Sustainability
Source: https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/about-university/university-glance/mission-vision-and-values/sustainability Parent: https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/study/admission-degree-studies/applying-studies-when-apply
With a first-place position in the QS Sustainability Rankings 2026, Lund University consolidates its standing as a global leader in sustainability.
Number one in the world for sustainability
Lund University has been ranked number one globally in the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2026. The ranking includes around 2,000 higher education institutions from about 100 countries. It measures how universities contribute to a sustainable future through research, education and how they operate as organisations.
QS measures sustainability across three categories:
- Environmental impact – The University's research and education, as well as how it works to reduce its climate impact. Lund University is ranked #1 in the world with a score of 100 out of 100.\
- Social impact – The University's work on equality, health, collaboration and knowledge sharing, as well as the social value of its education. Lund University is ranked #22 in the world with a score of 97.9 out of 100.\
- Governance – How the University is led and organised. Lund University is ranked #1 in the world with a score of 100 out of 100. The ranking highlights transparency, ethical leadership, student influence and financial responsibility as key strengths.
Read more about the QS Sustainability Ranking and the three evaluation categories:
News article 18 November 2025: Lund University ranked best in the world in sustainability
Read more about rankings and Lund University.
Sustainability is a complex area that requires interdisciplinary research, education and external engagement. The University offers a range of courses and programmes, and is part of networks and collaborations linked to the sustainability goals outlined in the 2030 Agenda.
Global goals for sustainable development – globalgoals.org
Education
Our courses and programmes offer students diverse perspectives on sustainable development across a range of disciplines. From Bachelor's to Master's and doctoral levels, as well as through professional development, students gain a deep understanding of sustainability. This knowledge becomes the foundation of their careers, enabling them to pioneer solutions for a sustainable future.
We offer the following programmes and courses in the area of sustainability:
All sustainability-related education at Bachelor's and Master's level
While sustainability is embedded in the curriculum of all our courses, many of our courses and degree programmes have a more specific focus. The following page provides an overview of courses and degree programmes related to environmental or social sustainability.
Sustainability education at Lund University
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International Master's programmes in environmental sustainability
We offer three international Master's programmes in the field of environment and sustainability. There are also several Master's programmes in other subject areas with a strong sustainability focus.
Master's programmes in environment and sustainability
Bachelor's programmes in this field are currently only available in Swedish.
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MOOCs
We offer several specialised MOOCs in the field of sustainability.
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Capacity building programmes (professional education)
Lund University Commissioned Education currently offers the following courses in and related to sustainable development:
Innovation, transformation and resilience for sustainable development
Innovation in the Public Sector
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Postgraduate schools
We have four postgraduate schools with a focus on sustainability.
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Research
We are constantly generating new scientific knowledge that challenges and deepens our understanding of sustainable development. Interdisciplinary, problem-oriented and curiosity-driven research is needed to strengthen the necessary knowledge base and solve current and future sustainability challenges.
- Sustainable planet – research that addresses environmental and sustainability challenges
- Discover how our research contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030
Cross-border external engagement
Promoting sustainable development is an explicit goal in our interactions with businesses, the public sector and other organisations. We are therefore actively working to create new collective meeting places and to strengthen existing initiatives between academia and society in this field.
Interested in collaborating with us or finding out more about our approach to sustainability? Contact our Sustainability Forum, which is responsible for coordinating sustainability issues at the University, via contact [at] sustainability [dot] lu [dot] se (contact[at]sustainability[dot]lu[dot]se).
Sustainability at the University
We want to make it easy for our students and staff to make sustainable choices during their time here. That is why we strive to continuously develop the way we work with social, economic and environmental sustainability in our daily lives.
We also work continuously and systematically according to policies and plans to provide a good, safe and accessible place to work and study. At the same time, we strive to be a resource-efficient organisation with minimal impact on the climate and the environment.
The documents below open in a new tab.
- Lund University's Strategy for Sustainable Development (PDF 265 kB)
- Sustainability Plan Lund University 2020–2026, revised 2025 (PDF 1.4 MB)
- Lund University's environmental report 2025 (PDF 328 kB, in Swedish, not fully accessible)
Contact information
Per Mickwitz\ Pro vice-chancellor for research, sustainability and campus development\ per [dot] mickwitz [at] rektor [dot] lu [dot] se (per[dot]mickwitz[at]rektor[dot]lu[dot]se)\ Telephone: \ +46 (0)46 222 38 80
Claes Nilén\ Environmental manager\ claes [dot] nilen [at] bygg [dot] lu [dot] se (claes[dot]nilen[at]bygg[dot]lu[dot]se)\ Telephone: \ +46 (0)46 222 41 59
Ann Åkerman\ Coordinator at Lund University Sustainability Forum\ ann [dot] akerman [at] lucsus [dot] lu [dot] se (ann[dot]akerman[at]lucsus[dot]lu[dot]se)\ Telephone: \ +46 (0)46 222 80 81
Sustainability Forum\ contact@sustainability [at] lu [dot] se (contact[at]sustainability[at]lu[dot]se)
Sustainability Forum on Facebook
Upcoming events
Lectures, stand-up comedy and more on sustainability in the events calendar at lu.se (in Swedish – events in English and/or Swedish)
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