17.2.3. International collaboration data gathering for SDG

UNSDSN

METU has been an active member of the UN SDSN since 2016. Through this membership, METU contributes institutional data, research metrics, and policy input to regional and global SDSN databases, supporting global benchmarking and reporting on progress across all 17 SDGs. (https://www.unsdsn.org/sdsn-members).

(METU actively collaborates with the UNSDSN through both SDSN Türkiye and global UNSDSN initiatives, serving as a primary bridge between academic research, open data, and national sustainability policy. As an institutional member, METU aligns its campus operations and research outputs with the 2030 Agenda. It gathers and feeds institutional data—such as clean energy research, waste reduction metrics, and water management indicators—into national reporting systems and global benchmarking tools like the SDG Index to track progress across all 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Within the regional network, METU works alongside SDSN Türkiye on initiatives like Net Zero on Campus and Education for Sustainable Development (SDG 4), sharing technical strategies for decarbonization, curriculum integration, and circular economy transitions. METU researchers also leverage UNSDSN platforms such as SDGs Today and SDG Academy to integrate real-time geospatial, climate, and oceanographic datasets into engineering, urban planning, and marine science research. By combining institutional data sharing, multi-stakeholder policy dialogues, and interdisciplinary scientific studies, METU directly contributes to regional climate resilience and evidence-based sustainability governance.

While SDSN focuses on global frameworks, METU uses UNICA to exchange regional, operational, and research-level SDG metrics with peer universities across European capital cities.

UNICA

METU is also a member of Network of Universities from the Capitals of Europe (UNICA) https://www.unica-network.eu/member-university/

UNICA plays a major role in METU’s international cooperation on measuring, gathering, and acting on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) data.

1. UNICA Green & SDGs Working Group

METU actively participates in the “UNICA Green & SDGs Working Group,” a dedicated institutional network designed to benchmark and gather data on university sustainability practices. Key efforts include:

Campus Environmental Metrics: Sharing data on energy transition, waste reduction, water conservation, and carbon footprint mapping across member campuses.

Policy & Strategy Roundtables: Collaborating on best practices for institutional reporting (such as aligning campus sustainability reports with global standards).

2. Research Collaboration & Data Integration

Within UNICA’s “Research & Innovation” clusters, METU works alongside European partner institutions to pool scientific data on sustainability challenges:

Joint Research Gatherings: METU co-hosts international UNICA conferences (such as joint research meetings with Ankara University centered on “Advancing Research for a Sustainable Future". These meetings serve as platforms for compiling and analyzing regional data on climate change, green technology, sustainable cities, and AI for sustainability.

Living Labs Model: Participating in UNICA initiatives that frame universities as "Living Laboratories"—using campus operations to gather real-time sensor and research data on energy efficiency, green mobility, and urban ecology.

3. Joint Commitments to Climate Action (SDG 13 & 17)

COP Declarations & Benchmarks: Through UNICA, METU joins collective commitments to global climate action (such as statements surrounding UN Climate Change Conferences). These commitments involve tracking and reporting campus-level emissions data aimed at achieving net-zero targets.