Global green ranking for UCC
UCC’s work was recognised once again when it was recently announced as one of the most environmentally-friendly universities in the world.
UCC has placed fourth in the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings, announced at a ceremony in São Paulo, Brazil.
UCC’s fourth place makes it the eighth consecutive year in which the university has finished in the top 10 of the rankings. UCC has placed 12th or higher in the world in each of the annual rankings since their inception in 2010.
The educational, research and operational activities of institutions are examined and UCC has risen two places from last year’s ranking. Last year saw 1,183 third-level institutions from across 85 countries assessed by the rankings.
UCC is striving for zero-waste by 2030 and next month marks the second anniversary of UCC’s banning of the sale of all disposable cups and plastic bottles on campus.
Head of Sustainability and Climate Action Office Dr Maria Kirrane said: “We are very proud to now be placed in the top five most sustainable universities globally. This accolade represents the very real improvements we have made to not only minimise our environmental footprint but to ensure our university contributes to a more sustainable society. We could not have done this without the enormous efforts of all our staff, students, service providers and wider community.”
Over the course of those two years the university has saved over 2 million disposable cups as well as hundreds of thousands of plastic bottles.
It was an early adopter of the Deposit Return Scheme with two machines on campus, both of which are linked to charitable donations.
UCC President Prof. John O’Halloran said: “We are delighted that the hard work of our students and staff has again been recognised by a high placing in the UI GreenMetric World University Rankings. We have shown our commitment to a more environmentally-friendly university through our Sustainability and Climate Action Plan, supported by a dedicated Office of Sustainability and Climate Action. We will continue to work towards our zero-waste and carbon-neutral targets, and to ensure all our operations inspire the transition to a more sustainable future.”
Meanwhile, the university’s caterer KSG has implemented an innovative Positive Carbon AI tool in kitchens, which has seen huge reductions in the amount of food waste being produced. These, along with numerous other initiatives, have seen total waste produced on campus reduce by 40% in the last 5 years.
UCC has also seen a 32% reduction in carbon emissions. In 2024, an ambitious two-year deep retrofit of the university’s Enterprise Centre was completed. The project resulted in an 80% reduction in energy emissions from the building and is part of a programme of upgrades and retrofits to be delivered over the next five years, which will see the university reduce its overall emissions by 51% by 2030.