Creating the Triple Bottom Line of Sustainable Developmen

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Creating the Triple Bottom Line of Sustainable
Development Healthier Economies, Communities and
Ecosystems

• Debra Rowe, Ph.D.President
• U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable
  Developmentwww.uspartnership.org Senior
  FellowUniversity Leaders for a Sustainable
  Futurewww.ulsf.orgCo-coordinator
• Higher Education Associations Sustainability
  Consortium
• www.heasc.net
• Senior Advisor
• Association for the Advancement of Sustainability
  in Higher Education
• dgrowe_at_oaklandcc.edu

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• Part I What is Sustainable Development?
• Part II National Trends and Resources
• Part III Actions Required
• Part IV Next Steps

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Sustainable Development is often defined as

• meeting the needs of the present
• without compromising the ability of
• future generations to
• meet their own needs
• World Commission on Env. and Development.
  (1987). Our Common Future. England Oxford
  University Press.
•  

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Social Justice
Flourishing Environment
Strong Economy
Sustainable Society
The Three Components of Sustainable
Development What Businesses call The Triple
Bottom Line
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The United Nations has declared a Decade of
Education for Sustainable Development2005-2014
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Education for a Sustainable Society enables
people to develop the knowledge, values and
skills to participate in decisions , that will
improve the quality of life now without damaging
the planet for the future. 
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Ecosystem
Ecosystem
Sustainable Communities
Public Choices and Behaviors-Laws
Applied Knowledge/ Technological Skills
Private Choices and Behaviors-Habits
Sustainable Economies
Ecosystem
Ecosystem
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Why Sustainability Now?

• We are the first generation capable of
  determining the habitability of the planet for
  humans and other species.  

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Why Sustainability Why Now?

• There is no longer any doubt that every
  ecosystem that life depends on is compromised and
  in danger.
• U.N. Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005

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Why Sustainability Why Now?

• Climate change is for real. We have just a
  small window of opportunity and there is not a
  moment to lose.
• Dr. Rajendra Pachavri, Chairman,
  Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,
  January, 2005

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EFFECTS IN OUR LIFETIME

• Disruption of food production and the food chain
• More extreme weather events
• Disruptions of ecosystems, including water
  supplies
• Spread of disease e.g. West Nile, Malaria
• Submersion of land masses
• was 1 to 4 foot sea level rise - now up to 48
  feet
• 50 of worlds population lives on the coasts
• (75 in 2050)
• Civilization disruption
• Sources Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
  Change, EPA

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Why EFS so Important?

• Public unaware that we are exceeding the carrying
  capacity of the planet.
• The U.S. has approximately 5 of the worlds
  population and is consuming 25 of the worlds
  resources.
• Public unaware that we can build stronger
  economies that will reduce human suffering,
  environmental degradation and social injustice
  now.
• A rapid shift in mindset is needed and education
  to action is the key

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Global Perspective
life supporting resources declining
consumption of life supporting resources rising
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Global Transition

• From
• Fossil powered
• Take, make, waste
• Living off natures capital
• Market as master
• Loss of cultural biological diversity
• Individual centered
• Materialism as goal

• To
• Solar powered
• Cyclical production
• Living off natures income
• Market as servant
• Increased cultural biological diversity
• Community centered
• Human satisfaction goal

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Why is this so important?

•  
• We bear a profound moral and social
  responsibility/opportunity to increase the
  awareness, knowledge, skills and values needed to
  create and implement viable solutions to the
  interconnected environmental, economic, and
  social problems that now threaten our physical
  survival as a species and threaten to increase
  human suffering.
• Tzedakah righteousness
• Tikkun Olam repairing the world
•  

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• We can share the principles of Sustainability as
  the lens through which we collectively examine
  and act upon our shared world systems and through
  which we analyze our own individual lifestyles.
• Outcome a more just, healthy and prosperous
  society.

