An in-depth literature review of the evolving roles and contributions of universities to Education for Sustainable Development

Universities play a fundamental role in addressing global environmental challenges as their education, research and community involvement can produce long-lasting environmental effects and societal change. By demonstrating best practice in their operations, research and teaching, universities have both multiple and multiplier effects on society. For universities to comprehensively address sustainability, a ‘learning for sustainability’ approach needs to be embedded across every aspect of institutional operations in a synergistic way. Using semi-structured interviews, this research explored the factors that influence the integration of sustainability into the operations, teaching and research activities of universities in Australia and England. The research found that individuals, committed to the goal of a more sustainable world, play a vital role in the success of integrating environmental sustainability into universities. The factors critical to enabling universities to undertake the transformational changes necessary to embed environmental sustainability into all university areas included: a strong policy environment, resourcing of strategies, and encouragement of leaders and environmental sustainability advocates. Educating and building the awareness of university staff of the importance of environmental sustainability to future generations was key to a successful strategy.

Integrating environmental sustainability into universities

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the contributions of the Asia‐Pacific region to leading practice in sustainability in higher education (HE), as prelude and orientation to this special issue collection from different countries and regions.Design/methodology/approach – This is a critical review that includes international and regional policy contexts in sustainability and “education for sustainable development” (ESD), whilst exploring the trajectories of key initiatives across the region and considering the broader context of sustainability innovation within the HE sector.Findings – The Asia‐Pacific region offers many creative initiatives and shows considerable progress in ESD and in understanding the learning dimensions of sustainability. At the same time, it mirrors global trends in that further work is needed to promote systemic change in educational arenas, particularly in terms of strategic integration within HE institutions. The Asia‐Pacific contributions to this colle...

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Sustainability in higher education in the Asia‐Pacific: developments, challenges, and prospects

Green Universities in China – what matters?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to argue that Richard Register's ecocity model offers a strategic framework to help guide sustainability initiatives in North American higher education (HE) institutions.Design/methodology/approach – This conceptual paper examines the theory of the ecocity and investigates the implications for its proposed building strategies for university and colleges, as institutions seek to create more sustainable campuses. The paper examines previous efforts to achieve sustainability and how the concept of the eco‐campus can be practically and productively applied.Findings – There is no single campus that has fully embraced every facet of sustainability, but numerous HE institutions are strong leaders in diverse areas. The eco‐campus model provides concrete principles that proactively address HE institutions' ecological footprints and develops sustainable community practices.Social implications – Sustainability is a pressing social issue. As world leaders in research, innovation...

Eco‐campus: applying the ecocity model to develop green university and college campuses

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the significance of developments across Chinese higher education in the field of education and learning for sustainable development (SD) and to assess the relative impact of these initiatives.Design/methodology/approach – This is a review of policy and practice to examine developments, challenges, and prospects for education for sustainable development (ESD) in higher education in China. Selected educational and operational activities in different universities are presented for analysis and contextualized in relation to the aims of Agenda 21 in China and the broader ESD movement.Findings – Key barriers for the balance and promotion of ESD in higher education are identified, with particular focus on regional differences in this vast developing nation, and the need for broader educational approaches across academic disciplines. Teaching about SD has been integrated into technical fields, especially at universities in major cities, and research has been under...

Dahe Jiang

Papers

Higher education for sustainable development in China