RCE Saskatchewan - 2019

Responsible Consumption and Production: RCE Saskatchewan Leadership In Global Higher Education Cluster for the SDGs
CSV
Basic Information
Title of project : 
Responsible Consumption and Production: RCE Saskatchewan Leadership In Global Higher Education Cluster for the SDGs
Submitting RCE: 
RCE Saskatchewan
Contributing organization(s) : 
Luther College at the University of Regina (Canada)
University of Regina (Canada)
University of Saskatchewan (Canada)
Focal point(s) and affiliation(s)
Name: 
Roger Petry
Organizational Affiliation: 
Associate Professor of Philosophy, Luther College at the University of Regina
E-mail: 
roger.petry@uregina.ca
Format of project: 
PowerPoint
Language of project: 
English
Date of submission:
Thursday, May 23, 2019
Web link: 
https://www.luthercollege.edu/university/alumni-friends/events/iau-sustainable-development-goal-12-inaugural-conference
Additional resources: 
Link to International Association of Universities Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development Cluster in support of the SDGs:
http://www.iau-hesd.net/en/contenu/4648-iau-hesd-cluster.html
Article on Luther College & University of Regina Leadership on Sustainable Development Goal 12 on Responsible Consumption and Production: "Production and Consumption: The Elephant in the Room" (May 3, 2019)
https://www.uregina.ca/external/communications/feature-stories/current/2019/05-03.html
Does this project link to any education and/or sustainable development policy or policies?: 
Yes
University of Regina Purchasing Goods and Services Procurement Policy
At what level is the policy operating?: 
Local
Geographical & Education Information
Region: 
Americas
Country: 
Canada
Colombia
Germany
Kenya
Malaysia
Peru
Sri Lanka
Location(s): 
Regina & Saskatoon (Saskatchewan)
Address of focal point institution for project: 
Luther College at the University of Regina
3737 Wascana Parkway
Regina, Saskatchewan
Canada S4S 0A2
Ecosystem(s):
Agricultural, Grassland, Wetlands
Target Audience:
Community, Higher
Socioeconomic and environmental characteristics of the area : 
The University of Regina and Luther College are located in the capital city of Saskatchewan (Regina) while the University of Saskatchewan is located in the City of Saskatoon (the largest city). The two largest cities in the province are located in the mixed moist grassland ecoregion in the province, a prairie ecosystem and one of the most transformed landscapes due to intensive agriculture, ranching, and diverse forms of resource extraction (for example, oil, gas, and potash mining). Attempts to increase these forms of production has meant increasing threats to and loss of wetlands and remaining natural prairie.
Description of sustainable development challenge(s) in the area the project addresses: 
The project seeks to promote human well-being by diversifying livelihood strategies in the region to become more sustainable. While Saskatchewan has an abundance of renewable natural resources, the province has only minimally made use of these resources. In addition, to date Saskatchewan livelihoods are tied primarily in areas of resource extraction with only minimal value added production needed to generate socially and economically viable and sustainable livelihoods. University campuses in Saskatchewan and 6 other universities on other continents have been chosen to act as living laboratories to promote Sustainable Development Goal 12 on Responsible Consumption and Production. By doing so throughout their campus operations, land management, and other activities it is anticipated that new sustainable livelihood strategies can be modelled for the province.
Contents
Status: 
Ongoing
Period: 
May, 2018 to December, 2030
Rationale: 
The main aim of the International Association of Universities (IAU) "Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development Cluster" is to bring committed higher education institutions from around the world together to provide a platform for discussion and exchange and foster action to address the SDGs. This project is about building strong teaching, research and developmental projects and initiatives between universities committed to working across differences and borders on an equal footing. The Cluster works on all dimensions of the SDGs, having created a team of HE organizations from each continent to advance each SDG. This is done in a way that combines economic, social, cultural, and environmental sustainability while working intentionally with the other SDG teams. The project also employs a whole institution and cultural approach.
