Global climate change, the loss of biodiversity, population growth and conflicts between unequal social groups raise complex and inter-related issues. Schools and universities, along with other educational institutions, have an important role in developing critical and creative thinking about such problems. Sustainability is sometimes seen as being limited to a few specific subject disciplines such as geography and citizenship. However, such thinking denies its potential to illuminate understanding across all areas of the curriculum. There are also those who are weary of the sustainability debate and find it both dull and repetitive. Imaginative approaches which harness students’ creative responses have the potential to reverse this mindset.
About This Site
This site is intended for those involved in higher education, particularly university tutors and their students.
- It aims to raise questions rather than to provide answers.
- It does not purport to offer practical teaching advice, nor does it concern itself with issues to do with management or institutional change.
- It is positioned within current European thinking and reflects the concerns of Western industrialised countries.
This website is part of the Canterbury Christ Church University Futures Initiative, which is a long-term change programme designed to develop understanding about sustainability in academic life. It has been written by Stephen Scoffham and is based on research, scholarship and the practical experience of teaching about sustainability in higher education.
Find out more about sustainability at Canterbury Christ Church University »
Themes
This site is organised around eleven overlapping themes:
- Definitions
- Planetary Limits
- Making Connections
- New Mindsets
- Education
- Values
- World Citizens
- Global Goals
- Sustainable Living
- Futures Thinking
- Next Steps
These themes have been selected to give an overview of some key issues surrounding sustainability. Each theme begins with a short introduction and is followed by links to related resources and questions for critical reflection. A separate panel featuring the voices of tutors, students and memorable quotations serves as a counterpoint which will broaden discussion.