Higher Education and Sustainability

Opportunities and Challenges for Achieving Sustainable Development Goals

Ulisses Manuel de Miranda Azeiteiro, J. Paulo Davim, Ulisses Manuel de Miranda Azeiteiro, J. Paulo Davim

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2019
• ISBN:
  9781351368353
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education Administration

The book provides descriptions of experiences from research and educational sustainability projects and the role HEIs can play together with contributions presenting a variety of initiatives showing how SDGs are being implemented.

The book promotes the theoretical and practical understanding on this thematic and disseminates knowledge and international research and cooperation.

Contributions cover the role of SDGs in advancing implementation of sustainable development, sustainability in higher education, the role of universities in sustainable development, new paths towards sustainable development and e-learning contributions.

Features

Focuses on theoretical and practical understanding on Sustainability, Higher Education and SDGs to disseminate knowledge and promote research and cooperation

Includes lessons learned from sustainability research and educational challenges presenting case studies, technological developments, outputs of research and studies, best practices and examples of successful projects

Discusses relevant and international perspectives on sustainability, higher education and SGDs

Presents local and international contributions on a variety of initiatives showing how SDGs are being implemented

chapter one

The role of SDGs in advancing implementation of sustainable development

The case of University of South Africa, South Africa

Albert Mawonde and Muchaiteyi Togo

University of South Africa

Contents

1.1Introduction

1.2Methodology

1.3Results

1.3.1Unisa campus energy greening initiatives

1.3.2Unisa campus recycling and conservation initiatives

1.3.3Student involvement in campus greening initiatives that address SDG

1.3.4Challenges

1.4Conclusion

References

1.1 Introduction

Sustainable development is the moral imperative of satisfying needs, ensuring equity and respecting environmental limits (representing constraints on human activities) including efforts to maximise economic value (Holden et al., 2014). Robinson (2004) emphasised that sustainable development is a collective institutional response, efficiency gains and a social responsibility. The authors maintained that sustainability is a consistent set of concepts more usefully thought of as an approach or process of community-based thinking. Considering the university as a community, the term sustainability can be seen as anthropocentric where the community gives it value through deciding the route to follow and policies to adopt and implement so that an institution can be regarded as sustainable. However, Sanchez et al. (2013) noted that, despite lack of agreement on an unequivocal interpretation of the concept of sustainable development, there is a general agreement that it involves simultaneous satisfaction of economic, environmental and social goals. The commonly used definition is the one proposed by the Brundtland Commission (1987) which states that sustainable development is a concept which allows economic development while considering environmental limits and equity. The chapter leans more towards the Brundtland Commission (1987) definition.

In 2008, in the South African context, the government developed a National Framework on Sustainable Development by listing specific strategies and critical areas aimed at guiding the country’s development on a more sustainable path (DEAT, 2008). To accomplish these interventions, all stakeholders needed to fulfil their roles. One sector that can play an essential role in the education sector is the university; by providing training and role modelling. Universities can teach and demonstrate the theory and practice of sustainability by taking action to understand and reduce the negative environmental impacts of their activities (Lotz-Sisitka, 2014).

Following the Rio+20 Summit in Brazil (2012), 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted to address challenges resulting from environmental catastrophes (natural and anthropogenic). SDGs were adopted as a follow up to the just-ended Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as a way of escalating sustainable development globally (Hak et al., 2016). University campus sustainability challenges identified by GUPES and other sustainability stakeholders; especially the United Nations; resulted in universities embracing SDGs. Out of the 17 SDGs, some of the goals naturally fit the purpose and missions of specific institutions, and in the case of universities, this happens to be SDG 4: to ensure inclusive and equitable education and to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

SDGs can be seen as an opportunity that can be and is being embraced by the higher education sector to further its quest to become more sustainable. According to Lozano (2006), implementing campus sustainability is not an easy task. Leal Filho (2011) supported this when he said that campus sustainability implementation is confusing, time-consuming and creates many uncertainties among various stakeholders. The promulgation of SDGs demystified the confusion surrounding campus sustainability implementation. The pre-existing lack of direction regarding the role of universities in sustainable development can be answered by embracing SDGs which are linked to the mission statement of the institution.

