Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the key aspects of transformation of universities towards sustainability, such as the ideal characteristics of the "sustainable university", and the drivers and barriers in the transformation, by comparing the strategies of seven universities world-wide. Design/methodology/approach: A…

This paper explores a particular contemporary instance of the implementation of central government policy linking higher education and sustainable development. The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)'s strategic plan for 2006-2011 (HEFCE 2006) includes a commitment to establish a baseline assessment of the contribution of the…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe the role that the University of Toronto has had in helping to establish a Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) on Education for Sustainable Development in Toronto, Canada. The way in which the RCE initiative has helped to move forward the university's own five-year plan will also be discussed.…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) and RCE-Barcelona in the context of two organisations with a strategic aim to further Education for Sustainable Development. A special emphasis is put in the role that UPC has had in the creation and development of this project,…

This report presents lessons from Tanzania's development experience of the past four decades, with emphasis on the period since the last report (1996), and assesses the imperatives for higher sustained growth and better livelihood for its citizens in the future. The background papers review and assess Tanzania's actual growth and poverty reduction…

Education about sustainability is the foundation of conservation efforts. This publication was designed to inform and inspire individuals and communities that may be contemplating or already undertaking efforts to promote community sustainability. The four stories in this booklet are: (1) "Coastal Community Connections"; (2)…

Presents a strategy and accompanying methodology for establishing environmental education as a major force for implementing Agenda 21. Proposes the establishment of an Education 21 program and the designation of the educational community as a new Rio major group. Makes recommendations to appropriate component bodies. Contains 10 references. (JRH)

A program started during a drought in Zimbabwe involved the cultivation of drought-resistant crops. The program made the women less dependent on their often-absent husbands and changed the relationship between men and women in the village. (JOW)

Oxfam is using a sustainable livelihoods framework in its antipoverty programs. Identifying assets and asset gaps illuminated gender difference in asset bases and survival strategies as well as the huge impact of the state on livelihood choices. (SK)

A renewable energy project in South Wales was enriched by elements of the sustainable livelihood approach: people centered, holistic, and dynamic. The approach shifted the focus from technology to people and from product to process; it combined micro and macro issues. (SK)

Explores how higher education can model sustainability, including an interdisciplinary, systemic educational experience to prepare graduates to lead society on a sustainable path. Provides several examples of colleges and universities that have made some of these changes, with an emphasis on curriculum connected to other college and university…

Asserts that universities must strive to reduce the ecological footprints of both their own operations and, more importantly, of the growth-oriented materialistic worldview they promote. Suggests that the real challenge for higher education is to help articulate an alternative life-sustaining worldview. (EV)

Provides a survey of innovative approaches to campus transportation in the United States. Explains that the high costs of parking expansion have propelled many institutions toward a transportation demand management strategy, using parking pricing, transit passes for students and employees, and investment in bicycle infrastructure to shift many…

Explains that an environmental approach to planning incorporates ecological information into campus master plans to ensure a sustainable campus landscape that is beautiful, durable, and distinctive. A case study of an Environmental Master Plan at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill illustrates how such a plan was created at one of the…

Discusses green buildings, facilities designed, constructed, and operated in an environmentally friendly and resource-efficient way. Discusses reasons for campuses to "go green," the "shades of green" or variations in environmental-friendliness, certification through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, financial…