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

1. Higher Education response to the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development Julie Newman, Ph.D. Sustainability Director Yale University

2. Introduction of sustainability • Yale’s Sustainability Initiative • Overview of the UNDESD • The Northeast Campus Sustainability Coalition • How do higher education institutions in Connecticut participate in the DESD?

3. 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 world’s poor, to which priority should be given; and the idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organization in the environment’s ability to meet present and future needs.” - UN World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987, p.43

4. 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

6. Economic Viability Ecosystem Health Human Well-Being

7. Yale Sustainability Indices (YSI)

8. Yale University Campus Wide Committees VPFA Provost ACEM Waste Mngt. Marketing Energy BD&C Transportation University Service ProvidersFacultyStaffStudentsACEM *Committee membership and charter reviewed on annual basis

9. 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.

10. 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

11. 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 15 Strategic Perspectives and the connections between them must inform ESD

12. 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

13. Timeline for the first two years of the Decade at national level • 2004 – establish national groups/committees/partnerships; 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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

17. 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.

18. 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…

19. 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.

20. 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 NGO’s & Gov’t rep. regional & int’l initiatives Regional – Clean Air – Cool Planet and EPA Nat’l/Int’l - ULSF + Eastern Canada

21. 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

22. Communication and Information from UNESCO • UNESCO has created an interactive website in English, French and Spanish: www.unesco.org/education/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

23. 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?