A month long global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) awareness raising campaign has begun and Forth Valley College are calling for staff, students and College departments to share their SDG journeys in the run up to Flag Day on September 25.
Many of FVC’s classes, groups and departments already support one or more of the 17 SDGs – https://sdgs.un.org/goals - and the College is looking to recognise how others can get involved in the run up to Thursday 25 September.
This year marks two important milestones for the global sustainability movement: the twenty-fifth anniversary of the United Nations Global Compact and the tenth anniversary of the SDGs. To commemorate this year, the UN Global Compact Network UK is launching the month-long SDG awareness campaign throughout September.
Some examples of how initiatives at FVC are supporting the SDGs include:
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Active Travel - the Active Travel Team are focussed on supporting goals 3 (Good health & well-being) and 11 (Sustainable cities & communities) promote health and wellbeing across the College through walking, wheeling and cycling initiatives
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Sustainable Catering - where students and staff reduce food waste, address workplace inequalities and encourage resourcefulness in the training kitchens at the College, supporting a wide range of SDGs including goals 2 (Zero Hunger), 5 (Gender Equality) and 15 (Life on Land)
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Art and Design - students in the Department of Creative Industries use textiles and materials sourced from charity shops and from students’ own homes as well as looking at how important it is to recycle material for use in the classroom, supporting goals 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and 13 (Climate Action)
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Rural Skills - deliver environmental improvements (Goal 15 Life on Land) and economic and social benefits (Goal 8 Decent work & economic growth) for Additional Support Needs (ASN) students through participation on outdoor projects with land owning partners
Rory Hill, Sustainability Project Manager – Joint Sustainability Partnership at EAUC Scotland, which includes Forth Valley College, said: “We are delighted to once again be supporting the SDG Flag Day and we are looking to collect even more case studies and photos of the excellent work our students and staff are doing at Forth Valley College to address sustainability in so many different ways. The SDG Flag Day is a great opportunity to recognise and celebrate this.”
As part of this initiative, organisations are invited to share their sustainability journeys and highlight the actions they are taking to drive progress toward the SDGs. This is a timely opportunity to reflect on the progress made, recognise the leadership of responsible businesses, and reaffirm a collective commitment to achieving a more sustainable future.
The campaign will culminate on 25 September 2025 with the SDG Flag Day, marking the anniversary of the adoption of the SDGs. Last year, over 650 SDG flags were raised across the UK, and the organisers were inspired by the creative and meaningful ways organisations got involved.
FVC supports the SDGs and sustainability initiatives throughout the year, including taking part in the SDG Teach In each March, which encourages staff to highlight the SDGs within their teaching.
This year the United Nations Global Compact are inviting all organisations to participate in one of the following ways:
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Take part digitally by virtually flying the flag on an organisation’s social media channels
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Raise an existing flag if you already have one, placing it in a visible location, or take a photo of yourself or your team holding the flag to show your support
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Use downloadable materials, including SDG buntings, posters, and cards to create impactful visuals for your office, events, or team photos
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Capture your participation through photos or short videos and share them on social media on Thursday 25 September 2025, using the hashtag #togetherfortheSDGs and tag @UN Global Compact Network UK on LinkedIn to ensure they can share and amplify your message
For more information on how to get involved at the College by providing a case study or supporting through social media, e-mail FVC’s Sustainability Project Manager Rory Hill on rory.hill@forthvalley.ac.uk or visit https://unglobalcompact.org/take-action/action/sdg-flag-day for more information.
