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QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2026 – All New Zealand universities feature in top 450 in QS Sustainability Rankings in 2026

London, 18th November 2025: QS Quacquarelli Symonds, global higher education experts, have released the 2025 edition of the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability*. *The link will be live when the embargo lifts.  

This year, some 2,000 universities in 106 locations feature, up from around 1,750 in the previous edition. Lund University in Sweden has taken the top spot for the first time since the ranking was established in 2023. The University of Toronto had been the best in the world in 2024 and 2025 and now drops to second place, followed by UCL in the UK which has climbed two positions to third overall. With Lincoln University rising 40 places to rank 423rd overall, all eight universities in New Zealand now feature in the top 450 for the first time.

Covering period of Thursday 20th – Monday 24th November – The sun is emerging over most of Aotearoa New Zealand today (Thursday), bringing the opportunity to get outdoors after a wet start to the week. Christchurch is already enjoying clear skies, and the cloud will burn off this afternoon over the North Island.

MetService meteorologist Michael Pawley details, “The trend of morning cloud burning off to clear skies will continue for the North Island as a high pressure settles in for a few days. Fluffy cumulus clouds will sprout inland in the afternoon, with the odd sprinkling of showers, particularly in Northland.”

This will be welcome news for cricket fans hoping to make it to Hamilton for the Blackcaps vs. West Indies match on Saturday afternoon.

On Friday, Southland will be the exception to the rule. Rain will move in from the west, but fine spells follow once the rain has cleared.

MetService has an Orange Heavy Rain Warning in place for Fiordland until noon on Friday, with the added risk of thunderstorms. The band of rain will weaken as it moves north up the South Island. There is minimal risk of severe weather over the weekend, but the moist air could make for cloudy conditions.

Warm temperatures will continue for eastern parts on Friday. Christchurch has a forecast maximum temperature of 29°C. Gisborne, Masterton, Blenheim and Ashburton are all expected to reach 28°C.

Most centres return to typical spring temperatures over the weekend, and we can all sleep easier with less muggy overnight conditions.  

Monday will be a chilly day in Christchurch, with a forecast maximum of 13°C after the southerly surge of a cold front in the early hours of the morning which will bring a line of showers.

Ultraprocessed food is displacing healthy food and driving up rates of diabetes, depression and heart disease in New Zealand and internationally, a new report shows.

‘Ultra-processed foods’ are dominating diets worldwide and driving a rapid rise in obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illnesses, according to a new landmark report.

Ultra-processed foods are made from cheap ingredients using industrial methods, contain a lot of sugar, salt, fat and additives, and are heavily promoted.

“In Aotearoa, New Zealand, it is likely that consumption of ultra-processed food is around 50 to 60 percent of the nation’s diet, similar to other high-income, English-speaking countries,” says Professor Boyd Swinburn, a population nutrition researcher from Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.

Source: World Vision

• Fund adaptation now: Leaders at COP 30 must urgently deliver grant-based climate finance to secure children's food and health, integrating intergenerational dialogue and 1.5 °C ambition into all decisions to support frontline communities in the Pacific facing existential climate threats.
• Invest in people-centred, climate-responsive social protection systems: to ensure children's immediate needs are met, including water security, health, and safe food access.
• Urgent Emissions Cuts to Save Food Systems: Countries must submit enhanced NDCs with deep, rapid emissions cuts aligned with the 1.5 °C target to prevent the catastrophic failure of food security in vulnerable regions like the Pacific.

As world leaders convene for the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP 30) in Belém, Brazil, the “Amazon COP”, the Solomon Islands Government and World Vision Solomon Islands are calling for an urgent course correction to close the finance gap, protect global food systems, and deliver on the 1.5 °C goal before it is too late for the world's most vulnerable children.

The conference, which is taking place ten years since the Paris Agreement, must serve as a turning point from pledges to action. The Solomons government and World Vision say the failure to curb emissions and adequately finance adaptation is fueling a global hunger crisis, poor diet and malnutrition, which directly impacts children and youth across the Pacific.

Honourable Polycarp Paea, Minister for Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology, says: “Our commitment is rooted in the wise stewardship of our oceans and forests. We are protecting these vital resources for future generations through strategies like reforestation and sustainable fisheries, as outlined in our NDC 3.0. Recognising that over 70% of our population are youth, we are actively breaking down barriers by integrating climate education, supporting advisory groups, and ensuring young people lead in the decisions that shape our nation's climate resilience.”

The $1.3 Trillion Question: Delivering Adaptation Finance Now

The primary focus of COP 30 is climate finance, particularly the “Baku to Belém Roadmap” which aims to mobilise $1.3 trillion annually by 2035 for developing countries.

The Solomon Islands Government and World Vision Solomon Islands insist this goal must be met with urgency, transparency, and a focus on grant-based adaptation:

• Scale-up adaptation grants: Developed nations must prioritise grant-based funding for adaptation, not loans, to support frontline communities in the Pacific and low-lying regions facing existential threats from sea-level rise and extreme weather.

