ETH Zurich and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The external page 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations represents a milestone in international cooperation in the area of sustainable development. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which ETH Zurich is committed to achieving.

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations member states in 2015, offers a global vision for a sustainable future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their 169 targets. The SDGs represent an urgent call to action by all countries in a global partnership.

Universities help promote and achieve the SDGs by educating personnel in executive roles who are responsible for sustainable development. They play an equally important role in generating knowledge, innovation and science-based solutions. One example of this is the SDG Monitor. This was developed as part of the new partnership between ETH Zurich and the United Nations with the aim of systematically identifying any data gaps in reporting on the SDGs and addressing the shortage of data.

SDG index for the annual report

This annual report provides an overview with practical examples of the contribution ETH Zurich makes towards achieving the SDGs. This overview is far from complete, but does highlight the important role universities play in implementing the 2030 Agenda. The index serves as a navigation aid to the information contained in this report.

Contributions to individual SDGs mentioned in the annual report:

Red square with white lettering. At the top left is written 1 no poverty. Below, 5 people are depicted as pictograms. On the left is a man with a stick, followed by a child, two women, another child and a man.

End poverty in all its forms everywhere

Open Your Eyes 2023

Mustard yellow square with white lettering. At the top left is written 2 zero hunger. At the bottom is a pictogram of a steaming bowl.

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

Green square with white lettering. At the top left is written 3 good health and well-being. At the bottom is a pictogram of an ECG curve. On the right, it ends in a heart.

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

Red square with white lettering. At the top left is written 4 quality education. At the bottom is a pictogram of an open book and a pen (to the right of the book).

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

Bright red square with white lettering. At the top left is written 5 gender equality. At the bottom, the symbols for woman and man are fused together and in the middle of the circle is an equals sign.

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

Light blue square with white lettering. At the top left is written 6 clean water and sanitation. At the bottom is a pictogram of a glass of water. In the middle is a drop with an arrow pointing downwards.

Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

Open Your Eyes 2023

Yellow square with white lettering. At the top left is written 7 affordable and clean energy. At the bottom is a pictogram of a sun with an on/off switch in the middle.

Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

Dark red square with white lettering. At the top left is written 8 decent work and economic growth. At the bottom is a pictogram of a development diagram.

Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

Orange square with white lettering. At the top left is written 9 industry, innovation and infrastructure. At the bottom, four cubes are stacked on top of each other. The three visible cubes have each filled one side.

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

Pink square with white lettering. At the top left is written 10 reduced inequalities. At the bottom is a square with four triangles in the corners and an equal sign in the middle.

Reduce inequality within and among countries

Orange square with white lettering. At the top left is written 11 sustainable cities and communities. At the bottom are four buildings. From left to right: a normal small house, then a high-rise building, a high-rise building with a sloping roof and then a kind of garage.

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Brown square with white lettering. At the top left is written 12 responsible consumption and production. At the bottom is an infinity sign consisting of an arrow.

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Green square with white lettering. At the top left is written 13 climate action. At the bottom is a pictogram of an eye. The pupil represents a kind of globe.

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Blaues Quadrat mit weisser Schrift. Oben links steht geschrieben 14 life below water. Darunter sind zwei Wellenlinien. Unter diesen findet sich ein Piktogramm eines Fisches.

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

Bright green square with white lettering. At the top left is written 15 life on land. At the bottom is a drawn tree with three birds to the right of it. The tree stands on two lines.

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems

Dark blue square with white lettering. At the top left is written 16 peace, justice and strong institutions. Below is a drawn dove with a pointer in its beak. It is standing on a hammer.

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development

Dark blue square with white lettering. At the top left is written 17 partnerships for the goals. At the bottom, five circles are superimposed so that it looks like a flower.

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development

Back to landing page

_{The Annual Report is produced in German and translated into English. Only the German version is binding.
© ETH Zurich, April 2024}