The role of universities in realizing sustainability: Analysis of UI GreenMetric contributions and publications related to sustainability

Abstract

This paper discusses how UI GreenMetric and sustainability publications interact to strengthen universities’ contributions to global sustainability. It examines data from six universities, including Wageningen University & Research (Netherlands), Universitas Indonesia (Indonesia), Universitas Diponegoro (Indonesia), University of Malaya (Malaysia), Universitas Airlangga (Indonesia), and Universitas Negeri Surabaya (Indonesia), linking UI GreenMetric rankings with sustainability-related publications. Results in the 2022 UI GreenMetric Rankings show that Wageningen University & Research secured the top position, with an average of 2395 sustainability-related publications in the last three years and 3221 publications from Elsevier. Universitas Indonesia has 4725 total publications from Elsevier and 1525 publications related to sustainability from UI GreenMetric data. Other universities, such as Universitas Diponegoro, University of Malaya, Universitas Airlangga, and Universitas Negeri Surabaya, also showcased their commitment to sustainability through their publication records. This study concludes that higher-ranked universities tend to produce more sustainability-focused publications, indicating a positive relationship between sustainability commitment and research impact. Institutions with elevated UI GreenMetric rankings consistently prioritize sustainability, increasing research productivity in this field.