• Fund human-centred adaptation: Finance must flow directly to climate-responsive social protection systems and programs that address the immediate needs of children, including water security, health, and safe food access—core themes emphasised by the Belém Declaration.

Food Systems and the 1.5°C Imperative

COP 30’s focus on the transformation of agriculture and food systems provides a crucial opportunity to link climate action directly to the fight against hunger.

Current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted by countries are insufficient to limit warming to 1.5 °C which threatens to further destabilise the fragile food security of millions, including the most vulnerable children.

World Vision and Solomons Government say countries must submit enhanced NDCs that include deep, rapid emissions cuts aligned with the 1.5 °C target and recognize that exceeding this limit guarantees catastrophic failure of food systems in vulnerable regions.

They also say that the voices of indigenous people and local communities’ must be prioritized in line with the Amazon COP's commitment to a “Global Mutirão.”  This means meaningful participation with Indigenous Peoples and local leaders, whose traditional knowledge is essential for stewarding forests and developing sustainable agricultural practices.

Intergenerational Dialogue and the Lived Reality of Loss and Damage

The Solomon Islands delegation is committed to ensuring the voices of those currently impacted drive COP outcomes. On 18 November 2025, the Government of Solomon Islands and World Vision co-hosted a key COP30 side event: Natural Resource Management: Intergenerational Dialogue at the Moana Pavilion. This dialogue helped to connect policymakers with children, youth, and community leaders on climate-smart stewardship.

Child advocate Lynthia,12, shared their Joint Statement from Children, Youth and PWDs to the Government of Solomon Islands, which was earlier presented during the National Loss and Damage Dialogue in Solomon Islands last month.

Lynthia said: “My dream is to become a doctor, but to heal the world, we must first heal the land. Our future requires a transition of learning—teaching every child about climate change and the wise stewardship of our resources. We are here as young people who live the climate crisis every single day. For us climate change is our lived reality—our homes are washed away by saltwater, our food gardens are destroyed, and our families are being displaced. We, the children and youth, demand that the leaders at COP 30 invest now to support us in protecting our identity, livelihood, and future.”

Irene Marbun, World Vision Solomon Islands Operations Manager, says: “Children did not create this crisis, yet they are paying for it. Our unified climate action proves that the solutions are ready at the community level. We stand with the Solomon Islands Government, our Pacific leaders, children and youth in demanding one thing from this COP: a commitment to investing in human-centred adaptation that guarantees our children a future free from climate-driven hunger.”

World Vision and the Solomon Islands Government also extended their sincere appreciation to Lynthia, her parents and school for fostering an exceptional young woman with a deep commitment to advocating for the environment and serving the people of the Solomon Islands and the broader Pacific region.

The Deep Sea Mining Campaign (DSMC) has today released Shifting Tides, a new briefing paper analysing The Metals Company’s (TMC) plan to mine the Pacific Ocean via the U.S. Deep Seabed Hard Minerals Resources Act (DSHMRA). The paper finds that TMC’s proposed pivot introduces significant regulatory uncertainties, and heightens financial, legal, and regulatory risk for investors. 

Drawing on TMC’s own filings, investor presentations, and pre-feasibility study, the briefing concludes that the U.S. licensing pathway is far more complex than TMC likes to suggest. Even in the most optimistic scenario, the process is likely to take at least 18 months, and could face administrative delays or legal challenges. 

“The regulatory pathway is uncertain, politically exposed, and wholly dependent on support in Washington that cannot be guaranteed over time. Investors should be wary of assuming this shift resolves any of the risks that have dogged the project for years,” said Andy Whitmore, Finance Advocacy Officer at the Deep Sea Mining Campaign. 

Shifting Tides also highlights serious questions about TMC’s own financial viability, including:

• Over-reliance on untested regulatory processes under DSHMRA 

• Political dependencies that introduce significant volatility

• Questionable assumptions in revenue projections 

• Underestimating costs, including royalties payments 

• Ongoing uncertainties around the feasibility of commercial-scale nodule extraction and processing.

Rather than stabilising the company’s trajectory, TMC’s U.S. pivot appears to introduce new political, legal, and commercial vulnerabilities. This includes a major red flag whether minerals and metals produced via this pathway could be in breach of international law, affecting a range of non-US partners. 

“TMC’s own filings acknowledge political fragility and the possibility of delays. Investors should understand that this pivot is not the solution Gerard Barron wants you to believe it is,” adds Whitmore. 

Shifting Tides provides a detailed assessment of these risks and analyses what the U.S. pathway might mean for timelines, market confidence, and the deep sea mining industry. 

The briefing paper is available at this link: https://dsm-campaign.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Shifting-Tides-TMCs-U.S.-Pivot.pdf?utm_source=media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=tmc_us_pivot