Lead HE partners of RCE Saskatchewan were approached to jointly lead SDG 12 on Responsible Consumption and Production in May of 2018. Luther College and the University of Regina agreed to be formal co-leads and the U of S agreed to informally participate.
Objectives: 
The overall objectives of the IAU Higher Education for Sustainable Development Cluster are to:
• Foster engagement of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) with Agenda 2030
• Create inclusive and innovative synergies between HEIs on a global scale in support of Agenda 2030
• Inform countries and society at large about the invaluable contributions HEIs around the world make towards achieving the SDGs
• Through this work, engage public support for higher education as it is a key stakeholder to address the Agenda 2030.
• Focus on Policy-Science Interface/knowledge to policy
• Highlight the Intercultural Dimension in Sustainable Development
• Promote the Whole Institution Approach
• Develop critical engagement with and between SDGs
• Work inter and transdisciplinary
• Support the local mission and social responsibility of Universities
Each team decides on the set of projects they work on specifically. The goals of the SDG 12 team led by the University of Regina and Luther College is therefore to advance the above objectives in relation to advancing responsible consumption and production among the 7 universities participating in the team.
Activities and/or practices employed: 
At a local level each SDG lead university had an initial task to identify at least one satellite university on each continent to work with it to advance its particular goal. By October of 2018, the team leads, Dr. Roger Petry (Luther) and Ms. Jocelyn Crivea (U of R) had identified the following universities to participate in the SDG 12 cluster: University Sains Malaysia (Penang, Malaysia), University of Kelaniya (Kelaniya, Sri Lanka), Moi University (Eldoret, Kenya), University of Vechta (Vechta, Germany), El Bosque University (Bogota, Columbia), Pontifical University of Peru (Lima). At the IAU 2018 International Conference held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from November 13-15, 2018, the IAU officially launched the HESD Cluster with an SDG 12 team lead in attendance. An initial virtual meeting of the SDG 12 universities occurred in December of 2019 hosted by the IAU office in Paris. The first formal meeting of all the 17 SDG cluster leads then took place in Paris at the UNESCO headquarters from January 28-30, 2019 where components of the draft IAU HESD Cluster strategy to 2030 was discussed along with more immediate goals. This included the participation of the IAU HESD Cluster at the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development at the United Nations in New York from July 9-18, 2019. A second virtual meeting of the SDG 12 team was then held in February in preparation for the Inaugural Conference for the International Association of Universities Cluster on Sustainable Development Goal 12 at Luther College entitled "Advancing Responsible Consumption and Production in Higher Education” held from May 6-7, 2019. This conference was been jointly funded by the University of Regina's Academic and Administrative conference funds and by Luther College. It included regional participation of RCE Saskatchewan's Higher Education partners (the University of Regina, University of Saskatchewan, Luther College and Campion College), and virtual and in-person participation of the SDG 12 Satellite Universities and of the IAU's Paris headquarters (see conference agenda at: https://www.luthercollege.edu/university/alumni-friends/events/iau-sustainable-development-goal-12-inaugural-conference).
Size of academic audience: 
The SDG 12 inaugural conference had 35 full participants and14 who participated only as presenters representing a total of 20 organizations. All of the conference was recorded to be shared with the IAU SDG Cluster.
Results: 
Because of the whole institution approach employed, representatives from across higher education were in attendance (including faculty, administrative staff, students, and board members). General principles and goals of the IAU SDG Cluster and SDG 12 in particular were articulated along with practical efforts in the area of Sustainable/Responsible Consumption and Production (SCP) on campuses showcased (including the areas of energy, shared equipment, sustainable food, sustainable livelihood and lifestyle, education for SCP, financing and procurement, SDG 12 indicators, and engagement with policy makers and communities). Areas for collaboration among the SDG 12 team will now occur through virtual meetings of the 7 participating universities based on this initial capacity assessment of projects and common areas of interest. These will, in turn, feed into the annual IAU meetings of all 17 team leads, publications in the IAU Horizons magazine, and advocacy at the High Level Political Forum (HLPF) held annually in New York.
