UC Davis Student Guide to the UN Sustainable Development Goals

What are the SDGs?

About the SDGs

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or 2030 Agenda, are a set of goals focused on addressing major issues including poverty, inequality, climate change, economic growth, improved health and education and peaceful institution building. These collections of goals are also called the 2030 Agenda because they are meant to be achieved by 2030. The 2030 Agenda, based off of the former UN Millennium Goals, was adopted by all UN member states in 2015 with the objective of creating a shared partnership to tackle global challenges.

The SDGs are broad in scope, addressing the root causes of poverty, and the universal need for development that works for all people. The 17 SDGs and 169 targets that are included in this agenda seek to mobilize all UN member states to take concrete steps to achieve sustainable development across economic, social and environmental dimensions.

SDG Spotlight #1: The Pantry

The Pantry is a local student-run organization whose mission is to combat food insecurity, promote health through fresh food diets, and ensure that all UC Davis students and staff have access to food and basic necessities across campus. Offering support to ALL students, staff and faculty, The Pantry offers a wide variety of goods ranging from milk, canned foods and eggs to toothpaste, toilet paper and menstrual cups free of charge. Additionally with the help/collaboration of volunteers and other partnership organizations, The Pantry has been able to divert food that otherwise would have been wasted in order to serve over 200 patrons daily! Overall The Pantry is an organization that proves to us the direct impact we can all make in our community as students, and that we can start reducing hunger and inequalities here!

Viet-Long Nguyen | External Affairs Manager (ASUCD The Pantry, Introduction and Overview) tinyurl.com/pantrywalk-in

“It is an Agenda of the people, by the people and for the people – and this, we believe, will ensure its success.”

– Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development General Assembly Resolution 70/1, adopted September 25, 2015

The 2030 Agenda, with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals, is universal and transformational. A key facet of the agenda is a people-centered approach and the recognition that the SDGs are interlinked and integrated. It calls for action by all countries to provide for a more prosperous, peaceful and healthy future. The agenda also recognizes that reaching these goals requires involvement of all stakeholders at the international, national, regional and local levels – governments, businesses, universities, civil society and people everywhere all have roles to play.

Why are the SDGs important?

UN Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 1: No Poverty

SDG 1 aims to eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere by 2030. The foremost objectives of SDG 1 are to ensure social protection and access to basic services for the poor and vulnerable, and to support people harmed by climate-related extreme events and other economic, social and environmental shocks and disasters.

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

SDG 2 seeks to end hunger and all forms of malnutrition by 2030, through the promotion of sustainable agriculture, increased investment in rural infrastructure and agricultural research and development, and the elimination of agricultural export subsidies and other trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being

The aim of SDG 3 is to ensure health and well-being for all people. It includes a commitment to end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other communicable diseases by 2030. Another target of SDG 3 is to achieve universal health coverage and to provide access to safe and effective medicines and vaccines for all.

SDG 4: Quality Education

The focus of SDG 4 is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all people. Major progress has been made in recent decades to ensure increased access to education, but more than 250 million children are still not enrolled in school programs, and the 2020-2021 COVID pandemic led to widespread school closures that worsened the situation.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

SDG 5 calls for the elimination of all forms of discrimination and violence against women, as well as universal access to sexual and reproductive

health services and equal rights in terms of property ownership. It also calls for equal opportunities for participation and leadership at all levels of political and economic decision-making.

SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

SDG 6 focuses on ensuring a clean and stable water supply and effective water sanitation for all people by the year 2030. The World Health Organization estimates that one in three people still do not have access to safe drinking water, and two out of five people lack access to a basic hand-washing facility with soap and water.

SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

SDG 7 calls for “affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all” by 2030. Significant progress has been made in expanding access to electricity, improving energy efficiency and shifting towards sources of renewable energy. However, close to 800 million people live without access to electricity, and hundreds of millions more only have access to very limited or unreliable sources of electricity.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

The focus of SDG 8 is to promote “sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.” The past 25 years have seen a dramatic decline in the number of workers living in extreme poverty. However, global growth has slowed in recent years and the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to dramatic falls in global income and employment.

SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

SDG 9 seeks to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation. Infrastructure investment and industrialization are drivers of economic growth that spur job creation and income growth, while innovation advances the technological capabilities of industrial sectors and prompts the development of new skills.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

SDG 10 calls for reducing inequalities within and among countries. Social and economic inequalities undermine social cohesion and waste human capital and potential. By reducing inequalities in income as well as those based on age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status, countries can reinforce the social fabric and improve population wellbeing.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

SDG 11 aims to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. The world is becoming increasingly urbanized, and the proportion of people living in cities is projected to rise to 60 per cent by 2030. Increased urbanization has contributed to cities and metropolitan areas becoming centers of global economic growth.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

SDG 12 emphasizes responsible consumption and production, which are instrumental for achieving economic, social and environmental objectives while decoupling economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions. Failure to do so means that economic and social progress will continue to be accompanied by a degree of environmental degradation that endangers the systems upon which human development and survival depend.

