Agenda 2030 and UIC Barcelona’s contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, the United Nations approved the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, an invitation to all countries and societies to embark upon a journey to improve the lives of all people, present and future, whilst simultaneously protecting the planet and its natural resources. 

The Agenda comprises 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which aim to achieve gender equality, protect the planet, increase prosperity, promote peace and build alliances. These SDGs have provided UIC Barcelona with a road map to implementing the university’s mission and vision.

Given their wide variety of educational and learning activities, universities play a vital role in helping fulfil these objectives and goals set for the year 2030, thanks to their commitment to teaching, research and social leadership.

Out of the 17 SDGs proposed in the 2030 Agenda, UIC Barcelona has selected 12 as signposts for its contribution. In its first mapping of how the 2030 Agenda would be implemented at the University, UIC Barcelona presented these SDGs along with selected goals and indicators to monitor our progress in terms of achieving them. The starting point for UIC Barcelona in relation to each one is also indicated on the portal, with data corresponding to the academic years.

“We need to rethink the conceptual models used to incorporate sustainable actions into the institution, not only as a collection of indicators, but also in order to search for signals that help us to assess the dimensions collectively, those relating both to the university and to sustainability”.

The current COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to adapt our road map to the so-called ‘new normal’, which may in turn speed up or slow down the fulfilment of these SDGs. Universities currently occupy a critical role in helping to rebuild society and the economy, which is essential if we are to help overcome the effects of the pandemic.

This first road map was written collaboratively by all departments and services at UIC Barcelona, and was coordinated by the Office for Cooperation and Sustainable Development.

Working methodology for monitoring actions and measuring to what extent the SDGs are met 

Each SDG includes:

• A selection of the goals proposed in the 2030 Agenda 
• Indicators for measuring the SDGs* using the technical data sheets
• Links to actions, news and programmes at UIC Barcelona that contribute to each SDG

 *The majority of indicators have been taken and adapted from the technical data sheets featured in the UPV/EHU Panel of Sustainable Development Indicators. For others, the data have been obtained from  UI Green Metric, the Times Higher Education University Impact Ranking and the guide to How to assess the SDGs at universities. Some have been created from scratch to suit UIC Barcelona’s specific profile.

Second mapping of the implementation of the sustainable development goals, which includes the following SDGs: SDG 1 End poverty, SDG 2 Zero Hunger, SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG 14 Life Below Water and SDG 15 Life on Land, with the presentation of selected goals and actions that show progress towards meeting the challenges of the 2030 Agenda.