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PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a menu of instruction methods for educators to increase engagement in sustainable practices. The paper also aims to assist those increasing the understanding of education for sustainable development, to the power of two‐EfSD2, through research and teaching.Design/methodology/approachThis paper provides a descriptive and analytical approach to the field of education for sustainable development. It includes a review of the relevant literature on stewardship and sustainable practices.FindingsThe paper provides a succinct summary of gaps to and remedies for sustainable development. It offers a comprehensive explanation of eight distinct approaches to education for sustainable development.Practical implicationsThe application of EfSD2 methods described in this paper have been found to increase productive results through enabling learners to grapple with and create solutions for real life sustainability problems. The paper proposes a more thorough testing of the various educational methods to assess their effectiveness in increasing sustainable practices.Originality/valueAs far as the author is aware, this paper is the first to compile this "tool kit" for EfSD2. It offers the reader new ways to interpret older techniques along with a plethora of instructional methods not previously consolidated to advance stewardship and sustainable practices.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate issues and concerns associated with sustainable development (SD) in Italy for different stakeholders, with a focus on the role of education. Cognitive maps for 49 individuals living in Italy have been developed and their differences analyzed and discussed with the aim of designing a seminar to foster mental and natural ecology and create awareness for SD ethics and values.Design/methodology/approachCognitive maps are used to delve into the concept of SD in Italy and to investigate what actions are needed to implement it. Respondents were asked separately to talk about their idea of SD.FindingsThe 49 interviews showed that all the actors consider fundamental the role of education, culture and way of thinking for the implementation of SD. An appropriate seminar has been designed as an educational process that completes the formal knowledge provided at school.Practical implicationsActions for future actions are indicated, i.e. to undertake the designed seminar in a local community in Italy as a pilot study and to promote it to administrations, companies, and groups.Originality/valueThe majority of the interviews express an explicit sense of resignation and cynicism as regards SD in action, but 41 out of 49 when showed the designed seminar declared the intention to attend it. This paper fulfils the need to have practical tools to reframe the way we think about the world and SD and act for it. Also, it gives a look at the concerns associated to SD and barriers to action in Italy.

PurposeTo describe a way of teaching industrial ecology (IE) and to show some tools that may help for the IE teaching.Design/methodology/approachIn the paper, the development of lectures, practical lessons and projects on real industrial ecosystems are described. Also the teaching materials used are described.FindingsThe presented methodology for teaching IE has been a good means for the understanding of the IE concept. Some of the educational tools presented have helped the students to increase their awareness of the distance between IE and the real industrial field, discover that there are a lot of by‐product exchange possibilities between industries, to develop their creativity, to connect the theory to practice in the industrial systems and have encouraged them to try to put the IE ideas into practice. This methodology has been useful for either small or big groups and for people with either the same or very different backgrounds. And it has been observed that the quality of the work is enhanced when the members of the group have different backgrounds.Practical implicationsThe paper shows methodologies and tools that may encourage and help other teachers/professors to use them in their IE lessons. It may also help IE researches to know which real examples and methodologies help students to understand IE concept. This could encourage them to develop projects and research in those directions.Originality/valueThe paper fulfils the need of knowing real experiences in IE teaching and their results. And in special, experiences that have been tested for a long period of time and with a great number of students. All the experiences described in the paper have been created and put into practice by the author.

"This handbook presents a must-read, comprehensive and state of the art overview of sustainable diets, an issue critical to the environment and the health and well-being of society. Sustainable diets seek to minimise and mitigate the significant negative impact food production has on the environment. Simultaneously they aim to address worrying health trends in food consumption through the promotion of healthy diets that reduce premature disability, disease and death. Within the Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Diets, creative, compassionate, critical, and collaborative solutions are called for across nations, across disciplines and sectors. In order to address these wide-ranging issues the volume is split into sections dealing with environmental strategies, health and well-being, education and public engagement, social policies and food environments, transformations and food movements, economics and trade, design and measurement mechanisms and food sovereignty. Comprising of contributions from up and coming and established academics, the handbook provides a global, multi-disciplinary assessment of sustainable diets, drawing on case studies from regions across the world. The handbook concludes with a call to action, which provides readers with a comprehensive map of strategies that could dramatically increase sustainability and help to reverse global warming, diet related non-communicable diseases, and oppression and racism. This decisive collection is essential reading for students, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers concerned with promoting sustainable diets and thus establishing a sustainable food system to ensure access to healthy and nutritious food for all"--

