DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/jsp.2024.24801

Sustainable UAO: Paving the Way Forward in the Rise of Sustainability as Institutional Ethos

*Mario A. Gandini orcid scopus  -  Sustainability Institute Universidad Autónoma de Occidente, Colombia | Universidad Autónoma de Occidente |, Colombia
Jesus D. Cardona scopus  -  Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship, Universidad Autónoma de Occidente | Universidad Autónoma de Occidente |, Colombia
Luis F. Amar  -  Sustainability Institute Universidad Autónoma de Occidente | Universidad Autónoma de Occidente |, Colombia
Open Access Copyright (c) 2024 Mario A. Gandini, Jesus D. Cardona, Luis F. Amar
Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Citation Format:
Abstract
In response to the pressing global environmental crisis precipitated by the transgression of planetary boundaries due to human activity, the Universidad Autónoma de Occidente (UAO) has made a steadfast commitment to the development of theories, strategies, and practices concerning sustainability since the late 1990s. Through the establishment of both undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as research projects and the Sustainable Campus initiative, UAO has laid the groundwork for national and international recognition in addressing sustainability. Acknowledging the progress made and the historical context, UAO recognizes that the time has come to take a significant quality step towards a more comprehensive and dedicated commitment. This step involves elevating sustainability to the status of institutional ethos. This entails ensuring that the principles of sustainability are prominently and explicitly integrated into the core functions of the university, including teaching, research, and social outreach. This work looks at the journey thus far and, more importantly, charts the course for the future in the elevation of sustainability as institutional ethos. It highlights the key milestones achieved over the past two decades while identifying the most significant challenges and barriers that the university must confront and overcome in the near future to fully embody this ethos. By doing so, UAO aims to realize its ambitious goal of becoming a truly sustainable institution.
Fulltext View|Download Email colleagues

Article Metrics:

Article Info
Section: Original Articles
Language : EN
  1. Jones P, Selby D, Sterling S. Sustainability Education: Perspectives and Practices across Higher Education. 1st ed. London: Earthscan; 2010
  2. Biermann F. Planetary Boundaries and Earth System Governance: Exploring the links. Ecological Economics. 2012 Sep;81:4-9
  3. Blewitt J. Understanding Sustainable Development. 3rd ed. London: Earthscan; 2018
  4. Boulding KE. The Economics of the Coming Spaceship Earth. Jarret H. ed. In: Environmental Quality in a Growing Economy: Essays from the Sixth RFF Forum1st ed. New York: RFF Press; 2011. p. 3-14
  5. Cortese AD. The Critical Role of Higher Education in Creating a Sustainable Future. Planning for Higher Education. 2003;31(3):15-22
  6. Crutzen P. Geology of mankind. Nature. 2002 Jan;415:23
  7. Folke C, Jansson Å, Rockström J, Olsson P, Carpenter SR, Chapin FS, Steffen W. Reconnecting to the Biosphere. Ambio. 2011 Oct;40(7):719-738
  8. Filho WL, Shiel C, Paço A. Implementing and Operationalising Integrative Approaches to Sustainability in Higher Education: The Role of Project-Oriented Learning. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2016 Oct;133:126-135
  9. Filho WL, Vargas VR, Salvia AL, Brandli LL. Sustainability and the Higher Education Institutions: Integrating Sustainability in Business, Arts, and Humanities. Springer International Publishing; 2019
  10. Lozano R. Incorporation and Institutionalization of SD into Universities: Breaking Through Barriers to Change. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2006;14(9-11):787-796
  11. Rockström J, Steffen W, Noone K, Persson Å, Chapin III FS, Lambin E, et al. Planetary boundaries: exploring the safe operating space for humanity. Ecology and society. 2009;14(2):32
  12. Sanders M, Heldeweg M, Verschoor M. Towards a Good Anthropocene: The Transition to a Sustainable Society. Springer; 2018
  13. Randers J, Rockström J, Stoknes PE, Golüke U, Collste D, Cornell SA. Transformation is feasible: How to achieve the sustainable development goals within planetary boundaries. Stockholm Resilience Centre; 2018
  14. Stanford University. Stanford Energy System Innovations (SESI) [Internet]. Stanford, California: Stanford University; 2023. Available from: https://sustainable.stanford.edu
  15. Steffen W, Broadgate W, Deutsch L, Gaffney O, Ludwig C. The Trajectory of the Anthropocene: The Great Acceleration. The Anthropocene Review. 2015 Jan;2(1):81-98
  16. Steffen W, Richardson K, Rockström J, Cornell SE, Fetzer I, Bennett EM, et al. Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet. Science. 2015 Jan;347(6223)
  17. Sterling S. Sustainable Education: Re-Visioning Learning and Change. Totnes: Green Books; 2001
  18. University of British Columbia. UBC Sustainability Initiative [Internet]. British Columbia, Canada: University of British Columbia; 2023. Available from: https://sustain.ubc.ca
  19. University of Tokyo. UTokyo Sustainability Project [Internet]. Tokyo, Japan: University of Tokyo; 2022. Available from: https://www.sustainability.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en

Last update:

No citation recorded.

Last update:

No citation recorded.