‘Sustainability is not just about coffee cups and electric vehicles’ – UCD Sustainability Plan to 2030
10 April 2025
A new roadmap for University College Dublin has transformed its strategic objective of maximising its contribution to sustainability at local, national and global levels into a series of actionable plans.
The UCD Sustainability Plan to 2030 translates the University’s desire to be a thought and action leader of transformational change for sustainability into several specific commitments to bring that vision into focus.
Outlined within are six key objectives aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals including enhancing climate action, building resilience, and transforming UCD into a sustainability exemplar.
Central to the vision is the concept of UCD as a “living lab” — where students, staff, and the wider community collaborate on real-time sustainable practices and research.
UCD Vice-President for Sustainability, Professor Tasman Crowe and UCD President Professor Orla Feely Credit: Vincent Hoban
The new sustainability plan is designed to be flexible and easily updated over time, with annual reporting and prioritisation, and presenting the vision that UCD in 2030 will be a leader in knowledge generation, learning and action across the sustainability agenda.
It translates the broad strategic goals from the UCD Strategy to 2030 - Breaking Boundaries into clear, actionable commitments designed to further develop the university’s position as a leading force for sustainable development.
“Sustainability is not just about coffee cups and electric vehicles,” said UCD Vice-President for Sustainability, (opens in a new window)Professor Tasman Crowe speaking at the launch of the plan.
“The UN Sustainable Development Goals encompass a wide range of environmental, societal, cultural, economic and governance dimensions… [and] UCD is an SDG Champion under a government programme, and we are committed to working in partnership to help solve the wicked interlinked challenges captured in the goals at local, national and global levels.”
He continued: “[This Plan] is the product of a very extensive process of consultation and engagement. It includes ideas from a process started three years ago in relation to UCD's last strategy, plus new thinking from our core working groups and the consultation for the new Breaking Boundaries strategy, which included some great input from external stakeholders and UCD students and staff from all parts of the university."
Speaking at its launch, UCD President (opens in a new window)Professor Orla Feely commended the plan for being “very action-oriented”.
“UCD is currently ranked number 49 in the world for sustainability in the QS Rankings. That's based on an assessment against the UN Sustainable Development Goals, which is very telling about where we are as an institution.
Kendra Paleczny, fourth year BSc Sustainability student at UCD Credit: Vincent Hoban
“We have so many people who are very committed to making sure that we advance this journey now to get ourselves to a place where we can be a model for universities, for communities and, indeed, for the world."
Giving a student perspective, Kendra Paleczny, who is in her fourth year of the BSc Sustainability, said UCD as a ‘living lab’ resonated most with her.
“Universities have all the resources we need: the experts, the researchers, the physical infrastructure. Imagine if UCD became a successful model for a circular economy — what a powerful example that would set for wider society. If we can’t make it happen here, how can we expect governments to achieve it on a larger scale?”
Dr. Larry O’Connell, Director of the National Economic and Social Council Credit: Vincent Hoban
Also speaking at the launch of the plan, Dr. Larry O’Connell, Director of the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) highlighted the “holistic and ambitious framing” of the plan.
“I think the granular targets that are set out in the plan really do seem to ensure that what's written down is going to be followed by action. I've also seen firsthand how the work of the university is seeking to shape wider action on sustainability.”
By: David Kearns, Digital Journalist / Media Officer, UCD University Relations (with materials from Patrice Harrington, UCD Sustainability)
To contact the UCD News & Content Team, email: newsdesk@ucd.ie