"This handbook presents a must-read, comprehensive and state of the art overview of sustainable diets, an issue critical to the environment and the health and well-being of society. Sustainable diets seek to minimise and mitigate the significant negative impact food production has on the environment. Simultaneously they aim to address worrying health trends in food consumption through the promotion of healthy diets that reduce premature disability, disease and death. Within the Routledge Handbook of Sustainable Diets, creative, compassionate, critical, and collaborative solutions are called for across nations, across disciplines and sectors. In order to address these wide-ranging issues the volume is split into sections dealing with environmental strategies, health and well-being, education and public engagement, social policies and food environments, transformations and food movements, economics and trade, design and measurement mechanisms and food sovereignty. Comprising of contributions from up and coming and established academics, the handbook provides a global, multi-disciplinary assessment of sustainable diets, drawing on case studies from regions across the world. The handbook concludes with a call to action, which provides readers with a comprehensive map of strategies that could dramatically increase sustainability and help to reverse global warming, diet related non-communicable diseases, and oppression and racism. This decisive collection is essential reading for students, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers concerned with promoting sustainable diets and thus establishing a sustainable food system to ensure access to healthy and nutritious food for all"--

This article offers a retrospective examination of the use of appreciative inquiry (AI) in a study on rural wellbeing. It provides a reflection on the rationale for choosing AI as a suitable methodology, critiques the application of AI in rural settings and considers its suitability for this inquiry into individual and community wellbeing. The article also considers the value of AI as a participatory research approach for community-university partnerships. A review of the literature on AI is distilled to examine the limitations as well as the utility of AI. Through an effective use of AI, communities of knowledge can be fostered and the knowledge of communities can be valued and harvested to enhance the wellbeing of rural communities.Keywords: appreciative inquiry, wellbeing, rural community, community-university partnerships

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to introduce the hypothesis that it is fruitful to study new areas within research for sustainability, through experimental education courses, that are based on international and multilateral (transcultural) learning processes.Design/methodology/approachThis way of introducing education into open research issues is presented throughout the experiences and the results of the DECOS campus network (Design in Emerging COntexts for Sustainability). This is an informal expert network on higher design education which involves university campuses from emerging and industrialized countries. The learning process established among those universities has been yearly assessed by the didactic observatory of the Politecnico di Milano University, considering also the feedbacks of the various involved professors.FindingsThe paper presents both the opportunities of such learning processes and the results actually achieved (designed) by the students, i.e. the students' sustainable system concepts.Practical implicationsThe described experience encourages its continuing and its further implementation and dissemination.Originality/valueThe originality this experience is due to the combination of both experimental education and open‐front research issues and design for sustainability with transcultural learning processes.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to focus on how two rural‐based universities in South Africa can contribute towards sustainable development especially in their immediate rural communities. It addresses the following questions: what conditions or policy frameworks exist that can engender a sustainable development trajectory? How can rural‐based universities reconstitute themselves so they can become effective agents for sustainable rural development? Historically, because of apartheid policies, these and other black universities were on the margins of the knowledge production process and have not effectively engaged in real development activities that would meaningfully improve the livelihoods of rural dwellers. The research identified policy and legislative instruments and strategies that can promote a dynamic interaction with other institutions thus empowering and promoting sustainability. The aim of the paper is to raise awareness about existing possibilities at the disposal of these institutions.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is the outcome of two research initiatives: one was a doctoral study by one of the authors, and the other was a study conducted at both universities. Both studies involved extensive interviews with a wide spectrum of stakeholders (local and provincial authorities, members of the business and university communities). Both also involved document analyses.FindingsThat rural‐based universities are advantageously situated and possess a variety of characteristics that can enable them to effectively contribute to sustainable development. These include their strategic location within the rural communities; reinventing their mission orientation so as to enhance their research capacity; expanding their intellectual/entrepreneurial/social capital; and the establishment of strong collaborative relationships.Practical implicationsThe first aim of the paper is to raise the awareness of policy makers and other stakeholders about the strategic value of these institutions. The awareness should lead to a series of engagements with appropriate individuals with the view to develop appropriate strategies for application.Originality/valueThe contribution of rural‐based universities to sustainable development has not been sufficiently researched in South Africa and, therefore, the study fills the gap by adding valuable knowledge, new perspectives, and presents possibilities for consideration.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present The School for Field Studies‐Center for Coastal Studies (SFS‐CCS) as a success story in sustainable development education. This success is based on a unique academic model, which incorporates sustainable development opportunities and challenges faced by the local community into the program curriculum, and research and technical contributions the Center has made towards sustainable development.Design/methodology/approachThe academic model includes a five year research plan, research projects, case studies and coursework, as well as community service and outreach activities – all of which are geared towards promoting ecosystem health and wise resource utilization of Magdalena Bay, in Baja California Sur, Mexico.FindingsThroughout the program, students work with clients/stakeholders in a professional setting, acting as collaborators, consultants, and participants in field research and problem solving. The community benefits through increased capacity for research and management of natural resources.Practical implicationsAn analysis of the key tenants contributing towards the success of SFS‐CCS in sustainable development, and recommendations for other institutions for adopting similar approaches, are provided.Originality/valueA description of the SFS‐CCS academic model and program curriculum is presented, followed by some highlights of successful sustainable development projects – including green sea turtle education and population monitoring, water quality improvement, and aquaculture development.

The twelve papers in this e-book emphasize the need for educational leaders across the globe to make fundamental changes in the ways they engage their students, faculty and community stakeholders to chart the course for sustainable societies and develop people with the skills to successfully make this transition. Meaningful education requires an organic relationship between educators, young people, their communities, and their personal and professional goals. Learning for sustainable development must not be segmented but integrative. To be effective it must challenge students to be alert to th

PurposeTo build awareness of an emergent global network of sustainability consortia, the network's Sustainability for the Americas (SFTA) regional cluster, its pilot US‐Brazil Sustainability Consortium (USBSC), its subsequent North American Sustainability, Housing and Community Consortium (NASHCC), the process through which these consortia are emerging and evolving to sustained implementation, planned parallel academic and project funding tracks, and models, tools and techniques used for knowledge transfer. To build awareness of an emergent global sustainability network of multi‐national consortia of universities and non‐institutional partners created to promote sustainability and innovation that connects people, ideas, and resources for a sustainable future; and to invite people interested in multi‐national partnering to enter into a dialogue that can lead to emergence of a multi‐national consortium.Design/methodology/approachThe paper establishes the need for key universities to lead society to a sustainable future. It builds understanding of the role of international partnering, global networking, global media networking, multi‐sector partnering, and sustainability consortia in this leadership. It identifies efforts of the Land Design Institute (LDI) at Ball State University and key partners to facilitate emergence of a global network of sustainability consortia. It reviews the model through which these consortia are emerging and evolving to sustained implementation, including the model's parallel academic and project funding streams. It focuses on the SFTA initiative, including its pilot consortium, as a case‐study in phased emergence and evolution to sustained implementation of these consortia. It presents the consortia model for integrating internal and external knowledge networks; and processes, tools, and techniques used by consortia to lead society to a sustainable future. It reviews the model's nested curricula and international collaborative partnership approach to building sustainability leadership. It builds on experiences to date in this pilot consortium to make suggestions for future consortia.FindingsPaper findings include the relative ease of consortium emergence, seeding, implementation start‐up, and acquiring academic funding; relative difficulty of achieving sustained implementation and project funding; increased awareness of the need for project seeding; and a new understanding of the catalytic benefits of consortia, including increased faculty interaction, development, and productivity including professional papers, journal articles, and proposals for external funding.Originality/valueThe paper fulfills the need for effective models, processes, tools and techniques for international partnering to lead society to a sustainable future.