UNEP launches a Sustainable University Framework

The United Nations Environment Programme launched a new initiative on July 8 to define what it is to be a Sustainable University and encourage more Universities to become one.

The UNEP Sustainable  University Framework Defining a sustainable university and creating a global pathway to recognising and  becoming one -  By Iain Patton et al., September 2020.

IAU was actively involved in drafting and consultation of this document, and supports the UNEP 4‐Step Framework inviting all Higher Education partners to take steps to more sustainability at HEIs.

Indeed, Higher education has always been at the frontier of new thinking and practice in the world, and as Climate change increase everyday, the world needs to take a turn and societies need to adopt new practices. Education has a crucial role to play to prepare the next generation of leaders and decision makers. UNEP therefore launched a Sustainable University Framework, seeking to define what it means to be a sustainable university and laying out a pathway to becoming one. The initiative comes from the belief that with the environmental challenges growing ever steeper, the purpose of Universities needs to be re‐imagined. The framework also highlights the four core areas of a University (environment & climate, teaching & research, people & society and administration & governance) and outlines how sustainability can be advanced in each of them. UNEP is inviting all Higher Education partners to become a Sustainable University, drafting a 4‐Step Framework to become one. More information on the Framework here : https://wedocs.unep.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.11822/36341/USUF.pdf

Sustainable Development Goals