The
“Lüneburg Declaration on Higher Education for Sustainability”
was recently presented to the United Nations Secretary-General
and Nobel Peace Prize Winner Kofi Annan by the United Nations
Under-Secretary-General and Rector of the United Nations University,
Professor Hans van Ginkel.
Professor van Ginkel was one of the main co-authors of this joint
policy statement on Higher Education for Sustainable Development
addressed to the World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.
The objective of the declaration is to mobilize the international
higher education community around the theme of sustainability
so that to the extent possible the education community speaks
with one voice at the World Summit in Johannesburg next year and
in the preparatory process. It is therefore important for universities
in all countries to use this policy statement to lobby their governments
for support of this criticial objective.
The
Lüneburg Declaration on Higher Education for Sustainable
Development
Education
in all its forms plays an indispensable role in addressing the
critical challenges of sustainable development. The interconnected
issues of globalization, poverty alleviation, social justice,
democracy, human rights, peace and environmental protection require
inclusive partnerships to create a global learning environment.
Higher
education has a catalyst role vis-à-vis education for sustainable
development and the building of a Learning Society. It has a special
responsibility to conduct the scholarship and scientific research
necessary to generate the new knowledge needed and train the leaders
and teachers of tomorrow, as well as communicate this knowledge
to decision-makers and the public-at-large.
The
ultimate goal of education for sustainable development is to impart
the knowledge, values, attitudes and skills needs to empower people
to bring about the changes required to achieve sustainability.
Quality education for sustainable development needs to be based
on state of the art knowledge and to continually review and update
curricula and teaching materials accordingly. It needs to serve
teachers, other professionals and all citizens as life long learners
to respond to society’s challenges and opportunities, so
that people everywhere can live in freedom from want and fear,
and to make their unique contribution to a sustainable future.
In
October 2001, a conference on “Higher Education for Sustainability:
Towards the World Summit on Sustainable Development 2002”,
was held at the University of Lüneburg, Germany. The conference
was jointly organized by the University of Lüneburg and the
COPERNICUS Programme of the European University Association (EUA)
and was sponsored by the Global Higher Education for Sustainability
Partnership (GHESP) formed by COPERNICUS, the International Association
of Universities (IAU), the Association of University Leaders for
a Sustainable Future (ULSF) and the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
GHESP
partner organizations and the experts in attendance at this conference
endorse the following:
1.
Taking into account the recommendations and results of:
-
UNCED: Chapter 36 of Agenda 21 (1992);
-
The International Work Programme on Education, Public Awareness
and Training for Sustainability adopted by the UN Commission
on Sustainable Development (1996);
-
International Conference on Environment and Society (Thessaloniki,
1997);
-
World Conference on Higher Education (Paris, 1998);
-
World Conference on Science (Budapest, 1999);
-
World Education Forum (Education for All) (Dakar, 2002); and
2.
Building upon the significant networks of the three academic associations
which founded GHESP, beginning with over 1000 colleges and universities
which pledged to implement comprehensive sustainable development
action steps by signing the charters and declarations sponsored
by these three organizations;
3.
Calls on higher education institutions, NGO’s and other
stakeholders to:
a.
Ensure the continual review and updating of learning materials
to reflect the latest scientific understanding of sustainability;
b.
Ensure that the reorientation of teacher education towards sustainable
development continue to be given priority as a key component of
higher education;
c.
Provide continuing education to teachers, decision makers and
the public at large on sustainable development;
d.
Encourage all educational institutions to include in their activities
a strong component of reflection on values and norms with respect
to sustainable development;
e.
Raise awareness and increase understanding of the importance and
relevance of technology assessments and risk assessment;
f.
Promote the creative development and implementation of comprehensive
sustainability projects in higher education, and all other levels
and forms of education;
g.
Increase attention to the international dimension and provide
more opportunities for inter-cultural exchange in the learning
environment;
h.
Increase a focus on capacity development and intensified networking
among institutions of education; and
i.
Promote stronger integration of training and research and closer
interaction with stakeholders in the development process.
4.
Calls on governments to ensure that the World Summit on
Sustainable Development includes education in general, and higher
education in particular, in the future international programme
of work.
5.
Calls upon the United Nations to:
a.
Highlight in the Secretary-General’s main policy report the
indispensable role of education in general, and higher education
in particular, in achieving sustainable development as stated
in chapter 36 of Agenda 21.
b.
Make education a discussion topic during the multi-stakeholder
dialogue sessions to be held during the preparatory committee
meetings for the Johannesburg Summit and during the Summit itself.
6.
Calls on UNESCO as task manager for chapter 36 of Agenda
21, in cooperation with UNU and other relevant parts of the United
Nations system, to support these efforts concerning the Johannesburg
Summit.
7.
Furthermore, the EUA-COPERNICUS, the International Association
of Universities (IAU), and the Association of University Leaders
for a Sustainable Future (ULSF) commit to achieving the following
targets within next five years:
a.
Create a global learning environment for higher education for
sustainable development;
b.
Promote expanded endorsement and full implementation of the Talloires,
Kyoto and Copernicus declarations;
c.
Produce an action-oriented Toolkit for universities, managers,
administrators, faculty and students designed to move from commitment
to concrete action. The Tool Kit would include:
-
implementation strategies for colleges and universities depending
on size, type, demographic characteristics, etc.;
-
strategies for reform in particular areas of university activity,
including teaching, research, operations and outreach, or for
comprehensive change across all university activities;
-
an inventory of available resources;
-
an inventory of best practices and compilation of case studies;
d.
Enhance the development of Regional Centres of excellence in both
developed and developing countries, and effective networking among
them.
The
Lüneburg Declaration on Higher Education for Sustainable
Development was adopted on 10 October 2001 in Lüneburg, Germany,
on the occasion of the International COPERNICUS Conference “Higher
Education for Sustainability – Towards the World Summit on
Sustainable Development (Rio+10)” held at the University
of Lüneburg 8 – 10 October 2001.
The
“Lüneburg Declaration” can be downloaded in zip-format
at the declaration website: www.lueneburg-declaration.de.
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