Queen’s has climbed to 4th in the world in the 2026 Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings, rising from 6th place last year and placing among the top institutions in a field of more than 1,600 universities worldwide.<\/p>\n
Queen’s also remains Canada’s highest-rated university, becoming the first institution in the country to hold the national top spot for two consecutive years.<\/p>\n
Announced today at the Times Higher Education Global Sustainable Development Congress<\/a> in Jakarta, Indonesia, the results mark Queen’s sixth straight year in the global top 10, a distinction unmatched by any Canadian institution since the ratings began in 2019.<\/p>\n \u201cParticipating in the Impact Ratings has helped Queen\u2019s articulate and expand the ways we contribute to the global good,\u201d says Patrick Deane, Principal and Vice-Chancellor. \u201cThe Sustainable Development Goals that underpin these rankings align closely with the Queen\u2019s Bicentennial Vision<\/a>, which calls on our university community to be a catalyst for positive change through research, innovation, and collaboration, preparing students to lead and address the world\u2019s most complex challenges. This recognition is not just about our position in the rankings, but about highlighting and strengthening the work being done at Queen\u2019s to build a more sustainable and equitable future.\u201d<\/p>\n The Times Higher Education Sustainability Impact Ratings<\/a> (formerly the Impact Rankings) assess how universities contribute to the United Nations\u2019 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a global framework of 17 goals aimed at ending poverty, protecting the planet, and improving quality of life around the world. \u00a0<\/p>\n With representation from over 50 departments, centres, and administrative units, the university\u2019s 2026 submission highlighted more than 200 examples of research, teaching, partnerships, and community initiatives and helped position Queen’s as a global leader in areas including food security, sustainable communities, and strong institutions.<\/p>\n \u00a0Feeding a growing world<\/p>\n 1st in the world for SDG 2: Zero Hunger<\/p>\n Queen’s is helping build more sustainable food systems through research, innovation, and hands-on learning. Examples include:<\/p>\n The Queen’s Phytotron<\/a> brings researchers and food producers together to develop crops and plant varieties that support sustainable agriculture and regional food systems.<\/p>\n The BENEFIT Project<\/a> is a Genome Canada funded program co-led at Queen\u2019s that brings together researchers from across the country aiming to develop bio-inoculants to improve crop growth. The project draws on the potential of local soils to support cereal, brassica, and legume production. \u00a0<\/p>\n To help the campus community make climate-friendly food choices, Queen\u2019s launched Coolfood Meals<\/a> which identifies meals sold at campus food outlets that are both nutritious and Low Carbon Certified<\/a> as determined by the World Resources Institute.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Building more sustainable communities<\/p>\n 2nd in the world for SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities<\/p>\n Queen’s is helping communities become more sustainable and resilient through research, technology, and environmental stewardship. Examples include:<\/p>\n Queen\u2019s graduate students in the CAESAR (Computing at Extreme Scale Advanced Research) Lab<\/a> are helping make supercomputing more sustainable by developing new ways to measure and reduce the environmental impact of data centres.<\/p>\n For more than 75 years, the Queen’s University Biological Station<\/a>, one of Canada’s premier field research stations, has connected teaching, research, and environmental stewardship to help protect biodiversity and support more sustainable communities.<\/p>\n Supported by major donor and government investments, the Agnes Etherington Art Centre<\/a> expansion will create Canada’s largest university-affiliated art museum and strengthen the region’s cultural landscape by expanding opportunities for learning, research, and community engagement.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Creating a safer, more just global society<\/p>\n 7th in the world for SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions<\/p>\n Queen’s is contributing research and expertise that support stronger institutions, informed policy, and global security. Examples include:<\/p>\n For 50 years, the Queen’s Centre for International and Defence Policy<\/a> has brought together researchers, students, policymakers, and military leaders to help shape defence and security policy in Canada and around the world.<\/p>\n