Turkish universities rank high in UI Green Metric 2026 sustainability report

The Turkish Council of Higher Education announced that 150 Turkish universities have been included in the UI Green Metric 2026 global rankings, which evaluates the environmental sustainability performance of higher education institutions. This achievement is part of scientific efforts in preparation for the COP31 climate summit and aims to strengthen scientific diplomacy by connecting Turkish institutions with the global academic community.

Out of 2,016 institutions from 110 countries surveyed, Turkey ranked first in Europe and second globally for the number of universities included in the top 200, 500, and 1,000 lists. Five Turkish universities placed within the global top 100: Istanbul Technical University (28th), Yildiz Technical University (45th), Erciyes University (63rd), Ege University (74th), and Ozegin University (86th).

The 2026 rankings introduced a new category for “Governance and Digital Transformation,” where Turkish universities in the top 200 achieved a 90.2% success rate. Other high-performing categories included “Education and Research” (89.8%), “Transportation” (88%), and “Water” (87.8%). In the “Energy and Climate Change” category, which carries the highest weight at 20% of the total evaluation, Turkish universities in the top 200 achieved an 80.3% success rate.