The latest green league results show the University of Greenwich has jumped five places to 14.
The annual People and Planet table also has Greenwich as third in London.
Head of Sustainability, Simon Goldsmith, says: "This is a credit to all our staff and students who have contributed in so many ways to our collective improvement. As sustainability is becoming a much bigger issue for our students and staff this gives us more momentum to build on our work and meet expectations.
"Special thanks go to particularly to Per Reiff-Musgrove, who chairs our Sustainability Management Board, and has been a great supporter of our work. Also, Kimberley Lewis, our Sustainability Projects Officer, who has been superb in delivering on many of our sustainability goals."
Greenwich has cut its carbon emissions by 44.5% since 2005, the equivalent of taking 1,278 cars off the road. Work related travel emissions are also down by 10.85% since 2015, saving enough CO2 to fill 1,750 London buses.
Initiatives such as the Reusable Cup Race, which saw Greenwich save over 4,300 disposable cups last year, have also helped Greenwich achieve this position.
The university has seen more students engaging with sustainability this year, helped by the recruitment of Green Student Ambassadors, and a Student Sustainability Champion.
Close collaboration with caterers BaxterStorey, resulting in more Fairtrade and sustainable food being on offer, was also a key factor in Greenwich's rise.
For more on the university's sustainability work: https://blogs.gre.ac.uk/greengreenwich/
For the full table: https://peopleandplanet.org/university-league
