Meeting the Sustainable Development Goals: A baseline study of the contribution of UWE, Bristol

Gough, Georgina; Longhurst, James

Abstract

On September 25th 2015 at the General Assembly of the United Nations, 193 nations adopted a set of goals to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all as part of a new sustainable development agenda (1). These goals build on the Millennium Development Goals and are intended to complete what the MDGs did not achieve. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide an agenda for sustainable development that will stimulate collective action to address areas of critical importance for humanity and the planet.
The University of the West of England, Bristol welcomes the clarity and universality of the SDGs and recognises the urgency attached to their implementation. Education is key to many of the goals and their subordinate targets. In reflecting on how it contributes to the achievement of the SDGs the university has examined its portfolio of programmes of study, its public and community engagements and its research activities. In so doing it has created a baseline assessment of the contribution of its arts, creative industries, education, health, science, business, law, environment and technology disciplines to meeting the SDGs.
This paper will discuss the method used to identify the baseline position, consider how this knowledge this will inform the development of a process to track the ongoing contribution and consider how this might inform both curriculum development and research activities within the institution.

(1) Resolution Adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations. Available at https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld

• Presentation Conference Type: Presentation / Talk
• Conference Name: Sustainability in Higher Education: Challenges and Opportunities
• Start Date: Jul 6, 2016
• End Date: Jul 7, 2016
• Acceptance Date: Jul 6, 2016
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2016
• Peer Reviewed: Not Peer Reviewed
• Keywords: education for sustainable development, sustainable development goals, curriculum mapping
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/919100
• Additional Information: Title of Conference or Conference Proceedings : Sustainability in Higher Education: Challenges and Opportunities