AASHE Tracks Rise in Social, Economic Campus Sustainability Initiatives
Higher Education Sustainability Review highlights efforts of 60 institutions worldwide.
Washington, DC, April 19, 2014 --(PR.com)-- During its annual analysis of the higher education sustainability movement, the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) found a significant increase in social and economic sustainability efforts among campuses in 2013.
Specifically, AASHE's 2013 Higher Education Sustainability Review (http://www.aashe.org/publications/sustainability-review/2013) reveals that fossil fuel divestment and sustainable investment, diversity and inclusion, climate solutions, and opportunities for hands-on student engagement are of increasing importance to campus sustainability communities across the globe.
"It is encouraging to see the increasing breadth and depth of sustainability solutions that are incubated within higher education communities," says AASHE Executive Director Stephanie A. Herrera. "Over time, we've seen the higher education sustainability movement evolve to tackle fundamental, inclusive change toward a more prosperous, equitable, and ecologically healthy world."
The latest review is a big picture look at the trends captured in the nearly 1,560 stories published in AASHE's weekly AASHE Bulletin newsletter in 2013. Compared to 2012, notable findings for 2013 include:
Efforts to integrate sustainability in the curriculum through living-learning initiatives doubled.
Diversity and inclusion initiatives, particularly as part of policy and engagement efforts, increased by 25 percent.
Solutions focused on climate mitigation and adaptation among campuses increased by 24 percent.
Campus fossil fuel divestment efforts, largely student-led, nearly quadrupled.
Student and campus engagement stories increased by 18 percent with a large focus on regional and global partnerships toward a sustainable future.
The campus sustainable food movement remains strong with a 14 percent increase in related stories.
Also notable, the number of higher education sustainability-focused job announcements featured in the AASHE Bulletin in 2013 increased by 34 percent from 2012, supporting the upward trend in dedicated positions captured in AASHE's July 2013 "Salaries & Status of Sustainability Staff in Higher Education" report.
The trends toward high-impact collaborative projects and partnerships to advance sustainability on a local and global front found in this report will be explored further at AASHE's annual Conference & Expo. Themed "Innovation for Sustainable Economies & Communities," this year's conference is taking place in Portland, Ore. this October.
About AASHE
AASHE is helping to create a brighter future of opportunity for all by advancing sustainability in higher education. By creating a diverse community engaged in sharing ideas and promising practices, AASHE provides administrators, faculty, staff and students, as well as the businesses that serve them, with: thought leadership and essential knowledge resources; outstanding opportunities for professional development; and a unique framework for demonstrating the value and competitive edge created by sustainability initiatives. For more information, visit www.aashe.org.
Specifically, AASHE's 2013 Higher Education Sustainability Review (http://www.aashe.org/publications/sustainability-review/2013) reveals that fossil fuel divestment and sustainable investment, diversity and inclusion, climate solutions, and opportunities for hands-on student engagement are of increasing importance to campus sustainability communities across the globe.
"It is encouraging to see the increasing breadth and depth of sustainability solutions that are incubated within higher education communities," says AASHE Executive Director Stephanie A. Herrera. "Over time, we've seen the higher education sustainability movement evolve to tackle fundamental, inclusive change toward a more prosperous, equitable, and ecologically healthy world."
The latest review is a big picture look at the trends captured in the nearly 1,560 stories published in AASHE's weekly AASHE Bulletin newsletter in 2013. Compared to 2012, notable findings for 2013 include:
Efforts to integrate sustainability in the curriculum through living-learning initiatives doubled.
Diversity and inclusion initiatives, particularly as part of policy and engagement efforts, increased by 25 percent.
Solutions focused on climate mitigation and adaptation among campuses increased by 24 percent.
Campus fossil fuel divestment efforts, largely student-led, nearly quadrupled.
Student and campus engagement stories increased by 18 percent with a large focus on regional and global partnerships toward a sustainable future.
The campus sustainable food movement remains strong with a 14 percent increase in related stories.
Also notable, the number of higher education sustainability-focused job announcements featured in the AASHE Bulletin in 2013 increased by 34 percent from 2012, supporting the upward trend in dedicated positions captured in AASHE's July 2013 "Salaries & Status of Sustainability Staff in Higher Education" report.
The trends toward high-impact collaborative projects and partnerships to advance sustainability on a local and global front found in this report will be explored further at AASHE's annual Conference & Expo. Themed "Innovation for Sustainable Economies & Communities," this year's conference is taking place in Portland, Ore. this October.
About AASHE
AASHE is helping to create a brighter future of opportunity for all by advancing sustainability in higher education. By creating a diverse community engaged in sharing ideas and promising practices, AASHE provides administrators, faculty, staff and students, as well as the businesses that serve them, with: thought leadership and essential knowledge resources; outstanding opportunities for professional development; and a unique framework for demonstrating the value and competitive edge created by sustainability initiatives. For more information, visit www.aashe.org.
Contact
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
JM de Jesus
(303) 395-1331 ext. 12
www.aashe.org/
JM de Jesus
(303) 395-1331 ext. 12
www.aashe.org/
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