The role of the university in addressing global challenges of sustainability has been cross-examined by several authors (Cortese, 2003; Moore, 2005; Edelstein, 2009; Lozano et al., 2015). Tilbury (2011) argued that universities can change the world through training and expanding young minds, researching answers to challenges and informing public policy by demonstrating their understanding and commitment through careful campus management. Stephens et al. (2008) claimed that the role of a university is pivotal in society since universities are manifestations of longevity and social stability with a non-profit focus. Universities can foster long-term thinking, which is critical for sustainability planning and policy review; which in turn is critical for sustainability.

Policy aims proposed by the United Nations General Assembly in education and lifelong learning gave impetus to reflections on the role of universities and their potential contribution in moving towards a low carbon and resource efficient economy. According to the 2012 UNCSD outcome document (resolution 234), universities were strongly encouraged to consider adopting good practices in sustainability management on their campuses and surrounding communities, with the active participation of students, teachers and local partners.

Many declarations challenged universities to embrace campus sustainability. Some of these were the Talloires Declaration (1990), the Halifax Declaration (1991), the Kyoto Declaration (2000) and the Turin Declaration (2009). The United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005–2014) was proposed to promote sustainability mainstreaming, and it culminated in the UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development (2014). The Global Action Programme (2015) also promoted the same agenda. These declarations and fora have one significant similarity, a call for higher education to utilise the weapon of education, research and training in tackling environmental “wicked problems” (Dentoni and Bitzer, 2015: p. 2).

Velazquez et al. (2006) defined a sustainable university as a higher education institution as a whole or as a part, which addresses, involves and minimises adverse environmental, economic and health effects generated in the use of its resources. Universities fulfil its function of teaching, research, outreach, partnership and stewardship in ways which help society make a transition to sustainable lifestyles. Cole (2003) also defined a sustainable campus community as one that acts upon its local and global responsibility to protect and enhance the health and well-being of humans and ecosystems. It actively engages the knowledge of the university community to address the ecological and social challenges which we face currently and in the future.

SDG 4 which focusses on ‘promoting inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities for all’ can be realised through students’ involvement in campus greening initiatives. Regarding sustainable development, educational quality is promoted through provisioning of relevant curricula which address current and topical environmental and sustainable development issues. Through learning about sustainable development, students are equipped with lifelong learning skills applicable not only for examination purposes but also for their entire life, especially at home, in their communities and at workplaces.

Several other campus greening initiatives were implemented worldwide by various institutions with the goal of promoting equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all. Examples are listed and briefly discussed below:

• Oberlin College promoted lifelong learning and quality education using green campus initiatives (Orr, 2011). It had green energy supply initiatives, green procurement, carbon sequestration and sustainability alliances. In these initiatives, equity, an integral part of sustainable development, was realised through the college partnerships with students, community members and the City of Oberlin in tackling green energy and carbon offsetting Projects. Irrespective of gender, creed, occupation and status in society, the project involved all stakeholders in finding lasting solutions to environmental challenges. Lifelong learning was enhanced since these skills were imparted to all the people involved, and they used them as part of their daily lives; not only for the project.
• The partnership of Lund University, Malmo University and Swedish university of Agricultural Sciences is another example which showed how universities were embracing SDGs (Trencher et al., 2016). The partnership saw an opportunity to involve various stakeholders in re-orienting the university operations division. Quality education and lifelong learning were promoted through the exchange of ideas and sharing of different experiences by each institution. Staff members, students and sustainability champions all benefited from putting their minds together to find lasting solutions to environmental challenges.
• Rhodes University, through community participation, involved staff members, students, councillors and the local people in an HIV-AIDS Resistance Campaign (Togo, 2009). The community benefited immensely through relevant information, which enhanced their awareness of HIV-AIDS infections and how to practice home-based care of infected patients. The process of gaining knowledge on how to treat and take care of infected patients and to prevent stigma was part of the learning process and plays a pivotal role in reducing HIV-AIDS infections and early demise of infected patients. The campaign was open to the community members of Makana District in Grahamstown and reached people with diverse backgrounds (equity).
• According to Govender (2005), at the University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN), the Faculty of Engineering implemented an Energy Management Programme to improve energy efficiency. The energy saving programme served as an excellent example of how sustainable campus greening initiatives can be implemented (Smit, 2009). According to Knox (2013), the estimated amount of money UKZN saved through energy retrofitting reached almost 4 million rands per year which is approximately equivalent to US$300,000.

