How Nordic universities are
contributing to global
sustainability
Meeri Karvinen, coordinator of NSCN
Aalto University, Finland
The International Symposium on Northern Development
Québec City, Canada
25.-27.2.2015
Contents
1) Establishing Nordic Sustainable Campus Network, NSCN
2) NSCN and Rio+20 Project in the Nordicuniversites
3) The level of sustainable development in the Nordic HEIs
– Preliminary results of the project based to: - Workshop at Univ. of Copenhagen Oct´14- The survey
1) Establishing NordicSustainable Campus Network, NSCN
Background: Nordic university
collaboration
• Official collaboration since 1976
– Nordic network for university administrations, NUAS 1976
– Today: Joint Nordic Master’s programs, Nordic Five Tech, N5T
• Sustainable development a strong value in the Nordic region
– Development of Nordic Environmental policies
• After the Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment 1972
– Nordic ecolabel, the Swan 1989
• After the Brundtland Commission : concept of sustainable development 1987
– Nordic strategy for sustainable development since 2001
• Still: No official collaboration in the field of sustainabilityuntil 2011: Nordic Climate Festival@Aalto
� The establishment of NSCN in Jan 2012
NSCNNUAS Sustainability
A platform for connectingsustainability expertsin Nordic highereducation institutions
About NSCN
Our mission:
To integrate and strengthen sustainable development in Nordic HEIs
– Greening the campus
– Research and teaching
NSCN in numbers:
• 40 Member institutions, including also universities of applied sciences and
university colleges
• More than 100 persons in the mailing list
Recent development:
• January 2015 merger with NUAS �NUAS Sustainability
– Working group consists of 2 representatives/country, Iceland 1
+coordinator
� Enables integrating SD-perspective into university activities as a whole
Nordic Sustainable Campus Network (NSCN), since 2012
Africa:_____?
(Central, southern)Europe: several networks
China Green Campus Network(CGUN), since 2011
Latin America______? Australasian CampusesTowards Sustainability, since 2002
Work in progress: Campus SustainabilityNetwork in Japan,CAS-Net JAPAN
Korean Association of Greencampus Initiatives, since 2008
Hong Kong Sustainable CampusConsortium, since 2010
UK
Local networks around the world
A few more on networks: international-sustainable-campus-network.org/about/links.html
APSCC*
* Association for promoting Sustainability in Campuses and Communities (India)
ISCN conference @ NUS, June´13, Meri Löyttyniemi, www.aalto.fi/nscn
2) NSCN and Rio+20 Project in the Nordic universites
Background: Rio+20 initiative for HEIs
Main targets of the initiative:
1. Teach sustainable development concepts
2. Encourage research on sustainable development issues
3. Green our campuses
4. Support sustainability efforts in the communities in which we reside
5. Engage with and share results through international frameworks
Main targets concerning higher education set in the outcome document (The Future We Want) of Rio+20 World Summit
1. Transparent and effective governance, implementingsustainable management practices
2. Integrating sustainable development into all teaching
3. Change in attitudes, commitment of decision makers
4. Development and usage of new technologyhttp://rio20.euromed-management.com/
Declaration-for-HEI.pdf
The Rio+20 project: goals
”Implementation of Rio+20 in the Nordic HEIs”
• Responses the targets set in the Rio de Janeiro 2012 UN World Summit
• Implements the SD-strategy of the Nordic Council of Minsters: A good life in a
sustainable Nordic region 2013
• 2014-2015 by Aalto University and 6 partners
• Goals:• To inventory how the Nordic HEIs are implementing SD
• To analyze the steering mechanisms, drivers and obstacles affecting the
implementation
• Joint indicators and recommendations to more effectively implement SD
The Rio+20 project: implementation
Project milestones:
– 2014 Feb: Project launching seminar in Iceland
– 2014 Aug: NUAS Facilities and Environment Conference 24.-27.8. in
Helsinki/Espoo, Finland
– 2014 Oct-Nov: A wide survey conducted2014 Oct: Workshop on
steering measures, 24 attendees
• A part of ”Making universities sustainable” conference in Copenhagen 22.-24.10.
climate.ku.dk/green_campus/sustainableuniversities
– 2015 May: Workshop on measuring and indicators in Gothenburg (GU)
– 2015 Oct/Nov: Case competition on sustainable urban planning
– 2015 Oct: Final seminar in Oslo
3) The level of sustainable
development in the Nordic HEIs
Preliminary results of the project based to:
- Copenhagen workshop
- The survey
Nordic HEIs and sustainability – what
do we know?
