524
S. da Silva Neiva et al.
they still they aim to hold a position at the frontier of knowledge always pushing at
the boundaries in pursuit of more and looking for way to disseminate it effectively.
Their capacity to shape opinion, society and create awareness is a powerful force to
achieving sustainable development, especially when emphasizing interdisciplinary
and multidisciplinary approaches to research (Berchin et al. 2018). This integration
between society and science helps to break the sense of mistrust that sometimes
permeates between them which, as yet, has not been fully overcome by current
science structure ( ˇ
Cada and Ptᡠcková 2013).
Scientific discoveries and technological decisions affect human society and
the natural environment while people make decisions for social and environmental reasons that ultimately guide the work of scientists and engineers. Therefore,
the idea of HEIs as places to implement sustainable development is exploitable and is
recognized by the United Nations from the early 1970s (Casarejos et al. 2017). Since
the UN Conference on Human Environment, in 1972, HEIs have taken increasingly
active measures to support sustainability in their campuses such as declarations,
redesign of curricula and regional and global partnerships. The UN has continued
to promote events for stimulating sustainability in HEIs, such as the UN Decade of
Education for Sustainable Development (2005–2014) (Findler et al. 2019).
Casarejos et al (2017) identified 14 international initiatives to foster sustainability
in HEIs, the first of them being the Talloires Declaration (1990). This declaration
recognized the role universities play in meeting sustainability challenges and its
broader themes are the basis of several sustainability plans in HEIs (Berchin et al.
2018). The Talloires Declaration aimed to increase awareness of the population,
create a culture of sustainability within HEIs, educate for sustainable development
and support primary and secondary schools to address issues such as population and
sustainability in an interdisciplinary context (Association of University Leaders for
Sustainable Development 1990). The concept of SD has emerged out of concerns
about the future of Earth and the humanity in face of limited resources, considering
social, environmental and economic spheres—the so-called triple bottom line of
sustainability (Zemigala 2019). The goal is to promote a SD that meets the needs
of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs of tomorrow (WCED 1987). Therefore, SD aims to create and maintain social,
economic and environmental wealthy systems in order to achieve a better and more
sustainable future for all (Folke et al. 2002).
Since its formal introduction in literature in 1987, when the Brundtland Report
was published, SD has been a key argument that guides and shapes political decisionmaking around the world (Gazzola et al. 2019). Although some barriers seem immovable and the institutions seem ill-equipped at times for life in the Anthropocene
(Gaffney 2014), countries have committed in the Rio+20 United Nations conference in 2012 to then create SDGs adding to the Millennium Goals (Griggs et al.
2013). These SDGs were inserted in the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda as
blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet and are separated in 17
categories that work as an urgent call for action by all countries in a global partnership (UN General Assembly 2015). Building on the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs), SDGs continue to prioritize the fight against hunger and poverty, while
S. da Silva Neiva et al.
they still they aim to hold a position at the frontier of knowledge always pushing at
the boundaries in pursuit of more and looking for way to disseminate it effectively.
Their capacity to shape opinion, society and create awareness is a powerful force to
achieving sustainable development, especially when emphasizing interdisciplinary
and multidisciplinary approaches to research (Berchin et al. 2018). This integration
between society and science helps to break the sense of mistrust that sometimes
permeates between them which, as yet, has not been fully overcome by current
science structure ( ˇ
Cada and Ptᡠcková 2013).
Scientific discoveries and technological decisions affect human society and
the natural environment while people make decisions for social and environmental reasons that ultimately guide the work of scientists and engineers. Therefore,
the idea of HEIs as places to implement sustainable development is exploitable and is
recognized by the United Nations from the early 1970s (Casarejos et al. 2017). Since
the UN Conference on Human Environment, in 1972, HEIs have taken increasingly
active measures to support sustainability in their campuses such as declarations,
redesign of curricula and regional and global partnerships. The UN has continued
to promote events for stimulating sustainability in HEIs, such as the UN Decade of
Education for Sustainable Development (2005–2014) (Findler et al. 2019).
Casarejos et al (2017) identified 14 international initiatives to foster sustainability
in HEIs, the first of them being the Talloires Declaration (1990). This declaration
recognized the role universities play in meeting sustainability challenges and its
broader themes are the basis of several sustainability plans in HEIs (Berchin et al.
2018). The Talloires Declaration aimed to increase awareness of the population,
create a culture of sustainability within HEIs, educate for sustainable development
and support primary and secondary schools to address issues such as population and
sustainability in an interdisciplinary context (Association of University Leaders for
Sustainable Development 1990). The concept of SD has emerged out of concerns
about the future of Earth and the humanity in face of limited resources, considering
social, environmental and economic spheres—the so-called triple bottom line of
sustainability (Zemigala 2019). The goal is to promote a SD that meets the needs
of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs of tomorrow (WCED 1987). Therefore, SD aims to create and maintain social,
economic and environmental wealthy systems in order to achieve a better and more
sustainable future for all (Folke et al. 2002).
Since its formal introduction in literature in 1987, when the Brundtland Report
was published, SD has been a key argument that guides and shapes political decisionmaking around the world (Gazzola et al. 2019). Although some barriers seem immovable and the institutions seem ill-equipped at times for life in the Anthropocene
(Gaffney 2014), countries have committed in the Rio+20 United Nations conference in 2012 to then create SDGs adding to the Millennium Goals (Griggs et al.
2013). These SDGs were inserted in the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda as
blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet and are separated in 17
categories that work as an urgent call for action by all countries in a global partnership (UN General Assembly 2015). Building on the Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs), SDGs continue to prioritize the fight against hunger and poverty, while