The University of Iceland’s Sustainability Report for 2024 is now available in both Icelandic and English. This is the fourth sustainability report published by the University of Iceland and reflects the University’s long-standing commitment to leadership in sustainability. Higher education institutions play a crucial role in supporting societal transformations towards sustainable development through research, education, and collaboration with the wider community. Sustainability and diversity constitute one of the four core pillars of the University of Iceland’s Strategy for 2021–2026, with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals embedded across these priorities.
The report offers a comprehensive overview of the University’s activities from a sustainability perspective and highlights how the Sustainable Development Goals are addressed across its diverse areas of work. Its purpose is to support the continued development of sustainability initiatives at the University, strengthen its capacity to respond to global challenges, and contribute to the creation of a more sustainable future. The report covers research, education and teaching, societal impact and partnerships, operations and governance, as well as student-led initiatives and projects undertaken in 2024.
Sustainability has become an integral part of the University’s activities, both internally and in its engagement with society. Annual sustainability reports, therefore, serve as a key tool for assessing progress, tracking developments over time, and highlighting the importance of sustainability across all aspects of the University’s work.
There is also an increasing international expectation for universities to demonstrate, through measurable indicators, how their activities contribute to sustainable development. Such assessments are widely used in global university rankings. Since the University of Iceland published its first Sustainability Report in 2022, the University has improved its position in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. These rankings evaluate universities based on their strongest performance in three Sustainable Development Goals, as well as Sustainable Development Goal 17, which focuses on partnerships for achieving the goals. In 2025, the University of Iceland was ranked in the 201–300 band out of more than 2,300 participating institutions.
The Sustainability Report was prepared by the University of Iceland Sustainability Institute at the request of the University’s Sustainability Committee.
The full reports are available on the University of Iceland’s website.