The University of Eastern Finland maintained its excellent position in the international UI GreenMetric ranking for sustainable development, placing 33rd among nearly 1,500 universities worldwide. The university's ranking in 2024 improved from the previous year, when it was 39th.
“Improving our ranking from last year is an excellent achievement, as the competition grows year by year. We scored slightly more points compared to the previous year, and it is also worth noting that nearly 300 new universities participated in the ranking this year,” explains Maiju Eskelinen, the university's sustainable development specialist.
This was the eighth time the University of Eastern Finland participated in the UI GreenMetric ranking. Over the past five years, it has consistently remained in the top 40. The ranking evaluates universities worldwide based on how they incorporate environmental responsibility and sustainable development into their operations. Evaluation is carried out in several categories, including setting and infrastructure, energy and climate change, waste, water, transportation, and education and research. Universities are required to provide clear evidence of the measures they’ve taken, and of their continuous improvement.
In the latest ranking, the University of Eastern Finland performed particularly well in the energy use and climate change category, where it ranked 10th globally and 5th in Europe. Additionally, the university received full points in the waste management and water use assessments.
For the University of Eastern Finland, the setting and infrastructure category, which measures social sustainability and the greenery of the campus areas, has been the most challenging one. In social sustainability, the university’s performance is excellent. However, when it comes to greenery, i.e., green spaces, planted vegetation and forests, it is difficult to improve performance, because the campuses of the University of Eastern Finland are compact and urban, despite being located in the immediate vicinity of green spaces.
More information on the ranking is available on the UI GreenMetric website.
