Higher Education response to the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development

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Higher Education response to the UN Decade of
Education for Sustainable Development

• Julie Newman, Ph.D.
• Sustainability Director
• Yale University

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• Introduction of sustainability
• Yales Sustainability Initiative
• Overview of the UNDESD
• The Northeast Campus Sustainability Coalition
• How do higher education institutions in
  Connecticut participate in the DESD?

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What is sustainability?

• development that meets the needs of the
  present without compromising the ability of
  future generations to meet their own needs.
• It contains within it two key concepts the
  concept of the needs, in particular the
  essential needs of the worlds poor, to which
  priority should be given and the idea of
  limitations imposed by the state of technology
  and social organization in the environments
  ability to meet present and future needs.
• - UN World Commission on Environment and
  Development, 1987, p.43

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What is sustainability?

• Sustainability is a vision of the future that
  provides us with a road map and helps to focus
  our attention on a set of values and ethical and
  moral principles by which to guide our actions,
  as individuals, and in relation to the
  institutional structures with which we have
  contact governmental and non-governmental,
  work-related, and other. - Viederman, 1995, p.
  37
• Sustainability characterizes any process or
  condition that can be maintained indefinitely
  without interruption, weakening, or loss of
  valued qualities. Sustainability is a necessary
  and sufficient condition for a population to be
  at or below carrying capacity. Carrying capacity
  always embodies sustainability.
• - Daily and Ehrlich, 1998, p.992

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Economic Viability
Ecosystem Health
Human Well-Being
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Yale Sustainability Indices (YSI)
Indicator Dept. Units FY 04 metrics Costs FY 04 Change from 03 Targets
Building Design and Construction
Energy
Food
Land Use (holdings)
Landscape
Procurement
Transportation
Waste Mngt.
Water Mngt.
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Yale University Campus Wide Committees
VPFA
Provost
ACEM
Waste Mngt.
Marketing
Energy
BDC
Transportation
University Service ProvidersFacultyStaffStudent
sACEM
Committee membership and charter reviewed on
annual basis
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The Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development (DESD)

• Recommendation from the 2002 UN Summit on
  Sustainable Development to the United Nations
  General Assembly
• The DESD was adopted in December 2002 and UNESCO
  was designated as the lead agency.

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UNESCO and the DESD

• Provide an enhanced profile to the central role
  of education and learning in the common pursuit
  of sustainable development.
• Facilitate and establish links with existing
  educational initiatives Education for All, UN
  Literacy Decade
• Provide a space and opportunity for refining and
  promoting the vision of, and transition to
  sustainable development through all forms of
  learning and public awareness.
• Foster increased quality of teaching and learning
  in education for sustainable development.
• Develop strategies at every level to strengthen
  capacity in ESD.
• Source DESD draft International Implementation
  Scheme

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15 Strategic Perspectives and the connections
between them must inform ESD

• Socio-cultural
• Human rights
• Peace and human security
• Gender equality
• Cultural diversity and intercultural
  understanding
• Health
• HIV/AIDS
• Governance

• Environmental
• Natural resources
• Climate change
• Rural transformation
• Sustainable urbanization
• Disaster prevention and mitigation
• Economic
• Poverty reduction
• Corporate responsibility and accountability
• Market economy

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Vision for the DESD

• Give enhanced profile to role of education in
  common pursuit of SD
• Facilitate exchange and interaction among
  stakeholder in ESD
• Provide space and opportunity for refining and
  promoting vision of SD through all forms of
  learning and public awareness
• Foster increased quality of learning and
  education for SD
• Develop strategies at every level to strengthen
  capacity in ESD

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Timeline for the first two years of the Decade
at national level

• 2004 establish national groups/committees/partne
  rships develop website develop strategic plan
  develop calendar of DESD activities
• 2005 international and national launches
  develop media networking and plan for media
  coverage establish national ESD hubs baseline
  studies as basis for longitudinal impact
  assessment indicator development at national and
  sub-national levels
• 2006 regional conferences on ESD research
  issues establish monitoring and data collection
  mechanisms at national level

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UNESCO Next Steps

• Finalize the DESD Implementation Scheme and
  submit to the UN General Assembly during the 59th
  Session for approval
• Launch the Decade at International, Regional and
  National Levels in 2005
• Assist member states and partners in
  incorporating ESD elements in national
  educational and development policies
• Develop mechanisms and indicators for the
  monitoring and reporting of activities
  implemented during the Decade

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International Efforts to organize for the DESD

• United States US Partnership for the DESD
• Japan Japan Council on the DESD
• Germany German National Committee for the DESD
• Others Portugal, Greece, Sweden, and the
  Philippines

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US Partnership for the DESD

• The US Partnership is an inclusive, non-partisan,
  non-affiliated group of representatives from all
  sectors higher education, K-12, business, faith
  communities, non-profits, government serving as
  community-building conveners, catalysts and
  communicators for the Decade in the United
  States.
• www.uspartnership.org

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US Partnership for the DESD

• Vision Sustainable development fully
  integrated into education and learning in the
  United States.
• Mission Leverage the DESD to foster education
  for sustainable development in the United States.

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US Partnership for the DESD

• Partners include
• Local, regional and national NGOs
• Religious organizations
• Universities and colleges
• Cooperative extension programs
• Primary and secondary schools
• Think-tanks and research centers
• Government agency representatives
• Living institutions (zoos, botanical gardens,
  etc.)
• And many more

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Northeast Campus Sustainability Coalition

• The geographic boundaries include the nine
  northeast states (Connecticut, Maine,
  Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New
  York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont) and
  the eastern Canadian provinces.
• The focal point is higher education institutions
  (public and private). However, this does not
  exclude participation on the part of the
  non-profits or government agencies working with
  higher education.
• Participants ought to be representative of
  university sustainability coordinators/directors,
  facilities staff, faculty, administration, and
  students as well as non-profit and government
  workers working to advance sustainability in
  higher education.
• The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable
  Development 2005 2014 will provide the initial
  time frame and context for collaboration.

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NECSC- a regional commitment to the UNDESD2005-
2015
ME - Bowdoin College (rep. MGCC) NH - University
of New Hampshire NH - Keene State VT - Middlebury
College (rep. VTGCC) MA - Harvard University RI
Brown University CT Yale University (Chair) NJ
Rutgers University (rep.NJHEPS) NY Skidmore
College PA Allegheny College ECP Dalhousie
University NGOs Govt rep. regional intl
initiatives Regional Clean Air Cool Planet
and EPA Natl/Intl - ULSF
Eastern Canada
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NECSC Committed to the UNDESD

• Maine 05
• Connecticut 06
• New Jersey 07
• Massachusetts 08
• Canada 09
• Vermont 10
• Pennsylvania 11
• New York 12
• Rhode Island 13
• New Hampshire 14

Annual June gathering
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Communication and Information from UNESCO

• UNESCO has created an interactive website in
  English, French and Spanish www.unesco.org/educ
  ation/desd with resources and links to the UN CSD
  and other partners  
• Documents in preparation
• - Communication strategy for the promotion of the
  DESD
• - Advocacy and awareness raising on ESD and the
  Decade

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Where do we go from here?

• What might a Connecticut Sustainable Campus
  Partnership look like?
• How can Connecticut colleges/universities support
  one another in integrating sustainability
  principles into their institutions?
• How can Connecticut best respond to the DESD?
• What would need to be in place in Connecticut to
  achieve our goals and aspirations by 2014?
• What do we want (or need) from the international
  community, or how can international
  efforts/initiatives help us?