Abstract
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) present a global agenda addressing social, economic, and environmental challenges in a holistic approach. Universities can contribute to the implementation of the SDGs by providing know-how and best-practice examples to support implementation and by integrating issues of sustainability into their operations, research, education, and science-society interactions. In most of the signatory countries of the Agenda 2030, an overview of the extent to which universities have already addressed the SDGs in research is not available. Using the example of universities in Austria, this study presents a tool to map research that addresses sustainability topics as defined by the SDGs. The results of an analysis of scientific projects and publications show current focus areas of SDG related research. Research on SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and SDG 4 (Quality Education) is well represented by universities in Austria, while other SDGs, such as SDG 1 (No Poverty) or SDG 14 (Life Below Water), are under-represented research fields. We anticipate the results will support universities in identifying the thematic orientation of their research in the framework of the SDGs. This information can facilitate inter-university cooperation to address the challenge of implementing the SDGs.
Highlights
The Anthropocene is the epoch characterised by steadily increasing human impact on all natural environmental systems [1]
To identify Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)-relevant research activities of universities in Austria, the sum of publications and projects that generated hits in the keyword search was assumed as an indicator for the involvement of the university in the respective SDG
Considering the high number of analysed publications and research projects, as well as the observation period of five years integrated into the study at hand, some statements can be derived from the general status of research with relation to the SDGs at universities in Austria
Summary
The Anthropocene is the epoch characterised by steadily increasing human impact on all natural environmental systems [1]. The effects of human activity on ecosystems have caused an overshoot of planetary boundaries in many cases [2], which results in environmental, social, and technical challenges, such as the loss of biodiversity or structural changes in society and technology. These change processes are marked by high complexity, resulting from multiple interactions and interdependencies among themselves [3]. To cope with such complex challenges, integrated approaches to sustainable development and integration of stakeholders at all levels is necessary.
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