As institutional reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has become more prevalent at higher education institutions over the past few years, it seems a good time to step back and reflect on the processes, motivations, and intentions behind SDG reporting. This panel discussion focuses on the following questions:

• What data should universities report on, exactly, and who should they report to?
• How do institutions report meaningfully on SDG initiatives instead of merely cataloguing them?
• How do institutions determine what to commit to in support of the SDGs and how can those commitments guide the reporting process?

Attendees will learn about the participants’ experiences in institutional SDG reporting, reflections on the future of the process, and ideas about how to make the exercise more effective. The target audience for this event is higher education staff and faculty who are engaged in (or interested in beginning) the process of SDG reporting.

*French translation kindly provided by the Institut en environnement, développement et société, Laval University. 

Moderator: Karen Oberer, Sustainability Officer, McGill University

Panellists:

• Nicole Arsenault, Program Director, Office of Sustainability, York University
• Jason Ens, Executive Director, Academic Policy, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives, Concordia University
• Pierre Lemay, Adjoint au vice-recteur aux affaires externes, internationales et à la santé, Université Laval 
• Mathew Thijssen, Director of Sustainability, University of Waterloo