National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) has moved up two notches this year to become the 27th most sustainable university worldwide, according to an annual survey released by Universitas Indonesia.
Based on the 2022 UI GreenMetric World University Rankings, NPUST scored a total of 8,775 points, behind Russia’s RUDN University in 26th position with 8,785 points and Universiti Putra Malaysia in 25th (8,800 points).
The top five universities on the list were Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands; Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom; the University of Nottingham; the University of Groningen in the Netherlands; and the University of California, Davis in the United States, according to the list.
The Pingtung university made the list for the 11th straight year, having ranked 29th in 2021, 31st in 2020, 37th in 2019, 44th in 2018, 60th in 2017, 37th in 2016, 35th in 2015, 32nd in 2014, 54th in 2013, and 32nd in 2012, according to information on the GreenMetric website.
NPUST was also the best performing Taiwanese university in this year’s list, ranking ahead of National Chi Nan University (44th), National Chin-Yi University of Technology (54th), National Yunlin University of Science and Technology (59th), and National Taipei University of Technology (113th).
The rankings are based on six main factors — setting & infrastructure, energy and climate change, waste, water, transportation, and education, with the six factors containing a total of 39 indicators.
According to information posted on the GreenMetric website, the entries were submitted through the organizer’s online system between May 18 and Oct. 31 for evaluation.
There were 1,050 participating universities from 85 countries this year, up from 956 participating schools from 80 countries in 2021.
Participating universities were required to answer questions about their sustainability performances and provide evidence to back their claims to prevent cheating. Points were then awarded for each indicator, with the results published in early December.
The UI GreenMetric World University Rankings was launched in 2010 by Universitas Indonesia to gauge universities’ environmental commitment and initiatives.
The 2022 survey was based on the theme of “Collective Actions for Transforming Sustainable Universities in the Post-Pandemic Time.”
It focused on “universities’ efforts to continue their sustainability programs and policies based on UI GreenMetric and SDGs while preparing for teaching, learning and research in post-pandemic COVID-19,” according to the survey’s website.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel