September 16, 2020
Dear Members of the CMU Campus Community:
When Carnegie Mellon University established the Sustainability Initiative in September 2019, we did so with the explicit recognition that at its core, sustainability, even when focused on our environment, is about equity and inclusion.
As part of that initiative, we made six commitments, which included conducting the world’s first Voluntary University Review (VUR), which I am pleased to share with you now. The VUR identified thousands of university activities in education, research and practice in order to map them to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals.
Countries and cities around the world have used the Global Goals to identify challenges they face and engage in action to make our world more just and equitable. CMU’s VUR is a signal that universities are also a critical partner in achieving these 17 ambitious goals by 2030.
Our intention is for CMU’s VUR to be a framework for us to track what we are doing across the 17 Global Goals and where we might find opportunities to do more. We also hope that by issuing this VUR, we will spark action at other institutions of higher education to do the same. With our initial VUR now complete, we welcome and look forward to continued and enhanced engagement on the Global Goals from the CMU community and community partners, as well as from the higher education community at large.
A unique contribution of universities is that we educate many young people and provide perspectives and tools for modern challenges. Embracing the Global Goals now in our missions of education, research and service/practice will help ensure that the next generation is prepared to address the world’s greatest challenges.
Thank you to the hundreds of students, faculty and staff who have engaged in our VUR process over the past year, and in particular, to the Sustainability Initiative Steering Committee and Advisory Council for leading the way. To view our VUR in its entirety, visit our Sustainability Initiative page.
Our commitment to the Global Goals and VUR process will leverage our education, research and practices to help shape a more sustainable and equitable future for all.
Sincerely,
Jim Garrett, Provost