Sustainable Development Goals
Overview
In 2020, Universities Canada embarked on a pan-Canadian initiative focused on increasing awareness of SDG projects on Canadian campuses and connecting stakeholders through cross-university and university-community partnerships that bridge efforts across sectors and embrace The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Supported by the federal government’s SDG funding program, this initiative explores how Canadian universities are integral to a global movement to advance the United Nations SDGs with practical solutions for sustainable development through diverse activities and institutional commitments.
Universities and other higher education institutions have a critical role in helping society achieve the SDGs through leadership, research, teaching and learning, campus operations. Education and research are explicitly recognized in several SDGs, and universities have a direct role in addressing these key focuses.
The 15 most research-intensive universities in Canada have signed A Charter for Canadian universities: Investing to Address Climate Change
Of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 4 is dedicated to quality education. However, universities can contribute to the SDGs much more broadly by supporting the advancement of all the goals as well as the implementation of the SDG framework itself by adopting new behaviours, influencing decision-making and accelerating transition.
From university leaders to faculty members, to students – everyone’s unique contribution to this process is critical for the success of Agenda 2030. This initiative is the first step towards unifying pan-Canadian university efforts to drive the 2030 Agenda.
By raising awareness, connecting university leaders, and mapping the SDG landscape, this project will provide a strong foundation for concrete action towards achieving the SDGs. Engaging with the SDGs will also greatly benefit universities by helping them demonstrate their social impact, capture demand for SDG-related education, build new partnerships and access new funding streams. Actions driven by SDGs define a university as socially aware and accountable.
Advancing the SDGs
Examples from across the country
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End poverty in all its forms everywhereEnd poverty in all its forms everywhere
University of Toronto
The Reach Alliance at the University of Toronto is a student-led, faculty-driven, multi-disciplinary research initiative dedicated to investigating the pathways to success for innovative development programs. The initiative’s mission is to pursue the full achievement of the SDGs by equipping and empowering the next generation of global leaders to create knowledge and inspire action on reaching the hardest to reach.
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End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agricultureEnd hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
Concordia University
Concordia is home to countless initiatives that contribute to SDG 2. For example, some student-led initiatives are: Campus Potager, City Farm School, Le Frigo Vert, People’s Potato, Concordia Farmers’ Market, and the Hive Café Solidarity Cooperative. In addition, the Concordia Food Coalition brings together students, faculty and staff to promote and facilitate a transition to a more sustainable food system at the university.
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Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all agesEnsure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
McMaster University
Ranked 17th in the world in the 2020 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings for its efforts to advance the SDGs. McMaster placed sixth in the world and first among Canadian universities for its contributions to SDG 3.
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Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for allEnsure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
Kwantlen Polytechnic University
KPU is committed to supporting social justice through the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Open Pedagogy Fellowship where faculty can work across institutions to maximize global impact. Each fellowship team designs renewable assignments and deploys them in their classes. Then, a student showcase takes place following the course to share the SDGs projects with the broader community.
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Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girlsAchieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
York University
In the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, York University was in the top 10 globally for contributing to SDG 5, which is exemplified in ELLA (Entrepreneurial Leadership and Learning Alliance), a program led by York University in partnership with the Small Business Enterprise Centres of Markham, Richmond Hill, Vaughan and York Region. This is a key example of how York University is working to empower women entrepreneurs and reduce the gender equality gap.
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Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for allEnsure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
University of Manitoba
A member institution of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) and was named a UNAI Hub in 2018 for its work and research related to SDG 6. The Hub has been conducting interdisciplinary research on water systems to help build sustainable, resilient communities in Manitoba and across Canada, including research with Indigenous communities, management of water quantity and quality issues, and the impact of climate change on our water systems.
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Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for allEnsure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Dalhousie University
Dal’s Agricultural Campus has its sights set on being completely carbon neutral — a goal highlighted at the opening of the new Biomass Energy Plant in 2018. The renewed plant and district energy system burns biomass fuel in a thermal oil heater. This heat moves a new 1 MW turbine to create electricity — an organic rankine cycle system that is the first of its kind on a North American university campus. This technology places Dal on the leading edge of sustainable technology and renewable energy practices.
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Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for allPromote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
University of Alberta
Sustainability Scholars was founded by the University of Alberta and the City of Edmonton to sponsor graduate students working on applied research projects with Edmonton-area institutions. Since 2015, it has grown to include close to a dozen municipal, corporate and institutional partners. Scholars have worked on climate action plans, energy improvements in affordable housing, wildlife tracking, ground-breaking energy storage, green building standards, and more. As a result, real progress is made to shift the Edmonton area toward sustainability and climate resilience.
The University of Alberta’s Adaptation Resilience Training (ART) project helps Alberta prepare for the impacts of a changing climate. ART offers students full time, paid positions for a period of 6 to 8 months to allow them to gain early career experience working with skilled professionals on real-world adaptation issues. Project assistants help host organizations understand and manage their climate change risks and support adaptation-related activities. Host organizations include businesses, governments and non-profits involved in water management, infrastructure, community planning and agriculture.
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Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovationBuild resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation
Université de Sherbrooke
L’Université de Sherbrooke is one of only two Canadian institutions with a Platinum STARS rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) is a self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance and platinum is the highest and most prestigious rating. STARS has recently aligned its methodology with the UN SDGs framework.