Analysing the aforementioned literature on campus sustainability as well as how various institutions implemented campus greening initiatives aligned with SDGs, one can conclude that most of the institutions which are at the forefront of campus sustainability initiatives are traditional universities where students reside on campus. Almost all reviewed universities have initiatives which address aspects of goal number 4 (inclusivity, lifelong learning and quality education). The question that arises in this chapter pertains to how Unisa, an Open Distance Education university with students who do not frequent the campus is promoting inclusivity, lifelong learning and quality education through campus greening initiatives.

To provide a brief background, Unisa was founded in 1873 as the University of the Cape of Good Hope situated in Gauteng province, South Africa. It was formed through the merger of the old Unisa, Technikon Southern Africa and the Vista University. Unisa boasts a student enrolment of about 400,000 which represents over a third of South Africa’s tertiary students which stands at 1,200,000 (Unisa, 2015). In 2008, Unisa became a member of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) which is the most extensive corporate citizen network that draws participants from business, national and civil fraternities (Unisa, 2015).

By becoming a member and a signatory of the UNGC, Unisa committed to contribute towards sustainable development since principles 7–9 of the UNGC promotes sustainable utilisation of resources and sound sustainable management of organisations. The UNGC is a principle-based framework for business, stating ten principles in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption (Unisa, 2015).

Unisa has made significant success in making sure that its academic program qualification mix promotes sustainable development values underscored by the UNGC. The university takes pride in a myriad of programmes that drive sustainable development in the education sector in Southern Africa such as The Chancellor’s Sustainability Programme spearheading most of Unisa’s sustainability initiatives namely: The Green Economy Campus Initiatives (GECI) and the Green Economy Sustainability Engagement Model (GESEM). According to Unisa (2015), the GESEM model integrates policy development focussing on various areas of environmental sustainability, for example, carbon footprint, energy and carbon policy, pollution and wastewater policy, ISO 14001 certification and waste control policy.

It is, however, vital to note that sustainability is not a one-size-fits-all framework (Barkemeyer et al., 2011). The principal focus of the chapter is to establish how Unisa, an ODeL institution, is involved in the implementation of SDG 4. A review of other literature sources has been explored, and it outlined how various universities are embracing sustainability and SDG 4 in their contexts. In the next section, a brief overview of the research methods is provided. Results and discussion follow the methods section. The final section is a conclusion to the chapter.

1.2 Methodology

The research was informed by a mixed methods design and was based on a case study of Unisa. According to Yin (2003), case studies allow the use of multiple data sources which enhance validation of results, credibility and dependability. Data was collected through questionnaires, interviews, document analyses and campus observations (Creswell et a...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Editors
• List of Contributors
• Chapter 1 The role of SDGs in advancing implementation of sustainable development: The case of University of South Africa, South Africa
• Chapter 2 Evolution of the actions of Latin American universities to move towards sustainability and the SDGs
• Chapter 3 Conflict, ambiguity and change 10 years working towards sustainability: The case of a Mexican University
• Chapter 4 Sustainability in higher education: Implementation in Bulgaria
• Chapter 5 The role of universities in sustainable development (SD): The Spanish framework
• Chapter 6 Application of Interpretive Structural Modelling for analysis of factors influencing Sustainability in Higher Education
• Chapter 7 viTeaching and researching on sustainability: The case of an interdisciplinary initiative at a higher education institution
• Chapter 8 Clean energy and SDGs: Opportunities and challenges for digital transformation of renewable energy
• Chapter 9 Paying or saving? The Greek drama that leads to achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
• Chapter 10 A transition to sustainable lifestyles: The role of universities
• Chapter 11 Bike-Friendly Campus, new paths towards sustainable development
• Chapter 12 The implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals at the national level: The case of the SDG Alliance Portugal
• Chapter 13 Contribution of advanced training for real problem solutions within Sustainable Development Goals: The case of an e-learning PhD
• Chapter 14 The influence of food choices determinants on the achievement of the sustainable food consumption goal: An emerging subject in food consumer sciences in an e-learning environment
• Chapter 15 Enhancing the university outreach through collaborations and sharing of resources: Experiences from India
• Index