Latest report published on UCL and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

For the first time, it details the extent to which our students are supporting the Goals through their extra-curricular student societies and volunteering projects. It also reports on the number of student startups supported by the UCL Entrepreneurship Hub and the solicited philanthropic income that is supporting UCL activity addressing one of the SDGs.

Developed by the UCL Sustainable Development Goals Initiative (SDGI), the report also showcases a selection of the hundreds of ways UCL’s staff and student communities are supporting the SDGs across their research, teaching, operational and extra-curricular activities, as well as through the university’s operations and diverse external partnerships.

The 17 SDGs are the core of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Adopted by all Member States in 2015, they provide a framework for the world’s ongoing economic growth, while protecting the environment and addressing social inequalities.

The Goals cover topics ranging from ‘Life on Land’ and ‘Quality Education’ to ‘Inequalities’ and ‘Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure’ – and are broken down into 169 individual Targets.

In the report's foreword, UCL President & Provost, Dr Michael Spence, states: "We are now more than halfway to 2030. Humanity is making progress towards some of the Goals in parts of the world, but it is increasingly clear we are not on track to achieve them by 2030. 

"Universities are well-placed to play a leading role in a renewed effort to address the global challenges framed by the SDGs. We can do this through creating and sharing knowledge, and by working in partnership – across academic disciplines, different sectors and geographic borders – where other sectors cannot, to bridge the boundaries that often hinder progress.”

Simon Knowles, UCL’s Head of Coordination (SDGs) – who manages the SDGI – added: “This report demonstrates how our staff and students are continuing UCL’s long tradition of addressing global challenges. The spread of activity in all our faculties across the 17 Goals is testament to the university’s multidisciplinary strength and commitment to solving some of the biggest problems of our time.”

The UCL SDGI was established in academic year 2020-21 and aims to maximise the university’s impact on the SDGs.

View the UCL SDGs Report 2021–22.