This year’s Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings submission process is now underway.

The Impact Rankings are the first global attempt to measure university progress specifically related to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by all United Nations States in 2015. The SDGs provide an outline for improving outcomes for people and the planet by working together in a global partnership, and are gaining momentum across the sector resulting in a 26% increase in participating universities in the past year.

UNSW ranked 55th in the world out of 1,406 institutions, up from 96th in 2021. UNSW had 10 top 100 places, including eight in the top 50.

The submission of evidence from 2021 is due by Friday 11 November 2022 and will inform the results of next year’s THE Impact Rankings.

Collaboration with colleagues from across UNSW is key to our success in collecting evidence of the University’s activities towards achieving the  SDGs.

THE calculates a university’s final score by combining its score in SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals, with its three highest scoring SDGs. Considering past performance, this year’s submission will focus on UNSW’s top ten scoring SDGs from the previous ranking: 

  • SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals                    
  • SDG 2 Zero Hunger                                                                                        
  • SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation                                                              
  • SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy                                                          
  • SDG 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure                                      
  • SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities                                            
  • SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production  
  • SDG 13 Climate Action  
  • SDG 14 Life Below Water                                                                             
  • SDG 15 Life on Land                                                                                      

Colleagues who have previously participated in the submission process and who did work which contributed to the SDGs in 2021 are requested to participate in the working group, led by Project Manager Rebecca Martin.

The initial timeline for evidence collection is Monday 3 October, followed by review and submission on Friday 11 November 2022. The 2023 methodology can be accessed here.

Visit the EDI website to find out more about the SDGs at UNSW.