SDG 13: Climate Action

SDG 13 calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. Anthropogenic global warming is now affecting every country on every continent, and 2019 was the second warmest year on record and the end of the warmest decade (2010- 2019) ever recorded. Global warming is leading to changes in weather patterns, rising sea levels and extreme weather events that all threaten to radically disrupt life on our planet.

SDG 14: Life Below Water

SDG 14 aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources. Human activities continue to threaten the health of the world’s oceans through pollution, resource depletion, acidification and climate change. Sustainably managed oceans and marine biodiversity are critical to the health of people and our planet.

SDG 15: Life on Land

SDG 15 calls for urgent and meaningful action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, to halt the loss of biodiversity and to protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species. Desertification and deforestation – exacerbated by global warming – have led to devastating losses in biodiversity and threatened the extinction of millions of species of plants and animals.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

SDG 16 is about promoting just, peaceful and inclusive societies, ensuring access to justice and building efficient and responsible institutions. Individual targets under SDG 16 emphasize reducing all forms of violence, ending the exploitation, human trafficking and torture of children, promoting the rule of law and guaranteeing access to equal justice for all. It also calls for tackling corruption and bribery and reducing illicit financial and arms flows.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

SDG 17 calls for a revitalized global partnership for sustainable development. The ambitiousness of the 17 SDGs means that achieving them by 2030 will require partnerships between many sectors and actors, including governments, the private sector and civil society. SDG 17 is also about addressing the needs of developing countries and strengthening regional and international cooperation between countries at different stages of development, using the SDGs as a common framework and shared vision for a more peaceful and prosperous future.

What do UC Davis students think about the SDGs?

During spring quarter 2022, we conducted a survey to track knowledge and interests about the SDGs among fellow UC Davis students. The survey was intended to help us raise awareness on the SDGs and to create opportunities for students to get involved.

Which goal resonates with students the most?

Three of the SDGs resonated most with the students who responded: The SDG cited most often as “the most important” was SDG 13: Climate Action, followed by SDG 1: No Poverty and SDG 2: Zero Hunger. Which goal do you feel is most important?

Awareness of the SDGs

The survey also asked about awareness of the SDGs. The majority of students who responded had not heard about the goals or had very little awareness about them, but about 40 percent said they knew somewhat, quite a bit, or a great deal about the SDGs.

Many students who were aware of the SDGs learned about them in their classes. A smaller portion heard about them through media (including social media), while the remainder heard about them from other publications.

There are many ways you can help advance these goals: make your voice heard by those in power, use public transit if possible and volunteer time to food security programs like the Pantry. Doing these things

SDG Spotlight #2: My State of Mind

within the UC Davis community. In 2021, they partnered with the United Nations Millennium Fellowship at UC Davis, where they focused on SDG 1: No Poverty, SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, SDG 4: Quality Education and SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. My State of Mind organized a mental health conference with participation from mental health advocates across the globe. The focus of the conference was to educate UC Davis college students on mental health issues and to provide a healthy mechanism to process and improve their mental health. My State of Mind also donated care packages to UC Davis students in need of food and support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Outside of the work they’ve done with the UN Millennium Fellowship, My State of Mind also promotes SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being and SDG 4: Quality Education with their on-campus club. Founder and UC Davis alumna Macy Lee remarked, “... it’s very important to have safe spaces for people to voice out their experiences and emotions with their peers in a healthy way. Our club stands for that and is able to provide projects that tangibly and intangibly support a student through collective group projects, outreaches, and fundraisers.” My State of Mind continues to grow in the UC Davis community while promoting multiple SDG goals.

How can I get involved?

There are many ways that you can get involved in the SDGs while you are a student at UC Davis. Below, we have included some examples of UC Davis classes, research institutes and centers, and student clubs and organizations that focus on various dimensions of the SDGs. We also include some ideas for what you can do to advance the global goals in your everyday life. There are so many opportunities to play a role in achieving these goals – these are merely some ideas to get you started.

CLASSES ON THE SDGS

UC Davis is known for its focus on sustainability, and many of our faculty, staff and students contribute towards a more sustainable future in their own unique ways. There are numerous classes you can take at UC Davis that touch upon the various dimensions of sustainability outlined by the SDGs. We’ve listed a few of them below. View a longer list of classes

*Asteriks indicate prerequisites.

