Social and Civic Responsibility Plan
Social and Civic Responsibility is one of the four areas of focus in the University’s Strategy 2030.
In April 2020, the University Executive approved a new Social and Civic Responsibility Plan. The plan sets out how the University will work towards Strategy 2030's vision to make the world a better place, and ensure that its actions and activities deliver positive change locally, regionally and globally.
Social and civic responsibility means helping to shape society in a positive way, such as by reducing inequalities or improving environmental protection.
As a large organisation, the University's operations can have both positive and negative impacts on people and the natural environment, both locally and globally. By focusing its efforts on social and civic responsibility, the University actively chooses to increase the positive impacts it has - such as by ensuring greater access to education - and actively seeks to reduce any negative impacts - such as carbon emissions.
The University uses the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals as a guide: 17 objectives humanity must achieve to ensure peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.
The University's Social and Civic Responsibility Plan sets out three objectives and one cross-cutting theme in order to fulfil the University's social and civic responsibilities:
- We will become a zero carbon and zero waste University
- We will widen participation in higher education and support inclusion
- We will work together with local communities
- Cross-cutting theme: In our operations, research and teaching, we will engage critically with, and contribute to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.