Actually, it seems a long while since a decent declaration crossed my desk. This new one comes ahead of Rio+20 and is supported by UNEP, UNESCO and the UNU and has been send round the SHED-SHARE network. It asks us all to "please consider urging your president or chancellor to sign the Rio+20 Declaration of Higher Education Institutions". This is it:
"As Chancellors, Presidents, Rectors, Deans and Leaders of Higher Education Institutions and related organizations, we acknowledge the responsibility that we bear in the international pursuit of sustainable development. On the occasion of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, held in Rio de Janeiro from 20-22 June 2012, we agree to support the following actions:
1. Teach sustainable development concepts, ensuring that they form a part of the core curriculum across all disciplines so that future higher education graduates develop skills necessary to enter sustainable development workforces and have an explicit understanding of how to achieve a society that values people, the planet and profits in a manner that respects the finite resource boundaries of the earth. Higher Education Institutions are also encouraged to provide sustainability training to professionals and practitioners;
2. Encourage research on sustainable development issues, to improve scientific understanding through exchanges of scientific and technological knowledge, enhancing the development, adaptation, diffusion and transfer of knowledge, including new and innovative technologies.
3. Green our campuses by: i) reducing the environmental footprint through energy, water and material resource efficiencies in our buildings and facilities; ii) adopting sustainable procurement practices in our supply chains and catering services; iii) providing sustainable mobility options for students and faculty; iv) adopting effective programmes for waste minimization, recycling and reuse, and v) encouraging more sustainable lifestyles.
4. Support sustainability efforts in the communities in which we reside, working with local authorities and civil society to foster more liveable, resource-efficient communities that are socially inclusive and have small environmental footprints.
5. Engage with and share results through international frameworks, such as the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, led by UNESCO, the UN University system, the UN Academic Impact, the Global Compact, the UN-supported Principles for Responsible Management Education initiative and the UN Environment Programme’s Environmental Education and Training initiatives, in order to exchange knowledge and experiences and to report regularly on progress and challenges."
I wonder what success this will have. Of the 130, odd, institutions in the UK, how many will sign? 10% maybe? Perhaps I'll be surprised.
There are, of course, many things here which universities already do – and ought to do. [2], [3] and [4] seem obvious examples, and the rather self-serving [5] is one possibility out of many. But [1] is quite another matter. Telling universities what to teach is always a risky business, especially when you're instructing them to do something as jejune as ensuring that their graduates ...
"... have an explicit understanding of how to achieve a society that values people, the planet and profits in a manner that respects the finite resource boundaries of the earth. ..."
Who, in all conscience, is going to sign up to that? After all, who knows how to do it?
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