Atlanta Declaration on SDG Education & Research

We, the students, staff, faculty, and alumni of the Atlanta region’s colleges and universities, dedicate ourselves to working toward the successful implementation of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals to foster equitable, efficient, and environmentally sound growth and development here and worldwide.

We recognize:

• this is a pivotal moment for our planet, faced with unprecedented environmental, social, and economic challenges, and our ability to address those challenges;
• the urgency of immediate and systemic sustainability challenges requiring innovative, interdisciplinary, community-driven solutions;
• the many impactful sustainability teaching and research efforts now underway at Atlanta colleges and universities, as highlighted during the 7th Annual EQUINOX: SDGs Week at Kennesaw State University,
• the Atlanta Transformative Leadership Series at Georgia State University, and the SDG Action and Awareness Week at Georgia Tech;
• the essential role of equitable partnerships between research institutions and communities as foundational to achieving environmental justice and sustainability outcomes;
• the success of interdisciplinary communication and collaboration for advancing sustainability across various sectors, including housing, healthcare, transportation, urban development, and environmental protection;
• that meaningful long-term impact is rooted in community engagement, trust-building, and deep respect for the knowledge, structures, and voices of communities; and
• that our collective efforts must address the historical neglect of equitable distribution and ensure justice and equity are at the forefront of our work.

We call on each of our institutions to advance education and research in support of the SDGs, including:

• embedding the SDGs at the core of our academic mission, ensuring that every student is empowered with the knowledge and skills to contribute to a sustainable future;
• integrating SDG-related content in the curricula of every academic field on our campuses, fostering an understanding that sustainability is a universal responsibility;
• cooperating across departments and institutions to promote interdisciplinary inter- institutional learning and testing of ideas;
• conducting regenerative and restorative research that champions shared humanity and addresses societal challenges across local and global communities;
• leading by example to enhance the sustainability of our campuses through state-of-the-art design, resource management, and procurement;
• fostering awareness of global concerns among students, faculty, and staff;
  enriching learning and student success by bringing innovative and diverse champions of SDGs to our campuses;
• partnering with communities, including agencies, firms, non-governmental organizations, and their residents, workers, and members so that learning reflects real-world needs and research reflects real-world realities;
• building open data repositories so that scientists elsewhere and community members may further understand and build upon the work undertaken in our institutions; and
• engaging with policy processes in our communities, across our state, our nation, and globally so that decision-makers are aware of the results of their research and best informed of current scientific thinking.

We commit to innovate multidisciplinary solutions and support multi-sectoral partnerships that address the complex challenges of our time, ensuring that our actions contribute positively to the welfare of our planet and all its inhabitants. We urge our peers, colleagues, and the wider community to join us in this crucial endeavor. Together, let us commit as institutions and individuals to be stewards of our planet, advocates for justice, and champions of the Sustainable Development Goals. By embracing sustainability in our daily lives and institutional practices, we can collectively forge a future that honors the dignity of all people and preserves the Earth for generations to come.