UK: Universities respond to climate challenge

British universities are showing a high level of commitment to the sustainable development agenda, says a new report by the Higher Education Funding Council for England. In an update to its 2008 action plan, the council found widespread agreement that the sector had an invaluable contribution to make.

In a foreword to the report, Professor Lord Stern, author of the 2006 report on climate change, says the world needs minds capable of creating new possibilities for meeting basic needs such as energy, water, shelter and food.

"The higher education sector is where these minds are trained and developed. Therefore, it is crucial that the sector contributes strongly to sustainable development. It can do so by training and expanding these young minds."

Stern says urgent action is needed to transform current ways of thinking and operating: "We need to create low-carbon growth if growth is to continue and the great risks to the planet from climate change are to be avoided. The higher education sector offers a vital platform for undertaking this transition."

The council says it wants to make sustainable development a central part of its strategy for the future development of higher education: "Our vision is that within the next 10 years, the sector will be recognised as a major contributor to society's efforts to achieve sustainability - through the skills and knowledge that its graduates learn and put into practice, its research and exchange of knowledge through business, community and public policy engagement, and through its own strategies and operations."

A substantial body of good practice already exists, says the council. "But we are keen that the sector continues to develop new ideas and approaches. So we will promote the take-up of good practice from other sectors and facilitate the development of effective practice where none exists. In particular we will help institutions explore how sustainable development can be embedded within management and operating systems."

Hefce says student organisations such as the National Union of Students are valuable partners and it has pledged to work with them to promote changes in attitudes and behaviour and it will support environmental initiatives on campus.

diane.spencer@uw-news.com