Beside the other fields of activity, ESSSR member universities also publish widely in the field of sustainability and climate change. Below, we highlight a set of recently published articles that address multiple perspectives on sustainability in higher education, climate change education and climate networks. Enjoy the reading!
- Climate Change Scepticism at Universities: A Global Study, by Walter Leal Filho, Mark Mifsud, Petra Molthan-Hill, Gustavo J. Nagy, Lucas Veiga Ávila, and Amanda Lange Salvia
Open access article: This paper deals with scepticism about climate change influencing the lives of millions of people around the world. The aim of the paper is to assess the extent to which existing scepticism at the university level is found.
- Using the sustainable development goals towards a better understanding of sustainability challenges, by W. Leal Filho, S. K. Tripathi, J. B. S. O. D. Andrade Guerra, R. Giné-Garriga, V. Orlovic Lovren, J. Willats.
Despite the need for and the relevance of the SDGs, it is unclear how they may help to address present and future sustainability challenges. Based on the need to shed some light on such a relationship, this paper describes each of the SDGs, and offers an analysis of the extent to which their implementation may offer support to ongoing attempts to handle some of the pressing problems seen in pursuing sustainable development.
- Sustainable development policies as indicators and pre-conditions for sustainability efforts at universities: Fact or fiction?, by Walter Leal Filho, Luciana Londero Brandli, Deisi Becker, Constantina Skanavis, Aristea Kounani, Chrysoula Sardi, Dimitra Papaioannidou, Arminda Paço, Ulisses Azeiteiro, Luiza Olim de Sousa, Schalk Raath, Rudi Wessel Pretorius, Christine Shiel, Valeria Vargas, Gregory Trencher, Robert W. Marans.
There is a widely held belief that sustainable development (SD) policies are essential for universities to successfully engage in matters related to sustainability, and are an indicator of the extent to which they are active in this field. This paper aims to examine the evidence which currently exists to support this assumption.
- The integration of social responsibility and sustainability in practice: Exploring attitudes and practices in Higher Education Institutions, by Walter Leal Filho, Federica Doni, Valeria Ruiz Vargas, Tony Wall, Ann Hindley, Lez Rayman-Bacchus, Kay Emblen-Perry, Jennifer Boddy, Lucas Viega Avila.
This paper explores the attitudes and practices related to the integration of social responsibility and sustainability initiatives at HEIs.
- The role of transformation in learning and education for sustainability, by W. Leal Filho, S. Raath, B. Lazzarini, V.R. Vargas d, L. de Souza, R. Anholon, O.L.G. Quelhas, R. Haddad, M. Klavins, V.L. Orlovic.
This article presents how transformation in learning in education for sustainability requires the commitment of Faculty and the engament of students. To do this, a set of qualitative case studies were used in higher education institutions across seven countries (Brazil, Serbia, Latvia, South Africa, Spain, Syria, UK).
- Effect of transnational climate networks on climate experiments: the Nilüfer Municipality, a case from Turkey by Neslihan Kulozu Uzunboy.
The present study aims to present experimentation in addressing climate change in the case of the Nilüfer Municipality in northwestern Turkey and to examine the effect of joining an international network, as a key factor that may support urban climate experiments.
- Climate change education for universities: A conceptual framework from an international study, by Petra Molthan-Hill, Nicholas Worsfold, Gustavo J.Nagy, Walter Leal Filho, Mark Mifsud.
This paper offers an analysis of the extent to which HEIs in 45 countries approach CCE and provides a conceptual framework for exploring how HEIs are embedding CCE into their curricula.
- Sustainable Development Goals and sustainability teaching at universities: Falling behind or getting ahead of the pack?, by Walter Leal Filho, Chris Shiel, Arminda Paço, Mark Mifsud, Lucas Veiga Ávila, Luciana Londero Brandli, etra Molthan-Hill, Paul Pace, Ulisses M. Azeiteiro, Valeria Ruiz Vargas, SandraCaeiro
This paper explores the many advantages of the introduction of the SDGs into teaching and suggests that it can catalyse the engagement of students in Higher Education Institutions (HEI) with the concepts of sustainability. The paper fills in a research gap by surveying the current state of the art regarding the theme, presenting current data outlining the extent to which HEI are using SDGs to support their sustainability work.
- Implementing Innovation on Environmental Sustainability at Universities Around the World, Walter Leal Filho, Kay Emblen-Perry, Petra Molthan-Hill, Mark Mifsud, Leendert Verhoef, Ulisses Miranda Azeiteiro, Paula Bacelar-Nicolau, Luiza Olim de Sousa, Paula Castro, Ali Beynaghi, Jennifer Boddy, Amanda Lange Salvia, Fernanda Frankenberger, and Elizabeth Price
This examines the role of innovation in the field of environmental sustainability in universities, and by reporting on the results of an international study, in which examples of successful experiences and good practice were identified. The paper outlines the lessons learned from such examples, with the aim of motivating other universities to engage in this rapidly growing field.