operations will be ‘significantly’ impacted by climate change by the end of the decade, with universities in Australia already reporting serious weather-related implications for their campuses.
‘A powerful opportunity’
“Universities have a powerful opportunity to lead the education sector’s response to climate change,” commented International Education Sustainability Group (IESG) chief executive, Ailsa Lamont.
“By embedding sustainability into strategy, operations and leadership, institutions can build resilience, align with student and stakeholder expectations and strengthen their global reputation.” Read more here.
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