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Part II

• National Trends and Resources

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Business principles of sustainability

• Cradle to Cradle (McDonough)
• Biomimicry (Benyas Like nature, efficient and
  not toxic)
• World Business Council for Sustainable
  Development (www.wbcsd.org)
• Natural Step (Sweden and U.S.)
• Natural Capitalism (Lovins, Harvard Business
  Review)

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Business principles of sustainability

• Business for Social Responsibility
• CERES
• Goldman Sachs, Citibank

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GREAT NEWS!!!Growing National TrendOver 2
dozen national HE associations are creating
initiatives on Education for Sustainable
Development
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Engaged National Associations

• ACEAm. Council on Ed.
• AACU Ass. of American Colleges and Universities
• AACC Am. Ass. of Community Colleges
• AASCU State Colleges and Universities
• AGB
• Governing Boards
• NACA
• Campus Activities
• NAEB
• Educational Buyers

• APPA
• Facilities Officers
• NACUBO
• Business Officers
• 10. SCUP College and University Planners
• 11. ACUI Student Unions
• 12. ACPA Student Affairs
• 13. NACUFS Food
• 14. ACEED-I Events and Conference Directors
• 15. NACS Campus Stores
• AND MORE

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HE Sustainability Examples

• Systemic integration
• University of Florida
• Georgia Tech
• University of Michigan
• Syracuse University
• Curricula
• Northern Arizona and Arizona State Universities
• University of Georgia
• Emory
• Minnesota
• St. Olaf and Alverno
• Lane and Oakland and Maricopa Comm. College
• Too many to list hundreds of colleges

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U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable
Development Sector Teams Business, Higher
Education, K-12, Communities,
Faith
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Trends and resources in other sectors some
examples

• Communities - Mayors Climate Protection and Smart
  Growth, Federal Summit II, GR model
• Business - LOHAS, U.S. Business Council for
  Sustainable Development, SOL Sustainability
  Consortium, CERES, Businesses for Social
  Responsibility
• K-12 Nat. Assoc. of Independent Schools, U.S.
  Partnership
• Faith - National Religious Partnership and
  Interfaith Alliance, Regeneration Project, COEJL
  Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life

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• Part III
• Actions Required

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Students and staff at Hillel institutions have an
important and unique contribution to make to a
sustainable future
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What other organizations have done
Possibilities for You

• Curricula
• Professional Development
• Standards Tenure, Building, Operations,
  Endowments
• Pledges Sustainability and Climate Neutrality
• Legislation Formation
• Public Information
• Cross- Sector projects

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Higher Education Associations Sustainability
Consortium (www.heasc.net)

• Sample Resources for your members to use and
  improve from ACPA and others
• Learning Outcomes
• Change Agent/Civic Engagement Skills
• List of possible campus activities
• Sustainability primer
• Socially/environmentally responsible operations
• http//www.myacpa.org/task2Dforce/sustainability/
  

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KEY THRUST

• Change norms so all students and the Jewish
  community becomes
• environmentally responsible
• socially responsible
• economically responsible

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Key places to place it and institutionalize it
with each Hillel

• Programming for student life
• Programming for the community
• Permanent signs
• Websites
• Hillel and HE Mission and Planning
• Interaction in the community and the world

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Learn and explore

• (i) the facts regarding ecosystem degradation,
  human suffering and economic regulations
• (ii) the importance of real economic and social
  and political freedom
• (iii) what social scientists and others know
  about how to change societal culture and
• CHANGE IT! It is powerful and fun!!
• Make sustainability behaviors and policies the
  new norm!!!

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Examples of how students can make a difference in
this world1. South Africa divestment2.
Jewish involvement in civil rights 3. The Nike
story4. Campus climate challenge
(www.climatechallenge.org)
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Building self-concepts in yourself and others
You can help change society!!Imagine students
literate in the real world sustainability
challenges and engaged in the solutionsProvide
the models and opportunities for practicing the
changing of behaviors and policies
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www.playagreaterpart.org

• Imagine a country where all college students get
  credit for helping to solve our societal problems
  through their academic assignments.

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Real world sustainability projects

• Match making website
• Students can work on real world sustainability
  projects from government, business, non-profits,
  etc.
• Assignments that make a difference in the world.
• Build a positive change agent self-concept!
• www.playagreaterpart.org

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Examples of Student Led ProjectsAcademic Credit
for Students

• Sustainability audits
• Sustainable purchasing
• Campaigns to change company practices (e.g. Nike,
  endowments)
• Greenhouse gas reductions (www.energyaction.net
  and www.hecap.org)
• Student generated film and speaker series, poetry
  nights, behavior campaigns, and futures fairs
• Green building designs and sustainable living
  campaigns
• Info on sustainability in career office,
  orientation, first year experience
• Many more possibilities

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Helpful simulation tool

• We Can Afford to Solve the Worlds Problems
  The World Game Institute - 18 strategies for
  confronting the major systemic problems
  confronting humanity
• http//www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/theme_a/mod02
  /www.worldgame.org/wwwproject/index.shtml

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StudentsBeyond Armchair pontification!

