Introduction to the SDGs

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, are an urgent call for action by all countries – developed and developing – in a global partnership.

Although the SDGs aren’t focused on higher education, the achievement of the SDGs by 2030 will require an 'all-hands-on-deck' approach. It will require different sectors and actors working together in an integrated manner by pooling financial resources, knowledge and expertise. This must include the resources of universities and higher education.

The Impact Rankings are the first global attempt to measure university progress specifically around the SDGs. It can be a catalyst for action, a mechanism for holding our universities to account, and an opportunity for them to highlight great work that they are already doing.

The methodology is built up from individual SDGs. Universities receive a score and a rank for their activities in each of the SDGs for which they submit data (University of Regina submits data for every SDG).

Participation in the overall ranking for THE requires universities to submit data to at least four SDGs, one of which must be SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals. If a university submits data but doesn’t fulfil the requirement to be part of the overall ranking they will still be ranked in the SDGs for which they have provided data.

The overall score is generated from the score for SDG 17 (worth up to 22% of the overall score, plus the three strongest of the other SDGs for which they provided data (each worth up to 26% of the overall score).

The scores for each SDG are based on a series of metrics. Each metric is themed and may be composed of individual indicators. The maximum score for each metric is given in the relevant section, both as an exact percentage within that SDG and as an approximate percentage if that SDG was to be used for the overall ranking for that university.

Universities need to be able to demonstrate how they are helping to address this problem through their work. As employers and economic hubs universities have a direct role in reducing poverty in their communities. By giving people from poorer backgrounds quality education they help to remove intergenerational poverty. In 2022, the university’s overall score on SDG 1 was a failing score of 43.5%. In 2023, the university lost further ground coming in with an overall score of 42.8%. Our ranking has remained unchanged at the international level of between 401-600, out of 873 post secondary institutions.