Our progress towards the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals
Introduction
This report comes at a pivotal moment. 2025 marks a decade since nations committed to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, yet global progress remains slow. Against this backdrop, universities play a vital role in advancing sustainable development, acting as hubs of innovation, learning, and civic responsibility. At the University of Bristol, our commitment to the SDGs is deeply embedded in our ethos. We recognise that the challenges we face – climate change, inequality, conflict, and systemic injustice – demand rigorous research, transformative education, and bold collective action.
Our civic mission has been strengthened by the development of the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus (TQEC), designed with civic engagement at its core. TQEC has transformed how we collaborate with partners, recruit and support staff, and engage in local networks. It laid the foundation for our civic strategy and the Barton Hill Micro-campus, a unique space embedded in the community. Our commitment to inclusive growth is reflected in a local procurement strategy that doubled local spend to £57 million, and in the work of our award-winning Apprenticeships and Employment Outreach team. Our Reparative Futures programme underscores our resolve to address historical inequities and shape fairer futures.
Introduction
We continue to expand access to education through guaranteed offers for local students, targeted outreach, and Foundation programmes. Our Access to Bristol scheme reaches 700 students annually, and 40% of Foundation participants since 2013 have come from the local area. Ninety percent of PGCE graduates remain within an hour of Bristol, strengthening local schools. Civic engagement also enriches student experience: last year, students completed 30,000 hours of volunteering, supported SMEs through internships, and contributed to hundreds of legal cases via the Bristol Law Clinic.
As we look ahead, we do so with urgency and optimism. At a time of complexity and uncertainty, we remain resolute in driving sustainable development locally and globally, as an institution with civic engagement at its heart. Together – across disciplines, sectors, and borders – we can achieve more. We hope you find evidence of this determination in the following pages and invite you to join us in accelerating SDG action over the next five crucial years, as we work toward a fairer, greener, and more sustainable future for all.
Professor Michele Acuto, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement)
Dr Marie-Annick Gournet, Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (Reparative and Civic Futures)