Learning SD

LEARNING FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
FROM THE BALTIC SEA REGION
Editors:
Liisa Rohweder
Anne Virtanen
Critical elements
Activities for SD in higher education: For SD:
CONTEXT
r S es
SD trat
Integration
fo alu
D
in egi
V
Spatiality
SD in Time perspective
es
management Competence
practices MENTAL ASPECTS building for
Value clarification sustainable
Systemic thinking - Nature
Critical reflection - Life support
Motivation building - Community
Education Research
for SD ACTIVITIES
and
Partnerships
development
Cooperation &
for SD
communication
Participation

LEARNING FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
FROM THE BALTIC SEA REGION
Editors:
Liisa Rohweder
Anne Virtanen

The Baltic University Press, 2008
Nina Printhouse, Uppsala
ISBN 978-91-976494-3-8

Contents
Preface................................................................................................................................... 5
Ingrid Karlsson
To the reader ........................................................................................................................ 7
Liisa Rohweder & Anne Virtanen
1 ENHANCING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT................................................................. 9

1.1 Strategies and Concepts of Education for Sustainable Development ............................ 11
Liisa Rohweder, Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Finland
1.2 Baltic 21 Education – Connecting Education and Regional Sustainable Development
in the Baltic Sea Region................................................................................................. 17
Paula Lindroos, Åbo Akademi University, Finland
1.3 Sustainable Development – Some Challenges for the Higher Education Sector............ 23
Walter Leal Filho, TuTech Innovation, Germany
2 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN MANAGEMENT PRACTICES................................ 32

2.1 EMAS II in a Higher Educational Institution in Germany............................................. 39
Anke Zenker-Hoffmann, Markus Will & Bernd Delakowitz: University of Applied Sciences Zittau/
Goerlitz, and Walter Leal Filho: TuTech Innovation, Germany
2.2 ISO 14001 in a Higher Education Institution in Finland .............................................. 50
Tove Holm & Kristina Sahlstedt, Sydväst University of Applied Sciences, Finland
3 TEACHING AND LEARNING FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT............................ 60

Anne Virtanen & Liisa Rohweder
3.1 Experience on Sustainable Development in Higher Education in St.-Petersburg
in Russia........................................................................................................................ 67
Victor Ionov & Ksenia Shelest, St.-Petersburg State University, Russia
3.2 Curriculum Reformation for Sustainable Development in Finland................................ 76
Anne Virtanen, Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Finland
3.3 Methods to Teach Sustainability in a Business School in Germany................................ 85
Anja Grothe & Miriam Schmeling, Berlin School of Economics, Germany
3.4 The Role of Interdisciplinary Courses in Gaining Sustainable Education in Ukraine...... 98
Roman Zinko, Natalie Horal, Igor Lozovyj & Olexandr Makovejchuk, University of L´viv,
Ukraine
3.5 Ukrainian View to Ethics on the Way to Sustainable Development............................. 107
Natalie Horal’, University of L’viv, Ukraine
3.6 Dynamics of Sustainable Development – Karkonosze Mountains and Odra River
Valley in Poland........................................................................................................... 112
Karolina Królikowska, Piotr Magnuszewski & Jadwiga Magnuszewska, Centre for Systems
Solutions, Wroclaw, Poland and Jan Sendzimir, International Institute for Applied Systems
Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
3.7 Sustainable Development in Teacher Education in Estonia.......................................... 123
Tiina Elvisto, Tallinn University & Imbi Henno, National Examination and Qualification Centre
3.8 Preparing for an Oil Spill through Oil Combating Education in Finland..................... 130

4 RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT ............................................................................................................... 139
4.1 Planning and Implementing of Local Ecological Action Programmes (LEAP)
for the town of Zhovkva in Western Ukraine............................................................... 146
Iryna Kriba & Yuriy Zin’ko, Ivan Franko National University of L’viv, in Ukraine
4.2 The Working Group ”Sustainable Settlement Development” – an Instrument of
Participation within the Framework of Rural Settlement Development in the
Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin in Germany.................................................... 156
Juergen Peters & Kerstin Greve, University of Applied Sciences Eberswalde, Germany, and
Uwe Graumann & Sabine Pohl, Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin, Germany
4.3 Implementation of Policy Tools for Sustainable Forest Management in Estonia........... 169
Paavo Kaimre, Institute of Forestry and Rural Engineering, Estonian University of Life Sciences,
Estonia
4.4 The Educational-Scientific Centre as a New Possibility for Promoting Sustainable
Development in Karelia, Russia................................................................................... 177
Tatjana Regerand & Nikolay Filatov, Northern Water Problems Institute, Russia
5 INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS . ............................................................................................ 191

Liisa Rohweder and Anne Virtanen
Biographies........................................................................................................................ 205

Preface
The declaration of the years 2005-2014 as a Decade for Education for Sustainable
Development (for reference see the introduction by the editors of this book) by
the United Nations General Assembly was a strong reconfirmation of the impor-
tance and appropriateness of the Baltic University Programme (BUP) activities.
BUP started already 14 years before this declaration, in 1991. The network of to-
day has an extraordinary implementation strength with its more than 220 network
members of academic institutions in 14 countries. The merge with The Baltic Sea
Sustainable Development Network (BSSDN) has further increased the strength
of both networks and is a basis for an even stronger capacity to develop courses,
workshops, seminars and conferences on education for a sustainable development.
The book you now have in your hand, or on your computer screen, is the result
of practical work of both networks mentioned. It displays examples of sustainable
management practices, some course planners´ initial visions, teacher´s practical lec-
tures and out of classroom activities, students struggle to gain knowledge as well
as research and development work for sustainability. We believe that it is a unique
first step towards fruitful discussions and developments about WHAT sustainable
development in higher education could be in reality. The examples given show
that there are some features that education for sustainable development have in
common: a strong urge to include interdisciplinary issues, the inclusion of true par-
ticipatory methods of learning, and the acknowledgement that Nature/Ecosystems
give frames or limits to man´s activities.
As usual with book projects within the Baltic region networks, authors come
from all parts of the region. Without their enthusiasm and commitment this book
would never have been written. The BUP secretariat wants to acknowledge the
hard work put into this book by the authors and the two editors, Liisa Rohweder
and Anne Virtanen. We look forward to meet and discuss with you on how the ideas
in this book could be further developed, and wish you an interesting reading!
Ingrid Karlsson, PhD

The Baltic University Programme

To the reader
This publication, and the project underlying behind it, is the first joint outcome
of the two regional networks promoting sustainable development in higher educa-
tion in the Baltic Sea region. These networks are the Baltic University Programme
(BUP) and the Baltic Sea Sustainable Development Network (BSSDN). BUP has
totally more than 180 participating higher education institutions in the network
and BSSDN 35 institutions. Both networks support the regional and international
strategies for sustainable development, such as the Baltic 21E programme and the
UN Decade for education for sustainable development 2005-2014. The driving
forces for the networks are a common concern for the region and a common inter-
est to enhance sustainable development as well in teaching and learning as also in
regional development and research.
The basic idea for this development project was to join the forces of the two
networks and to enhance and stimulate dialogue among the partners of the two
networks in order to convey common awareness of the state-of-the-art and the best
practices relating to management practices and to education and research in the field
of sustainable development. The broad purpose of the project was to increase the
understanding about the challenges underlying for sustainable development. In ad-
dition, the aim was to raise innovative solutions to stimulate further actions through
increasing the relevance of teaching and research for the societal processes leading to
more sustainable patterns of life and through improving the quality and efficiency of
teaching and research. The general aims for this project arise thus from the global, re-
gional and local strategies and concepts of sustainable development and, in particular,
from strategies and concepts for education for sustainable development.
This publication is the outcome of the project described above. The publication
is divided to five sections. The first one, “Enhancing Sustainable Development”, starts
with an article which gives an outlook of the strategies and policies for sustainable
development in general and in specific in the Baltic Sea region. The two other
chapters of this part of the book raise the importance of networking. The second
theme of the publication, ”Sustainable Development in Management Practices”, looks
at management systems promoting sustainable development in higher education
institutions. Two proactive examples of integrating sustainable development into
management practices are given in this part of the book. The third part, “Teaching
and Learning for Sustainable Development”, concentrates on eight pedagogical ex-
amples from all around the Baltic Sea region. In the fourth section, “Research and
Development Projects Promoting Sustainable Development”, the focus is on how re-
search and development can be included as part of the learning process needed
in the transformation for a sustainable future. The publication concludes with a
section “Innovative Solutions”. The content of that section is based on the critical
factors and innovative solutions for sustainable development in higher education
that the project participants have raised in their articles and on the results of the
two collaborative and cooperative knowledge building workshops which were or-
ganized as part of the project.

Several experts on sustainable development have contributed to this publication,
either by producing an article or by participating in the workshops. The project idea
was launched in the seminars organized by the Baltic University Programme (Borki
Molo, Poland 21-25 March 2006) and by the Baltic Sea Sustainable Development
Network (Pskov, Russia 4-6 September 2006). After the seminars the experts in-
terested in joining the project presented their ideas for possible articles to describe
successful practices for sustainable development in higher education. Experts from
different countries were encouraged to formulate writing teams for sharing the
opinions and learning together. Individual experts and the teams formulated by
several experts were free to proceed with the accepted ideas, and thus, the opinions
and the proceedings presented in the articles are the writers’ own. This is of special
importance as there is no universal definition of sustainable development, nor a
universal model of how to promote sustainable development in higher education,
but it is of highest importance to open the eyes for solutions arising from multiple
cultural surroundings.
Based on the outcomes of the articles two constructive workshops were organ-
ized to conceptualize the ideas presented in them. The first workshop was organized
in Lodz, Poland (20-24 May 2007) and the other in Neubrandenburg, Germany
(10-12 October 2007). Participants of the workshops were the writers and other
experts joining the conferences. Totally 22 experts joined the first workshop and
19 the second one.
We hope our publication will incite a lively discussion on the challenges of pro-
moting sustainable development in higher education in general and in specific in
teaching and research and development groups of different institutions all around
the Baltic Sea Region. Sustainable development is an ongoing process, and thus the
ideas presented in this publication should not be seen as definite solutions to any of
the problems but as starting points for further fruitful development work.
Our role as project leaders has been to build a general framework for the project,
search for project partners and to produce a fruitful and open-minded atmosphere
for workshops and finally draw up the conclusions based on the articles and work-
shops. Our sincere thanks go to all individual experts that have contributed to the
contents of this publication either by producing an article or by contributing to the
workshops. Special thanks belong to the Baltic University Programme, The Baltic
Sea Sustainable Network, coordinated by Novia University of Applied Sciences &
The Finnish National Resource Centre for ESD in higher Education, coordinated
by Åbo Akademi University (both funded by the Finnish Ministry of Education),
Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences and Laurea University of Applied
Sciences for making this project posssible by offering the facilities needed and for
financing this joint book project.
Helsinki, 25.10.2007
Joint Project Managers

ENHANCING
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
1
The starting points for this project arise from the global, regional an local strate-
gies and concepts of education for sustainable development and from the aims
of the Baltic University Programme and the Baltic Sea Sustainable Development
Network as well as from the overall aims and challenges for promoting sustainable
development through networking. In this part of the publication the chapters are
arranged under three themes. As the first theme Liisa Rohweder addresses the
framework of educational policy. In the chapter the main strategies and concepts
underlying sustainable development are briefly presented. As a practical exam-
ple of launching policy statements into practice Finland’s national strategy for the
United Nation’s Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) will
be shortly described. The strategy is the first national DESD strategy in the whole
of Europe, and thus, it hopefully serves as a stimulating example for other coun-
tries. As the second theme Paula Lindroos writes about the implementation of
the Baltic 21E programme through networking. In the chapter both the Baltic
University Programme and the Baltic Sea Sustainable Development Network
are described and the importance of cooperation between these two networks is
addressed. Cooperation within such all-encompassing networks would combine
academic research and applied projects in a fruitful way, and sustainable develop-
ment could be enhanced both in research and in practice when implementing
regional development.
In the last chapter of this part of the book Walter Leal Filho outlines some of
the challenges to sustainability in tertiary education and research bodies. The paper
outlines seven challenges of the action needed to reach a ”velvet reform” of higher
education, orienting it towards sustainable development. These challenges, which
are also underlined in the development project in hand, are:
Challenge 1: Intensifying the dialogue on sustainability

Challenge 2: Increasing the participation of staff
Challenge 3: The dissemination of information and best practices
Challenge 4: Combining legal and regulatory requirements
Challenge 5: Involving and linking the administration and institutional organisation
Challenge 6: Raising support from the top
Challenge 7: Ensuring continuity of the work.
Hopefully, this publication will assist higher education institutions to find and
pursue the path of sustainability according to the seven challenges. However, based

on both the complexity of sustainability issues and its wide scope, the promotion
of sustainable development in the context of education as well as in research and
development is not a simple task. As Walter Leal Filho puts it: “There are many
challenges that are yet to be met”. For these challenges there need to be guiding poli-
cies and strategies as well as networks promoting the distribution of knowledge and
common understanding of the multitude character of sustainable development.
10
1.1 Strategies and Concepts of Education
for Sustainable Development
Having been in the political agenda for more than 30 years, sustainable development
can finally be seen as an important issue on international, regional and national
agendas in education policies. In this chapter the most remarkable policy guiding
conferences will be first described. After that regional strategies, such as the Baltic
21E Programme and the Finnish National Strategy of Education for Sustainable
Development, will be outlined as they have played an important role as the frame-
work for this project as well.
The international framework for sustainable development
For the first time, problems caused by unbridled development were discussed on a
global level at the UN conference in Stockholm 1972. This meeting raised the en-
vironmental concern on the international political agenda. On the agenda were e.g.
air and water pollution, the use of natural resources as well as environmental educa-
tion and communication. During the 1970’s the main focus was on environmental
issues. The shift from a concern for the environment to a concern for a sustain-
able development was a result of the foundation of the UN World Commission
on Environment and Development in 1983. The commission raised new themes
for discussion. Such themes were e.g. sustainable use of natural resources, threats
towards biodiversity, the question of equity and the justice of resources, issues
about participation and democracy, the economic dimensions of sustainability in-
cluding the poverty related issues in the developing countries and the value basis
of sustainability. Four years after its foundation, in 1987, the commission pub-
lished its famous report “Our Common Future” (Brundtland, 1987), the so called
“Brundtland Report”. The report launched the most commonly quoted definition
of sustainable development:
“Sustainable development is development which meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. From an edu-
cation point of view the following argument in the prologue was of the greatest
importance: ”The changes in attitudes, in social values, and in aspirations that the report
urges will depend on vast champagnes of education, debate and public participation”.
However, the definition of sustainable development given in the Brundtland re-

port is not easy to operationalise (see e.g. Lindroos & Cantell, 2007: 90). Difficulties
appear especially about the integration of the environmental, socio-cultural and
11
economical pillars of sustainable development. Most definitions characterize sus-
tainable development as an adjustment of the three relationships (Judes, 2005: 97;
Lindroos & Cantell, 2007: 90):
• The connection between human needs and nature’s capacity

• The connection between the needs of the poor and the rich (problem of
intra-generational equity)
• The connection between the needs of the present and those of the future
generations (problem of inter-generational equity).
Figure 1 illustrates the integrated approach to sustainable development and

pinpoints the present discourses of the realization of sustainable development,
namely the value base and the global ethics as well as intra- and inter generational
equity.
The Brundtland Report paved the way for the next meeting, which was United
Nation’s Earth Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The concrete outcome
of the conference was the Agenda 21 declaration and action plan. An important
outcome of the conference was the shift from only identifying environmental
and societal problems to trying to find solutions to them. The 36th chapter of
Agenda 21 (Agenda 21, 1992) is devoted to education, which offers an excellent
starting point for education for sustainable development. The chapter begins as
follows:
“Education is critical for promoting sustainable development (…) Both formal and
non-formal education are indispensable to changing people’s attitudes so that they have
the capacity to assess and address their sustainable development concerns.”
The next United Nations’s conference on sustainable development was held in

Johannesburg in 2002. In Johannesburg the interconnectedness of ecological, socio-
cultural and economical sustainability was the main theme and the emphasis was
on implementation. In addition to environmental issues for the first time also the
societal dimension of sustainable development was given a special emphasis. It was
recognized that without cooperation between all actors in society the way to a more
sustainable world can never be reached. The Summit also stressed the importance of
regional development and cooperation. As a concrete outcome of the Johannesburg
Summit for the education sector the United Nations General Assembly declared
years 2005-2014 as a Decade for Education for Sustainable Development (UNECE
Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development, 2005). The decade is coor-
dinated on an international level by UNESCO, which in turn lays the foundations
for national actions. The aim is that UNESCO supports states and organizations in
planning and implementing their own plans to further sustainable development.
However, UNESCO does not offer a generic and universe action plan, as it sees that
fostering sustainable development has to do with local social, cultural, economic
and ecological circumstances (Lindroos & Cantell, 2007: 89).
12
So usta
s
ci in
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y
al ab
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ai ic
bi
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su col
E
ilit
y
Values
Global thinking
Intra- and inter-
generality
Ec usta
y
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lit
ai l
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Figure 1. The holistic and integrated approach to sustainable development.
Education for sustainable development in the Baltic Sea region
The Baltic Sea region can be mentioned as a proactive region in promoting sus-
tainable development on a regional level. The Baltic Sea region has been acting
towards sustainable development on a political regional level since 1998, when
Baltic 21 Programme was launched (Agenda 21 for the Baltic Sea Region – Baltic
21, 1998). The Baltic 21 Programme can be seen as an implementation of Agenda
21 for the Baltic Sea region and later also for the Johannesburg Summit – the “Plan
of Implementation” and the United Nations Decade of Sustainable Development.
The aim of the Baltic 21 Programme is to promote sustainable development in
all the countries around the Baltic Sea. The Programme is divided into three parts,
which are joint actions addressing issues concerning several sectors, selected sector
actions addressing sector specific issues, and spatial planning actions addressing
spatial planning issues. Sectoral actions focus on agriculture, energy, fisheries, for-
ests, industrial, tourism and transport sectors (Agenda 21 for the Baltic Sea Region
– Baltic 21, 1998).
From the education point of view special importance lies in the Baltic 21E
Programme, which is a Baltic 21 Agenda sub-programme on education. The Baltic
21E Programme was launched in 2002 (An Agenda 21 for Education in the Baltic
Sea Region – Baltic 21E, 2002). The aim of that specific programme is to develop
the educational systems of the Baltic Sea region so that the various dimensions
of sustainable development become a natural and permanent component of the
education systems, including non-formal education. The Baltic 21E Programme
also contains goals and actions for research and development.
The Baltic University Programme as well as the Baltic Sea Sustainable Develop-
ment Network can be seen as concrete networks focusing on the launching of the
Baltic 21E Programme.
13
Baltic 21 E Programme UNECE ESD Strategy
Copernicus Charter
The Finnish National Strategy of Education for Sustainable Development
Guidelines for Finland's strategy for the

Decade of Education for Sustainable Development
Proposal for implementation
Basic and Vocational Liberal and

Higher
Secondary upper secondary adult
education
education education education
Figure 2. The Finnish National Strategy for SD in a political framework (Adapted from Sustainable develop-
ment in education…, 2006).
The Finnish national strategy of education for sustainable development
The aforementioned international and regional programmes can be concretized

with national strategies. In Finland, the committee on education for sustainable
development set up by the Ministry of Education wrote a launching plan for the
Finnish Baltic 21E Programme in 2002, and an action plan for the education sector
was put together in 2006. These documents were used as starting points for the
national strategy for the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable development
(DESD). The Finnish DESD policy comprises the following elements (Sustainable
development in education…, 2006):
1 The promotion of SD (including sustainable consumption and production)

in education at all levels)
2 Institutional commitment at policy, steering and practical levels
3 Ethical and integrated approach: all activities address the ecologic, economic,
social and cultural considerations as mutually supporting dimensions
4 Integration: the SD outlook is included in all activities
5 Staff development training
6 Interdisciplinary
7 Dissemination of information
8 Increased networking and other cooperation
9 Participation: empowerment of citizens
10 Research, postgraduate and continuing education programmes
11 The utilization of innovation.
14
1. Values of the institution
3. SD in curriculum
Global,
regional
and Pedagogy
local for
agendas SD
for SD:
- DESD
- Baltic 21E Nominated professor Knowledge Sustainable
- National or a principal lecturer Action future
strategies
etc.
- Future
needs for 4.
SD Research and development
actitivies
in the field of SD
2. SD in operative level of all activities
Figure 3. The main components of the Finnish national strategy for sustainable development.
In order to enhance the targets set by the UN and Baltic 21E programme, the
Finnish Ministry of Education launched a national strategy for the UN Decade
of Education for Sustainable Development as the first national DESD strategy
in the whole of Europe (Sustainable development in education…, 2006). Also
the University Charter for Sustainable Development, the so called Copernicus
Charter, is one of the backbones of the strategy. In the Copernicus Charter over
200 European universities commit themselves to enhance SD e.g. by promoting
sustainable consumer behavior and ecological responsibility. Figure 2 illustrates the
Finnish National Strategy of education for sustainable development (ESD) from an
education policy perspective.
According to the strategy the vision for the Finnish education system is that all
individuals can contribute to sustainable development which satisfies the needs
of today’s populations without jeopardizing the possibilities of future generations
to satisfy theirs. The promotion of ESD is founded on a holistic view of develop-
ment, which addresses the ecologic, economic, social and cultural dimensions. It
also presses the importance of values, global ethics and the problems underlying in
intra and inter generality.
As from the higher education perspective, the Finnish National Strategy for the
UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development is illustrated in Figure 3.
The backbones for the strategy are the aforementioned political statements. In
practice, the strategy states that higher education institutions should include the
niche of sustainable development into the value statements as well as into the
vision and strategy – and operate accordingly. That is to say that the idea of sus-
tainable development should be integrated both into management systems and
into curriculum and research and development work with the aim of empowering
sustainability in the society around the educational institutions.
15
According to the Finnish strategy of ESD special emphasis should be set to the
cooperation in the Baltic Sea region. Thus, the strategy can be seen as an impor-
tant promoter for this project as well. Accordingly the strategy has guided the
framework of this book project and hopefully it will serve as a good example of a
concrete way of promoting SD for other countries as well.
References
Agenda 21, 1992. http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/agenda21/index.htm (21 October

2007)
An Agenda 21 for the Baltic Sea Region – Baltic 21, 1998. Baltic 21 Series No 1/98. http://
www.baltic21.org/attachments/r1.doc (21 October 2007)
An Agenda 21 for Education in the Baltic Sea Region – Baltic 21E, 2002. http://www.baltic21.
org/attachments/no22002_education_sector_report.pdf (21 October 2007)
Brundtland, G. (ed.), 1987. Our common future: The World Commission on Environment and
Development. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Jüdes, U., 2005. Towards a culture of sustainability. In: Leal Filho, W. (ed.), Communicating
sustainability, 97-113. Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main.
Lindroos, P. & Cantell, M., 2007. Education for Sustainable Development in a Global
Perspective. In: Kaivola, T. & Melen-Paaso, M. (eds.), Education for Global Responsibility
– Finnish Perspectives, 85-96. Publications of the Ministry of Education 2007: 31. Helsinki
University Press, Helsinki.
Sustainable development in education; Implementing of Baltic 21E Programme and Finnish
strategy for the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014), 2006.
Reports of the Ministry of Education, Finland, 2006: 6. http://www.minedu.fi/julkaisut/in-
dex.html (21 October 2007)
UNECE Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development, 2005. http://www.unece.org/env/
documents/2005/cep/ac.13.2005.3.rev.1e.pdf (21 October 2007)
16
1.2 Baltic 21 Education – Connecting Education and Regional
Sustainable Development in the Baltic Sea Region
Paula Lindroos, Åbo Akademi University, Finland
The Baltic does not separate us — it joins us together, the Finnish President Tarja
Halonen said in her New Year speech on January 1st, 2008. And the President
continued: “At the same time, the Baltic Sea is the biggest environmental problem in
our own neighbourhood. We in the countries bordering the Baltic have a lot to gain by
addressing it, but also share a lot of responsibility... For my own part, I have wanted to
invite and encourage the nations of the Baltic to join in this cooperation. Prime Minister
Matti Vanhanen and I have sent a letter concerning this matter to the heads of state of
the countries bordering the Baltic Sea. I hope that visible political commitment will be
made to support the practical action required” (Halonen, 2008).
This concern for the environmental situation for the Baltic Sea as well as for the
economic and social development of the Baltic Sea region were also on the agenda
on 13th September, 2007, as a high level meeting of the Council of the Baltic Sea
States (CBSS) was held in Riga under the auspices of the Latvian Presidency. The
main objectives of the meeting focused on the role and possible contribution of
higher education and science in the promotion of sustainable development and
competitiveness in the Baltic Sea region.
In the discussions representatives from the Ministries of Education and Science
from the Member States of the CBSS; Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia,
Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia and Sweden reflected on the best ongoing prac-
tices as well as current and future challenges in the field of higher education and
science. Moreover, the meeting agreed that education is an area for concerted ac-
tion and improvement if the Baltic Sea region wants to meet the challenges and
use the opportunities of globalization, thus promoting the implementation of the
Lisbon Strategy goals.
In cooperation with the CBSS, the Baltic 21, or the Agenda 21 for the Baltic
Sea Region, is advancing sustainable development in the region. The Baltic 21
Education sector was launched in 2002 together with a strategy for education for
sustainable development (ESD). The Education sector has enhanced the work for
national strategies, action plans and curriculum development on ESD.
The Decade for ESD 2005–2014 and the Baltic 21E strategy
Based on a recommendation from the Johannesburg Summit in 2002, the UN

