Sustainable Development Goals data library

To support academic staff and students, we have made available data sets across a range of social responsibility and sustainability themes.

United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Using and growing the SDG data library

Operational data sets are distributed across various departments in the University and have not always been easy to find or access. The Department for Social Responsibility and Sustainability is working to make data sets for social responsibility and sustainability themes much simpler to find.

Data sets can be used in Living Lab projects to verify known issues or to reveal issues not yet known. Existing data sets can also help establish a baseline and starting point for new projects.

Further data sets will be added to this webpage. If you cannot find the data sets you are looking for then please email Matthew.Lawson@ed.ac.uk.

If you have research or operational data sets which can be added to this page, or have questions on how the data could be used for your research interests, please contact LPatters@exseed.ed.ac.uk.

Annual report and accounts

Data on financial reporting, as well as information on how the University creates social, intellectual and environmental value.

Annual Report and Accounts

Business travel

Data on carbon emissions, cost, distance and the number of journeys associated with the University's business travel. Reports from 2012 - 2013 are available and include specific data for individual departments.

Business Travel Reports

Climate change

Please note that the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Assessment Reports include data on staff and student commuting. More recent reports include data on hotel stays. Both are not currently included within the scope of the University's carbon reduction targets.

Through the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, Colleges and Universities in Scotland must report to the Scottish Government through Public Bodies Climate Change Duties (PBCCD) Reporting. These reports are submitted annually in November through the Scottish Government online portal. The reports include data which is currently not included within the University's carbon reduction targets.

Good food

The University takes a whole institution approach to food and its connection to health and sustainability. Sustainable catering practices and good food initiatives are reported annually.

Social responsibility and sustainability

The University has published annual reports since 2009 - 2010, detailing our social responsibility and sustainability achievements and progress.

SRS Annual Reports

Student and staff surveys

Social Responsibility and Sustainability student and staff surveys were distributed in 2019, helping the University to understand the priority issues for staff and students.

2019 Social Responsibility and Sustainability student and staff surveys

Travel surveys

The University has carried out several staff and student travel surveys to monitor commuting and evaluate our Travel Plans and policies.

Travel Surveys

External data

There are other sources of existing data from outside the University that can provide additional insight and broader contextual information. Key sources of local relevance include:

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