592
L. B. de Macedo Guimarães et al.
Target 4.7 of the SDG4, “Quality Education”, which is one of the 17 goals of the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations General
Assembly in 2015 (United Nations 2015). ESD is acknowledged as essential to
achieve all SDGs because it can shape sustainability change-makers, i.e., people
with knowledge, skills, values and attitudes, which contribute to the dimensions
(social, environmental, ecological, cultural, spatial, economical) of sustainable development. Unlike education that promotes only economic growth, which may lead to
an increase in unsustainable consumption patterns, the ESD approach is the one
that “empowers learners to take decisions and responsible actions for environmental
integrity, economic viability and a just society for present and future generations”
(UNESCO 2017).
However, “the interconnectedness of the SDGs and the complexity of sustainability as a concept make it difficult to relate the SDGs to educational learning
outcomes” (Kioupi and Voulvoulis 2019), and there are internal and external barriers
to the sustainability transformation of educational institutions, some of them being
negative perceptions about sustainability, perceived high cost of implementing
changes, lack of training and information, lack of leadership, lack of interest, and
resistance because of work overload (Kioupi and Voulvoulis 2019). Pereira et al.
(2014) found that bureaucracy and hierarchy refrain the sustainability culture at the
Universidade de São Paulo.
Despite the obstacles, some higher education institutions (HEIs) around the
world have committed to sustainability, signing agreements and establishing partnerships, for example, The Talloires Declaration (1990), The Halifax Declaration
(1991), The Swansea Declaration (1993), The Kyoto Declaration (1993), the International Organization of Universities for Sustainable Development and the Environment OIUDSMAE (Rosúa-Campos and Serrano-Bernardo 2015), the Global Higher
Education for Sustainability Partnership (GHESP 2000). Delgado and Vélez (2005)
found 140 HEIs with environmental policies for both administrative and academic
management, 10 of them being ISO 14001 certified.
In Brazil, the Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS) was the first
ISO 14001 certified HEI in Latin America (Tauchen and Brandli 2006) and 52 HEIs
(mostly federal universities) signed the Talloires Declaration (ULSF 2020). In Engineering courses, some initiatives for introducing sustainability in the curriculum can
be depicted from Linsingen et al. (2003), Adeodato et al. (2004), Carletto (2009),
Quelhas et al. (2011), Loureiro et al. (2016), Viana and Fonseca (2016), Resende
et al. (2017), but Juliano et al. (2017) point out that the focus is mainly environmental.
Pazmino and Santos (2017) noted that sustainability is not part of most curricula of
Design courses in the state of Santa Catarina, or is approached in one discipline
isolated from the others. Palma et al. (2011) found that only 13 out of 40 studied
HEIs offer sustainability-related subjects in bachelor’s degree courses in Business
Administration at Brazilian federal universities.
Ciurana and Leal Filho (2006) proposed that curriculum greening might be
achieved by: (1) reinforcing the commitment to transforming relations between
society and nature; (2) taking into account the subject in the construction of knowledge; (3) considering the cognitive, affective and action aspects of people; (4)
L. B. de Macedo Guimarães et al.
Target 4.7 of the SDG4, “Quality Education”, which is one of the 17 goals of the
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by the United Nations General
Assembly in 2015 (United Nations 2015). ESD is acknowledged as essential to
achieve all SDGs because it can shape sustainability change-makers, i.e., people
with knowledge, skills, values and attitudes, which contribute to the dimensions
(social, environmental, ecological, cultural, spatial, economical) of sustainable development. Unlike education that promotes only economic growth, which may lead to
an increase in unsustainable consumption patterns, the ESD approach is the one
that “empowers learners to take decisions and responsible actions for environmental
integrity, economic viability and a just society for present and future generations”
(UNESCO 2017).
However, “the interconnectedness of the SDGs and the complexity of sustainability as a concept make it difficult to relate the SDGs to educational learning
outcomes” (Kioupi and Voulvoulis 2019), and there are internal and external barriers
to the sustainability transformation of educational institutions, some of them being
negative perceptions about sustainability, perceived high cost of implementing
changes, lack of training and information, lack of leadership, lack of interest, and
resistance because of work overload (Kioupi and Voulvoulis 2019). Pereira et al.
(2014) found that bureaucracy and hierarchy refrain the sustainability culture at the
Universidade de São Paulo.
Despite the obstacles, some higher education institutions (HEIs) around the
world have committed to sustainability, signing agreements and establishing partnerships, for example, The Talloires Declaration (1990), The Halifax Declaration
(1991), The Swansea Declaration (1993), The Kyoto Declaration (1993), the International Organization of Universities for Sustainable Development and the Environment OIUDSMAE (Rosúa-Campos and Serrano-Bernardo 2015), the Global Higher
Education for Sustainability Partnership (GHESP 2000). Delgado and Vélez (2005)
found 140 HEIs with environmental policies for both administrative and academic
management, 10 of them being ISO 14001 certified.
In Brazil, the Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS) was the first
ISO 14001 certified HEI in Latin America (Tauchen and Brandli 2006) and 52 HEIs
(mostly federal universities) signed the Talloires Declaration (ULSF 2020). In Engineering courses, some initiatives for introducing sustainability in the curriculum can
be depicted from Linsingen et al. (2003), Adeodato et al. (2004), Carletto (2009),
Quelhas et al. (2011), Loureiro et al. (2016), Viana and Fonseca (2016), Resende
et al. (2017), but Juliano et al. (2017) point out that the focus is mainly environmental.
Pazmino and Santos (2017) noted that sustainability is not part of most curricula of
Design courses in the state of Santa Catarina, or is approached in one discipline
isolated from the others. Palma et al. (2011) found that only 13 out of 40 studied
HEIs offer sustainability-related subjects in bachelor’s degree courses in Business
Administration at Brazilian federal universities.
Ciurana and Leal Filho (2006) proposed that curriculum greening might be
achieved by: (1) reinforcing the commitment to transforming relations between
society and nature; (2) taking into account the subject in the construction of knowledge; (3) considering the cognitive, affective and action aspects of people; (4)