Tertiary Education Management Conference 2006

Environmental declarations ‘Being Green’ UNE on signing

the Talloires Declaration

P Bedford & D Carpenter

The Context of Sustainability: international and national declarations,

policies and frameworks for sustainability in higher education

Dr David Carpenter, Australian National University

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Introduction

The growth of sustainability in higher education National and international policy initiatives Higher education sustainability associations National and international sustainability declarations ANU’s Talloires experience

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The growth of sustainability in higher education

There has been significant growth in sustainability initiatives in the tertiary sector in Australia and abroad since the mid-to late 1990’s

Over 80% of Australian universities have environmental policies and hundreds of universities in the US and EU have EMS’s

Universities are becoming increasingly aware of their social responsibility with regards to sustainability issues

They are also recognising the need to adopt an integrated approach towards sustainability (i.e linking operations – research – teaching)

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Why is sustainability important?

The higher ed sector produces about 1% of Australia’s Greenhouse emissions

The typical university uses between 500 million and 1 billion litres of water per year

University’s are significant producers of waste (> 1000 tonnes per annum)

Many have large vehicle fleets, and are large trip generators They have significant environmental risk issues They have a social responsibility to produce graduates who can

respond to the complexities that sustainability problems present And, they are at the forefront of developing the technologies and

interdisciplinary frameworks that are needed to tackle sustainability problems

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International Policy initiatives

The United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014): countries are being asked to develop national EfS frameworks across all sectors

The Global Higher Education Sustainability Partnership (GHESP): IAU, UNESCO, ULSF and COPERNICUS-CAMPUS (and ACTS in 2007?)

Three main objectives: promoting better understanding of sustainability in HE, undertaking global reviews of sustainability in teaching, operations and research, identify and share effective strategies

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National Policy initiatives

AVCC policy on education for sustainable development encourages members to:

Create an institutional culture of sustainability Build capacity in the community by educating professionals who

can tackle sustainability problems Have clearly enunciated sustainable development policies for all

capital works Engage with schools, industry and communities in partnerships

which promote SD Undertake research that will strengthen EfS and SD

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Higher education sustainability associations

COPERNICUS-CAMPUS: 320 members from 38 countries across Europe

Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE): 110 members from US higher ed institutions as well as corporate and NGO membership

University Leaders for a Sustainable Future (ULSF): the secretariat for signatories to the Talloires Declaration

Australasian Campuses Towards Sustainability (ACTS) (150 members from 30 Australian and New Zealand Universities; 6th Annual conference will be held at the University of Ballarat in September; now an incorporated association and just about to launch its new website and begin its financial membership drive)

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International sustainability declarations

There has been a veritable avalanche of higher ed sustainability declarations in recent years including:

1990 – Talloires Declaration (310 signatories) 1991 - Halifax declaration (consortium of Canadian universities, the IAU and

the UNU) – 20 signatories 1993 – The Kyoto Declaration has been signed by the IAU 1993 – The Swansea Declaration (Association of Australian Government

Universities) 1994 – COPERNICUS-CAMPUS University charter for Sustainable

Development (320 signatories) 2001 – Luneburg Declaration (signed by the GHESP) 2002 – Ubuntu Declaration (11 higher education institutions including ULSF,

COPERNICUS etc) signed in the lead up to the RIO Earth Summit

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National sustainability declarations The Universities of Australia Ecological Development Charter -

Sustainable Universities initiative, National Union of Students Talloires declaration remains the most widely adopted and

significant declaration (signatories include: UNSW, RMIT, ANU, Melbourne, UTS, University of Canberra, University of the Sunshine Coast, University of Western Sydney; UNE)

10 point plan: increase awareness of ESD, create sustainable culture, educate for responsible citizenship, environmental literacy for all, practice institutional ecology, involve all stakeholders, collaborate for interdisciplinary approaches, enhance capacity for primary and secondary schools, broaden service and outreach nationally and internationally, maintain the movement

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ANU’s implementation of the Talloires Declaration

Many of the aspects of the TD were already enshrined in the ANU’s comprehensive EMP

The university had (and still has) a way to go vis-à-vis EfS and in particular ecological literacy for all

However many new Talloires inspired initiatives have been developed since signing the declaration including: the development of new Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies, the formation of the Sustainability Learning Community, ANUgreen student internship programs, and the Green Steps program