Sustainable Development Goals
The UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) unite people in action and aim to end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change. UM is addressing these themes by creating opportunities for our students, staff, faculty and community to participate in actions to help achieve these goals.
UM's commitment to the SDGs
In April 2017, the president of the United Nations General Assembly wrote to higher education institutions around the world, including the University of Manitoba. The letter was delivered to spark movement and create a call-to-action to support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainability Development within the university environment. The university was encouraged to include the Global Goals as part of research, teaching and study within the institution.
The University of Manitoba is dedicated to contributing to the cultural, social and economic wellbeing of peoples in Manitoba, Canada and around the world. This commitment aligns with and supports the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The SDGs unite people in action and aim to address three main themes: end extreme poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change.
The University of Manitoba is addressing these themes by creating opportunities for our students, staff, faculty and community to participate in actions to help achieve the SDGs.
As part of our effort to contribute to the SDGs, UM has begun the process of submitting our efforts to the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings in order to demonstrate our commitment and track our progress relative to post-secondary institutions around the world.
Featured goals
Good health and wellbeing
Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all ages at the University of Manitoba is evident through the initiatives and programming offered by the Recreation Services Health Promotion. In addition, the Success Through Wellness mental health strategy is a call to action for campus members to view the promotion and support of mental health as a collective responsibility. The strategy focuses equally on students, staff and faculty members, examining all aspects of the university and identifies ways in which the community can be committed, caring, healthy, responsive, supportive and resourceful.
Healthy U is a team of committed and trained student volunteers who provide health and wellness education on a variety of topics through creative outreach and presentations. They spread awareness on multiple aspects of health ensuring students learn to make health - including mental and sexual health - a priority in their lives.
The University has also collaborated with international organizations such as the KHPT Research Centre located in India. This centre works on maternal, neonatal and child health, adolescent health and education, violence against women, tuberculosis, nutrition, orphans and vulnerable children, HIV AIDS, and institution building for the community.
Clean water and sanitation
Water scarcity, poor water quality and inadequate sanitation negatively impact food security, livelihood choice and educational opportunities for communities across the world. The university has a variety of programs and initiatives which are helping improve the determinants of this goal.
Closer to home, the university's effective water resource management includes planning, developing, distributing and managing the optimum use of water resources for all UM campuses.
UM was recently named the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) Hub for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 for its ongoing research and initiatives that contribute to developments in clean water and sanitation.
Peace, justice and strong institutions
The University of Manitoba is dedicated to the advancement of human rights, conflict resolution, global citizenship, peace, and social justice through research, education, and outreach. There are a variety of programs, initiatives and research projects which facilitate learning which include:
The Arthur V. Mauro Centre for Peace and Justice, dedicated to the advancement of human rights, conflict resolution, global citizenship, peace, and social justice through research, education, and outreach. The Centre is also interested in the role of the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in pointing ways for people to live in peace and harmony in a post-modern world.
The university hosts the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation, which has the mandate to ensure former Residential School Students and their families have access to their own history, educators can share the Indian Residential School history with future generations of students, researchers can more deeply explore the Residential School experience, the public can access historical records and other materials to help foster Reconciliation and healing, and the history and legacy of the Residential School system are never forgotten.
Partnerships for the goals
The University of Manitoba is working to strengthen global partnerships of sustainable development through experiential learning opportunities, international research projects and student engagement activities.
The Indigenous Scholar’s Network has expanded its service-learning and community-based research opportunities with global Indigenous communities.
The UM Student Chapter of Engineers Without Borders promotes environmental and social sustainability at UM and within other developing countries. Some of their recent projects include promoting fair trade on campus, working toward a fair trade campus designation and developmental planning in Africa.
The Sustainability Research in Action program connects University of Manitoba faculty and staff with students who are passionate about solving sustainability challenges on campus through research projects.
Contact us
Office of Sustainability
152 Physical Plant Building
89 Freedman Crescent
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg MB R3T 2N2
Office of Institutional Analysis
Room 213 University College, 220 Dysart Rd.
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2