General Assembly proclaimed a consensus in December 2002 a United Nation
Decade for Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) 2005–2014, with
UNESCO as the lead agency to promote the Decade. In his follow-up report on
17
Agenda 21 in 2002, the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan writes: “Education
should provide students with the skills, perspectives, values, and knowledge to live
sustainably in their communities. It should be interdisciplinary, integrating concepts
and analytical tools from a variety of disciplines. Few successful working models
of education programmes for sustainable development currently exist” (Annan,
2004).
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Strategy
on Education for Sustainable Development, a DESD for Europe, was adopted in
March 2005 in Vilnius, Lithuania. This European DESD has been “constructed”
along the lines of the strategy for ESD adopted by the countries participating in the
Baltic 21 – the regional agenda 21 process for the BSR.
The implementation of the Baltic 21E strategy
The Baltic Sea region is the first region in the world that has adopted common
regional goals for sustainable development. These goals pave the road towards the
region’s sustainability and include an overall goal, goals for each of the eight Baltic
21 sectors and a goal for spatial planning. The east – west responsibility axis, sector
targets and sector implementation provide the foundation for the realisation of
ambitious goals. The emphasis is on regional co-operation, and the work is focused
on seven economic sectors (agriculture, energy, fisheries, forests, industry, tourism
and transport) as well as on spatial planning and, since 2002, on education.
On March 23–24, 2000, the Ministers of Education of the countries met in
Stockholm at the Haga palace, and as declared in the Haga Declaration, the
Ministers agreed to develop and implement an Agenda 21 for Education in the
Baltic Sea Region, and to recommend the Prime Ministers at the Baltic Sea State
Summit on April 12-13, 2000 in Kolding, Denmark, to enter Education as an ad-
ditional sector of crucial importance for sustainable development in the region.
Sector goals and actions were subsequently developed and included in the ”Agenda
21 for Education in the Baltic Sea Region – Baltic 21E” adopted by the CBSS
Ministers of Education in January 2002.
Since then the UNECE has developed an ESD-strategy for the Decade for
Education for Sustainable Development. This strategy – which is congruent with
the Baltic 21E programme – was adopted in Vilnius in March 2005. The work in
the education sector is coordinated by a Baltic 21 Education Sector Co-ordinating
Group. Lead Parties were during the first years Sweden and Lithuania, and since
July 2005, Finland and Lithuania together lead the process.
Main objectives of the Baltic 21E
The sector goals indicate how the development of the sector should contribute to
the objectives of the overall goal and to sustainable development in the Baltic Sea
Region (http://www.baltic21.org/?sasp,3#goal):
18
Overall goal for education: All individuals should have competence to support a
sustainable development that meets the needs of the present without compromising
on the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Education for sustain-
able development should be based on an integrated approach to economic, societal
and environmental development.
Goal for schools: The individual learner should have the knowledge, values and
skills to be active, democratic and responsible citizens and to participate in decisions
at individual, as well as at different levels within society, locally and globally, to
contribute to creating a sustainable society. Learners in vocational education should
also have skills and competencies relevant to their future professions.
Goal for higher education: The individual learner should have such skills and compe-
tence relevant to their future professions and future roles as decision-makers. Higher
education should also play an active role locally, nationally, and internationally in
enhancing knowledge and action competence regarding sustainable development
through research and education in cooperation with surrounding society
Goal for non-formal education: Learners are capable of influencing their life situa-
tion, taking part in societal development, and are aware of sustainable development
and learning for sustainable development
The vision is that these goals will be achieved by 2015, when the UN DESD
ends.
Methodology
The emphasis of the Baltic 21 Education sector programme is on strengthening the

capacity of knowledge building. The Action Programme for the Education Sector
is divided into a framework of action areas, which are common to the whole sector
(http://www.baltic21.org/?sasp,3#action):
• Policies and strategies – include the development of education of sustainable

development guidelines and promotion of international co-operation for
curricula, program and course development at all levels of education;
• Competence development within the education sector including actions to
increase the awareness of sustainable development issues among officials,
principals and staff, to support co-operation in BSR between educators,
researchers and practitioners to promote knowledge and skills in education
for sustainable development;
• Continuing education which includes sustainability related knowledge and
skills;
• Teaching and learning resources such as stimulate the production of educa-
tion for sustainable development material for schools, higher education and
training;
• Research on and development of education for sustainable development as well
as stimulate the dissemination of results of research on issues concerning.
19
Results and evaluation
The Baltic 21E programme aims at making sustainable development considerations

a natural and permanent part of the education systems in the Baltic Sea region. The
first step has been to develop national implementation plans for the programme in
each country and to identify elements and projects for common work. Financing of
the implementation is the responsibility of each country. Many of the proposed ac-
tions can be incorporated into ongoing development work in the education sector,
as ESD is not seen as an additional issue, but adds a new quality to education.
The implementation of the Baltic 21E has started in the eleven countries con-
cerned and with the primary aim to include ESD at the national level. Most countries
have introduced elements of sustainability in their educational laws or equivalent
documents, in pre-, primary, upper secondary and formal adult education. Higher
education is by nature autonomous which is why the inclusion of SD cannot be en-
forced in the same way as for other educational levels. At other levels of education
most countries have introduced SD in the curricula or equivalent documents for
education. Teachers´ education and interaction between educational institutions
and society are also aspects that have been analysed. Countries with decentralized
(or similar) educational systems, like Germany and Russia, encounter problems in
theses comparisons. When the ESD is rooted in the national systems it becomes
fruitful to continue at the regional level, and the work will build on the work of
existing EE and ESD networks in the region.
The implementation work started in 2002. Most countries have translated the
Baltic21E strategy into their national languages. National intergovernmental bod-
ies have been set up in many countries and development of national actions plans
are under way. There remains work to be done regarding networking with other
actors in society. One of the strengths e.g. in Finland is that ESD is included as one
of the themes in the national core curricula for primary and secondary education.
The weakness is, however, that the national core curricula must be implemented in
the municipalities and the local schools and here the teachers are in a key position;
there would be an urgent need to strengthen the position of ESD in the Finnish
teacher training in order for us to meet this challenge.
In higher education the Baltic Sea regional university network, the Baltic
University Programme (www.balticuniv.uu.se), can be used as a resource for ESD
both for international, regional and national purposes. The Programme activities
include the production of new courses and study materials. A special website dedi-
cated to ESD is also maintained (www.balticuniv.uu.se/esd).
We know already know that our biggest challenge for the future relate to the
need to increase the commitment to ESD of key stakeholders, such as politicians,
high level civil servants, professors and teachers at all levels of the educational
system. More commitment is needed in order to be able to fund and also find time
both in the curricula and in the teacher’s time schedule for ESD activities in the
future.
The Finnish vision and strategic lines for ESD in the education system are based
on national education policy documents, the Baltic 21E programme, the ESD strat-
20
egy of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and the
University Charters for Sustainable Development. It is no exaggeration to say that
the promotion of sustainable development is an integral part of the objectives of
Finland’s education policy.
Universities for sustainability
The above mentioned CBSS high level meeting also expressed support to the ac-
tivities of the Baltic University Programme as a focal point in the region for higher
education on sustainable development. The Programme has made valuable contri-
butions through courses and projects since 1991 when the first satellite mediated
course was produced. The Programme has developed into one of the largest uni-
versity networks and it focuses on regional aspects of sustainability, with the Baltic
Sea region in the forefront. National centres in all BSR countries coordinate the
activities and participate in the development of the Programme together with the
coordinating secretariat at Uppsala University. Over the years the centres have de-
veloped considerable expertise in sustainable development. Strengthening of these
centres in each country would be an important task in order to increase impact and
visibility of ESD in higher education. Finland has – as a forerunner – supported the
centre with project funding since 2004.
UNESCO does not offer a ready-made, universally applicable plan of action for
the implementation of the DESD, as sustainable development is intricately tied to
local social, cultural, economic and ecological circumstances. Generally speaking,
one can say that in order to learn about sustainable development one must be
acquainted with several different branches of science. Learning about sustainable
development is guided by a principle of organizing science and at the same time
focusing on the problem solving capabilities of the students. Sustainability science
is often defined as a systems study, where the system to be studied is the nature-
society system. Therefore education needs to emphasize a systems understanding,
in parallel with management skills, handling of conflicting interests and ethics.
According to the traditional division in academic institutions, however, research
which is multi- or interdisciplinary becomes even more problematic than multi- or
interdisciplinary education. The first problem is the divide between the cultures
of different disciplines. This cultural gap is wider the longer the distance between
the academic disciplines is. The second gap is between research and application,
where traditions and systems for cooperation with the surrounding society often
are lacking.
Easy to agree on is the fact that the most central position in the education strat-
egy for sustainable development is the improvement of the human capital and that
this is a prerequisite for all other sustainable development strategies.
The CBSS high level meeting in Riga considered the role of higher education
most important in the sectors of resource, energy and demand management, sus-
tainable production and development, all subjects which are essential to meet the
global challenges. At the same time higher education institutions should also in-
21
crease their role and responsibility towards sustainable development and act as
models of sustainable development by implementing and promoting principles of
sustainable development.
References
Annan, K., 2004. Education for sustainable development. Conference proceedings. Learning to
change our world. Göteborg 4-7.5.2004.
Baltic 21 – an Agenda 21 for the Baltic Sea Region. http:www.baltic21.org
Baltic 21 Education sector goals. http://www.baltic21.org/?sasp,3#goal
Baltic 21 Education sector action programme. http://www.baltic21.org/?sasp,3#action
Baltic University Programme. http://www.balticuniv.uu.se
Baltic University Programme webpage for ESD. http://www.balticuniv.uu.se/esd
Halonen, T., 2008. We need to share responsibility for the Baltic Sea. The President´s New Year
Speech 1.1.2008. http://www.tpk.fi/english/
22
1.3 Sustainable Development – Some Challenges for the Higher
Education Sector
Walter Leal Filho,TuTech Innovation, Germany
Much has been said and written about the subject issue of sustainable development
and about the implementation of sustainability principles into higher education.
Sustainability is no longer seen as a vague concept or issue, but as a matter of global
and real concern. This degree of evolution has been especially visible in Europe,
where the subject matter of sustainable development is one of the scientific issues
listed in Europe´s Framework Programmes (FPs). Both in FP6 (2000-2006) and now
in FP7 (2007-2013), several hundred million Euros are earmarked to sustainability
research, whose topics spread across many (traditional) fields. However, based on
both the complexity of sustainability issues and its wide scope, the promotion of
sustainable development in the context of university programmes, research or ex-
tension work is not a simple task. There are challenges that are yet to be met.
This paper will outline some of the challenges to sustainability to Universities,
Colleges and other tertiary education and research bodies. It will also consider their
impact to current attempts to establish a sustainability thinking in the context of
mainstream university programmes.
Background
Unless one was living in a remote area, without any connection to the outside
world for the past 25 years or so, it would be difficult not to have heard of the UN
Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil in 1992 or the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in
South Africa in 2002. The main outcomes of these events, namely Agenda 21 (UN,
1992) and the Obuntu Declaration are also well known and have placed the con-
cept of ”sustainability” and the term ”sustainable development” in the international
scientific debate.
Yet, the extent to which sustainability as both a concept and as a goal has been
formally and seriously discussed in higher education is still limited. This poses a ques-
tion as to whether or not, twenty-five years after Rio, the higher education sector will
eventually catch-up with the scientific thinking that some of its own employees (i.e.
research assistants and professors) promote and as to whether, one day, sustainability
will be part of academic life, just like evaluation and quality of teaching are.
Throughout this paper, instead of using the definition of the Brundtland
Commission, which states that sustainable development entails a wise use of natural
resources today so that they are available for future generation (Brundtland, 1987),
a specific definition of sustainable development at university level is proposed:
23
”Sustainable development at university level may be defined as the set of measures put
into place to ensure that the various activities carried out as part of the university busi-
ness are ecologically sound, environmentally conscious and socially just.”
According to this definition, the higher education sector should stop conducting
its activities through irrational waste of paper, energy and other resources – which
in the end cost them a great deal of money – moving instead towards financial,
accountancy and purchase policies which minimise their already significant impact
on the use of environmental resources.
Current trends
Excepting perhaps for financial and political changes – or reforms as it is the case
of the debates which take place from time to time in universities round the world
– few themes give reason for as heated a debate as the question of whether or not
to make universities work on a sustainable way. One reason for this is the fact that
the concept of sustainability does not find yet wide acceptance as a concept per se,
since it is commonly seen as:
1 Abstract
2 Unrelated to the curriculum or, at best, difficult to fit in the curriculum
3 Difficult to integrate to good management practice
4 Polemic
5 Implies in expensive measures.
This state of affairs happens parallel to the fact that expressions such as sus-
tainability is frequently seen as competing with terms such as environmental
conservation, already fairly well-established in some professions. These views,
which reflect all but a few of the negative items usually mentioned when one
refers to sustainability at universities, are progressively changing for at an increas-
ing number of universities. Sustainable development at university level is not only
increasingly been seen as ethically correct, but also makes financial sense both on a
European wide context (Commission of the European Communities, 1992) and at
the higher education sector (Candy & Crebert, 1991; Leal Filho, 2002; 2005; Leal
Filho & Carpenter, 2006).
Back to 1992, a government-appointed panel in the United Kingdom was
commissioned to perform an analysis of the ways through which environmental
education and sustainability was practised in universities. The panel came up with
a set of useful recommendations, which were summarised in a document titled
”Environmental Responsibility: an Agenda for Further and Higher Education”
(HMSO, 1992) and a proposed time-table for action. After the given deadline, a
follow-up analysis of progress was undertaken and a number of projects developed.
Despite the fact that developments have been seen in some areas, the overriding
majority of universities took little or no action at all in implementing the panel’s
24
recommendations. The same applied to the various documents that followed it. A
question one may ask is: how come that such good ideas and suggestions have been
virtually ignored by so many universities?
The answer to the question posed by the above experience, which is as actual to-
day as it was back to 1992 and which can be compared to other examples elsewhere
in Europe is not easy, since there are various factors which may have negatively
influenced the process. Part of the problem in finding acceptance to sustainability
measures today is the fact that some of them are perceived to be translated into
expenditures. This is the case across Europe today. Since there are often no finan-
cial incentives for action and no penalties for not taking action, in other words no
carrots and no sticks, some universities have preferred to adopt the wait and see
approach, instead of actively getting involved with sustainability efforts.
It does not have to be like that. The literature contains many examples of ini-
tiatives aimed at implementing a sustainable development dimension as part of
university programmes (e.g. Leal Filho et al., 1996). Despite the various approaches
illustrated in such publications, there are some basic problems which still remain.
One of them is the difference between classical and current approaches to sustain-
ability. Table 1 illustrates some of these approaches, pointing out at the same time
to their future directions.
It has to be acknowledged that similarly to what happens in other fields, sustain-
able development is an ever-changing field, whose evolution is strongly influenced
by a combination of social, political, economic and indeed environmental events.
Research into aspects of sustainability therefore, need to consider these elements
in an integrated way and not in separate as has happened before.
Table 1. Traditional and modern views of sustainability in higher education.
Item Traditional view Modern view
Interest Low High and on the increase

Usefulness of sustainability Insignificant Very important
Penetration of sustainability in society Minimum Wide, with more and more people
interested
Financial benefits of sustainability None Significant, due to savings in costs
Ethical value of sustainability None Great, since higher education should
also be conscious of its impact
Relevance of sustainability to the curriculum Minimum Significant, since various subjects can
have a sustainability component
Political relevance of sustainability None High, since it is an actual and widely
debated theme
Prospects of sustainability Bleak Bright, since more and more institu-
tions are joining the debate
Thematic links of sustainability Environmental Holistic, with natural and social sci-
ences working together
Time dimension of sustainability short term fashion A theme which shall be debated for
years to come
25
The role of networking
Networking in the field of sustainable development has always been acknowledged

and seen as a positive thing. Sustainable Development Networks may be coalitions
of individuals and non-governmental organizations who believe that sustainable
development is about empowering people, promoting progress, eliminating poverty
and achieving environmental protection by means of joint efforts. There are dozens
of sustainability networks worldwide, some with a thematic focus and some with
a clear remit (e.g. policy-making or research). Some of the current sustainability
networks which have a university involvement are:
• The Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development

(nrg4SD): it was launched in 2002 during the World Summit on Sustainable
Development, which took place in Johannesburg. The nrg4SD Network
aims to be a voice for, and to represent regional governments at the global
level, promoting sustainable development and partnerships at the regional
level around the world. Internet site: http://www.nrg4sd.net/pags/AP/
• Sustainable Development Research Network: a network which aims to
contribute to sustainable development in the UK by encouraging the better
use of evidence and research in policy-making. Membership of SDRN is
free and open to all. Internet site: http://www.engineeringtalk.com/news/
smk/smk000.html
• The Global Network on Energy for Sustainable Development (GNESD):
a UNEP facilitated knowledge network of developing world Centers of
Excellence and network partners. The main objective of GNESD is to work
for reaching the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). Internet site:
http://www.gnesd.org/
• The Sustainable Development Networking Programme: the SDNP is coor-
dinated by UNDP, the UN Development Programme and has supporting
sustainability initiatives by operating at the country level, launching and
supporting local Internet sites, and building national capacities and knowl-
edge resources. Internet site: http://www.sdnp.undp.org/
• The Sustainable Development Communications Network (SDCN): SDCN
is a group of leading civil society organizations seeking to accelerate the
implementation of sustainable development through broader, integrated in-
formation and communications about what we know. The network focuses
its efforts on integrating Internet communications into broader communica-
tion strategies. Internet site: http://www.sdcn.org/
• The SD Gateway: the network, led by the Canadian Agency Cooperation
and IDRC, integrates the on-line information developed by members of the
Sustainable Development Communications Network, a scheme launched
by CIDA and IDRC. In addition to over 1,200 documents available in SD
Topics, it provides services such as a calendar of events, a job bank, the
Sustainability Web Ring, a roster of mailing lists and news sites dealing with
26
In addition to these examples, there are also other good examples of sustainability
networks. One of most interesting of them is offered by the Regional Centres of
Expertise (RCE), coordinated by the United Nations University. The other two impor-
tant ones, Baltic University Programme (BUP) and Baltic Sea Sustainable Development
Network (BSSDN) are described in other chapters of this publication.
The Regional Centres of Expertise (RCE) scheme consists of local/regional net-
works or modes, in the context of which joint works are performed. An RCE is
a network of existing formal, non-formal and informal education organizations
aiming to deliver education for sustainable development (ESD) to a regional/local
community. RCEs aspire to achieve the goals of the UN Decade of Education for
Sustainable Development (DESD, 2005-2014), by translating its global objectives
into the context of the local/regional community in which it operates.
As stated by the UN University, RCEs and their network worldwide will consti-
tute the ”Global Learning Space for Sustainable Development”. This learning space
includes international academies of science, institutions of higher education and
policy makers, who work together to develop the human resources base – educators,
professionals and researchers – in developing countries but also in industrialised
nations, which is necessary to activate and sustain the application of science and
technology for sustainable development. Activities of the Global Learning Space
may involve curriculum development, north-south networking, strategic planning
in educational planning and policy, capacity building in problem-based scientific
research, and learning and other programmes.
An RCE should have four elements:
1 Governance – addressing issues of RCE management and leadership

2 Collaboration – addressing the engagement of actors from all levels of for-
mal, non-formal and informal education in RCE activities
3 Research and development – addressing the role of R&D and its inclusion
in RCE activities, as well as contributing to the design of strategies for col-
laborative activities, including those with other RCEs
4 Transformative education – contributing to the transformation of the current
education and training systems to meet local/regional goals of sustainable
living and livelihood.
As far as stakeholders are concerned, an RCE is composed of a network of:
• Actors in the formal, non-formal and informal education sectors (school teach-
ers, professors at higher education institutions, researchers, NGOs, media),
• Providers of content for ESD (scientists, researchers, museums, zoos, botani-
cal gardens),
• Supporters of the delivery of ESD (local government officials, representatives
of local enterprises, volunteers, media people, and any other civic associations
or individuals who work in spheres of sustainable development such as eco-
nomic growth, social development, and environmental protection), and,
• Students and learners at all levels.
27
In terms of its functions, RCEs bring together organizations at the regional/local
level to jointly promote ESD. They build innovative platforms to share informa-
tion and experiences and to promote dialogue among regional/local stakeholders
through partnerships for sustainable development. This leads to the creation of a
local/regional knowledge base to support ESD actors, thereby contributing to the
four major goals of ESD in a resource-effective manner. These four goals are to:
1 Re-orient education towards sustainable development (SD), covering exist-

ing programmes/subjects from the point of ESD and designing an integrated
SD curricula. ESD programmes are tailored to address issues and local con-
text of the community in which they operate;
2 Increase access to quality basic education that is most needed in the regional
context;
3 Deliver training programmes for all levels of society and to develop method-
ologies and learning materials for them;
4 Lead advocacy and awareness raising efforts on the importance of educators
and the essential role of ESD in achieving a sustainable future. RCEs pro-
mote the long-term goals of ESD, such as environmental stewardship, social
justice, and improvement of the quality of life.
Seven pioneer RCEs were launched at the UNU-UNESCO Conference on

Globalization and ESD in June 2005 and these are:
• Barcelona, Spain
• Greater Sendai, Japan
• Okayama, Japan
• Pacific Island Countries (including Melanesia, Polynesia and Micronesia
• Penang, Malaysia
• Rhine-Meuse+ region (covering the cities of Eindhoven in the Netherlands,
Leuven in Belgium and Cologne in Germany)
• Toronto, Canada
More RCEs have been acknowledged since the Conference – RCE Tongyeong
(Korea), RCE Jordan, RCE Yokohama (Japan), and RCE Cebu (Philippines).
Seven challenges to universities
As seen so far in this paper, the current approach of the majority of higher educa-
tion institutions to sustainability as a whole is still “lasser faire”, whereby the line
of thinking “let’s wait and see” still takes precedence to the approach ”hey, let’s do
something about it”. This might of course change in five or ten years time, but the
present state of affairs leaves no room for greater optimism.
On that basis, unless some real and indeed basic changes are implemented, sustain-
ability as both a concept and as a goal – despite the differences seen in industrialised
and developing countries and even within countries themselves – is unlikely to be
28
part of academic life in the near future, although it is virtually unavoidable that
society and students’ demands will oblige universities to think very carefully about
the disadvantages of taking no action. Networks such as Copernicus-Campus or
RCEs may help to change this state of affairs, but they are no replacement to local
engagement.
Previous experiences have shown that reforming higher education as a whole
is not an easy task, neither within higher education institutions themselves, nor at
country level. Any reform which intends to succeed should therefore be realistic,
specific and should come from the inside so as to yield maximum results. This poses
therefore presents seven challenges that need to be overcome in order to allow
sustainability to be permanently placed in a central position in higher education.
Challenge 1: Intensifying the dialogue on sustainability

At present, sustainability is often seen as a ”monster” which once released may get
out of control and lead to problems. There is thus a perceived need to promote the
debate on sustainability, outlines its potentials, its limitations and the implications
of pursuing such a path. Well too often the positive aspects of sustainability and its
advantages to a specific university are not outlined, which leads to misinformation
and breeds confusion. Increased dialogue may help to minimise the problem.
Challenge 2: Increasing the participation of staff

An increased dialogue may but does not necessarily always need to increase staff
participation on environmental affairs. In that context, initiatives targeted to the
involvement of staff on sustainable development may provide a boost towards
pursuing it more vigorously. The establishment of links between environmental
conservation, sustainability and purchases of products is one of the ways of increas-
ing staff participation in environmental affairs and to widen the perception of what
sustainability is.
Challenge 3: The dissemination of information and best practices

If there are good examples illustrating how advantageous the promotion of sus-
tainable development is, they should be disseminated. Successful stories raise the
morale and show what can concretely be done, gathering momentum for further
initiatives. Unfortunately educationalists and environmentalists alike are too modest
in talking about their achievements, preferring instead to limit the dissemination of
their successes among small groups or selected sectors. This is counter-productive,
since the wider dissemination of information on what can realised may encourage
others to take action.
Challenge 4: Combining legal and regulatory requirements

There are various rules and regulations governing the activities of higher education
institutions, including in the environmental field. These should be looked at and
areas of focus should be identified. The use of water, heating and electricity can
usually be easily reviewed, giving a good basis to the identification of wastes and
the preparation of recommendations as to how to prevent them.
29
Challenge 5: Involve and link the administration and institutional organisation
The financial personnel, the administration officials, hand workers and even grounds
men have a potential impact on the environment and by linking them, suitable
opportunities for action may be created. A higher education institution which de-
cides to buy CFC-free cleaning products or which decides to switch to the use of
recycled paper will need to have the back-up of those at the administration and
planning level. This support should be pursued.
Challenge 6: Raising support from the top

It is important to involve the heads of higher education institutions (i.e. Presidents,
Rectors) and their senior staff in attempts to promote sustainability. The decisions
made by university administrators need to take into account the long-term benefits
of sound environmental conservation and sustainable development policies and
they should be involved in the process. Unfortunately some initiatives aimed at
promoting sustainable development at higher education institutions have failed
because they have not succeeded in obtaining support ”from the top”.
Challenge 7: Ensuring continuity of the work