*ARE 115A: Microeconomic Development: SDGs 1, 8

*ARE 166: Economics of Global Poverty Reduction: What Works and Why: SDG 1

*ANT 126B: Women and Development: SDG 5

*ANT 129: Health and Medicine in a Global Context: SDG 3

*ECI 123: Urban Systems and Sustainability: SDG 6, 7, 9, 11, 12

*ESP 165: Climate Policy: SDG 13

*ESP 171: Urban and Regional Planning: SDGs 11, 9

GEL 18: Energy and the Environment: SDGs 7, 12

*NUT 199A: Global Nutrition: SDG 2

*POL 122: International Law: SDGs 16, 17

*POL 124: The Politics of Global Inequality: SDGs 10, 17

SAS 8: Water Quality at Risk: SDG 6

SAS 121: Global Poverty: Critical Thinking and Taking Action: SDG 1

RESEARCH

As a comprehensive research university, UC Davis is home to centers and institutes conducting research across all 17 SDGs. We’ve included a list below of just some of these centers. View the UC Davis Voluntary University Review for a more detailed list of centers and institutes conducting SDG-relevant research.

Center for Poverty and Inequality Research: SDGs 1, 8, 10

World Food Center: SDGs 1, 2, 12

Center for Reducing Health Disparities: SDGs 1, 3, 10

Center for Applied Policy in Education: SDG 4

Feminist Research Institute: SDG 5

Center for Watershed Sciences: SDGs 6, 13

Energy and Efficiency Institute: SDGs 7, 9, 13

Western Center for Agricultural Health and Safety: SDGs 3, 8, 9

Center for Nano-Micro Manufacturing: SDG 9

Center for Regional Change: SDGs 4, 8, 10, 11, 13

Institute for Transportation Studies : SDGs 7, 9, 11, 13

UC Postharvest Technology Center: SDGs 2, 8, 12

UC Davis Institute of the Environment: SDGs 6, 13, 15

Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute: SDGs 6, 13, 14

UC Davis One Health Institute: SDGs 3, 13, 15, 17

UC Violence Prevention Research Program: SDGs 3, 16

Global Affairs: SDG 17

CLUBS

There are dozens of student clubs and organizations that are focused on issues related to the SDGs. Below are just some of these clubs. We’ve also compiled a longer list of opportunities

CalPIRG: SDGs 2, 4, 11, 13

Zero Waste and Sustainability Club: SDGs 2, 10, 11, 12, 13

Engineers Without Borders: SDGs 1, 4, 6, 9

American Red Cross Club at UC Davis: SDG 3

SEEDS - Ecological Society of America: SDGs 11, 15

The Wildlife Society at UC Davis: SDGs 6, 15

Cub Support: SDGs 4, 10

Davis Rewilding Society: SDG 15

Homeless Outreach through Prevention and Education (HOPE) at Davis: SDGs 2, 3, 10

Sustainable Environmental Design Club at UC Davis: SDGs 7, 9, 11

Students in VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance): SDGs 4, 8, 10

Environmental Project at UC Davis: SDGs 6, 9

Bhagat Puran Singh Health Initiative: SDGs 3, 10

Marine Science Club at UC Davis: SDG 14

Scholars Promoting Education Awareness and Knowledge: SDGs 10, 16

Model United Nations at UC Davis: SDG 17

Students for Reproductive Freedom: SDG 5

INTERNSHIPS AND VOLUNTEERING

Many on-campus centers and local organizations have opportunities for volunteering. This is a small selection of some of them.

Center for Advocacy, Resources and Education: SDGs 3, 5

AB540 and Undocumented Student Center: SDGs 10, 16

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual Resource Center: SDGs 5, 10

Disability Rights Advocacy Committee: SDGs 4, 10

The Green Initiative Fund: SDGs 1-17

Student Farm: SDGs 2, 4, 13, 15

SDG Spotlight #3: Whole Earth Festival

like the Sacramento Regional Conservation corps, and doing the not-soglamorous work of sorting through waste bins at the festival to make sure all of the compost and recycling was going to the correct place. I chose this role because I’m passionate about reducing waste, especially within our food systems, thinking about what our food is served on, and food waste that could become useful energy. One aspect of this position that I enjoyed was working with vendors to make sure they utilized the reusable dish program offered by the festival, as well as having back up compostable serving materials. It also felt good to know that food waste would be going to the correct places in order to become compost!

I had the special experience, during the festival, of working with great volunteers who cared enough about composting and recycling to give their time. Being in a position where the task I delegated was sorting trash seemed daunting, but the UC Davis students that volunteered shared a common goal of reducing waste, and we had fun while doing some gnarly work! I felt lucky in that leadership role because I was working with people who were passionate about their roles, and it would have taken my co-coordinator and me many days to sort without our volunteers. It’s definitely the type of work that forms a communal bond, and I felt proud to play a role in forming a community of people my age who care about the environment and waste reduction.

