Higher Education   Stakeholders in the higher education sector have played an important role in promoting ESD. Within the UK, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the UK occupy a traditionally proactive role for emerging (and often overlapping) educational fields such as development education, environmental education, human rights and citizenship education, and education for sustainable development. In the UK and in England particularly, there are several important forms of ESD taking place within HEIs, including:   Academic courses, modules, or educational degrees focusing explicitly on ESD, Sustainable Development Education (SDE), Education for Sustainability (EfS), environmental, and development education. For example: The MSc in Holistic Science at Schumacher College (a school dedicated to the practice of sustainability) London South Bank University’s Education for Sustainability post-graduate programme The University of Exeter’s MSc in Sustainable Development Courses, modules or degrees focusing on sustainable development in a multi-sectoral capacity (e.g. Engineering or Business); Whole-university approaches that embed sustainability or sustainability education into existing higher education courses or throughout universities. Two innovative forms for promoting ESD on an institution-wide level are specifically worth mentioning: University of Bradford’s ‘Ecoversity’ whole-university approach, which aims to embed SD throughout the entire institution; University of Gloucestershire’s 'Greener by Degrees project, which led to professional and curriculum development in ESD and the publication of a book which included curriculum modules and articles on sustainability in the classroom, sustainability across the university, and sustainability through local, national and international partnerships. Funding Council SD policy or reviews; HE umbrella body initiatives; University-based research centres with ESD-related initiatives; Environmental or sustainability award or scoring schemes for universities, for example:  The Green Gown Awards People and Planet’s “Green League 2007” environmental performance score The Academy for Sustainable Communities’ Future Vision Award. Individual university initiatives on SD-related subjects. For example: The University of Cambridge has implemented the Climate Project, an initiative linked to training people on the use of Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth climate change lecture. These types of ESD are occurring through the initiative of individual universities who unlike government or NGOs have space and ability to innovate. The following initiatives, organisations and institutions have made contributions to the development of ESD in the UK during the DESD. For a detailed analysis of ESD activity in the higher education sector, download the UKNC report ESD in the UK in 2008: A Survey of Action, or download the Higher Education appendix, which provides a table of UK higher education stakeholders. Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) is the government body responsible for supporting higher and further education teaching and research in England. In addition to funding university and further education college programs, it conducts extensive research on sustainable development in the higher education sector. In July 2005, HEFCE published Sustainable Development in Higher Education (part two), which outlined a new approach to promoting the SD agenda in the context of Securing the Future (part one) (part two) (part three). In 2006, it published the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) Sustainable Development Action Plan 2006.   More recently in 2008, HEFCE published A Strategic Review of Sustainable Development, establishing a broad benchmark for understanding the status of sustainable development in higher education. The report evaluates HEIs across England in four major areas: SD research; SD teaching; SD in estates and corporate management; and SD case studies. The data collected and analysed in the report gives the government substantial information on SD in the HE sector, which may have an impact on future government funding policies.   Higher Education Performance Environmental Improvement The Higher Education Performance Environmental Improvement, funded by HEFCE, aims to promote better environmental management in HEIs, and is a supporter with EAUC of the Green Gown Awards.   EcoCampus   EcoCampus is a national Environmental Management System (EMS) and award scheme for the higher education sector. The scheme allows universities to be recognised for addressing key issues of environmental sustainability. Funded by HEFCE, it is a collaborative project between Nottingham Trent University (NTU), Loreus Ltd and key partners, the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) and Environmental Campaigns (ENCAMS). The scheme will involve further developing EcoCampus as a sector specific tool for rewarding EMS implementation and will link with universities for piloting from December 2005 to December 2008.   Higher Education Academy   The Higher Education Academy (HEA) supports learning institutions to provide quality education. HEA develop activities and capacity in order to better assist institutions and communities in their development of curricula and pedagogy for sustainability, particularly focusing on increasing 'sustainability literacy' among students and the growing demand for sustainability skills among employers.   In 2005, HEA published Sustainable Development in Higher Education: Current Practice and Future Developments , which reported on current practices and future developments in ESD in the UK. HEA has also commissioned Forum for the Future to undertake research on ESD policy in the UK government and devolved administrations.   HEA has funded projects on ESD, produced briefings and research reports, and organised events. They have created curriculum projects within their subject centres, and have published key documents addressing ESD in the UK. To learn more about the HEA’s work in ESD, click here.   The Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges (EAUC)   The Environmental Association of Universities and Colleges (EAUC) is the sustainability champion for universities and colleges in the UK. It is a network of 200 institutional members from further and higher education, and in 2006 set up an ESD curriculum network and launched an Education for Sustainability group. Its emphasis has traditionally been on environmental management and campus greening in higher education institutions, but it has shown increasing interest in ESD.   Centre for Research in Education and Environment (University of Bath)   The University of Bath’s Centre for Research in Education and the Environment (CREE) is one of the UK's leading group of researchers on ESD, whose work focuses on educational issues relating to the environment and sustainability. In October 2008, CREE will launch “Developing the Sustainable School in Wiltshire,” a TDA funded professional development programme that includes a conference and school-based development activities that will go into 2009. In July 2008, CREE hosted summer school seminars around its “Education and Sustainability Research Programme.”   Centre for Sustainable Futures, Plymouth University   The Centre for Sustainable Futures is one of two HEFCE funded Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning with five-year programmes to advance sustainable development within and beyond their institutions. The Plymouth project has a holistic approach to institutional change around sustainability and its work is feeding into the HEA ESD Project to assist national dissemination and dialogue.   Bournemouth University   In order to develop opportunities for students to explore global dimensions in their studies, a Global Perspectives Group was established at Bournemouth University via the formulation of a Global Vision for the university in 1999. All programmes are now encouraged to adopt the principles outlined in this document. In 2005/6, a new holistic strategy called “A Global Perspective at Bournemouth University: Education for Global Citizens and Sustainable Development” has been endorsed, addressing corporate responsibility and behaviour; the University as a global citizen; curricula and pedagogy;  embedding global perspectives; and extra-curricula activities to support citizenship and international awareness.   London South Bank University   London South Bank University's Education for Sustainability Programme offers post-graduate courses from CPD to Masters level aimed at providing personal and professional development for anyone involved in communicating sustainability. The programme has engaged in several national and international research projects over the years and has contributed to a number of publications and reports. These projects have included setting up an EU Tempus project with Hungary and Denmark to develop courses for Eastern Europe, research for Oxfam on Global Citizenship, capacity building for WWF China's environmental education project as well as for Oxfam Tanzania's basic education project. Research from the programme was also presented at the WSSD in Johannesburg in 2002 .   Development Education Research Centre, University of London   The Development Education Research Centre (DERC) was established in 2006, funded by DFID, to promote greater understanding and support for development education within higher education. Main activities include development of a new masters programme, creation of new academic journal and establishment of network of academics.   Centre for Sustainable Communities  Achieved through  Professional Education (C-Scaipe), Kingston University   The Centre for Sustainable Communities Achieved through Professional Education is the second of HEFCE funded ‘Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning’ with five-year programmes to advance sustainable development   University of Bradford's Ecoversity Concept   The University of Bradford has established an education programme called Ecoversity, led by a Director of ESD. The programme commenced in August 2006, and a number of projects have been developed to enable staff and students to participate. A major review of the current university curriculum has been identifying the opportunities to infuse sustainable development into different degree programmes. A student ambassador project has been launched, where students work in teams to develop and implement sustainability projects to support Ecoversity.