Results are not usually reached within a short time-span and it is in this context
important to take notice of the need to give time for things to work out. A policy
on energy saving may show its results after a few months and even the change of
purchases towards recycling materials will not be conspicuous in the balance sheet
for some time. The work needs to be persistently continued so that its results can
be reached and can be kept on a long-term basis.
To this list of challenges one should add the participation and involvement of
students, which are in fact the reason d’etre of higher education institutions. There
are various recommendations being made at the European level to involve stu-
dents more and more in university initiatives, sustainable development providing
a highly exciting area where students’ input can indeed make a difference. Due to
their nature, opinions and suggestions proposed by students do not always carry
the weight they should, but there are strong evidences that well-balanced and
coordinated student inputs are likely to be taken into account seriously and this
provides the basis for action on the ground among those who can, should and shall
exert a significant influence on a university’s life.
Conclusions
The seven challenges outlined in this paper provide an overview of the action
needed to reach a velvet reform of higher education, orienting it towards sustain-
able development. As earlier stated, there is a degree of inertia at present, which is
due to the hesitation seen among universities to get those badly needed changes on
the move. Achieving sustainable development will require major policy decisions
from higher education institutions, decisions which vary from reducing energy con-
30
sumption through energy management and energy savings, to the promotion of an
environmentally sound purchase policy. Decisions which should take place on the
policies to be followed, need to be made not only on the basis of their cost-effec-
tiveness, but also on the basis of their impact on the environment.
Due to their practical nature and the fact that they do not necessarily need to
be expensive, the suggestions listed in this paper may be helpful in assisting higher
education institutions to find and pursue the path of sustainability.
References
Brundtland, G. (ed.), 1987. Our common future. The World Commission on Environment and
Candy, P.C. & Crebert R.G., 1991. Ivory tower to concrete jungle: the difficult transition
from the academy to the workplace as learning environments. The Journal of Higher Education,
62(5):570-592.
Commission of the European Communities, 1992. Towards sustainability. CEC, Brussels.
HMSO, 1992. Environmental responsibility: an agenda for further and higher education. HMSO,
London.
Leal Filho, W., Padgham, J. & MacDermott, F.D.J., (eds.), 1996. Implementing sustainable devel-
opment at university level. CRE, Geneva.
Leal Filho, W. (ed.), 2002. Teaching sustainability at universities: towards curriculum greening.
Peter Lang Scientific Publishers, Frankfurt.
Leal Filho, W. (ed.), 2005. Handbook of sustainability research. Peter Lang Scientific Publishers,
Frankfurt.
Leal Filho, W. & Carpenter, D. (eds.), 2006. Sustainability in the Australasian university context.
Peter Lang Scientific Publishers, Frankfurt.
UN, 1992. The United Nations conference on environment and development: a guide to Agenda
21. UN Publications Office, Geneva.
31
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
IN MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
2
In addition to integrating elements of sustainable development into education and
research, the management practices such as everyday decision-making and working
procedures of higher education establishments should be in line with the principles
of sustainable development. This is important, because sustainable development is
about assuming responsibility for all actions and making a conscious effort to pro-
mote such actions in all areas of life. These actions are closely linked to the values
and attitudes of people working in the organizations. A responsible organizational
culture and a curriculum with a niche for sustainable development serve as practi-
cal demonstrations to students on how to favour a more responsible manner of
living and working.
The cultures of higher education institutions have slowly formed over the years.
Many procedures have become self-evident. They guide the working of teachers,
researchers and other personnel, including management. Typically no-one is partic-
ularly keen on questioning their basis. Higher education institutions should realize,
however, that they can have a huge positive impact on sustainable development.
After all, higher education establishments are an indistinguishable part of the society
around them and they can act as pioneers in promoting sustainable development.
In this part of the book two examples of how sustainable development can
be included in the organizational practices and culture of higher education in-
stitutions will be presented. The first example is from the University of Applied
Sciences Zittau/Goerlitz, which is located in Germany, and the second one of
Sydväst University of Applied Sciences, which is located in Finland.
Activities for SD in higher education:
Background:
SD trat
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in egi
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- DESD
SD in
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- Baltic 21E
- National management
strategies practices
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Sustainable
- Future
needs for future
SD
Research
Education and
for SD development
for SD
32
In the German case Anke Zenker-Hoffmann, Markus Will, Bernd Delakowitz
and Walter Leal Filho demonstrate the experiences and practical examples from the
University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Goerlitz, which is the first institution of higher
education in Germany with a validated and registered environmental management
system (EMS). In the institution EMS has been built according to the EMAS II re-
quirements. It is considered to be an instrument of competitiveness and a safeguard
for the university’s profiling in addition to an improved image, cost and resource
efficiency. Writers also point out that the management system plays a significant
role in the motivation of students and staff. But how to reach doubters and people
not committed to sustainability? As a solution the writers point out e.g. the practical
approach to sustainable development through an integrated management system.
Students have been involved in internal audits or in finding “hot spots” through
measuring the environmental performance of the university. Involving and active
participation are the most important critical elements raised in the case.
In the Finnish case Tove Holm and Kristina Sahlstedt illustrate the process leading
to the ISO 14 001 certificated management system. The writers give many illustrative
examples of how the process was carried out and what were the biggest challenges dur-
ing the process. In Sydväst , the environmental, economic, social and cultural aspects of
sustainable development are linked to the curriculum as the management system mainly
focuses only on environmental aspects according to the ISO 14 001 management system.
One of the biggest challenges raised in the article is the movement from an environmen-
tal management system to a sustainable development management system where all the
aspects of sustainability have the same weight. Thus, the holistic approach to sustainable
development can be seen as the most important critical element raised in this article.
Sydväst University of Applied Sciences is the first Finnish university of applied
sciences to integrate a certificated management system to the whole institution.
However, there are several other universities in Finland, as well, which have an envi-
ronmental management system, such as Kymenlaakso University of Applied Sciences,
which operates according a non certificated ISO 14 001 management system, and
Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, which has had a certificated ISO 14
001 system since 2003 in one of its units and a certificated Green Office certified by
WWF in one unit since 2005.
The introductory chapter raises the importance of the organizational culture
related aspects in the process of a more sustainable higher education institution.
The chapter illustrates phases and challenges of the transition which are evident in
the process for sustainability. Also the writers from University of Applied Sciences
Zittau/Goerlitz and from Sydväst University of Applied Sciences point out the chal-
lenges of internal and external forces of change, resistance to change, motivation,
communication and training of the personnel.
Implementing sustainable development in an organizational culture
In a postmodern world, pathways towards sustainable higher education institutions

are unlikely to develop without friction, controversy and conflict as we live in a
33
pluralistic society, characterized by multiple actors and diverging interests (see also
Wals & Corcoran, 2006: 103). Promoting sustainable development needs most evi-
dently changes in organizational settings (e.g. Martin & Dave & Jucker, 2006: 61;
Mulder & Jansen, 2006: 69). Many researchers in the field of business administra-
tion also agree that the responsible attitude needed for sustainable development
can only be induced through a change in an organization’s culture (e.g. Halme,
2004) According to the UNSECO’s research report (Holmberg & Samuelsson,
2006: 65) one of the major barriers to successful embedding of sustainable de-
velopment in higher education is the perceived irrelevance by academic staff (see
also Rohweder, 2001:143; 2004:175). They also point out the need for change in
an organisational culture. Such a cultural transformation is slow at best, and can-
not be kept apart from changes happening in society. The next chapter gives an
introduction about ways in which the organizational culture of higher education
institutions can be directed into being more favourable towards the promotion of
The different phases of change in an organizational culture
Certain phases can be extracted from the process of change towards a more
sustainable development friendly organizational culture. It is useful to identify
the main characteristics of each phase even though they partly overlap and no
clear lines of demarcation can be drawn between them. The process of change
can be divided into the following phases (see also Halme, 2004: 146; Rohweder,
2003: 86): 1) internal and external forces of change, 2) resistance to change, 3)
transition phase, and 4) accepting sustainable development as part of normal
practices.
1) Internal and external forces of change

Many researchers agree that responsible practices that have been imposed from
the outside will only lead to superficial changes in an organization. Therefore, it
is reasonable to say that e.g. in Finland, unless the goals imposed by the Finnish
Ministry of Education regarding the promotion of sustainable development be-
come internalized goals of the higher education institutions, they cannot genuinely
promote sustainable development. Let us take as an example the adoption proc-
ess of an environmental management system. If there is internal enthusiasm for
adopting the environmental management system it can in the best of cases serve
as a source of inspiration for both personnel and students in their work. If, on
the other hand, the environmental management system is only taken on due to
outside pressure, it can in the worst of cases become a burden on the shoulders of
those responsible for enforcing it. In that case it only becomes a system that must
be updated yearly, a system that barely no-one in the organization has a very clear
idea of in terms of the goals or content – or even of its very existence. The same
applies to curricula. You can add separate courses on sustainable development to
the curriculum, and leave it up to the teachers and researchers who are enthu-
34
siastic enough about it. It is not a bad idea to start with, but it is not enough to
promote the original idea of sustainable development, which is to ingrain a sense
of responsibility in all learning, action and decision-making.
2) Resistance to change
Reluctance to accept change is typical of any organization, mainly because people
are often unsure of how the changes will affect their own work and routines. From
a sustainable development point of view one of the biggest problems may be that
people are simply unaware of the whole concept. Members of the organization
may not necessarily know how changes in everyday procedures such as paper-use,
electricity, heating, and water or waste management and job commuting affect
sustainable development. It is important that members of the organization are
given the right information on how their actions influence the different dimensions
of sustainable development, and that possible conflicts and overlaps between old
and new values (those inducing organizational change) are recognised by letting
the organization sort them out on its own. Management and superiors must set an
example and they must be able to take into account both old and new values in
order to surmount resistance to change. The role of sustainable development and
the benefits of e.g. a new environmental management system must be carefully
explained, all the more so if resistance to change is great.
3) Transition phase
Resistance to change gradually gives way to a transition phase whereby new beliefs
and sustainable development friendly practices are acquired. The transition phase
can be spurred on using various manners of approach: by providing a vision to kick-
off the process, getting people committed, motivated, communicating with them
and training. Without these approaches, it is very unlikely that an organizational
change of the kind envisioned could be achieved.
a) A vision: a way to kick off the process of change

Firstly, a vision is helpful in getting people to want to change. A vision paints
a picture of how the organization will look like in the future, and it directly or
indirectly indicates how and why people should strive to reach that envisioned
state of affairs. A good vision gives members a better sense of direction. It is
important to clarify what changes are needed to develop sustainability, because
people are often unsure and divided over what the necessary changes are and can
be sceptical towards the whole idea. Secondly, a vision is important, because it
encourages people to act in ways that are more favourable towards sustainable
development, even though it might not be in their immediate best interest. A
good vision on sustainable development clarifies the role of teachers, research-
ers and other personnel, and thus softens resistance to change. Thirdly, a vision
helps to coordinate the activities of several units considerably faster and more
efficiently. When a vision is clear, everyone can decide for themselves on the right
course of action. A good vision can be characterized by the following criteria (see
also Kotter, 1996: 60):
35
• Something that can be foreseen: a vision gives an idea of what the future
will look like.
• Well defined, clear enough to guide decision-making.
• Communicable and easy to explain.
• Can be carried out, includes realistic goals that are feasible.
• Flexible and generic enough so that people can take the initiative and react
in different ways depending on the circumstances.
b) Commitment and motivation

From the point of view of cultural change it is elementary that management is
committed to the vision on sustainable development and to the goals set out for
sustainable development (Bird, 1996: 79; Halme, 2004: 150). This tells the rest of
the organization that change is important, and it encourages staff to come up with
innovative solutions.
Just as important as getting management fully involved is giving personnel enough
leeway to act in ways called upon by changes. Values are what gets the personnel
committed. They create the working atmosphere. If the educational institution’s
official values related to sustainable development contradict with how things are
really done, change will not happen.
Motivating people is an effective way of getting people committed and convinc-
ing them that change is for the good. People get excited about the changes, and
start acting accordingly. One important way of going about this is getting people
involved. Inclusive development means that the people whose daily work is most
affected by the changes get to take part in the planning and implementation. Those
who actually do the work usually know what the problems are, and what needs to
be worked on. They also know which solutions are applicable, and which are not.
c) Communication
The process of change can also be boosted through effective internal communication.
Communication must be planned strategically so that all consequent communica-
tion supports the objectives of change. The role of internal communication is to
make sure that the target groups feel that the changes and new procedures are
beneficial to them.
The communication style plays a very important part in getting people commit-
ted and motivated. The more a person feels that her/his contribution to change is
significant, the more she/he is interested in what is going on. The more discourse-
like, pro-active the style of communication is, the more likely it is to make change
happen.
d) Training
Changes in the organizational culture necessitate training sessions where partici-
pants discuss the changes, and everyone is given an active role in managing the
process of change. It is not only important to adequately prepare teachers and
researchers for what lays ahead, but management staff and other administrative
staff must also be taken into account. Envisioned organizational changes receive a
36
great boost when not just teachers and researchers but administrative staff, mainte-
nance personnel, cleaners and canteen employees are also aware of why sustainable
development is important in their job, and how they can do their bit to enhance
sustainable development. For example, when deciding on the adoption of a sus-
tainable development management system, training should be organized for every
employee. It is very important that every member of an organization know what
objectives and the intended benefits are and what these entail.
4) Accepting sustainable development as part of daily practices

It is difficult to determine when an organizational culture has aligned itself with
sustainable development. One indication of such a change would be an organiza-
tion that has an open and positive stance towards sustainable development, where
students and staff come up with innovative initiatives, and where teachers, research-
ers and students engage in partnership projects and research projects that have
to do with sustainable development. Other indicators could be a more amiable
working environment, falling absenteeism, people being more considerate towards
each other, environmentally friendly stationary and paper, decreased photocopying,
lights being turned off after class, the canteen serving fair trade products, smaller
amounts of waste as well and environmentally effective commuting.
Making changes for the good of sustainable development is always a laborious
process, as it also deals with abstract concepts that are value laden and culture-
bound. We all have our own subjective view of what constitutes a good environment,
a good life, and how these two can be combined. Nevertheless, in fundamental
questions it is possible to find a common ground. And sustainable development as
a whole is most evidently becoming a fundamental issue for societies all around the
Baltic Sea Region – and beyond.
References
Bird, A., 1996. Training for environmental improvement. GMI 14:79-94.

Halme, M., 2004. Kohti ympäristömyötäisempää organisaatiokulttuuria. In: Heiskanen, E. (ed.),
Ympäristö ja liiketoiminta, 147-163. Gaudeamus, Tampere.
Holmberg, J. & Samuelsson, B.E. (eds.), 2006. Drivers and Barriers for Implementing Sustainable
Development in Higher Education. Education for Sustainable Development in Action,
Technical Paper 3, Unesco.
Kotter, 1996. Muutos vaatii johtajuutta. Rastor, Helsinki.
Rohweder, L., 2001. Ympäristökasvatus ammattikorkeakoulussa. Opetussuunnitelmateoreettisen
mallin kehittäminen liiketalouden koulutukseen. Helsinki School of Economics and Business
Administration, Acta Universitatis Oeconomicae Helsingiensis A 190.
Rohweder, L. 2003. Ympäristökoulutus ympäristöjohtamisen tukena. Futura 3:86-99.
Rohweder, L. 2004. Integrating environmental education into business schools in Finland. GEO
Journal 60(1):175-181.
Martin, S., Dawe, G. & Jucker, R., 2006. Embedding Education for Sustainable Development in
Higher Education in the UK. In: Holmberg, J. & Samuelsson, B.E. (eds.), Drivers and Barriers
37
for Implementing Sustainable Development in Higher Education, 61-67. Education for
Sustainable Development in Action, Technical Paper 3, Unesco.
Mulder, K. & Jansen, L., 2006. Integrating Sustainable Devleopment in Engineering Education
Reshaping University Education by Organizational Learning. In: Holmberg, J. & Samuelsson,
B.E. (eds.), Drivers and Barriers for Implementing Sustainable Development in Higher
Education, 69-73. Education for Sustainable Development in Action, Technical Paper 3,
Unesco.
Wals, E.J. & Corcoran, P.B., 2006. Sustainability as an Outcome of Transformative Learning. In:
Holmberg, J. & Samuelsson, B.E. (eds.), Drivers and Barriers for Implementing Sustainable
Development in Higher Education, 103-110. Education for Sustainable Development in
Action, Technical Paper 3, Unesco.
38
2.1 EMAS II in a Higher Educational Institution in Germany
Anke Zenker-Hoffmann, Markus Will & Bernd Delakowitz: University of Applied Sciences
Zittau/ Goerlitz, and Walter Leal Filho:TuTech Innovation, Germany
Introduction
Sustainable Development is widely acknowledged as a key concept for human

society that is faced with both, aspects of human development and global change
(e.g. economical globalisation, global climate change etc.). Along with other or-
ganisations, educational institutions may play a central role in that context, as
Agenda 21, the central document of the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro
in 1992 and the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in 2002 have
stated and reiterated. Although no universally-applicable approach on education
for sustainable development (ESD) exists, there are some essential elements that
compose it such as:
• Quality basic education in a interdisciplinary perspective

• Reorientation of education to address sustainability
• Local relevance and awareness raising / public understanding.
ESD should thereby be more than a theoretical concept, it should be a suitable

tool for sustainable development in praxi. ESD, therefore, need to be embedded in
the most of the subjects in order to provide a better understanding to students, to
deliver visions and motivation and the necessity of long-term thinking. Maybe to
do this, institutions of higher education ought to carry out appropriate infrastruc-
tures and didactical concepts (see UNECE, 2005; UNESCO, 2005).
Tell them, and they will forget,

Demonstrate, and they will remember,
Involve them, and they will understand.
(Confucius / Epigraph to the 2nd European Conference of Sustainable Cities

and Towns, Lisbon, 1996)
Following the well considered Confuciusian words, students should be involved

in practical actions, rather than being taught on the facts itself. From this perspec-
tive the Environmental Management System at the University of Applied Sciences
Zittau/Goerlitz is a proper instrument to ESD as it puts emphasis on students´ par-
ticipation. Some 20 to 30 students per year have so far been actively participating
in all steps of the university’s EMS by either assisting in internal audits or perform-
ing projects focusing on the improvement of the environmental performance. This
39
follows the principle of practical learning: taking over individual responsibility by
being actively involved and has been part of the university environmental policy
since 1998. Students involved in the EMS working group should be qualified and
enabled to play an active role in a continuous process of improving the environ-
mental performance of the University of Applied Sciences Zittau/ Goerlitz, thus,
to promote their potential of creativity and innovation.
This paper provides information about the Environmental Management System
of the University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Goerlitz, which is now running for
nearly 9 years, “practicing” and “living” what was the first environmental manage-
ment system according to the EMAS requirements in a German higher education
institution.
Environmental Management Systems
An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a structured approach and man-

agement process to be integrated within an organisation of any kind. It aims in
controlling, evaluating, reporting and, not least, reducing environmental impacts
caused by their activities by setting goals and policies and by shaping and driving
actions. An EMS, therefore, provides tools to manage compliance to legal require-
ments and to achieve sound environmental performance of the entire organisation
in an efficient and effective way. EMS can also be seen as one important step to
Overall benefits of an EMS for an organisation are (see Weiss & Bentlage,
2006):
• Improved ability to meet compliance requirements

• Increased efficiency, reduced costs and greater operational consistency
• Improved environmental awareness, involvement and competency
• Better communication about environmental issues inside (incl. enhanced
employee moral) and outside the organisation
• Better relationships with regulators
• Process transparency and reduced liabilities
• Competitive advantages.
Standards have been developed to enable well structured and comparable

Environmental Management Systems such as the international standard ISO 14001
that was published in 1996 and updated in 2004 (DIN EN ISO 14001, 2004). This
standard forms part of the ISO14000 series of standards providing not only a speci-
fication but guidance and advice on a wide range of environmental issues including
auditing, labeling, life-cycle assessment etc. At the European level EMAS (Eco-
Management and Audit Scheme) was introduced by a European Union council
regulation (No.1836/93) and updated in 2001(No. 761/2001), requiring imple-
mentation in all European Union Member States.
40
EMS at institutions of higher education
Universities and equivalent institutions of higher education increasingly play a

leading role in teaching and promoting the principles of sustainable development,
trying to integrate both economical and environmental ethics (see Leal Filho et
al., 1996; Leal Filho, 1999; 2000; 2002). Institutions of higher education, as other
organisations, cause environmental impacts related to their direct actions as energy
and material consumption and waste production.
An environmental management system focuses not only on these direct environ-
mental impacts. Instead, there are other indirect environmental impacts that occur
in a more diffuse way and that are not easy to quantify. Indirect environmental im-
pacts are such ones that cannot be controlled directly by the institution itself. For
an institution of higher education, this could be impacts of their “products”, such as
scientific publications, curricula and knowledge transfer to students. Institutions of
higher education “produce” futures decision makers and practitioners; with regard
to ESD it is therefore crucial to raise their awareness and to give them an adequate
knowledge fundament (multiplier function). With implementing EMS and thereby
committing to the sustainability paradigm to a certain extent, institutions of higher
education may accomplish their function as exemplar in a society (Leal Filho &
Delakowitz, 2005). Furthermore, institutions of higher education that are active
in research perhaps can contribute to a continual improvement process as they
develop innovative fixes and/or technical procedures to improve environmental
performance (Leal Filho et al., 2006).
There is a growing number of university-level institutions that are facing the so-
cietal objective of sustainable development while undertaking reviews or audits to
assess their sustainability and environmental performance in Germany. There are
approx. 35 institutions of higher education in Germany (around 10% of all) that
are in the process of implementing either the EMAS II or the ISO 14001 standard
to all or parts (faculties, departments) of their organisation. By the end of 2006
following higher education institutions had successfully implemented (incl. certifi-
cation or validation and registration) an EMS at the entire institution (Mueller):
• FHW Berlin (2004: ISO 14001; 2005: EMAS)

• Universitaet Bremen (2004: EMAS)
• Fachhochschule Landshut (2003: EMAS)
• Fachhochschule Luebeck (2003: EMAS)
• Hochschule Bremen (2003: EMAS)
• Hochschule Zittau/Goerlitz (1999: EMAS)
• Technische Hochschule Dresden (2002: EMAS)
• Universitaet Lueneburg (2000: EMAS)
• Universitaet Bielefeld (2000: EMAS, ISO 14001)
• Universitaet Paderborn (2000: EMAS).
41
History, motivation and organisation of the EMS at University of Applied
Sciences Zittau/Goerlitz
The University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Goerlitz was founded in 1992, based

on a former well-renowned University School of Engineering for Electronics and
Information Processing. The University is located in the eastern part of Germany,
part of the Federal State of Saxony right at the Polish and Czech borders (border
triangle).
The university’s infrastructure is distributed in two locations – Zittau and
Goerlitz – with a distance of 35 km between them. The university has about 400
employees and close to 4,000 students. The Zittau campus includes six depart-
ments (Architecture and Infrastructure, Energy and Technical Systems, Process
Engineering, Mathematics/Natural Sciences, Business and Management, Languages)
in an area of approx. 33,000 m2. The Goerlitz campus consists of two departments
(Social Sciences, Information and Computer Sciences) on ca. 5,700 m2.
In 1999 Zittau/Goerlitz became the first university in Germany and one of the
first in the world to be validated and registered according to EMAS. The EMS was
established at the university by a staff position (Commissioner for EM) supported
by staff responsible for planning and coordinating the actions. As described above,
students are up to now involved in the EMS working group regularly in form of a
fixed element in their study course curricula. The student groups are participating
in internal audits and they are conducting projects focussing on legal compliance,
increasing efficiency and cost reduction and operational consitency. This way has
been proved to be an efficient way to organise and maintain the environmental
management system; the task force has been very efficient and will certainly be
retained in the future. In particular, participation of students meets two goals: 1) a
vital EMS needs to integrate as many as possible participants, and 2) when students
are integrated, they can use the theoretical knowledge gained in lectures in a prac-
tical context. Thereby they will anyhow explore obstacles but they will also find
ways to handle them (Delakowitz & Hoffmann, 2000; Delakowitz et al., 2005).
The University Zittau/Goerlitz has to do its business and daily work – like all
institutions of higher education – embedded in a framework of restrictions and
legal requirements. This includes, among others, legal health and safety standards,
restrictions for the handling of chemical and hazardous substances, the process of
integrating the “Bologna” requirements into curricula. To handle that and at the
same time use synergies to be more competitive and innovative, the University
of Applied Sciences Zittau/Goerlitz chose to implement innovative structures by
a system focusing on a policy of sustainability and introduced an environmental
management system. The motivation selected in guidelines and the profile – valid
over more than 8 years – comprise the following components:
• Improved image
• Cost and resource efficiency
• Improved understanding of internal processes
• Multiplier function of students and staff
42
• Socio-economical responsibility
• Authenticity.
The following citation from the environmental verifying report in 2003 shows that
the University’s motivation to implement the EMS was performed in a proper way:
“The Hochschule Zittau/Goerlitz regards Environmental Management not simply as

“positive advertising”, but uses it as a guideline for organizing and modeling its commit-
ments in teaching and research.”
The EMS was introduced in four important steps:
1 the University senate decided on the new environmental policy (1995)

2 an Environmental Management Working Group started to work (1997)
3 the first environmental check – internal and external validation/certification
audits – was conducted (1998)
4 Certification according to EMAS, with the formation and implementation
of the EMS was concluded in March (1999)
In the following years a considerable work has been done to maintain the EMS:
• 2001: 2nd Audit and Certification according to EMAS II