Eliana Torero | Compost and Recycling Co-Coordinator

SDG OPPORTUNITIES FOR UC DAVIS STUDENTS

Global Affairs

SDG Internship

The Global Affairs SDG Internship provides an opportunity for UC Davis undergraduate students to actively contribute to campus engagement on the SDGs, gaining knowledge of organizational strategy, campus and external coordination, and communications and analytical skills to support this global agenda.

Global Education For All Fellows

The Global Education for All Fellows is a campus-wide student committee of undergraduate, graduate and professional students that helps contribute to the Global Education for All. Fellows advise on different aspects of Global Education for All and work on student-initiated team projects (such as those related to SDGs) that help further integrate global learning on campus. The program is a one-academicyear volunteer, unpaid commitment, with a monthly Zoom meeting.

Universitas 21 (U21) Sustainable Micro-internships

The U21 Sustainable Micro-Internships Program is a free, virtual two-week project-based internship for undergrad and grad students. Work with students from across the globe, sharing knowledge and expertise while providing solutions to a challenge related to one of the SDGs. The program is offered multiple times per year and the SDG focus areas change each cycle.

Sign up for the latest global learning news and activities from the Global Affairs Global Learning Hub. Students can also sign up for the SDG opportunities email that is distributed quarterly. Contact sdgs.globalaffairs@ucdavis.edu.

Sustainability

Carbon Neutrality Fellows – Fellows develop and implement a wide variety of projects that support the UC system’s goal to produce zero-net greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. The Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) – Become part of the TGIF community in one of two ways:

Join the TGIF Committee and become part of the student team administering the TGIF grant fund; reviewing proposals, managing awarded projects, and supporting dozens of sustainability projects impacting the UC Davis community.

Be the lead on your own sustainability project! Apply for a $200 - $20,000 and make your goal of making the UC Davis community a more sustainable place a reality.

Additional Opportunities

Student Farm offers volunteer and internship opportunities.

Arboretum and Public Garden offers various internship opportunities through the Learning by Leading Program.

What are some everyday actions I can take?

to your classes and how you can raise the awareness of these issues.

⊲ Ask your professors about research related to the SDGs and how you can get involved.

sustainable actions listed in the next section, this will encourage the people around you to also do the same.

There are also ways to get involved through advocacy groups or through local political organizations, either by volunteering or campaigning, or simply by researching the candidates and casting your vote for the one you believe will take action on these issues. You can also attend public City Council meetings for the city of Davis and make your voice heard, including by advocating for a Voluntary Local Review by the city of Davis. Dozens of cities, including Los Angeles, have already undertaken such a process! Students from local universities were heavily involved in their process.

SMALL CHANGES LEAD TO BIG CHANGES:

⊲ Donate old clothes or household items to those in need.

⊲ Get involved in your local association that helps homeless and people living in poverty, such as Empower Yolo, Fourth and Hope, and the H Street Shelter run by Davis Community Meals and Housing.

⊲ Donate or volunteer at food banks such as the ASUCD Pantry, the Yolo Food Bank, or the Short Term Emergency Aid Committee (STEAC).

⊲ Minimize red meat and dairy consumption. It contributes greatly to deforestation, which displaces and forcefully evicts many species from their livelihoods.

⊲ Eat seasonal fruit and vegetables and bottle, can or freeze your summer foods for winter.

⊲ Use the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.

⊲ Use a reusable water bottle to avoid plastic waste.

⊲ Take public transport whenever possible. ⊲ Try to buy fish or seafood coming from a sustainable source.

⊲ Don’t buy products containing microplastics. ⊲ Conserve water! Turn off running taps and fix them if they leak.

⊲ Replace incandescent lights with LEDs because they are more energy efficient.

⊲ When upgrading your technology or appliances, donate your old devices because their parts may still be of use.

⊲ Be curious and stay informed!

WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE?

UC Davis

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at UC Davis globalaffairs.ucdavis.edu/un-sdgs-uc-davis Sustainability www.ucdavis.edu/about/sustainability

5 Ways to Engage with Global Challenges at UC Davis globalaffairs.ucdavis.edu/news/5-ways-to-engage-with-global-challenges

UC Davis Voluntary University Review on the SDGs globalaffairs.ucdavis.edu/vur-sdgs

The lists of SDG-relevant courses and clubs at UC Davis can be accessed here: ucdavis.box.com/v/SDG-resources

Other SDG Resources UN.org www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment

170 Actions to Combat Climate Change: sites.ungeneva.org/170actions/climate

ActNow: The UN Campaign for Individual Action www.un.org/en/actnow/

Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Student Hub www.sdsnyouth.org/initiatives/sdg-students-program

SDG Academy sdgacademy.org

sdgs.globalaffairs@ucdavis.edu