Resources

The UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) works under the auspices of the UN Secretary-General to mobilize the world’s universities, think tanks, and national laboratories for action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change; empower societies through free online education; and translate scientific evidence and ideas into solutions and accountability.

Further information: https://www.unsdsn.org/ 

The Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI) is an open partnership between several United Nations entities and the higher education community launched in the lead-up to the Rio+20 Conference in 2012. The HESI community consists of UN entities, university networks, student organizations, and higher education institutions committed to advancing sustainable development. It is currently chaired by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and the Sulitest Association - a non-profit organization and online platform aimed at improving sustainability literacy for all. Other UN partners include UNESCO, UN Environment Programme, UN Global Compact’s Principles for Responsible Management Education initiative, UN University, UN-HABITAT, UNCTAD, UNITAR, UN Office for Partnerships, and UN Academic Impact.

Through its strong association with the United Nations, HESI aims to provide higher education with an interface between higher education, science, and policy making by raising the profile of higher education’s sector in supporting sustainable development, convening multi-stakeholder discussions and action, and sharing best practices.

Further information: https://sdgs.un.org/HESI and https://partnershipaccelerator.org/hesi/ 

The Copernicus Alliance provides an overview of networks that work towards sustainability in higher education at different geographic levels. The list was composed by the COPERNICUS Alliance and DG HochN who jointly initiated an exchange between several of these networks. DG HochN (German Society for Sustainability at Higher Education Institutions) has also set up a Wiki page and offers further information in particular for Germany. 

Further information: https://www.copernicus-alliance.org/resources/25-resources/437-networks-for-sustainbability-in-higher-education  

The Higher Education and the SDGs Network is a forum for all university staff and students at ACU member universities who are directly engaging in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) agenda, including:

• Integrating sustainable development into their operations
• Sharing SDG learning content and materials
• Developing SDG-focused research strategies
• Co-creating research for impact, community engagement, and partnerships for the goals

The network aims to facilitate peer learning, through sharing knowledge and good practice, discovering potential avenues for collaboration and partnerships, and sharing different approaches to how universities are engaging with the SDGs within each of the following thematic areas:

• Teaching and learning
• Research
• Estates and stewardship
• Engagement and impact
• Partnerships

Further information: https://www.acu.ac.uk 

The Global Alliance of Tertiary Education and Student Sustainability Networks was set up in March 2015 at the EAUC Annual Conference, which took place at the University of Leeds. Member networks recognise the importance of collaboration in putting universities, colleges and students at the heart of the international challenge to address sustainability, each one with a unique and valuable perspective to contribute. We are a network of networks and the world’s largest grouping of national and international networks spanning, Asia, Africa, Asia Pacific, the Americas and Europe. 

Further information: https://www.eauc.org.uk/global_alliance_update 

The mission of the ISCN is to provide an international forum to support higher education institutions in the exchange of information, ideas, and best practices for achieving sustainable campus operations and integrating sustainability in research and teaching.

Further information: https://international-sustainable-campus-network.org/ 

The mission of the The U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development is to foster education and actions for sustainable development. Its vision is to see sustainable development fully integrated into education and learning in the United States and internationally. 

Their goals to achieve this include:1) Convene, 2) Catalyse, 3) Communicate, and 4) Collaborate for education for sustainable development (ESD) working across multiple sectors of society.

Further information: https://uspartnership.org/pages/mission-vision 

The Northeast Campus Sustainability Consortium (NECSC) was established in October 2004 to support sustainability officers in advancing education about and demonstration of sustainable systems on university campuses in the northeast and maritime region. Organized around the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, the NECSC members have committed to an annual meeting that advances campus sustainability by providing close networking opportunities, professional development, and access to the area’s vibrant and growing college and university sustainability practitioner community. With no formalized structure, the NECSC is a collaborative, participatory network serving sustainability professionals in higher education in the northeast region. 

Further information: https://sustain.princeton.edu/northeast-campus-sustainability-consortium-necsc