Skip to Content
Report an accessibility problem

SDG Impact

Leading in Sustainability Impact

For 2019, Arizona State University ranked top in the U.S. and fifth in the world out of 766 institutions in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. In the annual rankings published April 22, 2020 by Times Higher Education magazine, ASU scored 96.3 out of 100 points, ahead of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Penn State.

country flags at the united nations
cover of 2019 sustainability impacts report

Sustainability Impact Report

This report recognizes some of the many initiatives that contributed to ASU’s top ranking, as well as educational programs, student successes, research, outreach, partnerships and solutions that made news in 2019 for their sustainability impact.

ASU Charter

ASU is a comprehensive public research university, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves.

ASU charter
Pre-school children listeining to teacher

Social Embeddedness

ASU’s Collaboratory database captures the variety of ways faculty and staff partner with the community to address community challenges. Collaboratory can facilitate institution-wide coordination by enabling users to search the database, identify faculty and staff across the university who are tackling the same social issues, and find out with whom they are partnering and in which communities.

University Sustainability Practices

Arizona State University is committed to leading the world by example, with targets and commitments related to eight initiatives. These goals include a circular resource system, climate positive, collaborative action, community success, food reconnection, optimizing water, personal action and climate resilience.

Student harvesting oranges at ASU

Sustainability Rankings

#1 in the U.S.
for SDG Impact

Times Higher Education

#2 Green Power
Partner University

U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency

Top 10 Cool School
Sierra Magazine

#4 in the world
AASHE Stars

Platinum Rating
AASHE Stars