IWGM 2026 Advances UI GreenMetric’s Global Network from Ranking to Impact

Birkenfeld, Germany, 27 August 2026 — UI GreenMetric brought together its global university network in Birkenfeld, Germany, through a four-day series of activities for the 12th International Workshop on UI GreenMetric Sustainable University Rankings (IWGM 2026), held on 24–27 August 2026 in collaboration with Umwelt-Campus Birkenfeld, Trier University of Applied Sciences.

Carrying the theme “Advancing Sustainable Campuses through Governance, Digitalization, and Integrated Performance,” the four-day series brought together university leaders, UI GreenMetric National Coordinators, academics, sustainability practitioners, and institutional representatives from around the world gathered at the event. IWGM 2026 featured 46 presenters from 25 countries and welcomed more than 70 participants. Meanwhile, the Steering Committee Meeting brought together representatives from the global UI GreenMetric community and successfully collected 19 reports from National Coordinators.

From Ranking to Impact

The IWGM 2026 series began on 24 August with the UI GreenMetric Sustainable University Rankings Network Steering Committee Meeting, which reviewed the network’s progress and discussed its strategic direction for 2026–2027. The discussion focused on shaping global higher education and research in sustainability, developing sustainability leaders, building partnerships to address shared challenges, and strengthening the National Coordinator network.

Welcoming the global UI GreenMetric community, Dr. Vishnu Juwono, S.E., M.I.A., Chairperson of UI GreenMetric, reflected on the previous IWGM gathering in Nice, France, and emphasized a broader aspiration for the network.

“I would like to add one simple aspiration: from ranking to impact, from measurement to transformation, from network to partnerships, from competition to collaboration, because ultimately the success of UI GreenMetric isn’t measured only by the number of participants.”

The message reflected UI GreenMetric’s growing emphasis on translating sustainability measurement into institutional transformation, stronger partnerships, shared solutions, and wider impact. During the Steering Committee Meeting, Dr. Abellia Anggi Wardani, S.Hum., M.A., Vice-Chairperson of UI GreenMetric, presented the Report Progress of the UI GreenMetric Sustainable University Rankings Network 2025–2026, describing the period as a year of progress in strengthening connections and moving toward greater collaboration.

Her presentation highlighted three core mandates guiding the network: shaping global higher education and research, creating global sustainability leaders, and partnering on solutions to sustainability challenges. Within this framework, National Coordinators play an important role not only in connecting institutions, but also in amplifying sustainability initiatives, encouraging knowledge exchange, and strengthening collaboration across countries.

Looking toward 2027, UI GreenMetric envisions a network in which universities collaborate across borders, research and best practices are openly exchanged, sustainability leaders are empowered, and partnerships lead to measurable impact. This direction is summarized in the vision: “A Network That Does More Than Connect, is A Network That Acts.”

Sharing Sustainability Practices Across Borders

The main workshop program continued on 25 August with welcome remarks from representatives of UI GreenMetric and Umwelt-Campus Birkenfeld, including Prof. Dr. Dorit Schumann, President of Umwelt-Campus Birkenfeld, Trier University of Applied Sciences, and Dr. Vishnu Juwono. The opening also marked the 30th anniversary of Environmental Campus Birkenfeld and included the signing of the Declaration of Membership of the UI GreenMetric Network. As host of IWGM 2026, Umwelt-Campus Birkenfeld provided a relevant setting for the gathering. Sustainability is integrated into its teaching, research, campus operations, and community engagement, while the campus itself functions as a living laboratory for sustainability. It is also described as a zero-emission campus powered by renewable heat and green electricity. In 2025, the institution ranked fourth in UI GreenMetric and led the Education and Research category.

Across 25 and 26 August, parallel sessions addressed major areas of sustainable university management, including Setting and Infrastructure, Energy and Climate Change, Water, Waste, Education and Research, and Governance and Digitalization. Presentations explored topics such as SDG integration in higher education, sustainability monitoring systems, smart campus technologies, circular economy, renewable energy, climate mitigation, water management, waste reduction, institutional governance, and the use of artificial intelligence in sustainability-related practices.

The workshop also featured two keynote speeches on 26 August. Prof. Dr. Peter Heck, CEO of the Institute for Applied Material Flow Management, presented “Highlights of 25 Years of Applied Research for Sustainability – Decarbonization and Circular Economy in Practice,” while Prof. Dr. Nadine Kammerlander of WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management discussed “Female Leadership for Sustainability.”

Alongside the oral and poster presentations, participants joined question-and-answer sessions, networking activities, a campus tour, an excursion to Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park, and a visit to Trier, creating opportunities for academic exchange as well as informal connections across institutions.

Extending the Network into Collaboration

The broader IWGM 2026 series concluded on 27 August with activities focused on institutional cooperation. The program included roundtable discussions on English-language study programs and applied research, engineering and computer science collaboration, and international cooperation through Erasmus student and staff exchanges and partnerships. Participants also had opportunities for individual discussions on study program cooperation, joint research, and laboratory visits at Umwelt-Campus Birkenfeld.

Through strategic dialogue, academic exchange, networking, field-based activities, and direct conversations on future cooperation, IWGM 2026 demonstrated how UI GreenMetric is increasingly connecting sustainability assessment with collective action.

The four-day gathering reinforced a broader direction for the network: ranking as a starting point for collaboration, learning, and measurable sustainability impact—moving from ranking to impact, from measurement to transformation, from networks to partnerships, and from competition to collaboration.

Written by: Anin Naimatul Kumala - Communication Officer