This year's campaign was the most successful yet – and Exeter is the top university for both the number of staff pledging and the percentage of students reached.

Exeter tops sustainability 'teach-in'

The University of Exeter has topped the 2021 list of universities pledging to include the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within teaching, learning and assessment.

Students Organising for Sustainability UK (SOS-UK) ran the annual SDG "teach-in" campaign from 22 February to 5 March, encouraging educators and students to work together to focus on activism and education around the climate crisis, environment and social justice.

This year's campaign was the most successful yet – and Exeter is the top university for both the number of staff pledging and the percentage of students reached.

In total, 96 Exeter staff made the pledge – meaning more than 9,000 students will be reached as part of the "teach-in" (based on expected attendance).

"First place in the SDG teach-in 2021 is one more achievement that demonstrates the expertise and teaching excellence of Exeter's educators," said Dr Emma Page, Head of Environment and Climate Emergency at the University of Exeter.

"By 2025, we aim to embed SDGs and the Environment and Climate Emergency (E&CE) agenda across all our modules and courses, and this achievement shows that we are already on this journey.

"A big thank you to all who pledged and contributed to this campaign this year.

"We look forward to building on this great result.”

Almost 500 teaching staff at 48 institutions across ten countries pledged in the 2021 SDG teach-in, meaning an estimated 47,000 students will be reached with SDG teaching, learning and assessment. 

SOS-UK is a charity set up by students and staff at NUS in 2019 in response to the climate emergency and ecological crisis.

Date: 11 March 2021