UTB Management Based on the Principles of Sustainable Development
Sustainability Plan at UTB for 2026+
- Establishment of the Sustainability Council as an advisory body to the Rector
- Establishment of a sustainability budget
- Completion of the calculation of TBU’s carbon footprint for 2025
- Creation of a reporting framework across universities in the Czech Republic
- Active membership in UNILEAD
- Participation in the GM, THE, and QS international sustainability rankings
- Publication of the 2025 Sustainability Report
Sustainability at UTB in 2025
- Sustainability team and formal establishment of the position of Sustainability Manager
- Initiation of ESG reporting and carbon footprint calculation
- UNILEAD membership – inter-university cooperation among Czech universities in the field of sustainability and its working group for the creation of a reporting framework across universities in the Czech Republic
- UNILEAD meeting in Zlín – 19 representatives from 9 universities
- UI GreenMetric World University Rankings – 679th place out of 1,745 universities
- 2024 Sustainability Report published
Sustainability at TBU in 2024
In December 2024, the Strategy for Sustainable Development at TBU in Zlín through 2030 was approved; it falls under the purview of the Office of the Vice-Rector for Internal and External Relations. The creation of this strategy was initiated by the NPO project “Support for Green Skills and Sustainability at Universities,” No. NPO_UTB_MSMT-2145/2024-4.
A sustainability team was formed, led by the Vice-Rector for Internal and External Relations, together with the Sustainability Manager and the Coordinator for Partnerships and Cooperation. This team works closely with representatives of the Rector’s Office as well as with representatives of all UTB units to ensure that the topic of sustainability is based on comprehensive cooperation and encompasses all specific areas of the university environment.
In 2024, Rector’s Directive No. 40/2024 on Reporting Violations of EU Law through the Internal Reporting System, which addresses the protection of whistleblowers (whistleblowing), which establishes the conditions and procedures for submitting, receiving, investigating, and handling reports of possible illegal conduct in accordance with Directive (EU) 2019/1937 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Act No. 171/2023 Coll.
International Rankings:
In 2024, UTB ranked 707th in the world out of nearly 1,500 participating universities, which is the best ranking in the last 5 years, but unfortunately the worst ranking among the 7 universities in the Czech Republic.
In the THE Impact Rankings, which track universities’ progress toward achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, UTB ranked 12th out of 13 Czech institutions. The most successful area for UTB in this ranking was reducing inequalities.
In the QS Sustainability rankings, which include 52 parameters across the categories of Environmental Impact, Social Impact, and Governance, UTB ranked 11th out of 12 participating Czech universities.
Additional internal rector’s directives regarding UTB management based on sustainability principles:
- Rector’s Directive No. 3/2024 – Supplier Management Policy
- Rector’s Directive No. 11/2024 – Amendment No. 2 to Rector’s Directive No. 9/2018 – Protection and Processing of Personal Data
- Rector’s Directive No. 12/2024 – Organizational Security Policy
Sustainable Development Strategy 2025–2026
Sub-objective 3.A. Manage the university effectively and responsibly based on the principles of sustainability
Implementation Measures for the Period 2025–2026
- Establish a risk management system at TBU
- Update the internal control system for anti-corruption measures, including the incorporation of warning signs and the establishment of whistleblower protection processes in internal regulations