The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the United Nations’ global call to action, rallying countries around the world to build a more prosperous, equitable, and sustainable future for everyone.
At SENS, these goals inspire our research, teaching, and everyday actions. While our work touches many of the 17 goals, explore below the SDGs to which SENS contributes most significantly.
SDG 6 - Clean Water and Sanitation
According to the WHO and UNICEF, 1 out of every 4 people—that's over 2 billion people—still lack safely managed drinking water. SDG 6 aims to ensure that everyone has access to safe and affordable drinking water, adequate sanitation, and hygiene. It addresses issues such as water pollution, inefficient water use, and the lack of wastewater treatment. It also focuses on protecting and restoring water‑related ecosystems—such as rivers, wetlands, and aquifers—and improving how we manage water so it remains available for people, agriculture, industry, and the environment.
SENS is home to an exceptional concentration of researchers addressing different aspects of water security—work that is contributing directly to SDG 6. We research both water quantity and quality by studying source‑to‑tap risks, modeling hydrological processes at multuple scales, understanding chemical effects on aquatic organisms, mitigating harmful algal blooms, and co‑developing practical planning tools useful for municipalities and water agencies.
Through our Master's of Water Security program, and associated Graduate Certificates, SENS students gain training in science, engineering, and policy analysis that prepares them to investigate water security issues of regional, national and international significance.
SDG 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy
The International Energy Agency reports that over 600 million people worldwide still lack access to electricity; in Canada, 70% of the country's 280 off-grid communities rely solely on diesel generators for electricity. SDG 7 focuses on making sure all people have access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy—especially electricity—while rapidly increasing the use of renewable energy worldwide. It also emphasizes improving energy efficiency and expanding clean, sustainable energy infrastructure so that energy systems support development without harming the planet.
Faculty in SENS study how communities—especially rural, remote, and Indigenous communities—can transition from diesel or high‑emission systems to cleaner, more reliable alternatives such as renewables and community‑scale microgrids. We examining energy security challenges and investigate the economic feasibility, social acceptance, and governance of renewable energy options. This work supports community‑driven energy planning and just transitions, and helps lower carbon emissions.
SENS offers a unique Energy Security stream of our Master's of Sustainability degree, and has two Graduate Certificates in energy security, all of which can be taken remotely and help train energy champions, especially for Canada's remote, northern, and Indigenous communities.
Faculty in SENS study how communities—especially rural, remote, and Indigenous communities—can transition from diesel or high‑emission systems to cleaner, more reliable alternatives such as renewables and community‑scale microgrids. We examining energy security challenges and investigate the economic feasibility, social acceptance, and governance of renewable energy options. This work supports community‑driven energy planning and just transitions, and helps lower carbon emissions.
SENS offers a unique Energy Security stream of our Master's of Sustainability degree, and has two Graduate Certificates in energy security, all of which can be taken remotely and help train energy champions, especially for Canada's remote, northern, and Indigenous communities.
SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
Over 4 billion people—about 55% of the world’s population—currently live in cities, and that proportion is expected to reach 68% by 2050. SDG 11 aims to make cities and communities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. This includes providing access to affordable housing and transportation, reducing pollution and waste, preparing for natural disasters, and protecting cultural and natural heritage—all in the face of growing populations and changing climate.
Research in SENS seeks to understand urban environments and how people interact with them with the goal of creating more sustainable, inclusive cities. Our faculty also explore the challenges people face in maintaining culture and natural resources, strengthening local resilience, and sustaining land‑based practices that are foundational to sustainable communities—work that sometimes takes place far from urban centres.
These topics and more are explored in depth in the Regenerative Sustainability stream of our Master of Sustainability degree. We also offer smaller Graduate Certificates in multiple areas of sustainability.
SDG 13 - Climate Action
The pervasive effects of climate change on both people and planet mean that climate action is linked to every other Sustainable Development Goal. SDG 13 calls for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. This includes cutting emissions, strengthening disaster resilience, integrating climate measures into policy, improving early warning systems, and building public awareness and capacity.