• 2002, 2003 and 2004: External Supervisory Audits
• 2005: 3rd Audit and Certification according to EMAS II
• 2006: External Supervisory Audit.
This shows that a validation/certification audit has to be carried out every three
years by an external environmental verifier, supported by annual external supervi-
sory audits. In addition to this annual internal audits are conducted that are assisted
by students at regular intervals. The external audit, according to the EMAS II re-
quirements, includes:
• The compliance with regulations

• The EMS and the organisation
• The eco-audit and results
• The annual environmental declaration
• The dependence, authenticity and accuracy of data and information
• The relevant information: documentation of the EMS, the EMS manual and
the university administrative manual, environmental impact data, occupa-
tional safety documents, documents of the internal audit
• The on-site survey (both EM and health & safety oriented): inspection of
laboratories and other relevant facilities, inspection of buildings and relevant
technical equipment, data check, interviews of students and employees
(non announced).
43
The University´s integrated environmental management and health & safety
system
A general tendency has been observed during the last years in a rapidly growing
number of organisations to integrate already existing occupational health & safety
management tools into existing or newly implemented EMS to form a more effec-
tive integrated management (IMS) approach.
As mentioned above the university Zittau/Goerlitz considered legal health and
safety standards and restrictions for the handling of chemical and hazardous sub-
stances at an early stage of its EMS. Moreover, in 2002 it integrated its very well
experienced and organised health & safety management into the existing EMAS
and formed an integrated EM/H&S working group to report directly to the rector’s
board (Figure 1). The working group is meeting periodically twice a year.
Due to this future-oriented management re-structuring and the fact that occupa-
tional health & safety issues became integral part in several course subjects within
the curricula the so far well developed network with industrial organisations in the
field of innovation management turned out to become even more developed and
successful summing up to more than 60 industrial partners to date.
Facts and figures of the EMS at University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Goerlitz
After the environmental policy was adopted and an action plan was elaborated
on the basis of the first audits, measures were taken to improve environmental
performance in six categories that are:
Rectorship/ EMS & HS Working Group

Management (Representatives for the EMS,
EMS & HS Coordinator,
EM Advisors)
Faculties
EM & HS Board
Central Scientific
Representatives from:
Institutions (Library) Medical Care, Lab. Safety,
Laser protection,
Waste Management, Staff Admin.,
Radiation Protection,
Technical Units
Techn. Admin.,
Faculties etc.
Central Administration
Figure 1. Environmental Management & Health and Safety (EM & HS) organisation at the University of
Applied Sciences Zittau/Goerlitz.
44
1 Energy
2 Material use and waste (seperation and disposal)
3 Information and communication
4 Education and research (greening the curricula)
5 Sustainable development
6 Mobility (new category since 2006).
The experiences in the first five categories will be described briefly by means of
examples in the following passage. All results (dates and figures) are available on
http://www.hs-zigr.de/verwaltung/ag-um/index2.htm.
1) Energy
The environmental goal is to reduce both the electric energy and the heat con-
sumption, this may combine a high environmental relevance with a large capacity
for economizing. Measures taken inter alia refer to a student projects work focus-
ing on identifying options to improve heating systems in university buildings. For
example, between 1999 and 2001 there was an increase in energy consumption
that was explained by side construction work and particularly the addition of new
laboratories built in former tank garages (large rooms without sufficient insulation)
which lead to increased consumption. After the students reported the results of
their project work, several of the proposed measures were implemented in 2002.
Those included e.g. reconstruction of the roofs and floors, heat isolation, replacing
large doors by small ones. Due to this and other technical and organisational meas-
ures the absolute electricity consumption in 2005 was approximately on the level
of 1998. Heating energy consumption declined around 15% (Figure 2).
2) Material use and waste (separation and disposal)

The second environmental category in the EMS deals with material flows within the
university, including purchase of materials and waste management. The two issues
are, of course, connected to each other. Since 2002 the university e.g. substituted
140
2000
120
2001
100
2002
80
2003
60
2004
40
2005
20
2006
0
Zittau Goerlitz Total
Location
Figure 2. Heating energy consumption kWh/m2 BGF (gross base area).
45
conventional chlorine blanched office paper by a recycled office paper. Although
the recycled paper was not accepted everywhere, due to expected printer problems,
technical difficulties with copy machines, fear of health risk, additional costs etc.,
in some offices it was introduced successfully. Furthermore, it was possible to find
a contractor offering recycled office paper 10% cheaper than conventional paper.
Amongst other reasons the economic benefit was one of the main reasons why the
management finally decided to implement it all over the university. The university
has received an award (“Office Paper Future Prize”) of the German Environmental
Agency (Umweltbundesamt, UBA).
Regarding hazardous and toxic materials being used or produced especially in
laboratories, efforts were made to explore substitutes for these substances. A cer-
tain number of toxic and hazardous substances are still necessary in lecturing and
demonstration as well as for research, particularly in chemistry and biotechnology
courses, and thus remain on campus. With the help of a registration and monitoring
system for handling and storage of hazardous materials, backed by occupational
operating and safety instruction guidelines, organisational measures for a safe and
secure way of dealing with these materials have been met.
3) Information and communication

Staff and students of the university are continuously invited to become active in
the environmental management process. A number of events are hosted as a plat-
form for internal and external information and motivation. These kind of events
are scientific conferences and seminars that are open to the public, but also the
now well-known annual “Environmental Protection Day” linked to the United
Nations annual Day of the Environment. Since 2001 this event is focusing on is-
sues of highly environmental and political importance, e.g. nuclear waste disposal,
global climate change and regional consequences, bioethics, preventive flood man-
agement, biodiversity, sustainability etc. A central element of the information and
communication strategy is the EM declaration of the university that is annually
published both in the internet (http://www.hs-zigr.de/verwaltung/ag-um/index2.
htm) and as paper copies.
4) Education and research (greening the curricula)

According to ESD essentials as described above (see UNECE, 2005; UNESCO, 2005)
environmental issues are introduced both, in special programs and as parts in all
study programs. Due to organisational and legal frame conditions this is not as easy
as it seems, f.i. it is not possible to force lecturers to do so by a top-down decision.
But, relating to a decision of the university senate in 1993 all students, no matter
what their specific studies are, have to participate in a one semester (2 classroom
hours per week) lecture on fundamentals of ecology and environmental protec-
tion as an integral part of their individual curricula. This is quite unique amongst
German universities. The lecture adresses e.g. the Baltic Sea environmental prob-
lems, nuclear disposal, an introduction to sustainable development, the EMS at
the university, technology assessment and others, in particular to current events.
During an academic year an average of approx. 700 students (fall term 2006/07)
46
of various faculties and courses attend these lectures. The students, thus, become
more aware of socio-economic and ecological issues and understand complex in-
terrelations between natural and anthropogenic processes in a better way.
5) Sustainable development
The Senate of the University Zittau/Goerlitz passed a Strategic Profiling Concept
officially declaring sustainability as a dominating guideline in its education and
research policy in 2002. The sustainability profile is based on three sub-profiles
(economy, ecology, society) and 6 core competences (which are more or less reflect-
ing the individual faculties) and is completed by centres of excellences. Furthermore,
the university is involved in a variety of external initiatives in both socio-economic
and cultural areas of municipal sustainable development, e.g. research projects,
initiatives like Agenda 21 processes, conferences and workshops, etc.. There are
also some ongoing projects with regional companies, reflecting the responsibility
of the university to strenghten regional networks and to help regional economy to
improve its competitiveness.
The economic consequences of the environmental management have not been
systematically monitored, because cost reductions have so far not been the pre-
dominant motivation for universities to implement an EMS. But an explicit result
in this way is: the costs (for both electricity and heating) have stayed up to 2004
on the 1998 level although the number of students have increased since then by
approximately 20%, new laboratories and lecture halls with an equivalent of about
15% of the all over university area have started to operate, and the energy price
has increased by nearly 15%. The relative cost saving linked to the EMS is then
approximately 20%.
The costs for the implementation and the maintenance of the EMS may be
summarized as:
• Labour costs for personal (approximately 50% of an academic position for

coordination once the EMS has been implemented, and an additional ca.
0.25% equivalent to various personal involved in the EMS working group)
• Costs for the external environmental inspector (ca. EUR 6,000 every 3
years for the validation audit and ca. EUR 2,000 for the annual audits)
• Costs for public relations (publishing of the annual environmental declara-
tion, events and presentations etc., approximately EUR 3,000 p.a.)
• Costs for technical measures.
Conclusions
Organisations are repeatedly reporting other than economic benefits from imple-
menting an EMS. These include improved understanding of internal processes,
improved information and communication, higher motivation and (economic)
performance. An organisation, not only a university, which properly applies environ-
mental management and related management systems such as quality management
47
and health & safety management may achieve other advantages, e.g. the ability for
quicker and more flexible reactions towards modified market situations and better
conditions to meet stakeholder expectations.
The efficiency and effectiveness of an EMS is thereby not only determined by
technical prerequisites, organisational structures and the paper documentation.
Indeed, it needs the motivation and broad participation of all people concerned, as
staff and students to be vital. This again is depending on individual mindsets and
the level of information. The technical and organisational foundations for EMS at
the University of Applied Sciences are seen as present, e.g. the material specific
rubbish cans in all university buildings. A certain focus for future activities lies on
further enhancing personnel and student participation and motivation, e.g. regard-
ing the individual behaviour concerning waste separation.
Environmental Management System can help to improve the university´s attrac-
tion towards future students. The University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Goerlitz is
facing the objective that institutions of higher education contribute outstandingly
to the “production” of well educated decision makers and well informed practition-
ers. Through its integration of SD issues in a variety of curricula in both economic
sciences and natural and engineering sciences higher education at the University
of Applied Sciences Zittau/Goerlitz accomplish preconditions to foster ecological
sound and sustainable production and responsible entrepreneurship.
References
Confucius / Epigraph to the 2nd European Conference of Sustainable Cities and Towns, Lisbon.
1996.
Delakowitz, B. & Hoffmann, A., 2000. The Hochschule Zittau/Goerlitz – Germany´s First
Registered Environmental Management System (EMAS) at an Institution of Higher
Education. Int. J of Sustainability at Higher Education, 1(1):35-47.
Delakowitz, B., Leal Filho, W., Hoffmann, A. & Will, M., 2005. Sustainability as a tool towards
an improved university profile – Experiences, practice and expectations at the Hochschule
Zittau/Goerlitz (FH). In: ENCOS 2004 Conference Reader (www.encos2004.net). Berlin.
DIN EN ISO 14001, 2004. Umweltmanagementsysteme – Anforderungen mit Anleitung zur
Anwendung.
Hoffmann, A., 2005. Implementation Strategies in the Framework of an European Higher
Education Network: The Baltic University Programme (BUP) and the Trinational Neisse
University. Projects at the Hochschule Zittau/Goerlitz (FH) – University of Applied Sciences.
In: Proceedings of the conference “Committing Universities to Sustainable Development.
April 20-23, 2005. Graz, Austria.
Leal Filho, W. (ed.), 1999. Sustainability and University Life. Environmental Education,
Communication and Sustainability, Vol. 5, Peter Lang.
Leal Filho, W. (ed.), 2000. Communicating Sustainability. Environmental Education,
Communication and Sustainability, Vol. 8, Peter Lang.
Leal Filho, W. (ed.), 2002. International Experiences on Sustainability. Environmental Education,
Communication and Sustainability, Vol 12, Peter Lang.
Leal Filho, W. & Delakowitz, B. (eds.), 2005. Umweltmanagement an Hochschulen: Nachhaltigk
eitsperspektiven. Environmental Education, Communication and Sustainability, Vol 18, Peter
Lang.
48
Leal Filho, W., Greif, D. & Delakowitz, B. (eds.), 2006. Sustainable Chemistry and Biotechnology
– A Contribution to Rivers Management. Environmental Education, Communication and
Sustainability, Vol 21, Peter Lang.
Leal Filho, W., Mac Dermott, F. & Padgham, J. (eds.), 1996. Implementing Sustainable
Development at University Level. CRE-COPERNICUS, European Research and Training
Centre on Environmental Education, University of Bradford, UK.
UNECE (ed.), 2005. Unece Strategie über die Bildung für Nachhaltige Entwicklung.
Unesco (ed.), 2005. Guidelines and Recommendations for Reorienting Teacher Education to
Address Sustainability, ESD in Action. Technical Paper No. 2. Paris: France. http://unesdoc.
unesco.org/images/0014/001433/143370E.pdf (27.02.2006)
Weiss, P. & Bentlage, J., 2006. Environmental Management Systems and Certification. The Baltic
University Press, Uppsala.
Interviews
Joachim Mueller, HIS GmbH Hanover and own enquiries.
49
2.2 ISO 14001 in a Higher Education Institution in Finland
Tove Holm & Kristina Sahlstedt, Sydväst University of Applied Sciences, Finland
Introduction and background
This article describes the process leading to the certification of an environmental

management system in a higher education institution and illustrates the integra-
tion of sustainable development in its operation and organization. A critical look is
taken on what has been achieved and where more effort is still required.
Sydväst University of Applied Sciences is the first higher education institution
in Finland to have implemented a certified environmental management system for
the whole university. The ISO 14001 Certificate was awarded in February 2006.
The certification covers the entire organization of Ab Utbildning Sydväst, which
is a private limited company consisting of Sydväst University of Applied Sciences,
Sydväst Vocational Institute and Central Administration.
Sydväst University of Applied Sciences is a multidisciplinary institution with 18
different Degree Programmes leading to Bachelor’s degree after 3.5 to 4 years of
study. Master’s Programmes in Natural Resources and the Environment as well as
in Social Services, Health and Sports were started in 2007. Sydväst cooperates with
Åbo Akademi University through the joint R&D Institute Aronia.
The number of enrolled students is about 1,900. Studies are carried out at a
total of 7 locations on the southwestern coast of Finland, the two main campuses
are in Turku and Ekenäs. These coastal areas as well as the adjoining archipelago
are largely inhabited by Finland’s Swedish-speaking population, a minority of ap-
proximately 5% of a total of 5.2 million Finns. Catering mainly to this minority
the language of instruction at Sydväst is Swedish, the second official language in
Finland.
Given the geography, sustainable development of coastal zones and archipelago
regions is a priority and special competence area at Sydväst. By training profession-
als e.g. in sustainable agriculture, forestry and tourism, traditional building skills,
navigation, ICT skills and small-scale entrepreneurship, Sydväst strives to increase
employment opportunities in an environmentally and economically vulnerable
area.
Environmental policy
Ab Utbildning Sydväst was founded in 1995 through a merger of 13 formerly

independent vocational colleges, several of them dating from the early 1900s. In
1999 the Board of Directors decided on to make environment and sustainable de-
velopment a principal focus area for the entire organization. To ensure systematic
50
and structured work and across-the-organization engagement it was decided to
implement an EMS system according to the ISO 14001 standard. Environmental
Policy and Environmental Objectives were endorsed.
The Environmental Policy illustrates that from the very start the concept of
sustainable development at Sydväst went beyond the ecological dimension. There
were ecological, social and economic goals to be achieved (see the box below).
Environmental objectives
The most significant environmental aspect is education for sustainable develop-

ment. Teaching and learning as well as research and development create positive
environmental impacts that influence behaviour in everyday life. Sydväst’s most
important goal is to support the students’ progress into responsible, skilled and
environmentally conscious citizens who can promote sustainability in their future
roles. To increase the environmental consciousness of the students and personnel
it is also important to consider the environmental impacts of the ancillary func-
tions. “Practice what you preach” is a prerequisite for credibility in an educational
institution.
Involvement and visibility are achieved through special events, exhibits, and
projects, where students, personnel, community members, entrepreneurs and other
interest groups join in hands-on work for positive environmental impact.
Environmental Policy in Sydväst:

In all our work we advocate sustainability which is ecologically, economically, and socially sound.
These dimensions of sustainable development are incorporated in our curricula and in the further environ-
mental education of our personnel. In this way we promote a sustainable society.
In all functions we strive to save energy and raw-materials.The waste we produce is separated and recycled
in order to reduce the volume of waste treatment. By doing this we want to set an example – and we can
save money!
Within our own organization and with our regional collaborators we develop systems and ways of action to
reduce the environmental load.
Environmental aspects are given priority in our tendering and purchasing procedures and in resource
management.
We follow environmental laws and recommendations and take part in the development work of environ-
mental protection and administration.
With an optimal workplace as our aim, we strive to improve the safety and comfort as well as the physical
and mental well-being of the members of our organization.
51
A certified EMS requires a continuous effort of improving the overall perform-
ance to meet the ISO 14001 standard. For the years 2007-2009 Sydväst has two
environmental objectives:
• To further integrate sustainable development as a natural part of course

work in every Degree Programme
• To reduce the consumption of material resources (energy, electricity and
paper).
Organization and actions for environmental management
From the beginning there has been a conscious and continuous effort to build up a
well functioning organization for the environmental management system (Figure 1).
The responsibility for development and coordination lies with the Environmental
Management Group who reports to the Managing Director. As the only educa-
tional institution in Finland Sydväst has a full-time Environmental Coordinator. In
addition, each unit has an Environment Group with student and personnel repre-
sentatives. Each group has drawn up an environmental programme based on the
specific environmental aspects of their unit. The group sees to the implementation
of the programme and plans ‘action days’ and events around special themes to
promote environmental issues.
The Figure 2 illustrates the annual agenda of the Environmental Management
System, EMS, at Sydväst.
Integrating sustainable development in the curriculum and everyday work
The economic, social, environmental and cultural aspects of sustainable develop-

ment are linked to all course work. Det Norske Veritas, who audited Sydväst’s
MD
Environmental
Management Group
Environmental
Coordinator
Environmental Environmental Environmental

Group Group Group
Students Students Students

and personnel and personnel and personnel
Figure 1. Organisation for Environmental Management in Sydväst University of Applied Sciences.
52
1 Nov – 15 Dec Updating of the list
2nd meeting of the of applicable legal
Environmental Groups: requirements
Feedback and exchange of ideas
on Environmental Report and
Sustainability Day Internal audits
Publishing of the
Internal 3rd meeting of the
Environmental
audits Environmental
Report of Ab
Utbildning Sydväst Groups: Updating of
December
documentation
Sustainability Day
for students and staff. November January 15 Feb – 31 Mar
Audit programme October Sustainability Day

February
for students and
Management staff. Evaluation and
September March further education in
review
sustainable
August April development
Budget
1st meeting of the July May Internal audits

Environmental June
Groups: Planning of
annual activities 4th meeting of the
Environmental Groups:
1 Aug – 31 Sept Reports of annual activities
1 April - 15 June
Figure 2. The annual agenda of the Environmental Management System at Sydväst.
environmental management system, considered this integration a strong asset.

Sustainable development is incorporated in the curriculum in several ways:
• A study module in sustainability worth 3 credit points is part of every

student’s programme (see the box below)
• All Degree Programmes include an additional 5 credit points of sustainabil-
ity studies integrated in professional and common core subjects
• Every course description includes the heading Sustainability Aspects stating
briefly how sustainability themes are dealt with in the course (see the box
below)
• During their practice placements students observe their work environment
from the sustainability point of view and include the observations in their
placement report
• Relevant courses given in partner schools are offered virtually. Students in
the Degree Programmes for Tourism and for Culture Production took part
in the virtual course “The Challenge of Sustainability” created and given by
Laurea University of Applied Sciences in 2006.
53
An example of integrating sustainability in the curriculum
Sustainable Development is a 3-credit course taken by every Sydväst student as part of
their common core studies.
Goals of the course

The student
• understands that future possibilities for survival and good life depend on a frugal and
sustainable use/utilization of nature, environment and human beings
• can specify the threats against the environment and the reasons for them, can describe
how the global ecosystem constitutes the basic resource for human beings and how
man can be a resource in the global ecosystem
• understands that sustainable development comprises an ecological, technological, eco-
nomic, social and cultural dimension which are all interdependent and can be realized
through global and regional cooperation
• is capable of seeing the role and responsibility of his/her own professional area in
working toward a globally sustainable society
• has an understanding of the Environmental Management System of Sydväst.
Content of the course

• from hunter and gatherer to farmer, the increasing pressure on natural resources
• population explosion, the industrial revolution and the environmental consequences
of the interaction between the modern human society and the rest of the global
ecosystem
• sustainable administration of natural resources and energy supply
• global allocation of resources and questions of life style
• international standards of environmental management systems and the EMS of Sydväst
Practice what you preach
There is a conscious effort of trying to reduce the environmental impact in the

everyday life of the organization. Environmentally friendly purchases are recom-
mended, priority is given to products with an environmental label. For instance the
purchase of cleaning products has been concentrated, which is economically more
sound and also reduces the need of transportation. In renovation and construction
work on the campuses environmental aspects have been taken into account e.g. in
the choice of building materials.
In an organization that operates at many locations transportation uses up a great
deal of time and energy. The need of traveling for internal meetings has been cut
by installing video conference equipments to the units.
The sorting of waste has been promoted by clear instructions and proper contain-
ers. To reduce unnecessary use of paper students are allowed free of cost printing of
documents only to a certain limit.
54
An example of integrating sustainability in the curriculum
In all Degree Programmes every course description includes the heading Sustainability
Aspects, stating briefly how sustainability is dealt with in the course. Some examples:
Degree Programme in Construction Engineering

Course: Concrete construction
Sustainability Aspects:
• the life cycle of concrete constructions
• how to treat and recycle concrete ware
Degree Programme in Health Care

Course: Geriatric Care
• the impact of the immediate environment and technology on the elderly person and
the next of kin in home nursing care
• economic, social and qualitative aspects in home nursing care of the elderly
Degree Programme in Business Administration

Course: Business Administration
• the social responsibilities of a business enterprise.
Degree Programme in Tourism

Module: Tourism Planning and Management
Sustainability Aspects
The module adopts a sustainability-oriented approach to the planning and management
of tourism destinations and students are required to understand the principles of sus-
tainable tourism development and recognize the critical role of ecology and economics
in the tourism system.
Engagement on Environment Days
In a learning environment it is important to involve as many as possible to hands-

on schemes that show results. Environment Days and special events at the units
provide an opportunity for students and staff to work together. The ecological,
economic and social dimensions of sustainability come together, for instance, in:
• Repairing old bikes for free use to students

• Auctioning obsolete computers and school furniture for the benefit of the
Student Union
• Cleaning of campus areas
• Finding your favorite mode of exercise; bowling, aerobic, work-out, golf etc.
• Town orienteering with environmental themes
• Lectures on ecological cleaning methods, ergonomics, maintaining the
working capacity.
55
Involving the general public
Involving community members, entrepreneurs and other interest groups is one

of the environmental objects of Sydväst. Visibility is also a tool in the recruit-
ment of students, where there is increasing competition within higher education
in Finland.
A series of Studia Generalia lectures open to the public were given in 2006 to
celebrate the 10th anniversary of Sydväst University of Applied Sciences. The lec-
tures featured sustainable development from the ecological, economic, social and
cultural perspectives ranging from global issues to the development of the local
coastal areas. The purpose of the series was to draw attention to the many dimen-
sions of sustainable development and to encourage contacts between the scientific,
the educational and the business community in the region.
An annual Energy Fair was arranged at Campus Sydväst Ekenäs in cooperation
with Ekenäs municipality and its power company Ekenäs Energy. The fair features
e.g. renewable sources of energy, sustainable production, frugal consumption. Over
twenty local businesses presented their products and services to some 600 visitors
during the most recent Energy Fair in February 2007.
National and international networks
Sydväst University of Applied Sciences is a partner in several national and inter-

national networks promoting sustainable development. Among them is Baltic Sea
Sustainable Development Network, coordinated by Laurea University of Applied
Sciences in 2005-2006, and after that by Sydväst in the years 2007-2009. The
project is funded by the Ministry of Education in Finland as part of the Baltic 21
E process. The aim is to facilitate cooperation between different higher education
networks for sustainable development in the Baltic Sea region. One of the sched-
uled projects is Management Systems for Sustainable Development in Institutions
of Higher Education in the Baltic Sea region.
Assessment
The following factors have contributed positively to the implementation of the

EMS at Sydväst:
1) The management’s engagement

The initial decisions for making sustainable development a focus area and for im-
plementing an EMS were taken by the Board of Directors and thus involved the
entire organization from the start. The Environmental Policy, being a formal public
document, expressed the commitment of the organization. These factors have pro-
vided a foundation to fall back on at the grass root level.
56
2) Environmental Handbook
The Environmental Handbook was published in 2001, only a year after the work
started. It is a practical tool for everybody involved in the planning and implemen-
tation of environmental work. The handbook has been gradually modified as the
work has proceeded. In addition to the Environmental Handbook, which is intended
for the entire organization, there are separate handbooks for each unit outlining
the EMS work for their specific needs.
3) Involving students and staff

