UCDVO and the Sustainable Development Goals

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out an ambition to end poverty, fight inequality and mitigate the impacts of climate change. The 17 SDGs are integrated - recognising that action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability. They are universal in that they call for action by all countries – it is up to all of us, governments, business, civil society and the general public to work together to ‘leave no one behind’. Following a project to map the University’s activities against the UN Sustainable Development Goals in 2019, UCD published its first Sustainability Report in 2020. UCD also committed to ‘Creating a Sustainable Global Society’ as the first of four strategic themes of its new strategy, 'Rising to the Future 2020-24'. UCDVO contributes to the ‘Rising to the Future’ Strategy under Theme 1 and 4: Creating a Sustainable Global Society; and Empowering Humanity. Following the adoption of this new strategy, UCD saw a rise in the 2021 Impact Rankings. UCD is now ranked 22 in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, an increase of 12 places compared to 2020's benchmarks of universities against the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCDVO also contributes to UCD’s 2021-2024 Global Engagement Strategy. Objective one of the strategy is: "A Global Experience for All". Priority 3: "Enable and encourage students, faculty and staff to gain a global experience in Ireland and abroad". Importantly this includes: "UCD is committed to promoting responsible, ethical volunteering through UCD Volunteers Overseas". Within UCD, UCDVO is well placed to contribute to UCD’s overall sustainability objectives via its volunteering and global citizenship programmes. The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognize volunteers as key stakeholders to achieve the 17 SDGs, and acknowledge the important role of global citizenship education in building conditions for a more peaceful, fair and sustainable world. Following the adoption of this new strategy, UCD saw a rise in the 2021 Impact Rankings. UCD is now ranked 22 in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings