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​​On 7th November SGH, as a first Polish university, joined the Sustainable Development Goals Accord – an international agreement of tertiary education institutions brought into beginning for a realization of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals. The initiative has been taken to emphasize a key role of science and education in fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations General Assembly for years 2015-2030. The SDG Accord is a mutual obligation of the agreement participants that they are going to contribute to sustainable development, report actions in this area and share best practices.

The Sustainable Development Goals Accord, which partner has become SGH, is the agreement of tertiary education and science institutions initiated by two organizations: a British one – the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges – and an Australian-New Zealand one – the Australasian Campuses Towards Sustainability. Hitherto the Accord has been signed by 92 tertiary education and science institutions from 6 continents. Among the members of the agreement are the SGH Warsaw School of Economics and i.a.: the Boston University, the Business School Lausanne, the Kedge Business School, the Kyoto University, the University of Copenhagen, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Manchester, and partner universities of our School – the Aalto University and the University of Otago.

In September 2015 the United Nations General Assembly had set 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 more specific targets. The challenges are a continuation for years 2015-2030 of Millennium Development Goals.
The priorities are the following:
1.  End poverty in all its forms everywhere. 
2.  End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture. 
3.  Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. 
4.  Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. 
5.  Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. 
6.  Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. 
7.  Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. 
8.  Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. 
9.  Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation. 
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries. 
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. 
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns. 
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. 
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development. 
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. 
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. 
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

First of all, the SDG Accord has been initiated to emphasize and reinforce the key role that universities play in sustainable development due to their tasks that include: educating young generations, building space for debate and creating added value for governments, business, and society. The characteristic of tertiary education institutions activity is the main reason for treating them as the key change agents. Moreover, an objective of originators of the SDG Accord was the mutual obligation of the agreement participants that they are going to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals fulfillment and share best practices with other partner universities. Yearly SGH Warsaw School of Economics is going to report, together with other endorsing partners, own progress in SDG fulfillment and share the most efficient solutions in the area. Based on the partial reports is going to be created an overview of the situation in tertiary education overall to deliver to the United Nations High Level Political Forum.

If you are interested in cooperation in identifying the key areas for implementing by SGH Sustainable Development Goals and carrying out initiatives in the area, please, contact the Office of the Chancellor (sekretariat.kanclerza@sgh.waw.pl). ​