SOAS in UK's top 20 for climate action in THE Impact Rankings
SOAS University of London has climbed 171 places in the THE Impact Rankings in the category of Climate Action, coming in at 79 globally, and ranks 20 in the UK.
For Climate Action, Times Higher Education (THE) assesses a detailed set of indicators that evaluate universities’ contributions towards addressing climate change and promoting sustainability. The rankings look at research on climate action, initiatives and programmes that mitigate climate impacts, the university’s carbon footprint, sustainability practices on campus, and the university’s pledge and strategic plans to achieve carbon neutrality within a set timeframe.
Earlier this year SOAS committed to becoming a net zero organisation by 2040. Since becoming the first London university to divest in fossil fuels in 2015, SOAS has been taking steps to create a greener, fairer and just society through its research, learning and teaching as well as everyday operations.
SOAS offers a range of degree programmes related to environmental studies:
- The SOAS Centre for Development, Environment and Policy offers an online MSc in Climate Change and Development, which addresses the challenges and solutions to climate change from a policy and development perspective.
Last year, SOAS’s School of Law launched a joint LLM and MA in Environmental Justice in South Asia, offering equal fees to both UK and international students. The degree aims to remove barriers to climate justice education, helping equip a new generation of experts able to confront the sustainability issues in their societies, and initiate academic conversations about climate justice on an international platform.
Professor Ulrich Volz is the Director of our SOAS Centre for Sustainable Finance, which aims to advance the transition to an equitable, low-carbon economy through interdisciplinary research and teaching on sustainable finance and investment. Professor Volz is supervising students who are researching climate-related financial risks, green industrialisation, and the impacts of biodiversity loss on sovereign debt.
This significant climb in the rankings for Climate Action highlights SOAS’s commitment to addressing one of the most pressing global issues. The SOAS community continues to play a critical role in fostering a sustainable future through education, research, and community engagement.
