The Sustainability Agenda:
why the University matters
Stewart Barr
Geography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences
“It is hard to imagine a culture less concerned
than ours with the things that make life
worth living. Much of what we esteem as
life enhancing and pleasure giving tends
towards the childishly self-destructive: fast
cars, goopy microwaved cheesy snacks,
prolonged television viewing, compulsive
shopping, playing with guns, heavy
drinking, kinky sex, to name a few. These
are the fruits of political liberty in our
time...” (Kunstler, 1998, p. 81. The
Geography of Nowhere, Simon and
Schuster, New York)
• What inspires us to
try to do things
differently?
“Sustainable development is development that
meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs” (WCED, 1987)
Khan’s (1995) Paradigm of Sustainable Development
Social Sustainability
Equity
Empowerment
Accessibility
Participation / Sharing
Cultural Identity
Institutional Stability
Ecosystem integrity
Carrying Capacity
Biodiversity
Environmental Sustainability
Growth
Development
Productivity
Trickle down
Economic Sustainability
So what do we have to offer as a University?
How are we getting there in research
and education?
• Recognising the links
between environment,
economic development and
wellbeing;
• Working across disciplines;
• Engaging staff and students
to be active researchers and
advocates;
• Engaging our local
community and empowering
them to do their own
research.
Working together