Trinity College Dublin has secured 29th place in the 2026 QS World University Rankings for Sustainability, a significant leap that reflects the university's core commitment to the environmental agenda.
Out of 2,001 institutions globally, Trinity ranked first in Ireland and 16th in Europe for its sustainability efforts. This remarkable jump from 265th place in the 2025 rankings is largely attributed to the University's comprehensive engagement with the data submission exercise for the most recent assessment.
The College's focus on sustainability was formalised in 2022 with the creation of a senior role, the Vice-President for Biodiversity and Climate Action, to embed the issue across education, research, operations, and community engagement. This dedicated effort is supported by a growing sustainability team that includes new posts such as Biodiversity, Sustainable Travel, and Green Labs Officers, alongside Education for Sustainable Development Fellows. Hundreds of researchers and educators are also working to tackle crucial issues related to climate change, biodiversity, and health.
Trinity performed strongly across all three main categories in the 2026 QS ranking: Environmental impact, Social impact, and Governance.
Trinity's inaugural Sustainability Strategy 2023–2030 outlines clear, measurable goals for the university on climate, nature, and health, including:
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Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030, aligning with Government targets.
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Achieving net zero by 2040.
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Becoming nature positive by 2030, committing to conserving, managing, and restoring at least 30% of Trinity's land area for nature.
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Integrating planetary health with human health, aiming for improved health and wellbeing for staff and students by 2030.
Jane Stout (pictured below), Trinity’s Vice-President for Biodiversity and Climate Action, commented on the result: “This outcome reflects hugely increased support and investment in sustainability at Trinity, in terms of governance, day-to-day operations, research, and education for sustainable development.
"There are now a huge number of people across the whole university working towards a shared vision for a better future, including our student body, colleagues in Estates and Facilities, Academic Practice, the Library, Catering, the Health Service, as well as the academic schools. We can be proud of what we have achieved so far.
“That said, irrespective of any rankings, what matters most is that Trinity is moving ahead toward reaching its sustainability goals. Sustainability is never a competition. We know we have a long way to go, and improved rankings like this encourage us to do more.”
Sustainability Manager Jane Hackett added: “Sustainability really matters to staff and students at Trinity and it’s now fully embedded throughout Thrive, our new Strategic Plan for 2025–2030. We see our students striving to support sustainability by actively contributing through Green Campus and Green Labs committees, attending events during action weeks, and supporting initiatives such as Trash to Treasure – focusing on promoting circularity by reusing thousands of items such as clothes and household goods.
“Sustainability must be central to all we do in the university — what we learn, how we do research, and why we operate our campus with climate, biodiversity, and health in mind. As a community, we must continue to strive to do more so that we and future generations can thrive.”