Overview
University Sustainability Index (USI)
- Led by the PPRC, CBS, and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the University Sustainability Index (USI) project is a comprehensive, survey-based assessment that evaluates the sustainability performance of 161 universities worldwide.
- The indices will provide a robust foundation for further research, events, and the development of an international university sustainability network.
- The research team refined the Value–Process–Impact (VPI) framework to track institutions’ policy commitments, campus operations, community engagement, and research impacts.
Research Design and Methodology
Selection Criteria for Index Constituent
The Global USI
comprised 111 universities selected from the top 150 of the QS World University Rankings 2024 (with sustainability data available in English or Chinese).
The Asia-Pacific USI
comprised of 39 universities selected from the APRU (Association of Pacific Rim Universities) – 32 universities are included in the Global and Greater China indices and 7 universities are in Canada, Japan, Korea and Thailand.
The Greater China USI
comprised of 31 universities identified as the highest-ranked in their respective locations according to the QS rankings, including all 8 UG-funded institutions in Hong Kong, 11leading universities in Mainland China, 9 in Taiwan, and 3 in Macau.
The research team refined the Value–Process–Impact (VPI) framework to track institutions’ policy commitments, campus operations, community engagement, and research impacts.
The scoring is based on the 4 aspects under the VPI model, namely Value, Process (Management & Practice) and Impact, to assess University sustainability from all angles. The respective weight is as shown.
The index universities are categorized into 6 tiers based on the scores attained, with each tier representing the level of achievement in their sustainability journey.
| USI | |
| 90-100 | Global Icon |
| 80-89 | Impact Leader |
| 70-79 | Sustainable Model |
| 60-69 | Proactive Advocate |
| 50-59 | Committed Partner |
| Below 50 | Emerging Follower |