Much of the research in SENS is connected to climate change. Our faculty are exploring how changing climate futures impact water security, ecosystems, adaptation strategies, and community resilience. We also work to understand the social and economic factors affecting sustainable energy transitions—particularly in Indigenous and northern communities—that help to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
All of the graduate programs and certificates in SENS, as well as USask's undergraduate certificate in sustainability (which we administer), provide students with learning opportunities to help take action on climate change.
Much of the research in SENS is connected to climate change. Our faculty are exploring how changing climate futures impact water security, ecosystems, adaptation strategies, and community resilience. We also work to understand the social and economic factors affecting sustainable energy transitions—particularly in Indigenous and northern communities—that help to lower greenhouse gas emissions.
All of the graduate programs and certificates in SENS, as well as USask's undergraduate certificate in sustainability (which we administer), provide students with learning opportunities to help take action on climate change.
SDG 15 - Life on Land
Biodiversity is critical to ecosystem services that support food security, fresh water, and clean air. Yet, per the UN's estimates, around 1 million species currently face extinction, and many will be extinct within a decade. SDG 15 seeks to change this alarming sitution by focusing on protecting and restoring ecosystems on land—including forests, grasslands, mountains, and freshwater habitats. It aims to halt deforestation, combat land degradation, prevent species extinction, and ensure that biodiversity and natural resources are used sustainably.
Research in SENS studies the inter-relationships between people and the land around the world, including community-led environmental stewardship, ecosystem health, human-wildlife interactions, biocultural conservation, and biodiversity dynamics. This work directly supports the sustainable use of land resources, environmental governance and policy, and the conservation of biocultural diversity.
Graduate programs in SENS provide numerous opportunities to study and research biodiversity dynamics and biocultural conservation. We offer thesis-based Master's and PhD degrees in Environment and Sustainability, a Regenerative Sustainability stream of our course-based Master of Sustainability degree, and smaller Graduate Certificates in Sustainability.
Research in SENS studies the inter-relationships between people and the land around the world, including community-led environmental stewardship, ecosystem health, human-wildlife interactions, biocultural conservation, and biodiversity dynamics. This work directly supports the sustainable use of land resources, environmental governance and policy, and the conservation of biocultural diversity.
Graduate programs in SENS provide numerous opportunities to study and research biodiversity dynamics and biocultural conservation. We offer thesis-based Master's and PhD degrees in Environment and Sustainability, a Regenerative Sustainability stream of our course-based Master of Sustainability degree, and smaller Graduate Certificates in Sustainability.
SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals
According the UN, developing countries face an estimated $4 trillion annual investment gap to achieve the SDGs. Achieving the SDGs requires strong global partnerships across governments, academia, the private sector, and civil society, and this is the focus of SDG 17. It focuses on mobilizing financing, improving access to technology, strengthening data and capacity‑building, and ensuring international cooperation so all countries can make progress together.
SENS leads or co-leads several outstanding partnerships that are making real change in the world.
SENS leads or co-leads several outstanding partnerships that are making real change in the world.
- SENS is home to the UNESCO Chair in Biocultural Diversity, Sustainability, Reconciliation and Renewal—one of 40 UNESCO Chairs in Canada and the only held by USask. The Chair's research links projects around the world, particularly in Latin America, Europe, Africa, and North America.
- The TRANSECTS partnership brings together dozens of researchers and emerging scholars, local and Indigenous leaders, experts in sustainability practice, UNESCO Biosphere Region practitioners, and partner organizations from Canada, Germany, and South Africa to reimagine how sustainability science is taught.
- The Water Health NSERC CREATE training program draws on expertise from across Canada and Germany to equip the next generation of water researchers with a transdisciplinary and global understanding for solving complex water challenges.
- The CASES partnership brings together 15 northern and Indigenous communities and public and private sector project partners from across Canada, Alaska, Sweden, and Norway to co-create and broker the knowledge, understanding, and capacity to design, implement and manage renewable energy systems.