PoliTO and UniTo among the world’s top fifteen universities for sustainability
Both of Turin’s universities rank among the world’s top fifteen for sustainability. The University of Turin and Politecnico di Torino place 11th and 13th respectively in the UI GreenMetric 2026 ranking, compiled by Universitas Indonesia since 2010, which this year measures the sustainability commitment of 2,016 institutions across 110 countries. UniTo ranks second and PoliTO third in both Italy and Southern Europe, behind the University of Bologna, which places ninth worldwide. Both UniTo and PoliTO continue to climb the global ranking, having placed 13th and 18th respectively in 2025.
Now in its seventeenth edition, UI GreenMetric assesses universities’ activities, policies and achievements across several areas of sustainability: from infrastructure, energy and climate change to water and waste management, sustainable mobility, research, teaching and third mission activities. This year sees the introduction of the “Governance and Digitalization” category, which recognises the role of governance, organisational structures and digital tools in making universities’ sustainability policies more effective and measurable, also considering transparency and inclusion.
Politecnico di Torino ranks second worldwide in the “Governance and Digitalization” category. This new assessment criterion measures sustainability by considering not only the characteristics and performance of campuses, but alsothe institution’s ability to organise, monitor, communicate and sustain its transformation over time. The new category therefore recognises universities’ commitment to monitoring and measuring the impact of their sustainability policies.
The University of Turin ranks third worldwide in the “Energy and Climate Change” category, which examines electricity consumption, the energy efficiency of buildings and equipment, renewable energy generation and programmes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. UniTo also ranks first in Italy in the “Water” category, which focuses on water resource management and policies for water conservation and recycling.
Seven Italian universities feature among the world’s top one hundred. Alongside Bologna and the two Turin universities are LUISS in 14th place, the University of L’Aquila in 30th, the University of Camerino in 80th and Università Politecnica delle Marche in 82nd. This is also due to the work carried out within RUS, the Italian University Network for Sustainable Development, by promoting dialogue among universities and sharing best practices.
“Sustainability is nowadays one of the major responsibilities of universities. It concerns not only how we manage our spaces, resources and consumption, but also the contribution we can make through education, research and innovation – comments Rector Stefano Corgnati – A university such as Politecnico di Torino has a clear responsibility to anticipate change, test solutions and develop the skills needed to address the environmental and social challenges ahead. The recognition received from GreenMetric reflects work that involves many dimensions of our University and, above all, many people. We are therefore very pleased with a result that places us among the world’s leading universities. Ranking second worldwide in the new Governance and Digitalization category is an achievement built over time, through concrete decisions and a growing focus on our ability to measure the effects of our actions. It is also an opportunity to look ahead: sustainability cannot be regarded as a goal we have already achieved, but must serve as a guiding value as we continue to shape our University’s future”.
“The UI GreenMetric 2026 result confirms the strength of Politecnico di Torino’s ongoing efforts to integrate sustainability into every aspect of university life – concludes Patrizia Lombardi, Vice Rector for Sustainable Campus and Living Lab at Politecnico di Torino – Our rise in the ranking and second place worldwide in the Governance and Digitalization category show that our strategy goes beyond improving campus performance: it aims to strengthen our ability to organise, monitor and make policies measurable. This result recognises the daily work of our communities and reaffirms the direction of the transition set out in the Strategic Plan, towards an increasingly responsible and innovative University that generates meaningful impacts for the city and the country”.
“Ranking second in Italy and eleventh worldwide is a source of pride – says Cristina Prandi, Rector of the University of Turin – because it recognises the work of everyone who, through their different skills and roles, helps make our University more sustainable. A university has a responsibility to translate its knowledge into concrete decisions, and this is what we are doing through our sustainability policies, from energy use to water management. The value of this commitment grows when the experience we gain is shared with other institutions and the public, helping to spread solutions that benefit the whole local area”.
“As the Rector’s Delegate for Sustainability – adds Laura Corazza, the UniTo Rector’s Delegate for the Coordination and Development of Sustainability – I consider the link between measurement and responsibility particularly significant: collecting data helps us understand which decisions lead to improvements, where challenges remain and how to allocate resources. Reporting on this progress is part of our responsibility towards the university community and the local area. Our results in energy, climate and water encourage us to strengthen this commitment, making sustainability a permanent consideration in the University’s decisions. Having both Turin universities near the top of the ranking also represents an opportunity for the city: connecting research, education and campus management can help develop shared responses to environmental and social challenges, making them accessible to those with fewer resources”.
