The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design’s Post

Sustainability is everywhere we look. The UN's SDGs have a direct link to education - how many business schools have made a commitment to be part of the Principles for Responsible Management Education (www.unprme.org) or are we just giving lipservice to the idea of sustainability since education is one the main ways to improve society..... The idea of sustainable development has grown steadily in prominence since the 1970s, and by 2015 had captured the global centre ground with the agreement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The notion plays the important role of bringing together environmental and social concerns, but as a “shell” concept has been interpreted in very different ways, running the gamut from anarcho-communist and decolonial positions to efforts to shore up the durability and profitability of global capitalism. Tertiary institutions are closely linked to this agenda. While the invoking of “education” in international agreements is generally vague, tertiary education sectors have actively embraced sustainability and the SDGs in their activities. Institutions commonly map their teaching and research in relation to the goals and are expanding efforts to ensure environmentally-friendly campuses and moves towards carbon neutrality. This lecture attempts to map the multiple and intersecting ways in which tertiary institutions relate to sustainability, drawing out implications for the nature of the institution and planetary futures. These engagements are sometimes projective – in the sense of aiming to bring about changes in individuals or society outside of themselves –sometimes expressive – embodying the principles within their activities and communities, and sometimes constructive – debating and reinterpreting the idea of sustainable development. The lecture argues that, while often reduced to greenwash for continuing marketisation, sustainable development can play a generative role in institutions in drawing attention to their commitments to society and the public good, and opening questions about epistemic monocultures and complicity in environmental destruction. Ultimately the most important and distinctive role that tertiary educational institutions can play in relation to sustainable development may be to question and recreate its meaning. https://lnkd.in/eqy3r3bu

We hope June is a better month for us all who work, live, breathe and experience the world of Australian #highereducation.   👉 This week, QS Quacquarelli Symonds launches its 2025 World University Rankings, which includes several Australian universities among the world’s best. This will be the second edition using QS’ expanded methodology, which includes a measure of #sustainability impact, graduate outcomes, and international research collaboration.   👉 Then, Times Higher Education launches its sixth edition of its Impact Rankings the week after. This year’s edition will be THE’s biggest edition with 2,150 ranked institutions.   👉 Rankings and ratings are highly contested. These present a view of what universities do and are judged by a limited range of measures which do not entirely represent the purpose of universities.   👉 To put rankings in perspective, last year I published an article in which I discussed the various sustainability rankings, framed the methodological nuances of these, and highlighted the disparity in performance of HEIs across world regions. I also explored whether sustainability rankings are truly helping move higher education towards a more sustainable future.   The article can be retrieved from: https://lnkd.in/gwxCzSGq  

It is difficult to explain how hard we have worked for the last couple of years - and indeed how much more there is to do. The University College of Interdisciplinary Learning (UCIL) course, "Creating a Sustainable World" is a labour of love that brings together over 100 voices from policy, practice and the front line of sustainable development and now the voices of thousands of our students. I am so excited for the next phase of this pedagogic adventure - and the change we can make together. #SDG17 #sustainabledevelopment

The 2024 QS World Universities Ranking now factors in Sustainability, evaluating institutions on their social impact, environmental efforts, and governance practices. #highereducation #sustainability #QSWorldRankings2024

The 2024 International Green Gown Awards are now open! The International Green Gown Awards, in partnership with Allianz Global Investors, and supported by UN Environment Programme, recognise exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by universities and colleges around the globe. Celebrating our 10th year, applications for 2024 are now open and we invite universities and colleges, worldwide, to put your most innovative and influential sustainability work forward for an International Green Gown Award. Diane Mak, Head of Impact Strategy at Allianz Global Investors, says: "We are very pleased to be partnering with the International Green Gown Awards, as we see the huge value of empowering the next generation to innovate and collaborate, to help drive positive long-term impacts for the world we live in. Education is a critical component in enabling individuals to make informed decisions in their journey towards generating positive change, and it has been inspiring to see the many impactful projects that the International Green Gown Awards has already helped to catalyse around the world. We encourage colleges and universities to make use of this platform and join this year’s Awards, so that the ideas of the next generation can continue to inspire and motivate action around the world for a more sustainable future."  Speaking about the launch, Charlotte Bonner, CEO of EAUC and secretariat of the Awards says: "The education sector has a critical role in contributing to our international sustainability goals. This contribution includes preparing learners for their futures, embedding sustainability using ‘whole organisation approaches’, supporting a just transition, taking climate and biodiversity action and shaping society for the better through research and innovation. This is increasingly being recognised around the globe – the role of education now being part of the UN COP agenda is a clear signal of this. With the launch of this year's awards, we look forward to continuing to provide a platform for what excellence looks like across our sector.”   Why you should apply: Applications are now open Entry is free Acknowledging your team's efforts – engage your staff and students Bring huge awareness and positive press to not only your institution as a whole but also to the profile of sustainability within it. Help to gain recognition from senior management Obtaining regional and international recognition Join a network of exceptional institutions with year-long promotion for your institution Apply now at https://lnkd.in/gwkyvFd Delighted to be partnering with International Association of Universities, The Association of Commonwealth Universities, AUF, EAUC

Delighted that Keele University has been ranked in the Top 10 and Top 15 globally out of over 2000 ranked universities for our impact and performance for two of the seven Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 10 and SDG 16, we submitted to in the 2024 Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings, reflecting our institutional commitment to embedding sustainability in all aspects of our operations and framing this around the UN Sustainable Development Goals. I’m confident of further successes in these high profile, prestigious Global Sustainability Rankings as we further strengthen and focus our commitment to sustainability. #THEGlobalImpact #THE #sustainabledevelopmentgoals #sdg #sustainability #sustainabledevelopment #impact #globalimpact

Is your college on the path to sustainability? Learn how focusing on eco-friendly practices benefits both the environment and your institution's bottom line. Take our Sustainability Survey to measure your college's sustainability efforts. #CollegeGreenInitiatives #SustainabilityMatters https://bit.ly/47tcgzl

Higher education can play an immensely important role in sustainability, both through their institutional practices and by educating large groups of future leaders that will become sustainability champions. Check out this article from Odgers Berndtson on why sustainability matters in higher education. James Longhurst #Sustainability #R2Certification #ResponsibleRecycling https://lnkd.in/gmwbg8Ri.

At UVic, sustainability isn't just a goal—it's woven into the fabric of our institution. We're thrilled to announce that we've achieved the STARS Platinum sustainability rating, making us one of just 14 universities worldwide to reach this milestone. STARS isn't just a measure of our efforts—it’s global framework for reporting, comparing and incentivizing sustainability in all sectors of higher education. UVic is proud to share that we've exceeded our targets, achieving the new STARS platinum rating, one of our three key Campus Sustainability Action Plan targets, three years ahead of our initial goal! Here are some key highlights from our sustainability ranking: * 91.5% of academic departments offer at least one course that incorporates sustainability. * 85.5% of students and 70.5% of employees regularly use sustainable transportation to get to and from campus. * Potable water use on campus has decreased by 32% since 2019. Learn more: https://ow.ly/Wkjv50RkavH

Check out this great article in The PIE this week! Sustainability is undeniably here to stay. Students are demanding action, and the sooner you start, the better. As Brett Berquist aptly puts it "𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨?" At Fixterra we're specialized in helping you kickstart, advance, and communicate your sustainability initiatives. Contact me and let's chat about it! #Sustainability #FixClimateChange #GreenByExample 💚