In order to involve the staff a 7.5 credit course in the implementation of an EMS
was offered. The course assignments focused on the specific environmental situa-
tion and needs of each unit in the organization and thus the course work laid the
foundation for the work of the Environmental Groups.
Since the seven locations of our operations vary from rural settings to central city
areas, the problems are partly very different. The fact that each unit approaches the
work from their own situation has contributed to the involvement.
From every unit 5 to15 persons have been active in the Environmental
Groups, which means that about 30% of the staff has actively participated. Each
Environmental Group has one or more student representatives.
Several Degree Programmes have offered courses involving the theory of EMS
as well as practical environmental tasks which students performed as course assign-
ments at their own unit. The external auditor’s report pointed out the successful
application of the “practice what you preach” principle in relation to the everyday
work has been done at the different units.
4) Sustainability Day
Further education of students and staff is central and therefore part of the an-
nual agenda. Sustainability Day twice a year includes evaluating the work done,
exchanging ideas and getting new ones from expert lecturers.
5) Communication
Spreading information both within the organization and outside has received a
great deal of attention. Four Environmental Reports have been published, the lat-
est one of 2006 also summarized in English. Internal information has been given
at different meetings of staff and management and during Sustainability Days.
According to the external auditor Sydväst has succeeded in communication and
in anchoring the EMS into the organization because the same proposals are dis-
cussed on Sustainability Day, in the Environmental Management Group and in the
Management Review. The Management Review is a meeting, held twice a year,
where the top management reviews the EMS to ensure its continuing sustainabil-
ity, adequacy and effectiveness. The Environmental Coordinator writes a monthly
Environmental Bulletin which is distributed in electronic form throughout the or-
ganization. New employees familiarize themselves with the EMS as part of their
introduction to the organization.
57
6) Evaluation
The first internal audit was conducted in 2002, after two years of implementa-
tion of the EMS. The internal audits are systematic, independent and documented
processes for evaluating the EMS to determine the extent of its implementation.
At the Management Review, held twice a year, examples from the units and fields
of studies have been brought up to show the extent of the work.
By definition an EMS is a process of continuous improvement. At Sydväst the
following factors require special effort and attention in the future:
a) Acceptance of change
The entire system of higher education in Finland has been subject to continuous
change for the last 15 years. At Sydväst the implementation of an EMS has meant
yet another process of adjustment and another effort consuming time and energy.
Where there has been universal agreement on the principle, practical work has not
always been easy. It has been difficult for both the administrative and the teaching
staff to find time to participate in the development of the EMS. Many lecturers find
the integration of sustainable development in their courses problematic, and some
feel their teaching is being interfered with from above.
A lot of effort has been put into internal communication to reduce the resistance
to change. Sustainability Days have highlighted best practice examples from the
units. Three annual awards for relevant initiative or successful events are presented.
The broad interpretation of sustainable development has gradually made it easier
in the Degree Programmes to see their specific links e.g. to the economic, social,
cultural or ethical dimension of sustainable development.
b) Degree of engagement
The work has started and progressed at a different pace in the various units. There
has been a natural and enthusiastic engagement in some units, others have been
less motivated. It is hard to write guidelines and instructions that will apply to all.
The staff and students at the units which show good results should be inspired to
continue and constantly improve their work. Those still at the beginning should be
motivated to better engagement to fill the demands.
c) ISO 14 001 terminology

The terminology in the environmental management standard arises from and was
created for the business world. Parts of it are hard to understand and implement
at an educational institution. Many of the words – such as environmental aspect,
impact, policy, performance and management system -need to be explained.
d) Monitoring the work done

The achievements of the work done so far have not been measured sufficiently. It
is necessary to improve the monitoring of the environmental impact. At the mo-
ment the focus is on developing clear ways to monitor our present objectives. The
documentation needs to be simplified and clarified. At the units the Environmental
58
Groups concentrate on improving their handbooks to make them more specific
and concrete.
e) Further integration
Progress has been made at integrating sustainable development in education.
However, much remains to be done. Hence one of the two specific environmental
goals for the next two-year period is to further integrate sustainable development
as a natural part of course work in every Degree Programme.
To support the Degree Programmes in finding their links to sustainable devel-
opment is important. Material for this has been collected at the virtual learning
environment Moodle, open to all students and staff. Definitions of sustainable devel-
opment, reading material, links to free virtual courses, relevant course assignments,
examples of questions for evaluation of courses, names of resource persons within
the organization and contact information of outside expert lecturers, NGOs and
other organizations that work with questions of sustainable development, ideas for
further education, etc can be found.
Future commitment
Sydväst strives to expand its environmental management system into a management

system for sustainable development more accurately, to cover also the economic,
social and cultural dimensions. There is much done already, but as sustainable de-
velopment the management process for sustainability is a continual process for a
better future.
59
TEACHING AND LEARNING
FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Anne Virtanen and Liisa Rohweder
3
This part of the book gives examples how to integrate sustainable development
into the whole of curriculum as well as examples about pedagogical approaches
and methods conducted in courses promoting sustainable development. There has
been a lot of discussion whether sustainable development should be integrated as
part of the “normal” courses in the curriculum or if there is a need for the courses
which concentrate to sustainable development related issues. Separate courses give
the basic understanding of the challenges associated with sustainable development,
as well as the tools to develop our society and environment to be more sustainable
in the future, while an integrative approach gives a possibility for transformative
learning during the whole education period in university.
The next chapters introduce eight concrete examples of the ways to integrate
sustainable development in higher education institutions in the countries of Russia,
Finland, Germany, Ukraine, Poland and Estonia. The articles formulated the ba-
sis for discussion and further development work for the pedagogical model for
education for sustainable development, which was conducted in the workshops
organised by this project.
The first case in this part of the book is an example from Russia. Victor Ionov
and Ksenia Shelest from St.-Petersburg State University introduce how the niche
of sustainablility has been integrated at the universities in St.-Petersburg. The in-
novative idea is to improve the educational system so that it would stimulate the
creation of a new mentality of people in the 21st century – the new generation
Background:
SD trat
r S es
s
fo alu
in egi
D
V
- DESD
SD in
e
- Baltic 21E
s
- etc.
Sustainable
- Future
needs for future
SD
Research
Education and
for SD development
for SD
60
that will be able to bring nature and mankind to the path way of sustainable devel-
opment. In addition, they introduce the importance of networking in promotion
of education for sustainable development. This is illustrated by examples about
the Baltic University Programme activities in Russia. They argue that wide-spread
multicultural and interdisciplinary co-operation is one important part of education
for sustainable development.
The next case from Finland is from Laurea University of Applied Sciences intro-
duced by Anne Virtanen. The article describes the basic ideas and the pedagogical
background of the innovative competence-based core curriculum prepared at
Laurea in 2006 as a way to integrate sustainable development into education. The
curriculum renovation done in Laurea also means a change in the organisational
culture. Teachers need to re-orientate to their work and see students more as part-
ners than as objects. Sustainable development should also be understood as part of
everyone’s activities, not as a matter of the teachers who are especially devoted to
it. At the end of the article the research findings about the prevailing knowledge,
attitudes and practices for sustainable development are presented. It was important
to conduct such research as to find out what kind of support teachers need in order
to be able to promote sustainable development in their own work and also in order
to break the resistance to change.
Anja Grothe and Miriam Schmeling from Berlin School of Economics, Germany,
suggest different innovative teaching methods to use in learning for sustainabil-
ity at the university level. All the methods emphasize participation as such; the
methods for ESD demand that students become actively involved and contribute
intellectually through problem solving. The article describes appropriate strategies
and methods that will allow students to acquire the necessary competencies for
becoming active in solving problems and shaping society’s social, economic, techni-
cal, and ecological transition towards a sustainable future.
The rest of the articles in this part of the book describe study courses and peda-
gogical approaches to teach and learn sustainable development. The first two cases
are from Ukraine. The writing group Roman Zinko, Natalie Horal, Igor Lozovyj and
Olexandr Makovejchuk from the University of L’viv introduce, in the first article,
two interdisciplinary courses for education for sustainable development by combin-
ing the fields of transportation, psychology and life safety. The innovative idea in
the article is the creation of an intellectual transport system (ITS), the use of the
matrix of the transportation flow and ecological control on the streets and how this
information is transmitted to electronic big-boards through the channels of ITS
communication. The other Ukrainian example introduced by Natalie Horal raises
the importance of ethics when we talk about sustainable development and human
attitude to nature. The important starting point in the article is to see the world
as an integrated system, and in that way, the article is an example how systemic
thinking can be implemented in education. The article also raises the importance
of partnerships and networks between the communal organisations and educa-
tional institutions. The article as such is an example of an innovative way to handle
the subject of sustainable development – as well as scientific writing and artistic
production.
61
Karolina Krolikowska, Piotr Magnuszewski and Jadwiga Magnuszewska from
Centre for Systems Solutions, Poland, and Jan Sendzimir from International Institute
for Applied Systems Analysis, Austria, introduce the study course pursuing the goal
of analyzing and understanding the basis for sustainable development. The empha-
sis is on dynamics points needed in the transition to sustainable development. The
authors question how we can both study and navigate toward sustainable develop-
ment at the same time. The critical features of the approach the authors introduce
are, in particular, multi- and transdisciplinary, systemic thinking and participation.
The study course integrates disciplines from ecology and economy through social
studies and psychology to concepts that integrate across disciplines, i.e. systems sci-
ence. Role playing simulation and systemic thinking methods help all participants
to communicate and work together and integrate the complex ideas about how
society and nature are changing.
A case from Estonia is presented by Tiina Elvisto from Tallinn University, and
Imbi Henno from National Examination and Qualification Centre focuses on
sustainable development in teacher education in Estonia. In the background of
the article is the important notion that teachers and educators have a key role
in education for sustainable development. In the article the authors describe the
sustainable development study courses that have been taught in Tallinn University
to the teacher education students.
The last example is from Finland prepared by Liisa Rohweder, Haaga-Helia
University of Applied Sciences. The author argues that oil combating education
is a proactive way to prepare for a potential oil spill. Behind is the fact that oil
transportations are dramatically increasing on the Gulf of Finland, and therefore,
there is an increasing risk for oil spills in the future. The article discusses about oil
combating education and brings out an example of a study course implemented in
the year 2006. The course is based on the idea to enhance a holistic understanding
of an oil spill and oil combating from the sustainable development point of view as
well as from the management point of view. The education was based on the peda-
gogical approach called transformative learning circle, which emphasises critical,
reflective and collective learning and the importance of open learning environ-
ments as a basis for life long learning. The participants of the education were both
professionals and degree students from Savonia University of Applied Sciences in
eastern Finland.
All the articles in this part describe how to integrate different aspects of sustain-
ability into teaching and learning in higher education. The articles give writers
insights to the innovative ideas and critical factors of teaching and learning for
sustainable development. The following introductory chapter outlines theoreti-
cal viewpoints to the learning for sustainable development according to Tilbury
and Cooke. Tilbury´s and Cooke´s critical factors have served as a theoretical
framework for the development work done in this project as well. The aim was to
develop Tilbury´s and Cooke’s ideas further and to examine whether their ideas
are supported in teaching and learning for sustainable development in the Baltic
Sea region.
62
From traditional education towards critical education
Learning can be determined as “the result of the process of continuous interaction

of an individual or a group with its physical and social environment” (Dam-Mieras,
2006: 14). Thus, learning is much more than competence building in formal ed-
ucation. Life-long learning has become an important concept in general and, in
particular, in the discussion of sustainable development. However, formal education
constitutes a basis for life-long learning as offering and constructing possibilities for
continual learning. Education is to be described as “an institutional process aimed
at realising defined learning objectives for defined target groups” (Dam-Mieras,
2006: 14). Learning objectives vary from one discipline to the other, as well as from
one country and institute to the other. Despite the large variety there are many
common features in formal education as well; for instance, theoretical concepts,
scientific findings and global challenges such as sustainable development determine
education in universities.
The discourse and demand of sustainable development require transformation
in our way of living but also a shift from traditional ways of thinking and acting.
A new approach for sustainability implies a need for future oriented thinking and
action involving questioning and reflecting upon our contemporary actions and
decisions in a way that we can re-think and re-organise our activities. In an initial
stage, environmental educators or widely educators for sustainable development
integrated ecological, socio-cultural and economic dimensions simply as a sub-
ject matter into their courses without paying much attention to the pedagogical
approaches. Tilbury and Cooke (2005: 16-21) have described a change in envi-
ronmental education as a shift from traditional education to a critical approach.
The important features of education in the traditional approach are focusing on
increasing the awareness of issues, teaching values and attitudes for sustainability
and concentrating on single actions and the role of individual and personal change
as well as problem solving in the path for sustainability. The new critical approach
to environmental education or education for sustainable development means de-
veloping “critical” skills to respond to the challenge of sustainability. The features
of the critical approach are, in particular, the aim for a wide understanding of
consequences and processes, encouraging value clarification and creating possibili-
ties for thinking of alternative futures and possibilities for reflection, negotiation
and participation (see Table 1).
Critical factors of education for sustainable development
In teaching and learning for sustainable development, a transfer from education in

and about need to be changed to education for sustainable development. Education
for sustainability motivates, equips and involves students, teachers and institutions
in reflecting on how they think, behave and work. This calls for new ways of en-
gaging students and teachers and whole universities in continual learning and a
systemic change for sustainability.
63
Table 1. Features for traditional and critical approaches to education for sustainable development (Adapted
from Tilbury & Cooke, 2005: 16).
Traditional Critical
Passing on knowledge and raising awareness on issues Understanding and getting to the root of issues
Teaching attitudes and values Encouraging values clarification
Seeing people as the problem Seeing people as agents of change
Single actions Learning for change
More focus on individual and personal change More focus on structural and institutional change
Integration of SD in curricula Innovations for SD in curricula
Problem-solving Creation of alternative futures
Sending messages; teacher-student hierarchy Creating opportunities for reflection, negotiation and
participation; collaborative learning
Tilbury and Cooke (2005) have defined the components of the learning for
sustainability approach, in particular, to environmental education, which are: (1)
Envisioning a better future, (2) Systemic thinking, (3) Critical (reflective) think-
ing, (4) Participation in decision-making, and (5) Networks and partnerships for
change. According to Tilbury and Cooke (2005: 27–52) the above mentioned criti-
cal factors include the following elements:
1) Envisioning a better future:

• Provides a reflective space for people to engage in meaningful interpreta-
tions of sustainability
• Assists in identifying relevance between sustainability and people’s own
lives and the socio-cultural context
• Creates the ability to identify and critically question what participants want
for a sustainable future
• Uncovers and reconstructs what we value and why we value them, as well
as what other people value
• Provides an opportunity to consider conflicts, contradictions and similarities
with other people’s visions
• Helps us see the process of change as a series of steps
• Provides a strong sense of the future and a meaningful orientation of our
actions
• Enables people to look at situations, problems and obstacles and to consider
better ways of observing them
• Leads to an exploration of how to achieve change for a more sustainable
future. Encouraging learning about the process of change and how it occurs.
2) Systemic thinking:
• Looks at the whole larger context – resisting our tendency to simplify prob-
lems and solutions
• Sees the larger properties or whole systems that emerge from the interac-
tion of individual parts
• Helps to look at multiple influences and relationships
64
• Expands our worldview and helps us to become more aware of the bounda-
ries and assumptions we use to define issues
• Recognises the influences of our worldviews and self perception
• Helps us to appreciate other’s viewpoints
• Helps to restore a sense of connection to place, to others and the wider world
• Helps us to accept uncertainty and ambiguity and to participate and learn
from change
• Identifies strategies that generate better sustainable solutions
• Integrates decision-making and adaptive management techniques and en-
courages more participatory and interdisciplinary approaches.
3) Critical (reflective) thinking:

• Challenges us to critically question assumptions and recognise bias and
power behind institutions, governments, media, companies, and people
around us
• Deconstructs our socialised views of the world
• Allows us to reconstruct a deeper understanding of how different political,
economic and social structures can lead us to sustainability
• Explores power relationships in our communities, such as universities
• Helps us to explore the influence of culture in shaping our views of the world
• Creates an ability to participate in change and provides new inspirations and
perspectives, and thus, helps to construct an alternative ways of thinking.
4) Participation in Decision-Making:
• Involves learners throughout the process creating a greater sense of owner-
ship and commitment to actions for the agreed goals
• Increases the confidence of learners to participate
• Builds the capacity of learners for self-reliance and self-organisation
• Actively builds knowledge among learners through a dialogue
• Confirms responsibility of outcomes.
5) Networks and partnerships for change:

• Create synergies between organisations to work for change
• Bring together people and partners with different perspectives to reconcile
interests and challenge world views
• Foster building shared visions among partners
• Allow partners to combine resources and talents
• Help to break hierarchies and power relationships by linking partners at
different levels and across different disciplines
• Help motivate partners to work toward long-term change.
This introductory chapter has outlined the important features of teaching and
learning for sustainable development according to Tilbury and Cooke. The next
chapters will lead more deeply to the theme introducing eight practical examples
of pedagogical approaches, study courses and methods for education for sustain-
65
able development in higher education in the Baltic Sea region. The critical factors,
according to Tilbury and Cooke, have formed a framework for this development
project, in which the idea has been to test the validity of the components, and, in
addition, to study if there is a need for other important factors or components for
education for sustainable development.
References
Dam-Mieras van, R., 2006. Learning for Sustainable Development: Is it Possible within the
Established Higher Education Structures? In: Holmberg, J. & Samuelsson, B.E. (eds.), Drivers
and Barriers for Implementing Sustainable Development in Higher Education, 13-18.
Education for Sustainable Development in Action, Technical Paper 3, Unesco.
Tilbury, D. & Cooke, K., 2005. A National Review of Environmental Education and its
Contribution to Sustainability in Australia: Frameworks for Sustainability. Australian
Government Department of the Environment and Heritage and Australian Research Institute
in Education for Sustainability, Canberra.
66
3.1 Experience on Sustainable Development in Higher Education in
St.-Petersburg in Russia
Victor Ionov & Ksenia Shelest, St.-Petersburg State University, Russia
Introduction
Sustainability has become one of the most widely used terms in the scientific world.
At the end of the 1970s, with the growth of the environmental movement, sustain-
ability issues became the center of environment and development concern. It was
a new approach in that it tried to draw together nature use and protection, thus
combining environmental goal with future development. Today, the earlier eco-
logically based concept of sustainable development is more and more transformed
into a socio-economic context (Abrahamson, 1997).
Definition of sustainable development could be done in different ways, because
it deals with a lot of factors that influence on the environmental balance and qual-
ity of life. “Sustainability” may have many meanings, such as:
• The systematic, long-term use of natural resources

• The modality of development that enables countries to progress, economi-
cally and socially, without destroying their environmental resources
• The type of development which is socially just, ethically acceptable, morally
fair and economically sound
• The type of development where environmental indicators are as important
as economic indicators (Filho, 2000).
The goal of education is to give more knowledge, better information and to

make people wiser, ethical, responsible, critical and capable to continue learning.
Education serves society by providing critical reflection on the world, especially
its failings and injustices, and by promoting greater consciousness and awareness,
exploring new visions and concepts, and inventing new techniques and tools.
Education is a mean for disseminating knowledge and developing skills, for bring-
ing about desired changes in behaviors, values and lifestyles, and for promoting
public support for the continuing and fundamental changes that will be required
if humanity is to alter its course, leaving the familiar path that is leading towards
growth of difficulties and possible catastrophe, and starting the uphill climb to-
wards sustainability (UNESCO, 1997).
There are many ways in which universities can be involved in sustainable de-
velopment. Approaches can vary from aiming to function as an environmentally
friendly company to formulating principles and signing declarations, establishing
totally new institutions, or focusing the mission and management of an existing
university on the quest for sustainability. Efforts to reduce energy and resource
67
consumption at institutes of higher education would provide significant economic
and environmental benefits. Colleges and universities spend millions each year.
Green projects at universities could easily save thousands of dollars in expenses
(Levy, 2000). Universities worldwide have started to work out environmental poli-
cies, aiming to reduce the use of paper, business trips by car, waste products, use of
solvents, etc.
There is no doubt, however, that the mission of education, and universities in
particular, in sustainable development is wider than just economizing energy and
changing operations in an environmentally friendly mode. It is recognized that
both the contents and forms of education must be changed so that sustainable de-
velopment become the only alternative for the next generations. In past centuries,
social change was slow and beyond the lifespan of any social being; an individual
could perceive only a part of the process. Today evolving trends are daily modified
in such a way that young people will necessarily face most of them during their
lives. Young people must now get acquainted with the quicksand of an uncertain
world, characterized by life conditions that are unlikely to last for long. Such being
the case, their education and training, and, substantially, their cultural background,
must be different from ours and adequate to the task. They will have to face new
social problems, and above all they must be aware that individual behavior is rel-
evant for everybody else. All this calls for a deep renewal of education and training
at all levels (Blasi, 1999).
Students live and will be working in a world where information from several
disciplines must be integrated. Interdisciplinary education enlarges the students’
awareness of issues and methods beyond their own disciplinary enquiry, enabling
them to explore the interrelations of these issues and methods, and encouraging
students to regard their own studies in a broader social and ecological perspective
(Flint, 2000).
Implementation of sustainability concept on the regional level
An impressive example of implementation of Agenda 21 principles and Baltic

21E Programme at the regional level is Baltic University Programme (BUP). It
is a network of over 180 universities in 14 countries of the Baltic Sea region, ini-
tiated and coordinated by Uppsala University since 1991. The Baltic University
Programme conducts series of undergraduate and Master, regular and “distance
learning” courses in English, organized and supported by the regional research
cooperation. The Programme has wide and constant contacts with municipalities
and regional administrations, which are involved in the common research-practical
projects supported by EU and Swedish government.
BUP offers different series of courses relevant to sustainable development:
• Area Studies package: The Baltic Sea Region, Peoples of the Baltic, Regional
Development and The Baltic Sea Region;
68
• Environmental Science (ES) package: Environmental Science The Baltic Sea
Environment, Basic Environmental Science, English for Environmental Science
• Sustainable Development (SD) package: Sustainable Baltic Region
• Community Development (CD) package: Sustainable Community
Development, The City Building Sustainable Communities, and Sustainable
Urban Management;
• Water Management (WM) package: Sustainable Water Management, The
Baltic Waterscape, Water Use and Management, River Basin Management;
• Environmental Management (EM) package: Environmental Management,
Policy Instruments for Environmental Management, Cleaner Production and
Technologies, Product Design and Life Cycle Assessment, Environmental
Management Systems and Certification.
The BUP is built on cooperation in the drainage area of the Baltic Sea, but it is
clear that not only environmental protection is the common concern of the par-
ticipants: since water was once the natural means of transportation, there is often a
common culture, history and economy in such a drainage area (Ryden, 1996; Baltic
University Programme, 2001; 2003). During the 15 years that the Programme has
operated, more then 50,000 students have studied BUP courses with Diploma in
the Baltic region and among them about 5,000 students in Russia.
Sustainability in higher education in Russia
Russia is one of the countries where there is a strong tradition of training specialists
in environmental issues. It is also a country, infamous for a number of ecological
disasters and environmentally harmful activities. The heritage from the Soviet era
included:
• High energy- and resource consuming industry

• Obsolete industrial structure and technology
• Heavy pollution
• Limited information to the general public about the state of environment
• Symbolic environmental legislation (Eckerberg, 1997).
The importance of sustainable development is well understood by the popula-

tion of Russia, even though it has not yet become a real political priority. Still, a
national strategy on environmental protection and sustainable development was
worked out in 1996, a number of decrees were signed, and a State Duma Committee
on sustainable development was created in 1998. Since early 1990s, the quality of
environmental information has considerably improved, a large number of new en-
vironmental regulations were passed, and many old industries that caused pollution
were closed down. Many regions in Russia have developed their own programmes
in environmental education. Ecological organizations are active in all 89 regions
of Russia, and their activities are aimed both at the solution of environmental
69
problems and at environmental education. The Federal Government has recently
adopted new standards for education in ecological disciplines and land manage-
ment. The new standards require the presence of environmental courses in several
disciplines; thus, in humanitarian and social economic disciplines environmental
law is included. 150 state and 750 private higher educational institutions have
introduced courses on ecology and environmental law. 15 universities are engaged
in doing research in the field of environmental education (Lindroos, 2001).
An example of an environmentally oriented project is “Energy Conservation in
the Institutions of the Russian Science Academy”. The project is aimed at provid-
ing a plan of energy saving activities for the academic institutions. Preliminary
evaluation showed that energy expenses in academic institutions make up to 15%
of budget for institutes in humanities and up to 50% of budget for scientific in-
stitutions that have experimental equipment and plants. The use of energy saving
techniques and equipment in accordance with the results of the project has al-
ready started at a number of academic institutes including the Lebedev Physical
Institute, the Baikov Metallurgy Institute, the National Botanical gardens and oth-
ers. Energy saving technologies has been analyzed and evaluated; a database on
energy saving measures has been created, and a book published.
When talking of Russian universities, one should keep in mind that they have
been struggling for survival for over a decade now, and the bulk of organizational
efforts are aimed at keeping the educational process from falling apart, at earn-
ing money to support professors and maintain buildings. Important as they are,
questions like using recycled or non-recycled paper or letting the grass grow on
university lawns would not find response if addressed at an administrative meet-
ing. Using backs of old documents for current work is common practice, and
where a university has a lawn, it is most often “preserved” as too few educational
enterprises could afford cultivating lawns. Therefore, Russian universities would
rather concentrate on introducing ideas of sustainable development into educa-
tional programs.
Sustainable development courses at St.-Petersburg State University
St.-Petersburg State University, which is one of the largest (28 000 students) and
oldest university in the country, is a traditional university with sciences and hu-
manities education; ecological questions are represented at Faculties of Geography,
Geology and Biology. During recent years, with the spreading of the idea of sustain-
able development, a number of changes has been done in curricula.
In 1997 a new Department of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development
was established within the Faculty of Geography and Geoecology. This new de-
partment is a truly interdisciplinary subdivision, as it has professors from different
departments (ecologists, geologists, lawyers, economists), who take an active part
in training of students. In 2001 the department had their first graduates, who are
specialists in the field of environmental management.
70
In 1998 the Department of Ecological Geology was created within the Faculty
of Geology. A number of departments have changed their profile and introduced
sustainability relevant courses into their programs and got new names. Among
these renewed departments are:
• The Department of Soil Science and Soil Ecology

