DE MONTFORT University has a commitment to international collaborations for data gathering to further work on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
DMU has made the SDGs a cross-cutting theme of its long-term strategic plan and, in 2024, number of modules to have embedded the SDGs in its course passed the 200 mark.
As the global academic hub for SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions for the past six years, DMU files regular reports to the United Nations on its work and progress towards the targets.
The university submits an annual report to the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) on its work on SDG 16 in particular and the SDGs in general. You can read the full 2024 report here.
DMU also submits a report every four years to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on its work, particularly related to the SDGs. The university has been a member of ECOSOC since 2015.
The university is also an official observer for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and shares its data with the organisation.
DMU has sent representatives to past five Conference of Parties (COP) talks on climate action to report on its activities and was the only European university to have a dedicated pavilion at COP 28 in Dubai in December 2023.
The university also annually supplies data for the SDG Accord Progress Report by the Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges (EAUC), which acts as the secretariat for the Accord.
The Accord is a global movement of more than 2,800 organisations and individuals in the higher education sector who are committed to embedding the SDGs in their work. The initiative is endorsed by the United Nations, as well as many other global partners, and was launched in 2017.
The 2024 Accord was the largest reporting year to date with 184 institutions, including DMU, supplying data. In 2024, the report found that the SDGs that institutions had most influenced were SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG3 (Good Health and Wellbeing). Institutions continue to report that they had the least influence on SDG 14 (Life below Water) and SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). You can read the full report .