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Reduce inequality within and among countriesReduce inequality within and among countries
University of Waterloo
Promoting the SDGs through Canadian First Nations treaties is a research project that seeks to address the pressing needs disproportionately felt by First Nations communities across Canada by analyzing whether and how selected modern treaties respond to the SDGs across key sectoral areas: social, environmental and economic. This research seeks to inform Indigenous leaders, policy makers, academics, and interested parties of the rights and obligations set out in 15 selected modern First Nations treaties across Canada in relation to the 17 SDGs.
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Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainableMake cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Summer School
During the summer of 2021, CIRODD and its partners will hold their first Summer School on Societal Transformation. The school’s objective, which will be delivered over a 45-hour period, is to develop key competencies for the achievement of UN’s SDGs at the municipal level for up to 50 change-driven leaders drawn from both the public and private sectors. CIRODD’s academic and educational partners for this summer school are Acadia University, Concordia University, the EDS Institute of Laval University, the Maison de l’innovation sociale and SDSN Canada. CIRODD is also collaborating with the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi and is based at l’École de technologie supérieure.
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Ensure sustainable consumption and production patternsEnsure sustainable consumption and production patterns
University of Regina and Luther College
In 2018, the International Association of Universities (IAU) chose these two institutions in Saskatchewan to lead the research cluster for SDG 12 until 2030. The SDG 12 cluster is composed of seven satellite partner universities from around the world. The IAU research clusters promote the Whole Institution Approach – embedding sustainable development concepts and principles at all levels of university operations.
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Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impactsTake urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
University of British Columbia
UBC is ranked first globally in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings for climate action. In 2020, President Ono established a Climate Emergency Task Force comprised of students, faculty and staff to gather ideas from the UBC community and propose recommendations to address the climate emergency. Student mobilization and advocacy by groups such as Climate Justice UBC, the UBC Climate Hub and others were instrumental in UBC’s divestment action and the establishment of the Climate Emergency Declaration.
Université Laval
Laval is the first university in Québec to reach carbon neutrality. Since 2015, the Laval campus has been carbon neutral by reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the source and by offsetting the emissions it cannot eliminate.
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Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable developmentConserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
University of Victoria
The Salish Sea Hub builds community-university partnerships that contribute to decolonization and local action towards the UN SDGs. It is one of 13 hubs in the world initiated by the international network Knowledge for Change (K4C), an initiative of the UNESCO Chair in Community Based Research and Social Responsibility in Higher Education. The Salish Sea Hub has a particular focus on building community-based research capacity and action towards decolonization, racial and gender equality, and climate action.
University of New Brunswick
As one of Canada’s only marine biology programs, UNB goes the extra mile to provide a unique experience for students. Based at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre in St. Andrews, the Marine Fall Semester is an intensive, 12-week immersion semester offered on a biennial basis, in a marine setting. It provides students with a “hands-on” study experience of diverse marine organisms, including mammals (whales and seals), algae, fish and invertebrates.
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Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity lossProtect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
University of Alberta and University of Calgary
The Canadian Mountain Network (CMN) was established in 2019 to support the resilience and health of Canada’s mountain peoples and places through research partnerships based on Indigenous and Western ways of knowing that inform decision-making and action. Supported by Canada’s research granting agencies with contributions from diverse partner organizations, this funding represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to position Canada as a global leader in mountain systems research at a time when Canada’s mountain systems are undergoing rapid and uncertain change.
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Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levelsPromote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
Simon Fraser University
Ranked 4th in the world for SDG 16 in the 2020 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. SFU Public Square, a signature initiative designed to spark, nurture and restore community connections, establishes Simon Fraser University as the go-to convener of thought-provoking and productive conversations about issues of public concern. More than a single place or program, SFU Public Square assembles the hearts, minds, and talents of diverse communities to promote inclusive, intelligent, and inspiring dialogue. SFU Public Square events and offerings proclaim SFU’s vision to be Canada’s leading community-engaged research university.
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Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable developmentStrengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development
University of Waterloo
Ranked 16th in the world and second in Canada by the 2020 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings for its efforts to advance the SDGs. The Sustainable Development Solutions Network in Canada (SDSN Canada), hosted at the University of Waterloo, is part of a global SDSN movement to build a network of universities, colleges, research centres, and knowledge institutions to promote practical solutions for sustainable development. SDSN Canada’s mission is to mobilize Canadian scientific and technological expertise to facilitate learning and accelerate problem solving for the UN’s Agenda 2030 and the SDGs.
News
Spotlight on
By the Numbers
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19Canadian Universities
participated in the 2020 Times Higher Education Impact rankings
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38%of Canadian Universities
include the SDGs in one of their main strategies as of the beginning of 2021.
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40%of Canadian Universities
have participated in the Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS) since 2010
Resources
- The SDG Guidebook and Toolkit
A Community Foundation Resource on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals - SDG Toolkit for Canadian Colleges and Institutes
A practical guide to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for post-secondary institutions - SDSN SDG Guide
Getting Started with the Sustainable Development Goals - 17 Rooms
A new approach to spurring action for the Sustainable Development Goals - Accelerating Education for the SDGs in Universities
- Getting Started with the SDGs in Universities
- Times Higher Education 2020 Impact Rankings
This project is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Sustainable Development Goals Funding Program
Moving forward together: Canada’s 2030 Agenda National Strategy