The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a universally agreed set of sustainability goals that support governments, businesses and communities around the world to work towards a more just and equitable future.
UTS was one of the first universities in Australia to become a Signatory to the University Commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Since then, ISF’s research and consulting work has been integral the university’s efforts in this area.
ISF’s vision of creating a more sustainable future is strongly aligned to the overarching goal of the SDGs – and our research is too. In 2016, we developed an innovative tool to map our research against each of the 17 SDGs.
This tool showed that:
ISF’s research contributes knowledge and evidence to support all 17 goals
all our research areas made a meaningful contribution to one or more of the SDGs.
It was important for us place our work within the context of a global effort and to ensure that our future efforts contribute to the big picture.
I've been researching how we can move beyond traditional economic measures of poverty in Asia and the Pacific. This requires looking inside the household, at differentiated impacts on women and men, and responses that take these differences into account.
I have been researching the factors that influence the choice of what to eat, comparing Australia and India. If we reduce global meat consumption, there are significant environmental, health and ethical benefits and improved food security.
I’ve been researching the impact on health of living in a high density environment, the advantages and disadvantages and how we can make our cities better places to live in.
At ISF, we equip our students with the latest systems thinking and a deep understanding of how change happens, so they’re ready to go out into the world and make transformative change.
Much of our work in Asia and the Pacific is centred on supporting women and marginalised groups to contribute to and lead water and sanitation projects. Our research has found that when programs are inclusive, they are more effective.
Our project team worked with government agencies and NGOs in Bangladesh to determine where and how disease is spread through sewage. We want to work out how to improve treatment at the lowest cost, to save lives.
We have been working with energy users and utilities to better match renewable energy supply and customer demand. This means that we can reduce emissions faster, at lower cost, and improve reliability. It helps keep businesses in business.
We’ve found that there are major employment opportunities that arise from a clean energy future. There are more jobs and better jobs from improving energy productivity and building renewable energy systems.
We have been working with a bathroom fixture manufacturer, helping to develop a ‘bathroom of the future’, with a view to improving water and energy efficiency, reducing maintenance and improving hygiene.
We have been working with communities in the Asia-Pacific region to address climate adaptation and resilience, recognising the need to improve equity for women and people with disabilities, and other disadvantaged groups who are impacted most.
I collaborate with local councils, government and property developers to create urban environments that centre on the health and wellbeing of the people who live in them. We establish environments that will respond to future conditions, such as a changing climate, and use smart technology to monitor them.
My research focuses on minimising waste by encouraging the responsible production and consumption of products and packaging. I am currently collaborating with an international team of researchers to drive the development of a circular economy for plastics in India.
My research is focused on the technical analysis of renewable energy, to map out the pathway towards meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement. My recent work supports a rapid transition to renewables and ways to wind down the use of fossil fuels.
We have been working on a Gates Foundation funded research project to understand how sea level rise will affect coastal sanitation infrastructure, with the aim of avoiding contamination of the sea and coastal environments.
Biodiversity loss is one of the global planetary boundaries. Our research has developed practical methods for assessing the benefits of reducing biodiversity loss with the goal of more sustainable ecosystems.
We work in the Pacific with communities who are wanting to build resilience to disasters, and ensure the strength of institutions. This work helps with peace-building and climate adaptation.
Our international development work is built on a foundation of strong partnerships with NGOs, communities and governments. Working together. That’s the only way that the SDGs will be met.
Where does your organisation fit in?
Achieving the SDGs requires collective effort. At ISF, we can help you align your organisational processes and outputs to the SDGs using our innovative mapping tool.
Why ISF?
Our uniquely transdisciplinary research is backed by university rigour and delivered by a passionate and qualified team with expertise across the sustainable futures domain. By bringing together multiple perspective and skill sets, we produce customised and creative solutions that can support you to make sense of SDG goals and targets.
Towards sustainable development futures
Here are some examples of ISF research that’s supporting the SDGs:
Gender equality and inclusion
Empowering women and girls by driving gender equality, ensuring WASH availability and sustainability, and improving water resources management across the globe.
Urban water security
Impacting water planning, implementation and advocacy through strategic water security research. This work has achieved significant annual water savings in multiple locations around Australia.
Towards a circular economy
Creating opportunities for sustainable metal resource consumption and production. This project supports a shift towards a circular economy through metal recycling, re-use and re-manufacturing.
