Organisation
King's College London
Theme
Buildings & energy
Goals
Resilient communities, Equality, Net-zero buildings
Originally posted on www.kcl.ac.uk (opens in a new window)
King’s has been recognised as 8th in Europe and 14th globally in the QS World University Sustainability Rankings 2025 which measure how organisations are tackling environmental, social and governance (ESG) challenges.
King’s has risen from 44th to 14th globally in the QS World University Sustainability Rankings between 2024 and 2025.
Among the 1744 universities ranked, this puts the University in the top 1% of institutions globally. King’s also placed as 8th in Europe, out of 556 institutions across the continent, and 6th in the UK. The biggest score increases came in the areas of environmental sustainability and governance.
This year, King’s environmental impact score leapt from 78.8 in 2024 to 93.7 in 2025. Contributing to this were improvements in environmental sustainability, including an increase in generation of on-site solar electricity.
King’s score also reflects the success of the KEATS Sustainability & Climate module for staff and students, and the Directorate of Estates & Facilities programme Fit for King’s, which includes a core programme of workshops for 1,000 customer service staff, one of which is focused on sustainability and climate.
I am delighted that King’s QS Sustainability Ranking has increased so significantly this year. The challenges of climate change and sustainability do not have simple solutions. They require fundamental changes in the way we make decisions, lead, educate and conduct research. I am inspired by the passion and creativity of the King’s community as we rise to these challenges.
Professor Shitij Kapur, Vice Chancellor & President
Governance was also an area of improvement for King’s, receiving a score of 97.6. This likely reflects the formation of the King's Climate & Sustainability Steering Group, which provides oversight, advocacy and accountability for the delivery of King's Climate & Sustainability (opens in a new window) and is chaired by the Senior Vice President (Academic). King’s Climate & Sustainability is a dedicated programme to accelerate climate research, education and action across the University.
This recognition reflects the renewed commitment to scale up our impact through transformative interdisciplinary research and by embedding sustainability into all of our education programmes, partnerships and operations. I am so proud of our students, staff and partners who are changing the world here in London and across the globe. But there is still much to do and I commit to prioritising this crucial work at pace.
Professor Rachel Mills CBE, Senior Vice President (Academic)
King’s has several major climate initiatives that are generating insights to help shape our societies' and the planet's future, and is committed to building on its global research that drives the transition to net zero. The Net Zero Centre has an ambition to be a world-leading centre in science and technology research for decarbonising our economy and society. King’s Centre for Sustainable Business aims to catalyse change and inspire the convergence of business, society and the environment in the pursuit of a sustainable future.
For students at King’s, we are building opportunities for them to learn about sustainability in the context of their discipline, together with the provision of extra-curricular opportunities for students to learn, take action and apply this knowledge to their future careers.
The University is also working hard to decarbonise its own operations at King’s, from making labs and offices more sustainable, to refurbishing buildings and offering more sustainable food options on campus.
These initiatives position the University to unite globally impactful research, education and action to bring about change.
Earlier this year, King’s was ranked in the top 2% of global universities (opens in a new window) for social and environmental impact in the 2024 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. The University also achieved first in the world for Sustainable Development Goal 12 on Responsible Consumption and Production.
Find out more about Climate & Sustainability at King’s in the video below:
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