Achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Explore ASU's impact in achieving the SDGs

For the fifth year in a row, Arizona State University ranked top in the U.S. for global impact in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. ASU ranked ninth in the world out of more than 2,000 institutions from 125 different countries. In the 2024 rankings, published June 1, 2024 by Times Higher Education, ASU scored 96.4 out of 100 points, ahead of Michigan State University, Penn State University, and MIT.

This website recognizes some of the many initiatives that contribute to ASU’s top ranking, as well as educational programs, student successes, research, outreach, partnerships and solutions that have made news for their sustainability impact.

SDG Circle

Explore ASU's sustainability efforts

 

Choose a goal to explore:

Sustainable Development Goals image

front_asu-charter-mission-and-goals

ASU Charter, Mission and Goals

ASU is a comprehensive public research university, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves.

Charter, mission and goals

front_social-embeddedness

Social embeddedness

ASU’s Collaboratory database captures the variety of ways faculty and staff partner with the community to address community challenges. Collaboratory can facilitate institution-wide coordination by enabling users to search the database, identify faculty and staff across the university who are tackling the same social issues, and find out with whom they are partnering and in which communities.

Learn about the collaboratory

Social embeddedness

front_university-sustainability-practices

University sustainability practices

Arizona State University is committed to leading the world by example, with targets and commitments related to eight initiatives. These goals include a circular resource system, climate positive, collaborative action, community success, food reconnection, optimizing water, personal action and climate resilience.

Sustainability goals and vision

Sustainability operations reports

Rankings


Platinum Rating

AASHE STARS, Since 2020

#2 in the World

AASHE STARS, 2023

#3 Green Power Partner University

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2024

#1 Cool School

Sierra Magazine, 2021

#1 in the U.S. for SDG Impact

Times Higher Education, 202020212022, 2023

the-impact-rankings