Lessons learned: 
Challenges involved identifying leaders across all 3 participating lead universities in the RCE region as well as then identifying the 6 other universities to partner with us from across 6 continents. The existing RCE network proved invaluable in this work as Higher Education partners of existing RCEs in Malaysia, Germany, and Colombia participated. While a fairly robust virtual platform was used to host the conference at Luther College in Regina, Canada, difficulties were still encountered due to significant time zone difference and low band width available to some participants. Despite this, the conference was very successful and produced valuable inputs for those wanting to advance Sustainable Consumption and Production on their campuses and extend this tho their regions.
Key messages: 
Higher Education organizations are able to play a vital role in advancing SDG 12 on Responsible Consumption and Production as they are their own autonomous communities that engage in a full range of production and consumption activities. Their ability to act as living laboratories that customize and internalize these systems on their campuses, tailoring them to local ecosystems and cultural and social dimensions, enables universities to lead in modelling sustainable livelihood systems in their regions. Global collaboration, in turn, with other universities will maximize the output of these efforts.
Relationship to other RCE activities: 
RCE Saskatchewan has historically played a lead role on the theme of Responsible Consumption and Production at Global RCE Conferences. Regionally it has done considerable work in responding to unsustainable production and consumption patterns within Saskatchewan, including those tied to water and land degradation and forest and wetland loss. RCE Saskatchewan Higher Education Partners were invited by the International Association of Universities to lead the SDG 12 Cluster precisely because IAU officials had observed the RCEs work on SCP showcased in the IAU conference in Nagoya in 2014 and the 1st RCE Thematic Conference in Okayama in 2017.
Funding: 
Luther College provided Dr. Roger Petry with funding to attend the IAU International Conference in Malaysia in November of 2018 while the IAU provided financial support for participation of an SDG 12 team lead in the first Cluster meeting held in Paris in January of 2019. The Inaugural SDG 12 Conference in Regina received conference funding from the University of Regina in the amount of $5800 CAD as well as considerable inkind contributions of all the Higher Education partners in Saskatchewan.

Pictures:

File Name Caption for picture Photo Credit
Image icon Global Map of University Partners in SDG 12 Team.jpeg (146.13 KB) University Partners in SDG 12 IAU Team on Responsible Consumption and Production R Petry
Image icon Team Leads for SDG 12 Roger Petry and Jocelyn Crivea.jpeg (198.16 KB) Team Leads for SDG 12: Roger Petry and Jocelyn Crivea U of R Photography
References and reference materials: 
PDF icon IAU Program Master Copy.pdf
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
(https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs) and other themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)
SDG 1 - End poverty in all its forms everywhere 
Indirect
SDG 2 - End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture 
Indirect
SDG 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages 
Indirect
SDG 4 - Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 
Direct
SDG 5 - Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 
Indirect
SDG 6 - Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all 
Direct
SDG 7 - Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all 
Direct
SDG 8 - Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all 
Direct
SDG 9 - Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation, and foster innovation 
Indirect
SDG 10 - Reduce inequality within and among countries 
Indirect
SDG 11 - Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable 
Indirect
SDG 12 - Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns 
Direct
SDG 13 - Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts 
Indirect
SDG 14 - Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development 
Direct
SDG 15 - Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification and halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss 
Direct
SDG 16 - Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 
Indirect
SDG 17 - Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development 
Indirect
Theme
Traditional Knowledge  
Indirect
Agriculture 
Direct
Arts 
Indirect
Ecotourism 
Indirect
Forests/Trees 
Indirect
Plants & Animals 
Indirect
Waste 
Direct
Global Action Programme (GAP) on Education for Sustainable Development – Priority Action Areas
Priority Action Area 1 - Advancing policy 
Direct
Priority Action Area 2 - Transforming learning and training environments 
Direct
Priority Action Area 3 - Building capacities of educators and trainers 
Indirect
Priority Action Area 4 - Empowering and mobilizing youth 
Indirect
Priority Action Area 5 - Accelerating sustainable solutions at local level 
Direct
Update: 
No