Latest report published on UCL and the UN Sustainable Development Goals

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 & Infrastructure’ – and are broken down into 169 individual Targets. 

In the report’s foreword, UCL President & Provost, Dr Michael Spence, cautions:

The world is still not on track to achieve the SDGs by 2030.” He states: “It makes it ever more important that universities – with each other and with our partners in other sectors – continue to focus our efforts on addressing the challenges framed by the SDGs.” 

Developed by the UCL Sustainable Development Goals Initiative (SDGI), the UCL SDGs 2022–23 Report showcases a selection of the hundreds of ways UCL’s staff and student communities are addressing the SDGs through their research, teaching, operational and extra-curricular activities, as well as the university’s diverse external partnerships.

They include research projects that are improving the biodiversity of the River Lea, which flows through the new UCL East Campus, contributing to a review of the UK’s progress towards achieving the SDGs, and an initiative through which our students helping local charities to address their own sustainability challenges.

The report also includes short interviews with five UCL students, who share their opinions on which of the SDGs is most important and what law or societal shift would help the UK to address the SDGs.

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 Sustainable Development Goals Initiative Report 2022-2023