University of Coimbra ranked most sustainable in Portugal and 80th in the world

The University of Coimbra (UC) has been ranked Portugal’s most sustainable higher education institution for the sixth consecutive year by the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025 (THE), released today, which places UC among the top 100 worldwide for its contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

With a score of 90.5 out of 100, UC is also the highest-ranked university in Southern Europe (which includes Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece) and across Portuguese-speaking countries.

“Some might think it’s no surprise that the University of Coimbra has once again been recognised as Portugal’s leading institution and one of the best globally in addressing sustainability challenges. But it isn’t. Maintaining our top position in an increasingly competitive and widely participated ranking is no trivial achievement,” says UC Rector Amílcar Falcão. “This is only possible thanks to the ongoing improvements we have made in our daily practices to secure a better future for our planet. It is that future, with carbon neutrality in mind, that drives us to keep pushing forward,” he emphasises.

The University of Coimbra stood out most notably in three Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025: 2 – Zero Hunger, 3 – Good Health and Well-being, and 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.

In SDG 2 – Zero Hunger, UC achieved 31st place globally. This success reflects initiatives such as monitoring and reducing food waste in campus canteens; the UC Share app, which facilitates the donation of meals to students benefiting from social services scholarships; the provision of a social menu at the lowest price in the country; and the integration of sustainability criteria in food procurement, prioritising local and sustainable products.

For SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being, UC rose to 24th worldwide. This ranking was influenced by the variety of health services offered to the university community, including mental health support; programmes promoting well-being and regular participation in sports and physical activity; as well as partnerships with governmental bodies and international organisations such as the M8 Alliance, which brings together universities and hospitals from across the globe.

In SDG 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, the University of Coimbra moved up to 31st place globally. This strong performance was driven by efforts to promote innovation and knowledge transfer to society, resulting in 92 spin-offs, 436 active international patents, and €20.1 million in revenue generated from industry, innovation, and infrastructure activities.

Beyond these, UC also ranked within the top 100 worldwide for SDG 5 – Gender Equality (88th), SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities (87th), and SDG 16 – Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions (87th).

The Times Higher Education Impact Rankings aim to measure how higher education institutions perform in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, providing a global overview, as well as 17 sub-rankings, one for each SDG, considering how research, teaching, and management practices contribute to achieving the UN’s SDGs, making it the only worldwide tool that comprehensively evaluates universities’ performance in these areas.

The 2025 edition evaluated 2,526 higher education institutions globally, including 16 from Portugal, with 2,318 included in the published rankings.