Hartpury University and Hartpury College have joined 400 other global educational institutions in signing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Accord.
The Accord, led by the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC), calls upon its signatories to embed the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals into their education, research, leadership, operations, administration and engagement activities. The goals have been agreed to by all world leaders to build a greener, fairer, better world by 2030. The sector’s annual reporting metrics will be presented to the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.
Notably, becoming a signatory of the UN SDG signals an ongoing commitment to sustainability, social justice and environmental responsibility.
Professor Andy Collop, Vice-Chancellor, Principal and CEO of Hartpury University and Hartpury College signed the Accord just months after the publication of the Hartpury 2030 Strategy. The comprehensive plan highlighted sustainability as a primary underpinning theme and there are plans in motion to publish a sustainability strategy during the next academic year.
This follows the appointment of Hartpury University and Hartpury College’s first Sustainability Director, Jackie Jobes, who is providing strategic direction on activity around areas including carbon and energy reduction, waste management, sustainability across the curriculum, and social impact.
She said: “As a university and college with a strong land-based specialism, we have the unique ability to positively contribute towards the goals laid out by the UN. Signing the Accord sends a clear message about our commitment to embedding the goals into everything we do, placed right at the heart of the highest strategic level within our recently published Hartpury 2030 Strategy.”
