Goal #1

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

UN SDG 1 icon for No Poverty

End poverty in all its forms everywhere

UNSW is committed to this goal and demonstrates its commitment through:

  • Research that tackles poverty, inequality, wellbeing and justice
  • Education programs that nurture students and create opportunities for economic security
  • Support for students from low-SES backgrounds, through financial support and scholarships
  • Collaborative work to improve the quality of life for people around the world

How do we end poverty?

SDG #1 defines extreme poverty as people living on less than $1.90 a day. This amount is clearly relative but we can see that when we talk about extreme poverty, it is a matter of bare essentials. 'No poverty' is the first SDG for good reason. We know poverty makes vulnerable people even more vulnerable, it goes hand in hand with SGD #2 No Hunger, and is exacerbated by all forms of inequality, including gender inequality (SDG #5), and intimately linked to a lack of access to education (SDG #4). But lifting individuals out of poverty does not end the circumstances that create poverty. And if poverty persists in a wealthy country like Australia, how do we eradicate it on a global scale?

In this video, Dr Jinki Trevillian from the Centre for Social Impact, UNSW, breaks down some of the key challenges behind SDG #1. 

Dr Cassandra Goldie, ACOSS CEO, and Professor Carla Treloar, Director of the Social Policy Research Centre at UNSW Sydney.
Dr Cassandra Goldie, ACOSS CEO, and Professor Carla Treloar, Director of the Social Policy Research Centre at UNSW Sydney.

UNSW and the Australian Council of Social Service have partnered to undertake a five year research and impact collaboration to sharpen the national focus on poverty and inequality in Australia.

The Social Policy Research Centre is dedicated to tackling critical social issues through research with a focus on poverty, inequality, wellbeing and justice. We are also experts in evaluating programs to improve outcomes for individuals and communities.

 

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Access & Equity 

The 2025 University Strategy includes a commitment to developing student access and support activities that position UNSW as a leader, ensuring we nurture students of high potential regardless of their background. The Access and Participation Plan commits to increasing the participation and achievement of students from all equity backgrounds.

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The Financial Inclusion Action Plan (FIAP)

Aims to increase the awareness of new and existing support services available to students including financial hardship support and assistance. The FIAP focuses on areas including: providing products and services that provide financial education, support to all students and assistance to those facing financial hardship.

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The Access and Participation Plan

The Plan commits to building strong partnerships with both Sydney metro and rural NSW schools identified as being disadvantaged to build social capital within these communities.

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Privilege

Poverty, equity and the drivers of health. Decolonising global health means a dismantling of privilege and the structural barriers to health, both across countries and within. In a world where everyone’s health matters, whose knowledge do we value? Whose voice is loudest and how do we shift the dial?  

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Poverty, it's not that complex - with Cassandra Goldie

Staying hot on the trail of the ‘big issues’, this episode Annie & Carla get some quality time with the amazing Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO of the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) and tireless advocate for tackling poverty and inequality to reflect on a recent report into Poverty in Australia by ACOSS & UNSW.

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Good Economics for Hard Times

Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee were winners of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics for their ground-breaking work on solving global poverty. In conversation with UNSW Professor Rosalind Dixon, they explore how cutting-edge economics can take on these challenges and bring the world back from the brink.

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UNSW Tax Clinic

The UNSW Business School Tax Clinic was launched in mid-2019. Under the directorship of its founder, Associate Professor Ann Kayis-Kumar (School of Accounting, Auditing & Taxation), the Clinic has proven to be an impactful initiative that provides access to free, independent and confidential tax advice for individuals and small business owners in severe financial distress, and invaluable student development opportunities. As a teaching clinic, it also offers year-round opportunities to both enrolled students and student volunteers.

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UNSW Sustainable Development Goals 2020-2021 Report

This report outlines UNSW's performance against the SDGs over the years 2020-2021.

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