UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2021, Trinity was ranked 57th globally - by the  Times Higher Education rankings - for implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

We are also ranked 5th in the world for gender equality, and 26th for Responsible Consumption and Production.

All 193 member states agreed the UN adopted Agenda 2030, a universal agenda that contains the Global Goals for Sustainable Development.

Sustainable development has been defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) integrate all three aspects of sustainable development; social, economic and environmental. They call for action by all countries - poor, rich and middle-income - to end poverty, fight inequality and stop climate change.

For the goals to be met, everyone needs to do their part: governments, the private sector, civil society and the general public. There are so many things everyone can do to contribute. Here are a few good things to start you off:

• Spread the word about the SDGs, so that more people can take action and contribute to meeting the Goals.
• Join an organization (such as the TCD Green Campus Committee) that actively contributes to meeting the Goals.
• Reduce your general waste and your environmental footprint. Avoid plastics, take the train instead of the airplane, the bike instead of the car. Buy less stuff!
• Make conscious choices in your consumption. Buy local and try to make sure what you buy is produced in fair and sustainable ways.
• Show compassion and stand up against racism, exclusion, discrimination and injustice.
• Use your imagination. The future depends on our ability to imagine it with beauty, kindness and fairness.

For more hints and tips of good things you can do in your everyday life, read the UN’s Lazy Person’s Guide to Saving the World.