Policy, Priorities and Action: A Case Study of the University of British Columbia's Engagement with Sustainability
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Policy, Priorities and Action: A Case Study of the University of British Columbia’s Engagement with Sustainability Janet Moore Centre for Sustainable Community Development, Simon Fraser University at Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada. V6B 5K3. E-mail: [email protected]
In 1990, UBC signed the Talloires Declaration — an international commitment to environmental sustainability in higher education. In 1997, the University of British Columbia (UBC) adopted a Sustainable Development Policy stating the campus will adhere to sustainable practices in all of its actions and mandates and that all students will be educated about sustainability. This article considers how the UBC Sustainable Development Policy was formed, how the policy is being implemented, and the connection of sustainability to academic plans and strategies at UBC. A number of methods were utilized to research the experiences of faculty, staff and students at UBC including; document analysis, participant observation and indepth interviews. The article addresses the problem of institutions committing to multiple priorities and the lack of coordination between the policy of sustainability and academic plans. The conclusion considers the role of the university in creating a sustainable future. Higher Education Policy (2005) 18, 179–197. doi:10.1057/palgrave.hep.8300081 Keywords: implementation; higher education; policy; sustainable development; sustainability education; Canada
Introduction The current ecological status of the planet is unsustainable and there is an undeniable relationship between production by humans and the current state of the world (including increased pollution, increased loss of habitat, loss of biodiversity and diminishing resources — fisheries, forestry, local agriculture, clean air and clean water, to name a few). Sustainability requires reducing biophysical pressure on ecosystems at all spatial scales (Rees, 1995, 2003; Wackernagel and Rees, 1996). How we achieve sustainability is difficult to answer. The concept of sustainability goes beyond environmental issues to encompass social and economic conditions. Social sustainability must include discussion of lifestyles, social movements, social networks, governance, decision-making and schooling. Discussions of economic sustainability must
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include debates about growth and development, alternative economic models, ecological economics and dematerialization (Robinson and Tinker, 1997). The need to combine social, economic, ecological, personal and political factors in a decision-making structure is at the root of the concept of sustainability. A new vision for higher education is being proposed under the title sustainability education, which may be part of the solution (Huckle and Sterling, 1996; Orr, 1998; Leal Filho, 2000; Wals and Jickling, 2002). Academic institutions, governments, organizations and individuals use the term sustainability to encompass a wide range of viewpoints and ethical persp
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