The University of Southampton has climbed to ninth place in the UK for sustainability in the QS World Rankings.

This marks an improvement of four places from the previous year. Globally, the university is now ranked 23rd, up from 34th last year.

The QS World University Rankings: Sustainability, now in their third year, evaluate how universities are tackling the world's most pressing environmental and social challenges.

In total, 1,743 universities worldwide were assessed for these rankings, including 98 in the UK.

The rankings analyse universities' performance in three key areas: environmental impact, social impact, and governance.

In terms of environmental impact, the university ranked 22nd in the world.

This recognition reflects the institution's commitment to an environmentally sustainable future through its education, research, and operational activities. For social impact, the university achieved 43rd place globally.

University of Southampton vice-chancellor, Professor Mark E. Smith, said: "Sustainability is vital in everything that we do as universities, from our research and teaching to our engagement activities. As institutions, we have a unique and critical role to play in tackling challenges related to climate change.

"It is wonderful to see the dedication and progress we are making here at Southampton towards ensuring a more sustainable future being reflected in these rankings, and being top 10 in the UK is a superb endorsement of our ongoing commitment and efforts."

This category includes the university's efforts in employability, equality, education, health and wellbeing, and knowledge sharing.

The university has set an ambitious goal under its sustainability initiative: to ensure every student has the opportunity to learn about sustainability by 2025.

To facilitate this, the university has developed e-learning resources.

Last year, the university also launched its Sustainability and Resilience Institute (SRI).

This institute aims to unite professionals from various disciplines to collaborate with global experts in addressing critical societal and environmental challenges.

For more information about the University of Southampton's sustainability efforts and the Sustainability and Resilience Institute, visit southampton.ac.uk/sustainability.