• The Department of Climatology and Ecological Monitoring
• The Department of Biogeography and Nature Protection.
All together, 61 out of 261 Departments at 11 Faculties of St.-Petersburg State

University offer courses relevant to sustainable development issues, making up
more than 23% of the curricula. The total number of such courses at St.-Petersburg
State University exceeds 280, and they are delivered by almost 200 lecturers.
A course of nature protection is compulsory for all students of the Faculty
of Geography and Geoecology. Programs in ecology are offered at Faculties of
Geography, Geology, Physics and Chemistry. They include courses on environmental
law and additional courses with ecological components, which are compulsory for
Faculties of Philosophy, Sociology, Psychology, International Relations, Management,
and Economics. The Faculty of Law offers optional courses on forestry law, water
resources law, and natural resources law. A course of natural science offered for
other humanities (e.g. history, philology) includes a component on sustainable de-
velopment. Some faculties have also introduced courses aimed at stopping drug
addiction as part of their sustainable development curriculum.
Sustainable development is an indispensable component of further education
and courses aimed at upgrading qualification of university teachers, which is dealt
with at two specialized subdivisions of St.-Petersburg State University:
• The Interdisciplinary Center for Further Professional Education has a

Department of Ecology and Nature Management, which offers 5 pro-
grammes relevant to sustainable development, covering areas of global
ecological problems, information technology in ecology, bio-diversity, nature
preservation, and methodology of ecological research.
• The Faculty of Upgrading Qualification for University Teachers has a
Department of Ecology and Geology and offers courses of lectures in
regional ecology, ecological management, natural resources management,
global and social ecology, global ecological problems, ecological risks, and
the concept of sustainable development.
It’s only natural that the Faculty of Geography is the most active agent within
the university and in the city of St.-Petersburg in propagating the ideas of sustain-
able development and organizing relevant activities. Students of the Faculty of
Geography and Geoecology have been engaged in compiling a database on or-
ganizations dealing with nature preservation in St.-Petersburg and region. After
processing the results of interviews and questionnaires, they have come up with an
impressing file concerning problems, activities, financing etc. of such organizations.
71
Another project taken up by the same faculty, together with the Forestry Academy
of St.-Petersburg, is commissioned research of the state of resort parks around St.-
Petersburg. This project is mutually beneficial, as it gives students an opportunity
to use vast parks as their practice base, while the authorities of resort areas get
qualified expertise and advice.
The last but not the least to be mentioned when listing St.-Petersburg University’s
activities in spreading the idea of sustainable development, is active participation
and coordination of the Baltic University Programme. Seventeen Russian universi-
ties are involved in the activities of the Baltic University Programme. Over 1000
Russian students have graduated from BUP courses since 1991. In Russia there are
two centers of the BUP who deal with the process of coordination: St.-Petersburg
State University (since 1991) and Kaliningrad State University (since 1997).
St.-Petersburg State University is the regional center of BUP in North-West
of Russia. Division of International Baltic and Arctic projects at St.-Petersburg
University coordinates activities of the BUP in 12 higher educational institutions
of St.-Petersburg, Novgorod, Petrozavodsk and Pskov. It organizes national and in-
ternational conferences of BUP, including videoconferences. The 5 courses of BUP
organised by St.-Petersburg State University are open not only for its students but
free for participation of the public as well.
Kaliningrad State University (Nowadays University of Kant) coordinates BUP
activities in Kaliningrad for 4 higher educational institutions participating in the
Programme. Areas of special interest for the BUP center in Kaliningrad are envi-
ronmental planning and waste management, ecological tourism, and development
of a system of ecological education.
Implementation of sustainable development in higher education
When we talk about sustainable development, we do not only mean issues con-
nected with ecology and environment. Societal aspects of sustainable development
are not less important, especially for countries shattered by political and economic
crises like Russia and East Europe. The role of education and, particularly, higher
education in providing sustainable development cannot be overestimated. Russian
universities today face the task of improving and perfecting the educational system
in a way that would stimulate creation of a new mentality in people of the 21st cen-
tury, because it is the new generation that will be able to bring nature and mankind
to sustainable development. Generally speaking, we could consider sustainable de-
velopment in higher education (i.e. changing management and operations, revising
and “greening” the curricula) and sustainable development of higher education (i.e.
organizing it in such a way that it is stable, effective, broad, fundamental, flexible
and responsive to the demands of society). In Russia, integration of sustainable
development in education is a necessary for promotion sustainable development in
the wider sense.
The Russian system of higher education provides a considerably good standard
of training for students in many fields. Students get a fair number of general cours-
72
es and substantial training in special subjects. The last decade show an impressing
enlargement of curricula in Russian institutes and universities. A university degree
programme can last for 4 years (resulting in a bachelor degree), 5 years (specialist
degree) or 6 years (master degree). The quality of training, on the whole, is quite
satisfactory, but still there is a definite need of reformation. It is admitted by univer-
sity leaders and the national educational authorities that the traditional organization
of higher education in Russia is too rigid, which does not allow to widely introduce
inter-disciplinary models of education or give students a wide choice of courses in dif-
ferent disciplines. In Russia, young people enter universities at the age of 16-17, and
at this moment they have to make their choice of field of study, which determines
their future. If, after a year or two, a young person understands that he or she would
rather take up a different specialization, there is not much that can be changed.
Liberal principles of education are not yet common in Russian universities. A stu-
dent has little choice of courses; there is usually a strict programme for 4 or 5 years
that each student will follow. The degree of freedom of choice is relatively greater in
Master and PhD programmes. Another specific problem to be solved is bridging the
gap between secondary and higher education in Russia. This problem is aggravated
by major discrepancies between standards of secondary education in urban and rural
areas. Rural areas account for about 70% of all Russian schools, and the quality of
education in them is quite poor (Smolentseva, 2000).
As the entrance requirements at universities are rather high, school graduates from
rural areas have low chances of continuing their education. Meanwhile, the demo-
graphic situation in Russia today is such that after 2004 the number of school leavers
started to decrease, and universities have to lower the standard of their entrance
requirements and introduce programmes of preparatory or remedial training for new
students. It is quite possible that in a few years in Russia the universities will have
to fight for students in order not to be closed down. In this situation the university
authorities have to think on sustainable development of their institution: in order
to survive, a university must answer the requirements of the time, it must guaran-
tee high quality of education, it must be flexible and able to respond to changing
needs, it must have programmes for students with different educational background,
and, of course, the curriculum must be organized in accordance with the concept of
sustainable development of environment and society. It is also essential for a higher
learning institution to be able to support itself financially, as governmental financing
of universities is rather low. For this, universities must be able to offer programmes
and services for which there is effective consumer and social demand.
It is obvious that the model of higher education in Russia does not meet the
requirements of the 21st century. Education defines the future of any society, and
education is equally important for an individual and for the community. By provid-
ing wide general education in natural and social sciences to maximum number of
young population, we should bring up a generation of intelligent and conscientious
people who will take better care of this planet than their predecessors in the 20th
century. Reformation and perfection of the educational system in Russia has been
discussed for quite a few years now. Efforts made in this direction on the national
scale are not always coherent or particularly effective. However, academic freedom
73
granted to higher educational institutions today makes it possible for universities to
take care of their own sustainable development.
Educational resources of a classical university could allow a re-organization of the
study process without entailing gross expenses. One of the new models of higher
education that has been discussed at St.-Petersburg University suggests organizing a
standard university course in three steps, each 2 years in duration.
The first two years seem to be the most important period for formation of new
mentality in Russian students and for introducing concepts of sustainable develop-
ment as life principles for the next generations. The first step would be essentially
the same for all faculties, with a curriculum containing the basics of sciences and
humanities, logic, languages including a substantial course of the Russian language,
and ecologically oriented courses. The courses in sciences and humanities would be
very general but highly professional, so that students would get enough information
to help them in making their choice for the second step. On the basis of the knowl-
edge gained during the first two years, a student would be able to decide whether
he or she is going to continue education at the university, and in what area his/her
interests lie. Those who wish to change the faculty can do so after finishing the first
step; those who find university education too difficult or would prefer to take up
vocational training, could choose a more specialized educational institution. This
first step would require organizational efforts from the administration and teaching
staff of the university. It would also entail certain financial expenses, as new courses
will have to be elaborated, and the number of lecturers giving introductory courses
will increase.
The second step would include more specialized training. General instruction can
be excluded starting from the third year. Students will receive extensive training in
the special area of knowledge that they have chosen, and gain skills in research work.
At the end of second step students would write and defend a thesis that would bring
them bachelor degree in arts or sciences.
The third step is seen as more or less corresponding to a standard Master pro-
gramme. The third step can be taken in an area different from the second step, on
the condition that the student wishing to do so passes a certain number of exams in
disciplines that are compulsory for continuing education in the new field. The third
step, or Master degree, will be a condition for taking up postgraduate studies and
PhD programmes. It is mainly at this step that the newest developments of science
are presented to students. Students get a chance of deepening their knowledge in the
chosen area and undertake independent research.
The described model of university education better corresponds to the new realities
of life and new societal demands. It may become the basis of wide general education
for the majority of young people, who will be able to make conscious choice of pro-
fession and receive corresponding training during the second and third steps. While
allowing for more freedom of choice, the suggested model does not lose the advan-
tages of profound specialized training characteristic of the traditional Russian higher
education. Two Russian universities (in Omsk, Siberia, and Petrozavodsk, Karelia)
have expressed willingness to test the new model for their students. Hopefully this
initiative will help to work out a sustainable model of higher education for Russia.
74
References

Abrahamson, K.V., 1997. Paradigms of Sustainability. The Road towards Sustainability. Baltic
University Programme, Uppsala.
Baltic University Programme, 2001. Annual Report 2001. Uppsala.
Baltic University Programme, 2001. Annual Report 2003. Uppsala.
Blasi, P., 1999. The Task of Institutions of Higher Education in the New Europe. In: Challenges
Facing Higher Education at the Millenium, 26-32. IAU Press.
Eckerberg, K., 1997. The ecological legacy of Post-Soviet and Central and Eastern Europe. In:
The Road towards Sustainability - a Historical Perspective. A Sustainable Baltic Region,
Session 1. Umea University.
Filho, W.L., 2000. Dealing with misconceptions on the concept of sustainability. International
Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 1(1):9-19.
Flint, R.W., McCarter, W. & Bonniwell, T., 2000. Interdisciplinary education in sustainability:
Links in secondary and higher education - The Northampton Legacy Program. International
Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 1(2):191-202.
Levy, J.I., 2000. Economic incentives for sustainable resource consumption at a large university.
International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 1(3):252-266.
Lindroos, P., 2001. Baltic Agenda 21. Education. Preliminary report.
Ryden, L., 1996. Developing University distance education on sustainability. In: Filho, L.W.,
McDermott, F. & Padgham, J. (editors), Implementing Sustainable Development at University
Level. CRE-Copernicus.
Smolentseva, A., 2000. Bridging the gap between higher and secondary education in Russia.
International Higher Education, 19.
UNESCO, 1997. Educating for a Sustainable Future: A Transdisciplinary Vision for Concerted
Action. International Conference, Thessaloniki, 8-12 Dec. Environment and Society:
Education and Public Awareness for Sustainability. UNESCO, EPD-97/CONF.401/CLD.1.
75
3.2 Curriculum Reformation for Sustainable Development in Finland
Anne Virtanen, Laurea University of Applied Sciences, Finland
Introduction
Higher education plays a central role in overcoming the negative environmental,

social and economic impacts and puts them onto a more sustainable path. There are
many reasons why higher educational institutions should take sustainable develop-
ment into account. Higher education institutions have a specific role in producing
the professionals who will be the shapers of the future. In addition, higher educa-
tion has an immense influence on people’s attitudes, values, knowledge and skills
they will use in the future. The challenge is to find ways to renovate education in
a way that promotes competences for sustainable development. Strategies play
an important role as a basis for education, such as guiding the outlines of the
curriculum. For the institution the promotion of sustainable development means
improving the external image of the institution, financial savings in addition to
reducing negative environmental and social impacts.
Higher education in Finland is provided by universities and universities of applied
sciences. There are presently 30 universities of applied sciences in Finland, and most of
them are multidisciplinary. Laurea University of Applied Sciences is the third largest
university of applied sciences in Finland. There are around 8,000 students at Laurea.
Laurea is multidisciplinary; the fields of study are 1) culture, 2) natural resources and
environment, 3) natural sciences, 4) social services, business and administration, 5)
social services, health and sports, and, 6) tourism, catering and domestic services. The
above mentioned Degree Programmes are confirmed by the Ministry of Education.
However, the contents of curricula are determined by the departments themselves.
This article first describes the basic ideas and the pedagogical background of a
new competence-based core curriculum in Laurea University of Applied Sciences.
The main focus is on the role of sustainable development in a new curriculum.
After that, the situation of education for sustainable development in Laurea based
on the research done in the years 2006-2007 is introduced. Thus, the article intro-
duces an example of an innovative way to integrate sustainable development into
a curriculum and, in addition, gives a description about the potentiality among the
teachers in Laurea to adopt the challenges of the new curriculum and, in particular,
the meaning of sustainable development in teaching and learning.
Pedagogical approach of the competence-based curriculum
In the autumn 2006 in Laurea University of Applied Sciences a new competence-

based core curriculum was adopted. In the curriculum, a predetermined body of
76
skills, knowledge, and abilities are taught to all students. The assumption is that there
is a uniform body of knowledge that all students should know. Presumably, the cur-
riculum will or at least should produce educated and responsible graduates for the
community. The new curriculum forms a contribution to the Helsinki metropolitan
area’s innovation environment and to larger a European education area, in a way to
integrate coherently research and development into education (Kallioinen, 2007: 6).
The core curriculum is built on a mandated core, which is defined and designed
outside the classroom. All students learn a common set of knowledge, skills, and
abilities. Although the academic content remains the primary focus of the cur-
riculum, some core teaching is moving toward application and problem solving.
In Laurea a new study method has been developed. It is called the Learning by
Developing (LbD) method or learning model. LbD is a pedagogical innovation
that the Finnish National Evaluation Council based their decision on when Laurea
was appointed as a Centre of Excellence in Education for the years 2005-2006. The
idea of the model is that the developing needs and problem situations arising from
the workplace are the starting point for the learning and development projects in
which students take part during their studies (see Raij, 2007).
In Finland, the main tasks of the universities of applied sciences are education, re-
search and development, and activities promoting local and regional development.
In Laurea learning is connected to the development and research activities that
develop both the workplace and the competences of the university teachers and
students. In practice, there are so-called integrative learning environments, which
are the spaces for learning and creative problem-solving, in which representatives
of the labour market, lecturers and students meet and interact with each other.
Practical applications of the new learning environments include projects carried
out and various operating spaces for learning. Learning in these environments is
based on shared expertise, which is supported by the methods such as tutoring,
lecturing sessions, demonstrations, team meetings, feedback events and seminars.
Problem-based learning as well as learning by developing approach are alterna-
tives to traditional classroom learning. Problem-based learning deals with problems
and the ways how to solve them. The role of the teacher is to be more a facilitator
or mentor than a source of solutions. The approach for teaching and learning is
similar in development-based learning, but the difference is that the problems are
real life problems and students take part in development projects determined by
the external workplace (Raij, 2007).
The competence-based curriculum and the LbD-method are based on construc-
tivist and socio-cultural pedagogical approaches. Constructivism is a philosophy of
learning founded on the premise that, by reflecting on our experiences, we con-
struct our own understanding of the world we live in. In constructivism, learning
is understood to be an active construction process of knowledge. The main idea
is that knowledge is not mediated from a lecturer to a student, but a student or a
learner constructs knowledge for him/herself. Learning is situational, contextual
and based on interaction (for example Wilson, 1996).
Social constructivism and socio-cultural learning approaches emphasize the im-
portance of culture and context in understanding and learning. Social constructivism
77
is based on specific assumptions about reality, knowledge, and learning. Social con-
structivists believe that reality is constructed through human activity. This means
that reality cannot be discovered, because it does not exist prior to its social inven-
tion. Knowledge is understood also as a human product; knowledge is socially and
culturally constructed. Individuals create meaning through their interactions with
each other and with the environment they live in. In social constructivism learn-
ing is viewed as a social process. Meaningful learning occurs when individuals are
engaged in social activities. According to social constructivism, both the context in
which learning occurs and the social contexts that learners bring to their learning
environment are important (for example Rogoff, 1990; Lave & Wenger, 1991).
Competences for sustainable development in curriculum
All Laurea’s new degree programmes have a curriculum that consists of field spe-
cific themes. Themes are depicted as know-how in relation to the corresponding
workplace. However, all the degree programmes are based on the structure of the
core curriculum. The core curriculum consists of study units and projects carried
out for employers, which all involve a number of generic competences. The ge-
neric competences are ethical competence, globalisation competence, innovative
competence, reflective competence and network competence. In addition to these,
there are field-specific competences of every degree programme. These field-spe-
cific competences are basic and essential skills and knowledge needed in the field of
study. Figure 1 describes how generic competences are intertwined in the themes
and in the study units. The levels in the figure refer to the level that student should
learn about the competence during the theme/study unit.
The above mentioned five generic competences have a specific role for educa-
tion for sustainable development. Network competence is built on communication
skills, co-operation and multidisciplinary thinking. Activities towards sustainable
development need new form of thinking in a multi- and transdisciplinary way, new
Competence 1: Competence 2: Competence 3 Competence 4: Competence 5:

Ethical Globalisation Innovative Reflective Network
competence competence competence competence competence
Theme 1 level 1 level 1
Study unit 1
Study unit 2
Study unit 3
Study unit 1
Study unit 2
Study unit 3
Theme 3 level 1
Etc… level 2 level 3 level 2
Figure 1. The structure how generic and field-specific competences are connected to subject-based themes
and study units in a competence-based curriculum.
78
ways to communicate globally, teamwork, etc. The adoption of sustainable devel-
opment also needs innovative competence for thinking and acting in a new way as
well as to develop innovation at personal, organisational or social levels.
Reflective competence means critical evaluation. Reflective competence is im-
portant in the process towards the future in which people act according to the
principles of sustainable development. We need the knowledge and skills to reflect
and analyse our values, attitudes and behaviour in terms of sustainable develop-
ment. In addition to self-evaluation, critical thinking and problem-solving skills at
the organisational and even at the social level are important.
Ethics can be said to be a conceptual statement regarding good and bad. When
moral refers to an individual’s conception of right and wrong, ethics refers to moral
choices to which the individual is consciously committed. Ethics have a connection
to reflective competence, as they are characterised by one’s own consideration,
analysing and interpretation. Ethical competence is part of a student’s professional
growth, and the trademarks of ethical competence are responsibility for the future,
sociability, justice and a desire for information. In Laurea’s curriculum the ethical
competence is consisted of four components, which are ethical sensitivity, ethi-
cal motivation, moral-ethical problem-solving and moral implementation of skills.
When we are discussing about sustainable development, we need ethical sensitivity
to recognise the meaning of sustainability, motivation to be sustainable and behave
according it, as well as to recognise and analyse according to the principles of sus-
tainable development.
Sustainable development is a global concept as such; for instance, the challenge
of sustainable development is globally accepted. In addition, local activities have
wider, even global, impacts. The background of the concept of sustainable develop-
ment is global. Sustainable development is, most of all, a viewpoint and a dynamic
process, not a stable state. Sustainability is the aim, when sustainable development
is a way or a process toward the aim. The aim of the globalisation competence
in Laurea is that the students learn to evaluate and interpret their work and life
and their effect on a global scale and through the different dimensions of sustain-
able development. The globalisation competence consists of three parts, which are
knowledge, motivation and values, and implementation skills (Figure 2).
The global competence is divided in the curriculum into three levels. In practice,
the level of competence the students should at least learn during their studies is
exactly determined by all degree programmes. At the first level, students learn
their own professional operations from the point of view of global, social, cultural,
political, economic and ecological interactions, taking into account the principles
of sustainable development. At the second level, which is the organisational devel-
oper level, students learn to take into consideration the effect of global interactions
on an organisation’s development efforts. The third level is a social reformer level,
in which students learn to adopt an active and responsible role at the social level
and can work to ensure that the mentioned global factors and sustainable develop-
ment perspectives are taken into account in decision-making (Figure 2).
79
Competences of globalisation
Knowledge Motivation and values Implementation skills
Social reformer level Recognising the global Critically evaluating social Making arguments using
(advanced level) nature of social issues values and practices from the principles of sustaina-
and the characteristics of the point of view of ble development, from the
sustainable development sustainable development, perspective of global ef-
taking into account global fects, at the societal level
interactions
Organisational develo- Knowledge of the ef- Striving to promote the Applying sustainable
per level fects of one’s own sector values of environmental development responsibi-
(intermediate level) and its organisations on and social responsibility lity in organisations in the
sustainable development, in organisations in the sector, and participating in
responsibility and interna- sector, taking into account international networks
tional connections global interactions
Personal competence Recognising the significan- Evaluating one’s own value Applying the principles of
level ce of one’s own profes- base from the point of sustainable development
(basic level) sional actions in relation view of sustainable deve- in one’s own work in rela-
to global interactions and lopment and globalisation tion to global interactions
sustainable development
Figure 2. Levels of globalisation competence (Study Guide 2006).
Competence base for education for sustainable development in Laurea

University of Applied Sciences – results of the study
As the curriculum change in Laurea is demanding from the sustainable development

perspective, it was decided that the evaluation of the prevailing level of knowledge,
attitudes and practices for sustainable development needed to be carried out. The
evaluation gives important information about the concrete possibilities to realize
the curriculum reform from the sustainable development point of view.
The aim of the research was to find out knowledge, attitudes and practices
of education for sustainable development (ESD) among the lecturers in Laurea
University of Applied Sciences. The research gave answers to what sustainable
development means at different branches, how sustainable development is imple-
mented in education, what is the knowledge about strategies of ESD and what
kinds of possibilities and obstacles there are for ESD. The research is a part of
the larger research and development project that aims to enhance competences
for sustainable development among the teachers in higher education in Finland,
and, in particular, in the universities of applied sciences. In addition, the aim is to
improve knowledge and launch in practice the challenges that the UN Decade of
Education for Sustainable Development has set for education globally.
The method of the research was quantitative. The research material was gath-
ered by an electronic questionnaire. In practice, the questionnaire was sent to the
lecturers of Laurea University of Applied Sciences through an e-mail message. The
questionnaire concerned:
1 Knowledge about sustainable development in general and in the study field

2 Knowledge about strategies for ESD
3 Attitudes towards sustainable development
4 Realized teaching for sustainable development.
80
Table 1. Teaching background of the respondents.
Field of Instruction Number of Respondents %
Economics and Administration 14 28
Natural Resources and Environment 7 14
Social Services and Healthcare 20 40
Tourism and Service Management 9 18
Sum 50 100
In Laurea there are 258 lecturers, and fifty of them took part in the research
(20%). About the respondents 18% were male, and 82% were female. Most of the
respondents belonged to the age category 40-49 years (46%). To the age category
30-39 years belonged 24%, and 26% to the category 50-59 years. The teachers in
the degree programme of social services and healthcare were relatively the most
active in responding (Table 1).
Education for sustainable development is more than only a knowledge base re-
lated to ecological, social, economic, and cultural questions. Therefore, the research
also studied attitudes towards and activities for teaching of sustainable develop-
ment. The results are divided into three themes, which are knowledge about ESD,
attitudes towards ESD, and practices for ESD.
Knowledge about sustainable development in general and in a teaching field is an
important base for promoting education for sustainable development. Lecturers at
Laurea seem to have rather good knowledge about sustainable development and its
KNOWLEDGE OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
I know what economic sustainability means in my

field of teaching
Fully disagree
I know what cultural sustainability means in my
field of teaching
Somewhat disagree
I know what social sustainability means in my field Somewhat agree

of teaching
Fully agree
I know what ecological sustainability means in my
field of teaching No opinion
Sustainable Development means mainly to take

care of the environment
Sustainable Development is a matter that is

difficult to understand
Sustainable Development is a viewpoint
0 20 40 60 80 100 % (N = 50)
Figure 3. Teachers’ knowledge of sustainable development in Laurea.
81
% (N = 50) ATTUTUDES TOWARDS EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
100
90
I think sustainable development
80 is an important issue
70
60
Higher education needs to give
50 knowledge and abilities for
sustainability
40
30
20
10
0
Fully Somewhat Somewhat Fully No opinion
disagree disagree agree agree
Figure 4. Teachers’ attitudes towards education for sustainable development in Laurea.
dimensions. Most of the lecturers fully or somewhat agree with the statements that
they know the meaning of ecological, social, cultural, and economic sustainability
in their field of teaching (Figure 3). It can be said that the ecological dimension
is a little bit better understood than the other ones, but the difference is small.
Despite these opinions, half of the respondents conceive that sustainable develop-
ment means mainly to take care of the environment, and there are also difficulties
to understand sustainable development in a coherent way. Most of the respondents
think that sustainable development is a viewpoint to see and understand different
kinds of things; it is a worldview (Figure 3).
Attitudes towards education for sustainable development seem to be very posi-
tive. Most of the respondents (84%) fully agree with the statement that higher
education needs to give knowledge and abilities for sustainability. In addition, most
of the respondents (86%) think that sustainable development is an important issue
(Figure 4). It can be analysed that motivation towards sustainable development
and to teach it are very positive among the lecturers in Laurea. In other words,
there is a strong potential to enhance education for sustainable development.
Most of the respondents perceive that one aim of the new curriculum is to take
sustainable development into account as integrated with regard to field-specific
themes. Regardless of this, most of the teachers perceive that sustainable develop-
ment is lectured in specific study courses for SD. One explanation for this is the
specific degree programme of sustainable development where the promotion of
sustainable development is a core idea. There is a great variety in the opinions
concerning the argument that sustainable development is lectured by the experts
for sustainable development. Some agreed with the argument, while other teachers
fully disagree (Figure 5).
82
PRACTICES FOR EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
One aim of our curriculum is integrative