• Universities have developed SD strategies individually: the level of implementation varies from very high to near zero-level
– 6 universities have joined the ISCN– 12 Nordic HEIs have signed the Rio+20 initiative
• The steering mechanisms vary between the countries: effect on the implementation
– In Sweden the university legislation provides universities to implement an environmental management system
• The Copenhagen workshop– Finding out the steering mechanisms that effect the most the implementation of SD in
higher education institutions
• The project survey− the first benchmarking survey concerning SD in the Nordic HEIs
− Includes: steering mechanisms, enablers & obstacles, level of integration and the organization concerning SD
• Other universities role model
• Public expectations• Cost of resources• Cost of energy• Media• Climate change• Energy prices• Waste and chemicals
regulation• President's commitment• Culture
Copenhagen workshop1. To what level your organization has integrated SD?
2. Select 3 most effective drivers that affect the implementation of SD.
EXTERNAL DRIVERS
European regulation (e.g. Bologna
process, EU directives)
Nordic strategy for sustainable
development
National strategy for sustainable
development
National university legislation
National quality assurance system
concerning sustainability in HEIs
Results-based steering
Other
INTERNAL DRIVERS
The strategy of your university
Key strategic performance indicators
(KPI)
Financial resources (e.g. incentives,
budget)
Environmental management system
Sustainability reporting system
Teaching evaluation system
International sustainability
commitment
Other
Have reached the targets set
Not at all planned or integrated
Start-up stage
Planning stage
Operational stageGhent University, Belgium
DTU, Denmark
AalborgUniversity, Denmark
University of Copenhagen, Denmark
LUT Lappeenranta, Finland
Oslo College University
University of Oslo, Norway
National University of Singapore
KTHStockholm,Sweden
University of Lund,Sweden
University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Cornell university, USA
Aalto University, Finland
HFT Stuttgart,Gernamy
• Staff & students activity• Students’ voice• Formal student democracy• Individuals• Image, rankings• Research• Bottom-up processes
The survey: How sustainability is
steered in the Nordic universities
External drivers
Internal drivers
Other drivers
• 152 persons responded
• 5 countries and 53 institutions, even 9 rectors represented
• 3 Respondent groups: teaching/research, administration,
environmental/sustainability
• The respondents were unsatisfied with the recent situation: 72% of the
respondents think that better steering than today is needed
The survey: Inventorying the levelof
sustainability in the Nordic HEIs
• According to the survey:
– Only 16,5% of the Nordic HEIs do notmention SD in their strategy
– The integration of SD into allactivities is at least in a planningstage in 65% of Nordic HEIs
– The respondents were in averidgenot particularly satisfied nordisapponted with their organization’slevel of sustainability
• Most satisfied with campus operations, least with SD in teaching
Focus areas of the Nordic HEIs
%
Conclusions
• SD is a strong value in the Nordic HEIs, highlighted in strategies
• Nordic HEIs are in a planning/operational stage in integrating SD
• level of implementation is considered quite modest
• Sustainable campus and research relating to sustainability are the most important
focus areas in the Nordic HEIs, whereas biodiversity, sustainable transportation
and training teachers to include sustainability aspects can wait
� There is a clear need to join forces in the Nordic region and develop ways to
improve the level of sustainable development in universities
� Final seminar & Rio+20 project results will be published in October 2015,
University of Oslo, Norway
Follow us at: www.nordicsustainablecampusnetwork.wordpress.com
Rio+20 project partners in Making Universities Sustainable Conference
24.-26.10.2014, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Thank you!www.aalto.fi/nscn
