The GreenMetric University Ranking: A Brief Academic Overview

The GreenMetric University Ranking is a global ranking system that evaluates universities based on their commitment to environmental sustainability and sustainable development. Established in 2010 by the University of Indonesia, it aims to highlight academic institutions' efforts in reducing environmental impact and promoting eco-friendly practices. The ranking is based on six key criteria: infrastructure, which assesses green spaces and campus environmental planning; energy and climate change, which evaluates policies on energy consumption and carbon emissions; waste management, focusing on recycling systems and sustainable waste disposal; water usage, analyzing conservation policies and efficient water management; transportation, assessing the adoption of sustainable mobility solutions; and education and research, which considers the number of sustainability-related courses and research initiatives. This ranking encourages universities to implement sustainable practices, aligning them with the broader global goals of environmental conservation and sustainable development. Additionally, it serves as a benchmarking tool, allowing institutions to compare their environmental performance on a global scale, thereby fostering improvements in sustainability policies and increasing student awareness of environmental issues. As global attention on sustainability continues to grow, the GreenMetric Ranking is expected to play an increasingly important role in shaping future higher education policies and encouraging universities to take a more proactive role in addressing environmental challenges. In the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking 2024, the National University of Science and Technology in Iraq ranked 849th globally, with a total score of 5395. This score was distributed across several key criteria, including infrastructure (735 points), energy and climate change (1110 points), waste management (825 points), water usage (400 points), transportation (1100 points), and education and research (1225 points). On the national level, 81 Iraqi universities participated in the 2024 ranking, with the National University of Science and Technology securing the 38th position among Iraqi universities. This ranking reflects the university's commitment to promoting environmental sustainability, with opportunities for improvement in future rankings through the development of sustainable initiatives and eco-friendly practices.