Members of the University community share how they are backing sustainable development
The University will celebrate the anniversary of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) on 25 September by participating in an international flag campaign. The SDG flag will be raised on all four University campuses to symbolise our strong commitment to supporting the UN goals.
How are the SDGs evident in our daily operations?
As outlined in our strategic plan, we are committed to promoting all of the 17 SDGs. In our sustainability and responsibility plan, we have stated that during the 2022–2024 period we will champion especially the following SDGs: Quality education (SDG 4), Industry, innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9), Climate action (SDG 13) and Partnerships for the goals (SDG 17).
We will strive towards these goals in research, teaching, public engagement and everyday actions.
Below, University community members explain how this is evident in our operations.
SDG 4: Quality education
The Sustainability Education course offered by the Faculty of Educational Sciences is aimed at all prospective teachers and provides a pedagogical and educational perspective on sustainability.
“As we know, children and young people are our future, and this is true of aspiring teachers too. It’s vital that teacher education equips them with the skills necessary to consider and address sustainability issues and reflect on how they will teach them, and thereby support sustainability mindsets, discussion of environmental emotions, action and lobbying, and exploration of new solutions,” says University Lecturer Arja Kaasinen.
“A teacher with a good founding in sustainability education is able to reflect and act in situations requiring knowledge and skills in a sustainable way of life, human rights, gender equality, a culture of peace and non-violence, and the other elements of sustainable development mentioned in the UN’s 2030 Agenda.”
SDG 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Campus Forest Garden is a project financed with the University’s Sparkle funding to turn an underutilised lawn in Viikki into a pleasant green space. In May 2024, volunteers from the University community planted the forest garden next to Biocenter 3.
“Urbanisation is a major global trend that also affects Finland, where over 70% of the population now live in cities. Cities consume the majority of the world’s energy, claiming a significant share of global emissions. This makes urban infrastructure highly important,” notes Santeri Tuovila, who helped implement the Campus Forest Garden project.
“Forest gardens can act as innovative solutions promoting the clean transition in urban areas. They help us move away from concrete and asphalt and embrace the value of the soil, plants and biodiversity in urban infrastructure. Research has demonstrated that exposure to natural environments prevents autoimmune diseases and mental health problems in humans and animals alike. And health is just one area that green infrastructure can benefit.”
Forest gardens support biodiversity and can bind carbon to the soil. They can also help cities tackle future challenges by mitigating temperature variation and capturing runoff.
“By increasing nature-based solutions in grey urban areas, we can set an example based on research and so empower members of the academic and wider communities to look after their surroundings.”
SDG 13: Climate action
The University of Helsinki Student Union’s (HYY) Environmental Committee is open to all HYY members. It organises events and campaigns and promotes sustainable values in the student community. It also participates in updating the University’s and HYY’s sustainable development plans.
“We’re striving to increase students’ climate awareness and encourage them to adopt eco-friendly practices,” says Petri Seppä, the committee chair.
The committee’s Vegan Crawl event gives students the chance to explore vegan restaurants in Helsinki, while its Climate Fresk workshops offer the latest research knowledge about factors contributing to climate change.
“We focus on collaborating and maintaining a positive attitude. The sustainability transition can be achieved by connecting with nature and other people.”
SDG 17: Partnerships for the goals
Una Europa is an alliance of 11 European universities working to create a genuinely European inter-university environment. It brings together some of Europe’s leading research universities to collaborate in education, research and public engagement.
“Una Europa’s work is rooted in the conviction that collaboration is the best way to achieve change. The SDGs help us formulate the objectives of our alliance and determine the changes we’re aiming to make in research, education and society,” states Melissa Plath, Project Manager for the Una.Futura venture at the University of Helsinki.
The Una Europa vision for student-centred teaching and learning highlights the role of teachers and students in understanding global challenges. Research in Una Europa’s focus area One Health sheds light on connections between humans, animals, other organisms and the environment to gain insight into the complexity of major health challenges. Una Europa’s task force on sustainability has developed concrete goals for improving the sustainability of inter- and intra-university cooperation. In the UnaVEx project, Una Europa is collaborating with its members and African institutions to offer virtual, accessible training opportunities on sustainability.
“Una Europa understands that the individual efforts of a versatile group of stakeholders are crucial for allowing the alliance to achieve its ambitious goals. Together we will take steps toward reaching SDG 17, Partnerships for the goals,” says Plath.
Goals shape outcomes
For the University, the SDGs offer a clear and comprehensive framework guiding University-level efforts and goals associated with sustainable development.
However, the SDGs have also been criticised, for example, for their large number, complexity and deficiencies in monitoring.
An interim assessment of progress showed that globally just 15% of the SDGs are on track to be achieved by the deadline of 2030. Almost half (48%) of the SDGs are moderately or severely off track, while over a third (37%) have stagnated or even regressed from the baseline in 2015.
This underlines the importance of more ambitious global measures to ensure the SGDs can be attained worldwide.
SDG Flag Day
The SDG Flag Day is part of a global campaign organised each year on the anniversary of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This year’s anniversary will be celebrated on 25 September.
By raising the SDG flag, we can demonstrate our commitment to the SDGs.
Read more about the United Nations’ SDGs.
Photo: Stock Images by Adobe