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G. Nicolino and S. R. S. Barros
1 Introduction: The Role of Higher Education in Achieving
a Sustainable Future
On September of 2015, as the United Nations celebrated its seventieth anniversary,
the organization publicized a new and ambitious agenda for sustainable development,
meant to build on the Millennium Development Goals and to complete what these
did not achieve. The declaration “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development” promoted the agenda for global action for the subsequent
15 years.
With a broad and comprehensive understanding of sustainability, the 2030 Agenda
recognizes that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions is the greatest
global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development;
hence, resolving to:
end poverty and hunger everywhere; to combat inequalities within and among countries;
to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies; to protect human rights and promote gender
equality and the empowerment of women and girls; and to ensure the lasting protection of
the planet and its natural resources. We resolve also to create conditions for sustainable,
inclusive and sustained economic growth, shared prosperity and decent work for all, taking
into account different levels of national development and capacities. (UN 2015, p. 6)
With unprecedented scope and significance, the 2030 Agenda consists of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and 169 associated targets, which are integrated
and indivisible. The SDG (Table 1) balance the three dimensions of sustainable
development: economic, social and environmental, envisioning a world in which
every country enjoys sustained and inclusive economic growth, with sustainable
consumption and production patterns, respectful to the use of natural resources (UN
2015).
Effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships are key to achieve the
Social Development Goals. Governments, organizations and companies have much
to build on their previous experiences and, by aligning strategies, institutions can
effectively work to transform society’s current production and consumption patterns
into sustainable ones.
Institutions, regardless of nature, have the responsibility to incorporate sustainability into management practices, to minimize their impact on the environment and
society. It is essential and basic that institutions commit to the efficient use of natural
resources and waste prevention, reduction and recycling, demanding the same in their
business supply chain (UN 2015). In Goal 12, further crucial targets are exploited as
necessary to sustainable production and consumption patterns, such as food waste
reduction, environmentally sound management of chemicals, promotion of renewable energy sources by rationalizing inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies and, finally, to
integrate sustainability in companies’ reports.
Goal 4 addresses the educational disparity issue faced worldwide. The overall
commitment of Goal 4 is to see that inclusive and equitable quality education at all
levels is provided to all people, irrespective of sex, age, race, ethnicity or disabilities. Furthermore, education should ensure the teaching of sustainable development
G. Nicolino and S. R. S. Barros
1 Introduction: The Role of Higher Education in Achieving
a Sustainable Future
On September of 2015, as the United Nations celebrated its seventieth anniversary,
the organization publicized a new and ambitious agenda for sustainable development,
meant to build on the Millennium Development Goals and to complete what these
did not achieve. The declaration “Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development” promoted the agenda for global action for the subsequent
15 years.
With a broad and comprehensive understanding of sustainability, the 2030 Agenda
recognizes that eradicating poverty in all its forms and dimensions is the greatest
global challenge and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development;
hence, resolving to:
end poverty and hunger everywhere; to combat inequalities within and among countries;
to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies; to protect human rights and promote gender
equality and the empowerment of women and girls; and to ensure the lasting protection of
the planet and its natural resources. We resolve also to create conditions for sustainable,
inclusive and sustained economic growth, shared prosperity and decent work for all, taking
into account different levels of national development and capacities. (UN 2015, p. 6)
With unprecedented scope and significance, the 2030 Agenda consists of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and 169 associated targets, which are integrated
and indivisible. The SDG (Table 1) balance the three dimensions of sustainable
development: economic, social and environmental, envisioning a world in which
every country enjoys sustained and inclusive economic growth, with sustainable
consumption and production patterns, respectful to the use of natural resources (UN
2015).
Effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships are key to achieve the
Social Development Goals. Governments, organizations and companies have much
to build on their previous experiences and, by aligning strategies, institutions can
effectively work to transform society’s current production and consumption patterns
into sustainable ones.
Institutions, regardless of nature, have the responsibility to incorporate sustainability into management practices, to minimize their impact on the environment and
society. It is essential and basic that institutions commit to the efficient use of natural
resources and waste prevention, reduction and recycling, demanding the same in their
business supply chain (UN 2015). In Goal 12, further crucial targets are exploited as
necessary to sustainable production and consumption patterns, such as food waste
reduction, environmentally sound management of chemicals, promotion of renewable energy sources by rationalizing inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies and, finally, to
integrate sustainability in companies’ reports.
Goal 4 addresses the educational disparity issue faced worldwide. The overall
commitment of Goal 4 is to see that inclusive and equitable quality education at all
levels is provided to all people, irrespective of sex, age, race, ethnicity or disabilities. Furthermore, education should ensure the teaching of sustainable development