Students worldwide push for delivery of Sustainability goals

Students Worldwide Push for Delivery of Sustainability Goals

GLOBAL

Introduction

Students worldwide have been pushing initiatives that target the delivery of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as highlighted at the UN Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) Global Forum. These initiatives include youth summits, student hubs, and the use of extended reality to deliver SDG learning.

All-Africa Students Union (AASU)

Veronica Dzeagu, Chief Technical Officer at the All-Africa Students Union (AASU), which represents 170 million African and diaspora students, emphasized the union’s efforts to align all its units with the SDGs and the UN 2030 Agenda. Dzeagu spoke at the HESI Global Forum in New York, a side event to the UN High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development 2023.

Youth Summits and Advocacy

The AASU organizes youth summits to debate issues related to the SDGs. Dzeagu highlighted the role of students and young people in driving the achievement of the SDGs and raising awareness among their peers, families, and communities. The AASU also engages in advocacy with policymakers to prioritize and implement SDG-aligned policies and promotes sustainable practices on campuses.

SDGs in the Curriculum

Eliane El Haber, Ambassador for the Higher Education for Good Foundation, emphasized the need for higher education to align with sustainability and address climate change. Benedicta Neysa Nathania, Youth Fellow at the Learning Planet Alliance, called for the integration of sustainable development principles and concepts into various disciplines. Nathania also highlighted the importance of partnerships with technology companies, start-ups, and research institutions to expose students to sustainability in industries.

SDGs and Student Hubs

The SDG Students Program, led by Ellen Dixon, aims to engage higher education students in achieving the UN 2030 Agenda through the development of student hubs. These hubs, present in universities worldwide, focus on various SDG-related issues and promote dialogue and learning about social responsibility and localizing sustainable development goals.

Extended Reality (XR) and Sustainability

Iman Cumberbatch, XR Lead at the Computational Sensory Laboratory at Montclair State University, highlighted the need for interdisciplinary academic programs to incorporate sustainability. Cumberbatch emphasized the use of creative research and XR systems to explain environmental issues and provide virtual field trips for students, enabling them to understand the need for critical change in promoting the delivery of SDGs.

SDGs and Women’s Rights

Anoushka Sinha, Girls Belong Here Ambassador at Plan International Canada, emphasized the importance of fighting gender inequality and improving women’s rights in higher education SDG work. Sinha suggested establishing partnerships with international development and humanitarian organizations to provide immersive learning opportunities for students. She also highlighted the need to prepare students for changing technologies, aligning with SDG 9.

Maximizing Higher Education’s Transformative Potential

Horia Onita, Vice-President of the European Students’ Union, called for more analysis and action to maximize higher education’s transformative potential regarding the SDGs. Onita emphasized the pedagogical development of student rights and the deployment of quality-assured artificial intelligence that offers meaningful added value.

Conclusion

The ideas and analysis presented by students were welcomed by Sam Barratt, Chief of the Youth, Education, and Advocacy Unit in the United Nations Environment Programme. However, Barratt stressed the need for more urgency in addressing climate change and achieving the SDGs. He called for bigger and more radical ideas to be presented at future HESI Global Forums.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
• SDG 13: Climate Action
• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The article discusses various initiatives and actions taken by students and universities to promote sustainability and achieve the SDGs. These initiatives are connected to multiple SDGs, including quality education (SDG 4), affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), industry, innovation, and infrastructure (SDG 9), sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), responsible consumption and production (SDG 12), climate action (SDG 13), and partnerships for the goals (SDG 17).

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development.
• Target 7.2: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
• Target 9.4: By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes.
• Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management.
• Target 12.2: By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources.
• Target 13.3: Improve education, awareness-raising, and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning.
• Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology, and financial resources.

Based on the article’s content, the specific targets under the mentioned SDGs include promoting sustainable development education (Target 4.7), increasing the share of renewable energy (Target 7.2), upgrading infrastructure and adopting clean technologies (Target 9.4), reducing environmental impact in cities (Target 11.6), achieving sustainable resource management (Target 12.2), improving climate change education and awareness (Target 13.3), and enhancing global partnerships for sustainable development (Target 17.16).

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator 4.7.1: Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment.
• Indicator 7.2.1: Renewable energy share in the total final energy consumption.
• Indicator 9.4.1: CO2 emission per unit of value added.
• Indicator 11.6.1: Proportion of urban solid waste regularly collected and with adequate final discharge out of total urban solid waste generated, by cities.
• Indicator 12.2.1: Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP.
• Indicator 13.3.1: Number of countries that have integrated mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction, and early warning measures into primary, secondary, and tertiary curricula.
• Indicator 17.16.1: Number of countries reporting progress in multi-stakeholder development effectiveness monitoring frameworks that support the achievement of the sustainable development goals.

The article implies indicators that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets. These indicators include measuring the extent to which global citizenship education and education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in national policies, curricula, teacher education, and student assessment (Indicator 4.7.1), the renewable energy share in total energy consumption (Indicator 7.2.1), CO2 emissions per unit of value added (Indicator 9.4.1), proportion of urban solid waste regularly collected and adequately discharged (Indicator 11.6.1), material footprint and resource efficiency (Indicator 12.2.1), integration of climate change measures into education curricula (Indicator 13.3.1), and progress in multi-stakeholder development effectiveness monitoring frameworks (Indicator 17.16.1).

4. Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators