The University of Northampton (UON) has been placed 55th in the world for reducing inequalities.
The publication this week (Thursday 25 June) of the Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Rating means UON is among the best globally in their efforts to ensure equal opportunity and inclusion.
The University has also been placed in a higher grouping for overall sustainability (within the top 300, or 20%, of all global universities included in the ratings).
The impact rating is the only global ranking measuring how institutions worldwide advance sustainability in line with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
Becky Bradshaw, Deputy Vice Chancellor and Chief Operating Officer, said: “Sustainability and Inclusivity are threads woven through everything we do at the University, two of our values that sum up who we are, what we believe and how we respect the environment, people and communities.
“Our place in the Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Rankings is wonderful news and a testament to that and the commitment and energy across the University of Northampton.”
The 2026 rankings evaluate 1,646 universities from 116 countries and territories across 17 individual SDG tables and one overall ranking. The findings also show for University of Northampton:
- Responsible Consumption and Production: ranked within the 101-200 group of universities worldwide included in the ratings. This means we sustainably manage natural resources and minimise environmental impacts, including responsible wastes management. For example, our general waste is incinerated, and the energy is captured from the burning and used to power homes. The University aims to increase waste segregation and improve our recycling rates from 70% to 80% by 2030.
- Sustainable Cities and Communities: UON is also ranked within the 101-200 group. This means, among other things, that we enhance access to basic services, improve the quality of public spaces (including the design of Waterside Campus and surrounding green spaces) and boost using public transport.
See University of Northampton’s ranking information here.
The University also has a central role to play in supporting and galvanising organisations across the local community, including helping establish the Sustainability Local Innovation Partnership Agenda Hub (SLIPAH) following the Northampton Sustainability Accord, a roadmap for action created at the University’s first Sustainability Summit in 2023. SLIPAH has galvanised the local stakeholder community towards pursuing shared sustainability goals by fostering a collaborative ecosystem that nurtures sustainable innovation and empowers stakeholders.
Alongside this, with social impact as our ultimate purpose we work with a wider range of organisations to support their programmes. This includes evaluating the impact of community led groups such as Volunteers for Health which aims to embed innovative and sustainable volunteering models into the healthcare systems across Northamptonshire and Delapre Road Abbey branch of Action for Happiness.