At our university it is studied specific study

courses about sustainable development Fully disagree
Experts of sustainable development teach Somewhat disagree

it at our university
Somewhat agree
Ideal with cultural aspects of sustainable
development in teaching
Fully agree
Ideal with social aspects of sustainable

development in teaching No opinion
Ideal with economic aspects of sustainable

Ideal with ecological aspects of sustainable

0 20 40 60 80 100 % (n = 50)
Figure 5. Teachers’ opinions about practices for education for sustainable development in Laurea.
Conclusion
Laurea’s innovative curriculum offers a special model how sustainable develop-

ment can be integrated into teaching and learning at a higher educational level.
Important is the notion that the model is not field-specific, which means that the
core curriculum is suitable for different branches; for environmental, economic,
social, technical as well as humanistic branches. Another important notion is that
the model integrates sustainable development into teaching and learning automati-
cally, which means that it is not separated from field-specific courses but is part of
them as a viewpoint, as an attitude and as a way of action.
The conducted research gave fruitful knowledge about possibilities and chal-
lenges to integrate the niche of sustainability into the curriculum. According to the
research it can be interpreted that among the teachers in Laurea there is knowledge
about sustainable development but more competence about sustainable develop-
ment is needed. Teachers are aware of sustainable development, in particular, at a
general level but also in their field of instruction. However, more competence is
needed for how to connect the knowledge of sustainable development to everyday
teaching methods and lecturing. However, there is a great potentiality to enhance
education for sustainable development, because attitudes towards sustainable de-
velopment are very positive and a new competence-based core curriculum offers a
coherent framework for it.
83
References
Education for Sustainable Development, United Nations Decade 2005-2014. http://portal.

unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=27234&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_
SECTION=201.html
Kallioinen, O., 2007. Introduction. In: Kallioinen, O. (ed.), The Competence-Based Curriculum
at Laurea, 6-8. Publications of Laurea University of Applied Sciences B22.
Lave, J. & Wenger, E., 1991. Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge
University Press, New York.
Raij, K., 2007. Learning by Developing. Laurea Publications A58.
Rogoff, B., 1990. Apprenticeship in thinking. Oxford University Press, New York.
Study Guide, 2006. Laurea University of Applied Sciences. www.laurea.fi
Wilson, B.G., 1996. What is constructivist learning environment? In: Wilson, B.G. (editor),
Constructivist learning environments: Case studies in instructional design, 3-10. Educational
Technology Publications, New Jersey.
84
3.3 Methods to Teach Sustainability in a Business School
in Germany
Anja Grothe & Miriam Schmeling, Berlin School of Economics, Germany
Background
Over the past decades it has become more and more apparent that our economic
activity has lead to considerable damage to the environment including the decline
of our natural resources and resulting social problems. Based on this realisation the
concept of sustainable development was developed by the World Commission on
Environment and Development (WCED) in the Brundtland Report (Brundtland
Kommission, 1997) in the late 1980s. Sustainable development requires meeting to-
day’s generations’ needs without compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their needs. This concept is closely linked to the understanding that problems
related to environmental policy have to be examined in a holistic fashion and not iso-
lated from economic and social developments. At first glance this may appear to be a
vague and empty purpose. Every now and then it has been suggested that the concept
of sustainable development has only been this successful because anybody can read
anything into it, i.e. everybody is talking about sustainable development, however,
few know what is really meant by it and many apply it to suit their personal needs.
This is why teaching sustainability as an instrument for future-compliant eco-
nomic activity poses a number of significant challenges for the teaching staff
concerned in the higher education of economists. This is what we would like to
limit ourselves to here. Above all, higher education aims at academically conveying
content. During their studies students are to receive the basic information on the
subject matter. In addition, skills for scientific approaches and key competencies
have to be conveyed. This means that in addition to professional competencies
method competencies are of great importance. De Haan talks about the impor-
tance of acquiring the necessary “Gestaltungskompetenz” which “is defined as the
specific capacity to act and solve problems. Those who possess such competencies
will be able to actively shape and modify the future of our society as well as its
social, economic, technical and ecological transition for the purpose of a sustain-
able development” (de Haan, 2004). The following illustration shows a number of
subjects in which sustainable development could be taught.
The illustration (Figure 1) is by no means comprehensive. It is simply intended
to portray the diversity of issues that are hidden behind the standard of teaching
sustainability in the light of necessary social, economic and ecological changes. The
overall concept of sustainability is interdisciplinary. It includes the environment
available to us as well as the resulting necessary changes in lifestyle. It also shows a
number of other effects: the consequences of our resource-consumptive (Western)
lifestyles for the countries of the Southern hemisphere, the resulting alternatives
85
Figure 1. Subjects for teaching sustainability.
and resources that efficient technologies provide, the advantage of “using lots” over
“owning lots”, the impact on our economies, politics and our judicial and social
framework, etc. The fascinating aspect of this concept is that it can make us see
that all of our activities can lead to complex consequences. Not like the “ceteris
paribus” in economic theoretic modelling which can draw conclusions by simply
ignoring a number of factors.
All of this is by far more than the sum of the individual parts, meaning that
there is a necessity for interdisciplinary teamwork in order to coherently portray
and present the numerous aspects and dimensions of the sustainability process. But
even if it is not conveyed in project-based and interdisciplinary instruction, differ-
ent didactical principles (Grothe-Senf, 1999) have to be considered and applied in
order to impart useful knowledge in the field of sustainability.
Teaching methods in higher education in the field of sustainability
The following discussion will not focus on didactic principles but introduce a
number of different methods which facilitate teaching the concept of sustainabil-
ity with all its dimensions at university level (and of course in other institutions of
learning). The following illustration (Figure 2) lines out the teaching methods used
at the Berlin School of Economics.
Grasping sustainability – The Sustainability Suitcase

The major difficulty with the sustainability discourse lies in making it more
popular. This becomes evident in the discussion about models and a complicated
sustainability indicator system. The results are numerous theoretical debates about
sustainability, continuously obscuring the concept and not leading to the aspired
goal. The smallest common denominator is a reduced definition and an equilateral
86
Figure 2. Teaching methods in Higher Education in the area of sustainability.
triangle which represents the three elements of sustainability: economy, ecology

and social equity.
The idea behind the Sustainability Suitcase (www.iris-berlin.de) is to initiate a dis-
cussion, unleash curiosity, help understand and grasp the implications of the complex
concept of sustainable development and ultimately urge people to become an active
part in it. The suitcase is a metaphor, a symbol which illustrates with its simplicity a
complex system – just like F. Vester’s “Ökolopoly”-game (Vester 1986). Sustainability
develops out of the suitcase. Pictures and symbols depict examples from the three
areas economy, ecology, and social equity. They can either be allocated to one of the
areas or not. The model grows out of the suitcase into a three-dimensional sphere
and with the help of simple elements shows changes, responsibility, cause and effect
and solutions without moralising, the index finger pointing to elaborate Powerpoint
presentations (Figures 3-4). The pedagogic and didactic value lies in the multitude
of usages the suitcase can serve depending on the target group: It can be a model
for discussion, for mediation or a group dynamic model or even the basis for a
Figures 3-4. Sustainability Suitcase set-up.
87
one-to-one conversation between student and teacher. The suitcase also serves as a
communication metaphor. We use it for the journey to sustainability where every
passenger gathers new impressions en route. And we need it for those who want to
venture on the journey to a sustainable company/city/country.
Ever and ever more, the concept of globalisation has become a determining
factor in the world today – with all its positive but also negative consequences. In
order to show the relationship between globalisation and sustainability the sustain-
ability wheel contains three globalisation pads located across from the triangle’s
angles. Above all, they serve to assess the chances and risks involved in a sustainable
development. When the model is set up it can be used as a basis for discussion and
pictures or figures can be added. It is important to find a coherent metaphorical lan-
guage and to include the participants’ learning and living environment. Participants
can use the material provided in the suitcase or include their own ideas verbally or
with images. Once “the world we live in” has become graspable in sustainable terms,
the next step is to show the vision for a sustainable development. The basis for this
is one of the main elements of the model: the triangle. In order to be sustainable,
certain prerequisites will have to be fulfilled: Peace and freedom – symbolised by
a white dove sitting on a soldiers hand. Next, explaining each step the following
three-dimensional model is set up:
• The edges of a tetrahedron, the symbol of the three strategies for imple-
menting a sustainable development (efficiency, consistency, sufficiency),
pointing to the necessity of applying all three strategies for a stable sustain-
able development
• An acrylic glass triangle top symbolising sustainability as an open concept to
be filled with content just like the model
• A spiral gangway leading to a second level as a symbol for “being on a sus-
tainable journey”
• The second level between the base and the top which provides room for
practical examples of implementation and represents solutions in the area of
the three dimensions as well as directly related to Local Agenda 21 projects
• This phase should include examples and suggestions taken from the par-
ticipants’ living and learning environment in order to make sustainability
“graspable”.
The closing phase is a discussion circle in which the importance of the personal
environment can be addressed.
• What does this have to do with me?

• Where do I stand?
• Where do I want to go?
• What am I missing?
• What do I wish for?
• Are there examples from my personal living environment?
• What can I do to live “sustainably” in Germany?
88
This phase should leave enough time and space to give everyone the opportu-
nity to understand the meaning of sustainability as a societal search and learning
process in the context of their own life. Once “grasped” what sustainability means
this experience can be used for the individual’s life design. It’s not a matter of big
schemes but rather a conscious transformation of our lifestyle in terms of a sustain-
able development. This lifestyle naturally includes higher education.
Learning with the help of this model means participating in designing. For the
purpose of orientation the structure is presented by the model, the rest falls in
place by the interaction of the participants. This enables a “grasping” experience
that is transferable to other areas of life.
Depending on whether examples are to be given by the participants, whether
the model is applied as a mediation model or as a presentation with creative ele-
ments, different time frames will be required for set-up, presentation and discussion.
Participants will not need any particular preparation as the model fully explains
the concept of sustainability. Post-processing can then be a much more in-depth
process and lead to one of the following methods.
Lecture
Lectures constitute the most common teaching method in higher education. Often
the courses are additionally labelled “tutorial”, however, in few cases specifying
what exactly is meant by that. Generally speaking students are to be given a chance
of actively participating in this type of courses.
Analysing Sustainability Reports

Students work in small groups on the task of developing criteria for a company’s
contribution in the field of sustainability in order to find out “what’s behind the
label”. The criteria are to cover the three dimensions, ecology, economy and social
equity. In a second step the groups receive sustainability reports which they are to
analyse based on the criteria they have developed. In order to enhance collective
learning groups present their results at the end.
This method works best if the students have already learned about the proc-
ess involved in developing a company’s mission statement. Practical examination
often shows that sustainability is a topic which is important for large companies,
that content, however, may greatly differ. A sustainability report (IÖW, IMUG,
2002) may contain information that was formerly used in an environmental report
and does not properly reflect whether the company is “on its way to becoming a
sustainable company”.
Measuring Sustainability
This method requires the study of different sets of criteria for “measuring” sustain-
ability. Among others these are SAFE (Sustainability Assessment For Enterprises) by
the Wuppertal Institute (Rohn et al., 2001), the PROSA tool (Product Sustainability
Assessment) by the Öko-Institute (Öko-Institut, 1997) and the Extended
Environmental Performance Evaluation (Grothe-Senf & Frank, 2003) based on the
EFQM-model. With different approaches and criteria these instruments all examine
89
the actual state of the company and show possibilities of how the sustainability proc-
ess can be advanced and improved through the continuous improvement process.
Later the students are asked to show the advantages and disadvantages or the
strengths and weaknesses of the tools and to choose one model, stating their reasons.
Smallest Ecological Footprint – a Contest

There are different ways of pointing out and highlighting that we are living above
our means. What goes without saying in the economic context and is taught in
proper bookkeeping (not to spend more than you have or to live from the interest
not from the substance) equally holds true for ecological issues. Unfortunately, this
principle in sustainability is rarely taught. The image of the ecological footprint
comes in very handy to illustrate this. Today it can be found online (www.footprint.
ch, http://ecofoot.org) for several cities and countries.
Based on the idea that every human being on the planet has the same right
to the use of natural resources this method conveys theory but also enables the
user to calculate his/her individual ecological footprint thus triggering a thinking
process about how “for granted” he/she is taking the personal use of those natural
resources. Even if the databases for these calculations greatly differ and are even
partly superficial this presentation can lead to a constructive discussion as it opera-
tionalises the normative mission. It points to where we have to head on a global,
national and regional scale in order to reconcile the use of our natural resources
and human needs with the planet’s ecological bearing capacity.
After explaining theoretical background behind the ecological footprint students
are asked to calculate their personal ecological footprint and to bring it to class next
time. This is when every student has to position him/herself in the room according to
their print and explain his/her results. Next, we recommend discussing the conclusions
drawn from the comparison and the reasons for “large” or “small” ecological footprints.
Excursions
Excursions are especially appropriate for connecting theoretical studies with real-
world, local situations. It is true, that the concept of sustainability can be presented
theoretically – which certainly has to happen as a basis – however we often come
across some of the most interesting questions and the most creative solutions in a
personal conversation with a practitioner on site by looking at and discussing those
specific issues relevant in the context of the company in question. Furthermore,
experiences made on an excursion (e.g. visiting a company) are far more motivat-
ing for the individual than regular seminars and the information acquired will be
stored long-term. The more involved the participant in the different phases of the
excursion the greater their motivation and the learning effect.
Generally speaking three phases can be distinguished during the excursion:
• Preparation
• Realisation
• Post-processing
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The following examples will show possibilities of how the excursion can meet
the requirements of teaching and learning for sustainable development.
Excursions to Sustainable Companies

In preparation students split up into small groups. Each group chooses one of the
4-6 companies which all work in different sectors, however all have an imple-
mented certified environmental management scheme (EMAS and/or ISO 14001).
The groups prepare an analysis of “their” company where they proceed in 5 steps
similar to those for an internal audit.
1 Developing a catalogue of criteria: Students have to develop criteria and

indicators for implementation of the idea of sustainability into the corporate
context. To prepare students for this different existing indicator systems are
presented (Umweltbundesamt 1997). The criteria are to be adjusted ac-
cording to the branch and size of the company.
2 Analysis of written material: The catalogue of criteria serves as a basis for
analysing the written material, e.g. sustainability/environmental report, busi-
ness report, corporate magazine and internet appearance.
3 Compiling a check-list and a questionnaire for the on-site inspection (excursion).
4 Presentation of the company and the results to the group.
Step 5 takes place during the realisation phase. One student from each group
is responsible for asking questions according to the check-list. As all students are
prepared through the presentations everyone knows what to look out for.
The post-processing phase requires a presentation from each group that also
includes their rating of the company. A last tutorial session should illustrate the
facets of “Corporate Sustainability”, addressing issues like conditions, discrepancy
between demand and reality, the differences between branches and large, medium-
sized and small companies.
Excursions to (Sustainable) Political Events

The idea of sustainability is fixed in the German constitution. In summer 2000,
the German government instituted the National Council on Sustainability (the
Nachhaltigkeitsrat). Its members who come from a wide range of social groups were
responsible for creating a national sustainability strategy. The European Union and
the Federal Government released policy papers that define a sustainable develop-
ment and show how to attain it. This makes sustainable development a topic that
comes up in different political contexts. Preparing students for and taking them to
political events is one important part of political education. The preparation phase
can in this case be designed in rather different way. It can consist of
• Examining different strategy papers

• Examining the different political views on implementing a strategy for
• Examining the results of Enquete-Commissions
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• Developing personal views on the implementation of strategies for sustain-
able development
• Learning general rules on debating
• Analysing newspaper articles on this topic and many more.
During the realisation phase students are asked to work on different tasks (e.g.
staying with the view of…) in the post-processing phase results are analysed and
summarized. The “final product” can either be a newspaper article or a letter of
inquiry to the Senate of Berlin.
Excursions to Local Agenda 21 Events

The process of implementation of the Local Agenda 21 (ICLEI, 1998) is also an ex-
citing topic which can clearly show the discrepancy between huge political pretence
and the small steps of reality. In preparation the following should be examined:
• The AGENDA21 document

• The different local AGENDAS in Germany, Europe, the world
• The differences between the documents (in regards to content, financial
aspects, political orientation, human resources, civil participation, etc.),
• “Success criteria”
In addition it can be interesting to invite a representative of the Local Agenda

network to a class.
For the realisation phase the group can either be split up into small groups, each
visiting a different Agenda 21 event or the entire group can attend a larger event.
Post-processing should include summing up results and formulating conclusions.
These can in turn be used to prepare the visit of a political event.
Future Workshops
The future workshop is a very creative process method developed by Robert Jungk
for political education over 30 years ago. The starting point of his idea was that deci-
sions on issues relating to everyday-life or to the workplace are often made without
participation of those directly concerned (Jungk & Müllert, 1985). It is the goal of
future workshops to include every interested citizen in the decision process other-
wise strictly reserved to politicians, experts and planners (Jungk & Müllert, 1985).
Future workshops represent a decision-making process that works bottom-up and
regards all citizens affected by an issue as experts in that field. Future workshops are
frequently applied in the context of Local Agenda 21 panels and events.
Future workshops are suitable as a teaching method in higher education in

order to:
• Present a method which can be used in Local Agenda 21 work

• Root the idea of sustainability at the University
• Let the group develop project topics
92
In practice 1-2 successive days are required. The method is suitable for a mini-
mum of seven and a maximum of 25 participants.
A possible topic for a future workshop could be:
• Sustainable company
• Sustainable …. (Berlin, London, Paris etc.)
• Sustainable Germany
The preparation phase sets the mood and serves to familiarise the participants
with the topic as well as the method (Figure 5). Most people do not associate much
with the term future workshop and at first many are insecure whether they made the
right decision to engage in it. It is the facilitator’s task to present the procedure and
the program of the future workshop. It is important to point out the following:
• As opposed to other workshops a lot of the work is done in small groups

and familiar “rational analytical methods” that address the mind alternate
with “intuitive emotional methods” that address the body.
• The structure allows specific problem-solving (criticism phase) and a
detached fantasy-collection. It is important to stick to the phases without
jumping back and forth. Excuses, explanations and considerations as to why
things cannot work differently do not belong in this phase.
Figure 5. Phases of a Future Workshop.
93
• It is important that fears do not block the development and bringing forth of
fantasies in the fantasy phase. A “rule-keeper” should take care that all ideas for
realisation and implementation are introduced only in the realisation phase.
• The realisation phase should adopt the “step-by-step approach”. Specific
projects, questions should be placed at the end.
The teacher is faced with a particular challenge when integrating the future
workshop into the course work because the questions, ideas and projects resulting
from it should ideally become part of the instruction. Often questions regard-
ing the Agenda process come up and whether they have been implemented yet.
Participants have become especially interested if Agenda-related issues have arisen
from their own ideas. It can therefore be sensible to visit local Agenda events after
a future workshop has been held.
Business game: “Sustainable Management at McClean”

The business game is a method that falls into the category of experiential learning.
It is important, however, that participants take their roles and actions seriously. In
order to achieve this introducing and preparing the roles is vital. The business game
provides a learning opportunity which cannot be achieved in the classroom under
“normal” conditions. Participants get to experience the company as a system. The
business game “Sustainable Management at McClean” (more information: www.
iris-berlin.de) focuses on the action inside the company. During the course of the
game this is greatly influenced by a citizens’ action committee, the press as well
as political players. The company’s management and employees all start out with
their individual predetermined attitude towards environmental and sustainability-
related issues. It is not important whether a sustainable management scheme is
actually introduced in the end (after two days). What counts is that participants
understand the process and the reasons for decisions.
Starting situation
To start with the business game students are given some basic material about the
situation. The following roughly describes the material distributed for the prepara-
tion work.
“McClean GmbH & Co.”, well-known for generations for the manufacturing of ap-
pliances is a middle-sized company that began specializing in front-end loader washing
machines 25 years ago. The family McClean holds 75% in shares and fills the manag-
ing positions in the company.
After two years of declining sales figures, increased competition, negative press (in the
local paper) regarding excessive levels of chlorinated hydrocarbon in the nearby water
protection area, activities led by a local citizens’ action committee and general economic
recession the board came to the conclusion that changes in the corporate context were
necessary.
Despite last year’s general decline in sales in the upper market segment served by
McClean, the management is intent on confronting the negative trend at McClean
94
GmbH & Co. The management agrees upon the trend evaluation of company data as
well as the interpretation of the declining market share. There is no consent, however, as
to a strategy for the future.
Mr./Mrs. Clean-Tech (technical management), so far only privately active in the
environmental sphere, believes that the company can only survive with a clear orienta-
tion towards an environmentally-friendly production and the implementation of an
environmental or even sustainability management scheme. Mr./Mrs. Clean-Purchase
(commercial management), however, seas the company’s future in a consistent rational-
izing of production and finalizing the product range by dryers, for example.
For a long time Mr./Mrs. Conservation was in charge of environmental protection
along with his/her two assistants (Mr./Mrs. Filter and Mr./Mrs. Compost). The man-
agement was very pleased with the solution of delegating environmental issues to such a
competent and reliable team and having to deal only marginally with them. Colleagues
regarded Mr./Mrs. Conservation as the environmental protection officer, assured that
all matters concerned would be dealt with by his/her team. This is why nobody else
felt responsible for environmental issues. Although Mr./Mrs. Conservation’s team was
overworked and cooperation with Mr./Mrs. Ladder responsible for occupational safety
not always ran smoothly, there were no noteworthy shortfalls. However, the following
events occurred in the past, highlighting the conflict within the company:
1. An employee from the technical department wanted to take a barrel filled with waste
oil to the designated storage room. Upon arriving at the storage room he saw that the
entrance was blocked by a truck and decided to leave the barrel in front of the storage
room. He would come back later and take it into the storage room. This he did not
remember until he was on his way home.
As luck would have it, of all barrels this one happened to be leaking and the waste
oil dripped into the unsealed ground. Next morning an alert employee noticed the barrel
and notified Mr./Mrs. Conservation immediately. Upon arriving at the scene Mr./Mrs.
Conservation found that most of the waste oil had already leaked into the ground and
after informing Mr./Mrs. Clean-Tech arranged for the immediate decontamination of
the affected soil.
Much to management’s regret the incident was not treated confidentially and the
press covered the contamination and possible health threats to Berliners in several
articles. The incident also prompted the citizen’s action committee “Happy Gardens”
to protest against McClean (as they already had two years ago) and several resi-
dents to complain about noise pollution and smell nuisance. In addition local party
representatives started meddling, seeing chances of winning voters for the upcoming
elections.
2. In the context of the waste oil incident the “environmental scandal” from two years
earlier was brought up again. Back then an increased level of halogenated hydrocarbon
was measured in the nearby Tegelersee. The increased measurement reading was attrib-
uted to a leak in McClean’s waste water treatment facility. McClean used halogenated
hydrocarbon in the so-called “degreasing baths” to remove drawing oil – indispensable
in molding sheet metal components. There was substantial media coverage on this two
years ago whereupon the citizen’s action committee “Happy Gardens” was started. The
95
company reacted to the public’s severe pressure by substituting the emulsion containing
chlorinated hydrocarbon and by installing a new waste water treatment facility.
3. Last week the local paper “Daily Mail” reported critically about a “little” incident
regarding the waste management. The waste management enterprise commissioned by
McClean refused the collection of commercial waste on the grounds of alleged hazard-
ous waste found in one of the containers.
These events and the tough economic situation lead to Mr./Mrs. Clean-Tech assigning
Mr./Mrs. Conservation to “look into” the implementation of an environmental manage-
ment scheme. So far Mr./Mrs. Clean-Tech had not been able to convince Mr./Mrs.
Clean-Purchase of such a scheme. They had, however, agreed on further investigating
different strategies for improving the business situation and on awaiting this analysis
before making decisions on how to proceed. Mr./Mrs. Conservation’s task now was to
“Go ahead, just make sure it doesn’t cost too much”.
Mr./Mrs. Clean-Purchase in turn put Mr./Mrs. Research (head of the research and
development department) and Mr./Mrs. Assembly (head of production) in charge of
establishing a concept for extending the product range as well as introducing rationali-
sation measures for the existing production line. He/she asked the legal department to
check into possible difficulties in expanding production facilities. Division managers,
the shop committee and the employees have not been informed about this decision.
When the article “McClean displays consistency” by Mr./Mrs. Knows-it-all appeared
in the McClean-Info and division managers only learned about this shortly before
publication, the atmosphere in the company became rather tense. The rumour of ra-
tionalisation measures and lay-offs was not exactly contributing to a good work climate
either.
Mr./Mrs. Conservation had already read several professional articles on environmen-
tal management and EMAS and participated in a workshop on the implementation of
such management schemes. In the recent past several inquiries by graduands had been
made as to sustainability management. He/She had until this point only dealt with this
topic on a theoretical level, had however come to the conclusion that this task was only
feasible with the cooperation of other departments. This is why he/she compiled a list
of employees who’s support and participation he/she would need and passed it on to
company management. Mr./Mrs. Clean-Tech agreed to the suggested list from Mr./Mrs.
Conservation and put her in charge of the “EMAS-committee”. In addition Mr./Mrs.
Clean-Tech asks Mr./Mrs. Conservation to report to him regularly about the project’s
progress.
Realisation and post-processing

The business game can be played with participant numbers ranging from 22-38. It
is important to be away from university grounds for the two-day period, distraction
may be too great otherwise. It has proven sensible to plan an overnight so as to
minimize the “forgetting one’s part”. Post-processing requires and should include
an in-depth analysis of the experience of the game, how the characters were ex-
perienced and conclusions related to the implementation of sustainability into the
corporate context should be drawn.
96
Conclusion
The methods presented were to show that sustainability can and should be taught in
many different ways as it is not merely concerned with factual knowledge. Just like
the concept of sustainability contains the important message of this “one world”,
the individual in his life should be addressed as a citizen of this “one world”. This is
not the typical approach in the field of higher education. If, however, we want our
listeners to internalise the concept of sustainability we as instructors have to know
how to motivate them and fill the theoretical construct with life.
References
Brundtland Kommission, 1997. Unsere gemeinsame Zukunft, Greven.

