Networks & Partnerships

FORGES [content in Portuguese] is an association that promotes dialogue and cooperation between higher education institutions in Portuguese-speaking countries and regions. The association organises conferences, such as its annual conference, which address topics relevant to development and innovation in higher education, including internationalization, sustainability, management policies, and quality of teaching.

The Global Enabling Sustainability Initiative (GeSI) is a multi-stakeholder organization that promotes environmental and social sustainability by leveraging digital solutions. It brings together global companies and international partners from the information and communication technology (ICT) sector, collaborating to address challenges like climate change, energy efficiency, digital inclusion, and human rights. GeSI aims to foster digital innovations that contribute to a more sustainable world.

Founded in 1950 under the auspices of UNESCO, the International Association of Universities (IAU) is the leading global association of higher education institutions and organizations from around the world. The IAU is an independent, bilingual and non-governmental organization that advocates the development of policies and practices that promote social responsibility and contribute to the development of a sustainable future. It aims to share best practices and develop joint actions, facilitating innovation, mutual learning and cooperation between higher education institutions around the world.

International Universities Climate Alliance (IUCA) is an Hub for universities to share the latest climate research with society and enable greater collaboration between leading research teams, supporting global leaders, policy makers and industry in planning for and responding to climate change.

IUSDRP is a global research network in the field of Sustainable Development that brings together universities from around the world with the aim of promoting collaboration on research projects related to the subject. The network acts as a platform to strengthen institutional capacities of universities in the area of sustainability, encouraging the integration of sustainable practices into all aspects of teaching and research.

MetaRedS is a network for sustainability and social responsibility at universities in several Latin American countries, as well as Portugal and Spain, promoted by Universia and Santander Universidades, which aims to promote the exchange of experiences and the development of joint projects, creating an ecosystem conducive to strategic partnerships. Its strategic orientation is the development of tools to support the diagnosis, performance and evaluation of universities in environmental, governance and social terms, promoting sustainability by training and raising awareness among strategic audiences, encouraging commitment to inclusive development and the ecological transition and seeking to facilitate scientific transfer and alignment of management decisions with the Sustainable Development Goals.

Nature Positive Universities is an alliance of universities that officially commit to working towards a global goal for nature, with the aim of containing, preventing and reversing the loss of biodiversity through the impact of their actions and seeking solutions to restore ecosystems damaged by their activities.

Race to Zero for Universities and Colleges is a global initiative that mobilizes educational institutions to commit to carbon neutrality, bringing together leadership and action in the education sector.

The Higher Education Institutions that integrate the Sustainability Network in Portuguese-speaking countries and regions [content in Portuguese] are committed to building sustainable societies, aligning its activities with the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda and, whenever possible, articulating them together on the basis of a set of six principles: institutional commitment; promotion of ethics for sustainability; Action in the implementation of sustainability; dissemination of knowledge; cooperation and partnerships and technology transfer.

United Nations Academic Impact is an initiative that aligns higher education institutions with the United Nations in supporting and contributing to the achievement of their goals, including the promotion and protection of human rights, access to education, sustainability and conflict resolution. UNAI encourages Higher Education Institutions to actively contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals as well as to the Ten Core Principles that reflect the values and priorities of the United Nations.

The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) is a United Nations initiative launched in 2000 that encourages companies and organisations to adopt sustainable and responsible practices based on Ten Fundamental Principles in the areas of human rights, labour practices, environmental protection and anti-corruption and aims to integrate them into their strategy and operations. Since 2015, the UN Global Compact has also been responsible for contributing to achieving the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.

The Global Compact Network Portugal is the Portuguese network of the United Nations Global Compact. Formalised in 2009, it brings together companies and organisations with operations in Portugal that commit to aligning their strategy and activity with the UN's Ten Principles in the areas of human rights, labour practices, the environment and anti-corruption. The network also promotes the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN's 2030 Agenda.

Observatory of Social Responsibility and Higher Education Institutions [content in Portuguese] is a collaborative network created in 2016 to promote social responsibility in the context of Higher Education Institutions in Portugal. Brings together representatives from various universities and polytechnics to promote the debate on social responsibility in higher education, develop strategies and share good practices of institutions in this field.

The Portuguese Plastics Pact [content in Portuguese] is a collaborative platform that brings together more than 100 organisations from the national plastics value chain: government, producers, retailers, recycling organisations, universities, NGO, associations and others. The members of the initiative share the common vision of ensuring the realisation of a circular economy for plastics, assuming that they never become waste or pollution. To this end, all members commit, through individual and collective efforts, to achieving a set of targets by 2025.

Portuguese Platform for Integrity is an initiative aimed at promoting integrity and fighting corruption in Portugal, aims to the strategic development of projects and initiatives with effective impact on society. The platform emphasizes anti-corruption and good governance as fundamental pillars of a sustainable and inclusive global economy in line with SDG 16 of the UN 2030 Agenda.

The Sustainable Campus Network [content in Portuguese] - created at the Sustainable Campus Meeting promoted and hosted by the University of Coimbra in 2018 through the Energy for Sustainability Initiative - is a cooperation network that connects higher education institutions around the implementation of the principles and practice of sustainable development in environmental, social and economic terms, promoting sustainability issues in Portuguese universities and polytechnics and thus contributing to a more sustainable society. The Sustainable Campus Network aims to share knowledge, initiatives and success stories, as well as promoting joint actions within the sustainable campus field.