Sustainable Development Goals

Social and environmental justice are core values of our Vision and Strategy, and we are committed to embedding sustainability in all that we do as a university.

In 2022, our progress was recognised through the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings as leading in the sector as the University was ranked 1st in the UK and 8th in the world for our contribution towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). The ranking measures alignment to the UNSDGs across the four broad categories of research, stewardship, outreach and teaching.

The UNSDGs are a call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and improve the lives and prospects of everyone, everywhere. The 17 goals were adopted by all UN member states in 2015, as part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which set out a 15-year plan to achieve the goals. Examples of our contributions towards the goals can be seen throughout this report.

We are proud of the progress we have made to date, but we recognise there is more to do. Our UNSDG Committee, chaired by Professor Phil McGowan, continues its leading role in raising awareness of the goals, and the collective work of our community continues to advance their placement at the heart of university activity.