WUR once again named most sustainable university in UI GreenMetric ranking

The UI GreenMetric World University Rankings, organized annually by Universitas Indonesia (UI), assesses universities on themes such as energy, climate, waste, transport, water, biodiversity, and infrastructure. The extent to which sustainability is integrated into education and research is also taken into account.

Rector Magnificus Carolien Kroeze is proud and emphasizes that the result is a team effort: "This is a joint effort by everyone at WUR — staff, students, everyone contributes. Together, we strive for sustainability, in line with our mission ‘To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life’. Sustainability is essential in this regard.

In our new strategic plan, we are committed to responsible change. In our education, we want to prepare students to become the responsible changemakers of the future. They are the generation that will make the difference for a greener and more sustainable planet and a sustainable future for future generations."

What makes the UI GreenMetric ranking special is that it is not only about mutual comparison, but above all about sharing knowledge. Through international, national, and regional workshops, universities exchange ideas, innovations, and best practices to make their institutions more sustainable, both organizationally and in education and research. Over the past fifteen years, this has created a global network of sustainability-driven universities. In 2025, there were 1,745 participating universities from 105 countries. In this way, GreenMetric acts as a catalyst for sustainability, visibility, and collaboration. The ranking is therefore not an end in itself, and WUR wholeheartedly endorses this. 

According to sustainability coordinator Erna Maters, there are major challenges ahead: "Our ambitions for sustainable business operations within WUR, for example, are broad and cannot be realized in a single year. Becoming climate neutral, operating in a fully circular manner by 2050, and combating biodiversity loss require intensive collaboration, both within WUR and with external partners. Among other things, we use a data model for circularity and a CO₂ dashboard to enable more targeted and transparent management."

WUR scored 9.600 out of 10,000 points this year, finishing above the numbers two and three (University College Cork, Ireland and Nottingham Trent University). The University of Groningen also scored highly, achieving an impressive sixth place. View the complete ranking.

The results were announced on Friday, December 5, during the award ceremony at National Chi Nan University in Taiwan. The rector accepted the award digitally and issued a call to all participating universities:
“Let's continue the good work. Sustainability requires global commitment. Only by working together can we achieve the future we strive for.”