• Provide academic and student life
• opportunities to build
• CHANGE AGENT identities, skills and behaviors
• Campus Ecology
• www.nwf.org/campusecology/
• U.S. Fair Trade www.transfairusa.org
• Climate Challenge Campaign - http//www.energyacti
  on.net and www.hecap.org

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• Help students understand the
• consequences of their choices as consumers and
  investors
• The Natural Step - www.naturalstep.org
• Smart Consumers Website - http//ibuydifferent.or
  g 
• Consumer and Investor Power for Social Change -
  http//www.coopamerica.org/
• Ecological Footprint Calculator -
  http//www.rprogress.org and http//www.myfootprin
  t.org  
• Center for a New American Dream
• http//www.newdream.org/

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Utilize outside stakeholders and powerful cross
sector collaboration

• STUDENTS AND..
• Businesses
• City and county government
• Non-profit organizations
• Alumni

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Key strategies to build the perceived critical
mass

• Positioning the initiative as the least
  threatening choice
• Key places to place it and institutionalize it
  Mission, Strategic Planning, Orientation,
  Curricula Review, First Year Experience, Student
  Life
• Combine diversity, international education,
  service learning, environmental, human rights
  groups to work for sustainability
• Preventing burnout

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Preventing Burnout - The ABCs Ask for help -
Build Support Systems - Celebrate the Baby Steps
of Success Dream big! - Eliminate Griping Move
to Problem Solving Foster Self-care, Physical
Mental Health Get Flexible and Take a
Multi-pronged Long-term Approach Humor those who
participate - Involve everyone affected by
decisions Jazz up meetings with creativity - Keep
on keepin on to get energy Laugh a lot - Make
light of problems - Nature is renewing connect
with it! Open your eyes and heart to the beauty
around you Picture your joy when the tide starts
to turn Quit worrying! - Re-live past successes
to renew commitment Say the kind things every
time you think of one - Thank all who
helped Understand that slow beats stop -
Visualize the joy of success Wait with confidence
that your persistence will matter Xerox a joke of
the day with your logo to hand out Yell a little,
just for fun Zealously assure yourself a good
nights rest every night! Thanks to Norma T
Bauer
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Skills Be An Agent of Change

• Create new norms at the university
• 1st semester Educate
• 2nd semester Engage in a changing the world
  campaign
• 2nd year Create new campaigns
• Create brown bag lunches invite everyone
• Use, Im wondering
• THINK and ACT BIG!!!

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Use the media strategically

• As often as possible
• Create new angles
• Multiple avenues for multiple audiences

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Imagine a world where

• national trends in the business sector, higher
  education sector and faith sector come together
• to demand and support legislation that will
  foster a sustainable future

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Emphasize the benefits - Embracing esd can

• Students prepared for citizenship and career
• Attraction of students, faculty, community and
  funding
• Save and other resources for Hillel and society
  while reducing pollution and human suffering
• Create pilots that are national models (e.g.
  freshman pledge for sustainability)
• Help improve town/gown relationships
• Fulfill moral and social responsibility
• Improve strategic positioning regarding higher
  education

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Conclusions

• 1. The U.S. public is not educated enough about
  sustainability issues and solutions.
• 2. We need sustainability literacy and engagement
  for ALL. We all need skills to change
  consumption, investment and civic behaviors and
  to support appropriate market modifications
  (legislation) for sustainability.
• 3. Learn systems thinking and change agent skills
• 4. Model life long learning and change agent
  identities
• 5. Some exciting developments, too many to
  report, but much more needs to be done. You are
  in a key position to make this happen.
• 6. There are many resources and strategies to
  help you infuse sustainability into Hillel,
  higher education and the larger society. We can
  assist you.
• 7. Document all you do and share.

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More Resources for your Association

• Association for the Advancement of Sustainability
  in Higher Education aashe.org
• Higher Education Associations Sustainability
  Consortium heasc.net
• Association of University Leaders for a
  Sustainable Future ulsf.org
• U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable
  Development uspartnership.org
• Stuart Hart, Jeff Sachs, Prahalad, David Orr,
  Bill McDonough, Loeb

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We can choose
our future
or
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The Power of What You Do

• We can choose a sustainable future

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Core Questions for Next Steps1. What low
hanging fruit can we implement immediately?2.
What are the key strategic actions we can take to
shift to a sustainable society as soon as
possible?Let our enthusiasm show!