Abstract
Higher education institutions (HEIs) play a pivotal role in advancing sustainability through teaching, research, and institutional policies. However, embedded sustainability strategies in HEIs remained largely unregulated and difficult to quantify. There is a lack of standardised frameworks to assess how HEIs contributed to sustainability beyond individual policies and campus greening efforts. Therefore, this paper explores how UK HEIs integrates sustainability into their institutional strategies and assess whether sustainability rankings, such as the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings and QS Sustainability Rankings, drive genuine environmental and social progress or primarily serve as image-building tools. Through a systematic literature review, the study examines sustainability transitions in UK HEIs, analysing their commitments to carbon neutrality, ethical investment, and responsible governance. Findings reveal that while UK HEIs recognise the importance of sustainability, their approaches vary significantly, with many prioritising environmental targets over a balanced integration of social and economic sustainability. The study concludes that while sustainability rankings enhance transparency and accountability, HEIs must adopt structured, long-term strategies beyond rankings to achieve meaningful impact. The paper recommends a more holistic and integrated approach to sustainability reporting, governance, and funding to ensure universities contribute authentically to global sustainability goals while maintaining institutional resilience and credibility.