Student-Led, Research-Informed and Practice Focussed: University College Cork's Journey to Sustainability

John O'Halloran (President, University College Cork)
John F Barimo (Manager of SDSN Ireland, University College Cork)
Siobhan Cusack (Director of Research Strategy & Projects, Office of the Vice President for Research & Innovation, University College Cork)
Sandra Irwin (Head of Sustainability, President's Office, University College Cork)
Maria J Kirrane (Head of Sustainability & Climate Action, University College Cork)
Gerard Mullally (Lecturer in Sociology, University College Cork)
David Nyaluke (Education for Sustainable Development Officer, University College Cork)
Julie O'Donoghue (Research Systems & Reporting Officer, Office of the Vice-President for Research & Innovation, University College Cork)
Catherine O'Mahony (Director of the Centre for the Integration of Research, Teaching & Learning, University College Cork)
Mark Poland (Director of Buildings & Estate, University College Cork)
Maurice Ryder (Web Content Strategist and Head of Web Content Team, Office of Marketing & Brand Impact, University College Cork)

Journal of Sustainability Perspectives
Vol 5, No 3 (2025)

Sustainability is the defining challenge of our age. As engines of social progress, universities play a foundational role in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and shaping a secure future. A student-led, research-informed, practice-focused approach has made University College Cork (UCC) one of the world’s most sustainable universities, consistently ranked in the UI GreenMetric top 10. Sustainability principles are central to teaching, research, outreach and operations at UCC, and are a cornerstone of organisational leadership, culture and strategy. UCC published its first Sustainability Strategy in 2016 and reports on priority initiatives annually. Researchers, including those in the UCC Futures Sustainability Institute, advance solutions to global challenges. Mapping research onto the SDGs ensures responsive priority setting for a sustainable future. An open-source SDG Toolkit supports the integration of sustainability in teaching, and a Connected Curriculum provides a framework to embed the SDGs in curricular and extra-curricular learning. UCC’s Sustainability Academy delivers bespoke industry-aligned programmes, educating future leaders to drive transformation. UCC integrates emerging sustainability practices into operations, recently adopting new approaches to the sustainability of its website and other digital spaces. This paper outlines UCC’s holistic journey to embedding sustainability through research, education and leadership, highlighting key enablers and success factors.