The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015. It provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries — developed and developing — in a global partnership.
The SDGs recognize that ending poverty and other inequalities must go together with strategies that improve health and education and spur economic growth, while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. The goals embody the type of complex, global and multidisciplinary challenges that the Institutional Strategic Initiatives (ISI) model was designed to address. Across the portfolio, ISIs are advancing innovative solutions to meet these goals.
For example, the research themes of Climate Positive Energy (CPE) emphasize not only climate action (SDG 13) and affordable and clean energy (SDG 7) but also social and policy considerations related to economic growth (SDG 8) and infrastructure (SDG9). Similarly, research themes within the Institute for Pandemics (IfP) focus on the intersection between good health and well-being (SDG 3), gender equality (SDG 5) and reducing inequalities (SDG 10). Events such as the Symposium on Climate Justice & Cities, held by the School of Cities in 2023, underline the connections sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11) and strong institutions that promote peace and justice (SDG 16).
The newly launched SDGs Scholars Academy is a dynamic think tank that will convene leading researchers for open dialogue on sustainable development. It is the flagship program for SDGs@UofT, an ISI that was established in 2023. The Scholars Academy will bring together, support, and mobilize a global community of scholars, policy makers and practitioners from a range of academic institutions.
Through open dialogue, the Scholars Academy community will conduct convergence research to address complex issues crucial to sustainable development. Its goals include influencing intellectual and public discourse and shaping evidence-based policy and practical solutions to global challenges that promote just, equitable and empowering outcomes — not just with respect to the current SDGs, but also for the post-2030 agenda.
SDGs@UofT aims to position U of T as a leader in convergence research that empowers positive actions on the SDGs and informs future global goals for an equitable and sustainable future. Besides the Scholars Academy, activities of SDGs@UofT include new research and training programs for trainees and academics. SDG@UofT is part of the Institutes for Resilient and Inclusive Societies and Ecosystems (iRISE), a Tri-Campus initiative with a home base at UTSC.