Grothe-Senf, A., 1999. Kreative Seminarmethoden am Beispiel Umweltmanagement. Hanser
Verlag, München, 13.
Grothe-Senf, A. & Frank, B., 2003. Erweiterte Umweltleistungsbewertung – ein branchenspezi-
fischer Vergleich zwischen Brasilien und Deutschland. München.
de Haan, G., 2004. Politische Bildung für Nachhaltigkeit. In: BpB: Beilage zur Wochenzeitung,
7-8. Das Parlament.
ICLEI (ed.), 1998. Lokale Agenda 21- Deutschland: Berlin.
IÖW, IMUG (ed.), 2002. Nachhaltigkeitsberichtserstattung – die Praxis glaubwürdiger
Kommunikation zukunftsfähiger Unternehmen: Berlin.
Jungk, R. & Müllert, N., 1985. Die Zukunftswerkstatt. Opladen, 15-16.
Öko-Institut e.V. (Hrsg.), 1997. HoechstNachhaltig – Sustainable Development. Vom Leitbild
zum Werkzeug: Freiburg.
Rohn, H., Baedeker, C. & Liedke, C., 2001. Zukunftsfähige Unternehmen: SAFE – Sustainability
Assessment For Enterprises – die Methodik. Ein Instrument zur Unterstützung einer zuku-
nftsfähigen Unternehmens- und Organisationsentwicklung. In: Wuppertal Papers Nr. 112.
Wuppertal Institut für Klima, Umwelt. Energie GmbH, Wuppertal.
Umweltbundesamt (ed.). 1997. Nachhaltiges Deutschland: Berlin.
Vester F. 1986: Ökolopoly, Ravensburg.
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3.4 The Role of Interdisciplinary Courses in Gaining Sustainable
Education in Ukraine
Roman Zinko, Natalie Horal, Igor Lozovyj & Olexandr Makovejchuk,
University of L´viv, Ukraine
Introduction
Modern civilization is characterized by constant changes in social life. Any indi-

vidual should adequately react to the events and make a relevant decision. Making
such a decision requires high level knowledge about the environment and an under-
standing of the role of physical phenomena around us. Experience and education
influence the individual’s personality. Through education, one gathers up knowl-
edge about the world, and at the same time, self-knowledge develops. Education
will help in creating an integral vision of the world and its ecological, economic and
social processes.
The role of interdisciplinary courses in gaining sustainable education is enor-
mous. Usually they combine special disciplines with the environmental science.
This chapter deals with two interdisciplinary courses for universities that combine
transportation, psychology and security disciplines. The first course concentrates
on environmental problems caused by traffic. Air pollution and constant traffic
jams increase the need for the development of new technologies. The other course
deals with extraordinary situations and presents the theoretical basis and practi-
cal approaches to the formation of behavior of people in natural and man-caused
emergency catastrophes.
Peculiar features of teaching in higher education
In education for sustainability, it is important to make a systemic approach to

teaching at every level of the individual’s development process, from childhood up
to being a conscious member of the society. At present, computer based learning
on virtual courses is becoming more and more popular. Further assimilation can
be achieved by using advanced computer equipment connected with information
data bases (Figure 1). Using such computer software one should take into account
the special circumstances of new information assimilation (Figure 2).
In addition to educational methods, the efficiency of students’ academic activity
depends on the content of the material, which determines the structure and level
of their cognitive interests. Students’ cognitive processes, such as perception, mem-
orization and thinking, directly influence in the assimilation of training materials.
There are a range of circumstances that do not depend on personal characteristics
98
Figure 1. Information data bases for an interdisciplinary course.
Figure 2. Peculiarities of new information assimilation.
99
and should be taken into account when preparing educational materials (Malinko,
2002), in particular the following ones:
• Human senses are limited in their ability to react to information signals,

and therefore they perceive only a dosed number of messages from the
surroundings; and in case there are too many messages, the brains get over-
saturated in terms of information (overloading)
• A human being perceives the world through the prism of what he/she
expects to perceive, and this is why his/her consciousness reacts more to
new and unexpected things
• The consequence of oversaturation of information is that a human being is
incapable to fulfill monotonous tasks without any variation during a short
period of time. That is why sometimes he/she changes the task to be solved
even without noticing it him/herself.
Taking into account the above-mentioned facts contributes to the increase in

rate of information perception as well as in increased capacity to perceive a larger
volume of studied information.
Interdisciplinary course ”Automobile and Environment – Problems of

Pollution”
An interdisciplinary course entitled “Automobile and Environment, Problems of

Pollution” combines such disciplines as environmental science, transportation, psy-
chology, and life safety. Special disciplines are taught through the prism of the
influence of the transportation in the environment. The course should improve
knowledge in different fields and give understanding of the solution to the problem
from an ethical point of view.
A technical solution to the problem of the transportation systems in big cities
presents an interesting connection to local conditions in Ukraine. In this aspect,
the city of Lviv deserves a special attention. Lviv is an ancient city in the Western
Ukraine. The city was founded in 1256 by Prince Danylo Galytsky and was named
after his son Leo. Lviv lies on the crossroads between East and West and, from early
historical times, it was an important trading center. Nowadays Lviv is famous for its
architectural historical buildings and narrow streets. Due to this, the old part of the
city presents a great difficulty for drivers and for the growing modern transporta-
tion infrastructure. The problem of air pollution remains urgent.
The contents of the study course include four parts, which are introduced below.
1. Connection between sustainability and mobility

A sustainable society requires a transport system that is sustainable in a long term.
In the modern world, there is a trend towards increasing mobility. However, since
the terms sustainability and transport are commonly understood as contradictory,
100
sustainable mobility can be defined as the main goal of sustainability in this con-
text. In the study course, sustainable mobility is defined as follows:
• Reducing air pollution by using alternative fuel

• Increasing traffic safety by introducing new road networks
• Developing new engineering facilities and reduction of noise caused by
transport
• Implementing a new transport policy
• Changes in lifestyle
2. Air pollution from transport

The contamination of the industrial environment constitutes a key factor that pro-
duces a negative impact on the urban environment. According to the data of World
Health Organization, 40% to 50% of human diseases can nowadays be caused by
pollution, and, first of all, by air contamination. Air contamination in the city of
Lviv is determined by the discharge of polluting substances from stationary sourc-
es (industry) and motor vehicles. The most topical problem is air contamination
caused by motor vehicles. It is known that over 500 g of contaminating substances
can appear as a result of combustion of 1 kg of petrol, and about 50 g in case of
combustion of 1 kg of diesel oil. The contribution of motor transport into total
discharge of contaminating substances over the city constitutes about 77%. The
quality of air is affected by discharges of small scopes of particularly dangerous
toxic substances and discharges that are above the norm. That is why the main
steps taken to protect the air on the territory of Lviv should be aimed at reducing
pollution caused by mobile and stationary sources. In addition, the development of
the system to monitor the quality of air is acute.
The reasons for air pollution are a considerable increase of parking areas in the city
and the increase of impact of international transportation from Poland, Slovakia, and
Hungary. In addition, the slow development of the road infrastructure and the inad-
equacy of the quality of motor vehicles are the reasons for environmental problems.
The environmental condition in the city is also aggravated by the lack of a planning
of housing areas, the outdated regulatory legal basis in the production and operation
of motor transport, and the inefficiency of administrative and economic steps.
3. Traffic problems in large cities

At present, the problem of transport flows is extremely urgent¸ particularly in large
cities in Ukraine. Due to the increase in the number of both public transport and
private cars, city roads are overloaded, and there are numerous traffic jams that slow
down the traffic and increase the number of accidents. The drastic increase of traffic
as well as the lack of street and road development has resulted in a severe limitation
in carrying capacity of main streets, especially in the central part of Lviv.
In order to reduce negative impact of motor car transport on the city environ-
ment, the following steps can be suggested:
101
• Development of transport infrastructure and improvement of the traffic
organization
• Development of public transport
• Preparation and phase-by-phase implementation of steps aimed at selling
ecologically acceptable types of motor fuel in the Lviv region
• Improvement of the operational systems and environmental control of mo-
tor transport, including permanent monitoring of harmful substances due to
traffic in the city center.
The development of the transport infrastructure and the improvement of the

traffic organization can be regarded as the most prospective directions at present.
The temporary features of the traffic in Lviv are as follows:
• Traffic jams on the roads

• Low speed of movement
• Violation of traffic safety regulations, increase in the number of traffic accidents
• Inefficient public transport
• Great amount of time spent on getting to places of destination, being late
from work and studies
• Economic losses incurred among all categories of residents and the indus-
trial sector
• Violation of the normal conditions of life in the city, in particular environ-
mental pollution.
4. Available approaches to the solution of the problem

It is impossible to construct an adequate analytical model of the transport system.
The human factor is the main reason for this, as car drivers have different reactions
and behaviour in critical situations on the road. Such situations are unpredictable.
Thus, road traffic is a technical and social system. The system of Intelligent Transport
Infrastructure (ITS) is widely used when settling problems of city traffic organization
and transport flows management in international practice. It enables an efficient man-
agement of the road network taking into account its density and carrying capacity.
In the whole world, ITS is more frequently used from year to year. ITS presuppos-
es the application of modern communication technologies, management, computer
equipment and software for improving the efficiency and safety of land transport.
The creation of ITS on the basis of automatic systems of road traffic management
with the use of imitation modelling in order to settle specific road conditions should
be taken as the foundation (Figure 3). The development of an automatic traffic
management system along with the elaboration of a complex scheme of transport
organization in Lviv belongs to the complex of works of primary importance in this
direction. To ensure a high efficiency of the system, it is necessary to ensure its con-
nection with available geoinformational systems in the scale of the whole city.
ITS can be used to analyze risks in the course of city reconstruction (new buildings,
planning, etc.), providing independent financial assessments of the decisions suggested.
102
Figure 3. Fundamental scheme of intelligent transportation systems.
Figure 4. Fundamental scheme of computer system of pollution monitoring.
Another way of ITS use is the monitoring of the discharges of harmful substances
in the city centre (Figure 4). After the necessary sensors are installed, the system
carries out the collection, processing, and analysis of the environmental condition
in the city districts that are subject to substantial negative impact on humans, and
the delivery of the information to the public.
The information collection system, on the basis of the data received from sensors
that measure the contents of CO, NOX, rate of gasses, noise (additionally air pressure
sensor, humidity, temperature, radiation background sensors, etc. can be involved),
103
transmits the preliminary results via the GSM connection system to the data process-
ing server. This server, taking into account the databases of preliminary measurements,
the standard rates of pollution, calculates and visualizes the final results about the en-
vironmental state in the city centre. Such information can be represented on Internet
pages, and can be delivered to interested organizations (ecological ones, mass media,
hydrometeorology centre, etc.) and private persons. Additionally, this information
is put on the screens in the city in places where measurements were made. The
permanent interactive information on the environmental conditions of the city will
make people think about their attitude to the environment and themselves, and will
contribute to the increase of the ecological consciousness of residents.
Interdisciplinary course ”Efficient Liquidation of Man-Caused Catastrophes”
The interdisciplinary course for universities “Efficient Liquidation of Man-Caused

Catastrophes” is interesting and useful from the point of view of environmental
problems of modern society, changes in weather patterns, climate, natural disasters,
floods and other catastrophes that are common for 21th century development.
We live in the epoch of intense life processes. The large scope of new information
of different types requires its quick and manifold analysis as well as decision-mak-
ing. The rapidly changing environment calls for active reaction to external agents.
It all leads to high psychological loads, which constitute the basis for stresses
and other mental disorders. Until recently, the science of psychology has been
dealing with the functioning of our mind, while psychiatry has been dealing with
deviations in our mentality. Due to the increase in loads on the minds of ordinary
people along with what seems to be a normal life pace, it is more and more often
that psychologists and psychiatrists speak of the constant pre-stress state of hu-
man beings.
Different catastrophes are considered to be specific reasons for stress. In catas-
trophes, a person starts functioning on the verge of his/her biological resources.
That is why their efficient use can in some cases save the life or cause the death
of not only an individual, but a whole group of people as well. Usually in his/her
everyday activity, a person uses a range of certain algorithms of behavior. In case
the situation goes beyond everyday experience, he/she subconsciously seeks for
similar situations in his/her own experience and the algorithms of behavior to be
applied in such situations. The person takes these algorithms as the basis, chang-
ing them slightly depending on the circumstances. The physical condition of the
person as well as the state of the environment greatly influences the fulfillment of
such a procedure. In case of atypical situations like catastrophes, the algorithm of
choosing the behavior pattern slows down and many mistakes occur. The inability
to choose a proper algorithm leads to confusion, and to an inability of getting ori-
ented in a complicated atypical situation, and the consequence is panic and mental
shock. Panic in such critical cases is not only dangerous for one person. Others
can be infected with it as well. Thus, it will lead to the disorientation of groups of
people and will obstruct the work of rescue workers.
104
The preparation of a person for possible extraordinary situations should be based
on the knowledge of the special features of our mentality. From general psychol-
ogy (Maksymenko, 2004; Verakis, Zavalevski & Levkivski, 2005) we know that any
activity, particularly the one in extraordinary situations, constitutes a conscious
activity manifested in a system of actions aimed at achieving the goal. That is why,
in complicated conditions, the aim formed by the person can keep him/her calm
without being panic-stricken. The aim or motive of the activity can be clearly real-
ized (duty, responsibility, discipline) and subconscious (habits, prejudiced attitude,
etc.). A clearly realized motivation ensures the resistibility of the person, his/her
psychological resistance to panic and confusion in contrast to a non-realized one.
That is why, in the course of training, the following main lines of psychological
preparation are:
• Formation of stable motives of behavior in complicated life situations

• Confidence (belief) in possible protection in the case of accidents
• Development of the skill to counteract fear, and readiness to overcome
difficulties
• Improving the skills for providing self-assistance and mutual assistance
The formation of stable motives is determined by the surroundings. Confidence

in catastrophic situations is determined by means of getting some knowledge on
catastrophes and the ways of reducing their impact.
Psychological stress can be reduced by training people beforehand. Psychological
preparation in training is based on the elements of tension and unexpectedness.
It is these elements that are characteristics for a real situation in a disaster area.
Developing the automatic character of actions leads to stress reduction and ad-
equate behavior in an untypical situation. Of great importance for ensuring high
psychological stability is clear, efficient and true information on the catastrophe.
Uncertainty and distorted information constitute the basis for the spread of panic
among the residents.
The ability to provide self-assistance as well as mutual assistance to those injured
in fires, the wounded, the contaminated, the people injured with radiation and
poisoning ensures psychological stability and self-confidence. The ability to fight
the fire, the conviction of the reliability of devices and the ways of extinguishing
fires contributes to the liquidation of “fear of fire”, develops and brings up bravery
and confidence in critical situations.
A wide spectrum of skills can be developed by an integrated interdisciplinary
course. The course is aimed not only at the theoretical aspects of catastrophe liq-
uidation, but it also includes practical training. The course contains the following
themes:
1. Human psychology in extraordinary situations

2. Natural and man-caused catastrophes and ways of liquidating them
3. Human behavior in the course of man-caused catastrophes liquidation.
105
Figure 5. Fire mobile robots.
The first part contains information on the structure of our mentality, and facts
on the formation of the aim and the motives of activity. In a separate part change
in the perception of the surroundings in case of stress and shock is elaborated upon.
The theoretical classes are supplemented with practical exercises on determining
the type of mentality, and evaluating the mental qualities and ways of decision-
making. The second part concentrates on the classification of the catastrophes and
how the rescue service solves them. New rescue technology will be presented, such
as mobile robots (Figure 5). The third chapter of the course pays special attention
to practical classes since they constitute the criteria for the evaluation of the ef-
ficiency of assimilating the information acquired.
Designing an interdisciplinary course that combines the study of the human
mentality in extraordinary conditions, knowledge on how to deal with different
types of natural and man-caused catastrophes, the technology of solving all upcom-
ing problems and the personal ways of behavior under such circumstances will
allow to save many human lives, and to increase the efficiency of rescue works.
Conclusions
An individual gains knowledge throughout one’s life, in reference to socio-

economic, technological and social changes. Thus, education should involve all
spheres of human life, from kindergartens to the universities and other educational
establishments.
References
Maksymenko, S.D., 2004. Zahalna psychologija [General Psychology]. Nova Knykha, Vinytsija.
Malinko, O., 2002. Dystantsijna osvita: organizatsijna struktura, psychologo-pedagogichni
osnovy, finansuvanija i upravlinija [Distant education: organizational structure. Basics in
Psychology and Pedagogy. Financing and Management]. For the directors of schools, colleges,
lyceums 6, 38-45.
Verakis, A.I., Zavalevski, Y.I. & Levkivski, K.M. 2005. Osnovy psychologiji. [Basics in
Psychology]. BHP, Kyiv.
106
3.5 Ukrainian View to Ethics on the Way to Sustainable
Development
Natalie Horal’, University of L’viv, Ukraine
“Lifestyle or “way of living” is connected to

values, attitudes and ethics”
(Ryden et al. 2003).
Every day we make some choices. We may choose the lesser between two evils; we
distinguish between right and wrong, we choose to react or not, if we see some-
thing is wrong. All these questions are connected with our values, our ethics. Our
family life, education, culture, religion, self-discipline and self-esteem are the basic
elements that have an influence on the ways of behavior. Ethics as a term is defined
as moral philosophy or moral science (New Webster’s Dictionary, 1993). But what
is environmental ethics? And what is the connection between the human ethics
and environmental ethics? If our attitude to other people is based on the principles
of likeness, love, care, we won’t hurt other people. If our attitude to other people is
based on the principles of personal interest and benefits, it depends upon our moral
how we achieve our goals. It means that if a person possesses moral values he/she
would try to achieve his/her goal without hurting other people’s interests. An im-
moral person has no limits, even if it is a question of life and death. Our personal
behavior defines our social behavior and influences all spheres of life including
nature. The values that directly or indirectly influence our behavior towards nature
may be called environmental ethics. Whenever we speak about personal or envi-
ronmental ethics we can realize that:
• Morals bring morals

• Violence results in violence.
In this article people’s attitude to nature from prehistoric times to present will
first be shortly described. After that, local environmental problems as a starting
point for ethical conflicts in the Ukrainian city of Lviv will be presented. Finally,
solutions to the problems and ethical conflicts are given through examples from
environmental education.
People’s attitude to nature from antiques to present
We may trace the attitude to nature and the environment from antiquity. According
to Hunter E. Turi (2004) antique people attached contradictory feelings to nature,
107
such as love to nature, fear of nature, worship to nature and domination upon
nature. The domination of a man over the nature reduced the fear for nature and
implied the improvement of living standards on the one hand. But on the other
hand the fear for the wild nature forced them to pray to the Gods and make some
rituals to please the Higher Spirit. An example of the contradictory attitudes are
the efforts for animal protection. On the one hand antiquities protected singing
birds but on the other hand they inhumanly destroyed them due to their cuisine
qualities. In the 6th century the Pythagorean School was founded. That called for
vegetarianism and protection of animals. The ancient philosophers Empedocles,
Socrates and Neo-Platonists also called themselves vegetarians.
The Middle Ages is characterized by the use of wild forests (terra inculta). To
make a settlement people had to cut forests. Harry Kuhnel (2004) underlines that
different social classes had different attitudes to nature. For peasants the use of
forests helped to survival (pastures, hunting). Noblemen used forests for pleasure,
hunting and making fun. Some of the folk customs and traditions were based on in-
human use of animals (bull’s fights, riding horses by military men, when they tried
to run them to death, etc). In the Middle Ages the main idea of the society and
the role of a man in nature was that “a man should win the struggle with nature”
and remain dominant over nature. However, changes in landscapes and climate
caused critical remarks, and therefore some already then called for sustainable use
of forests.
The aesthetic devastation of landscape and the claims for the protection of
nature became vivid at the beginning of the 20th century. In the new era two ap-
proaches to nature can be identified, both of which are Christian by their origin.
On the one hand, the image of weakened and imperfect nature, and on the other
hand, harmonic and well balanced. Both of these are based on the idea of nature as
a creation of God. But the destiny of nature is given from different points of view.
The social philosopher and art critic John Ruskin (1819-1900) wrote: “You have
despised nature, that is to say, all the deep and sacred sensations of natural scenery”
(Ruskin 2004). Industrialization, urbanization and modernization that started in
the 19th century have caused the great changes in nature. The construction of
channels and railways, the introduction of the forest industry and the growth of
cities changed landscapes drastically.
At the beginning of the 20th century protection of the environment and wild
landscapes became stronger and stronger. The new marginal trends appeared
which called for village communes, vegetarians and nudism. In the 1970s the “new
conservation movement” in the USA began to emerge. The international confer-
ences hold by United Nations during the past three decades have also paved the
way for awareness of environmental protection. Such conferences have been e.g.
Stockholm conference in 1972, Rio conference in 1992 and the conference held in
Johannesburg during the year 2002. The adoption of Agenda 21 (Rio Conference,
1992) was done during the Rio conference in 1992 but has got wider recognition
during the last decade. All these political steps meant that also education for the
purpose to promote positive attitudes for nature protection and for sustainable
development was given an important role.
108
Ethical conflicts and local environmental problems
The attitude of human to human or human to nature may be friendly, hostile or in-
different. The relation in the paradigm human to human is referred to human ethics.
The relation in the paradigm human to nature is referred to environmental ethics. An
unfriendly attitude to nature or any living being calls for environmental justice. In en-
vironmental justice we need to distinguish between human equity, intergenerational
equity and eco centric equity. It is just from the point of view of eco-centric equity
we should not use all of the nature for human purpose.
Nowadays clean environments do not exist. In Ukraine in the Lviv region exists
crucial environmental problems that can be commented according to the principles
of environmental justice. The main environmental questions in the Lviv region are:
• Preservation of biological and landscape diversity, optimization and devel-

opment of nature reserve network on the territory
• Increase of the percentage of forest land on the territory
• Restoration and maintenance of hydrological quality and improvement of
the environmental state of the rivers of the basin of Dniester, Western Buh
and Syan
• Environmental rehabilitation of the mining companies activities
• Settling the issues of waste management
• Organization of the system of ecological monitoring and informational
provision of nature-protection activity
• Need to increase the ecological consciousness of residents
• Need to develop more efficient methods of economic regulation of the
environment and the use of natural resources.
All these problematic issues should be solved through the perspective that in
our children should have the right to live in a clean environment. We can not
ignore the principle of intergenerational equity. From the point of view of human
equity we should also be aware of nature as a common resource. The issues of
environmental safety do not acknowledge any border. Many environmental prob-
lems are not problems of one state only. That is why international conventions,
bilateral and multilateral agreements, minutes of cooperation and other documents
are being signed all over the world. The Lviv region as a frontier region is not an
exception. Frontier cooperation in nature protection is developed through fulfilling
the bilateral agreements between the administration of the Lviv region and the
adjacent provinces of Poland (Pidkarpatske and Lyubelske). A Treaty between the
Governments of Ukraine and Poland on the issues of boundary waters protection
has also been signed.
However a real and efficient cooperation takes place on a grass root level. For
instance, it is important to have official and friendly relations with the employees
of Pidkarpatske and Lyubelske province on environmental protection and depart-
109
ments of environmental protection of province administrations. Also, business
partnership relations over the boarder are important.
The importance of environmental education in cooperation with public

organizations
Environmental education constitutes one of the priority directions of the state

policy of Ukraine in the sphere of environmental protection and the rational use of
natural resources. In Lviv environmental education is based on the idea to integrate
the principles of sustainable development to all educational levels as well as to the
community. At pre-school institutions of the city there has been an element of
environmental education already since 1991. There are a number of environmental
programs planned by individual authors. For pupils the programme Environmental
Education of Pupils has been elaborated. The course Fundamentals of Environment
has been prepared to be integrated to the school curriculum and it is taught at the
choice of the school.
In Lviv there is a special secondary level institution, which educates specialists
with an ecological profile – Lviv Ecology Polytechnic. In addition The Ivan Franko
National University of Lviv, The National University Lvivska Politekhnika and The
Ukrainian State Forestry Engineering University also educate specialists in the field
of ecology. There are some special secondary educational establishments as well,
which prepare specialists in this field.
Participation of citizens to solve environmental problems is of high importance.
Public movements can help the newly born state to overcome the ecological crisis
and make a good foundation for sustainable development. A scheme of coordina-
tion in cooperation in environmental education has been agreed upon with the city
administration. Cooperation between the city and regional Centers for Ecology
has been established and is constantly reinforced. Cooperation has also been estab-
lished with Lviv State Palace of Youth. The staff contributes to the environmental
education of the young generation in the club “We and Nature” by holding monthly
lectures and providing recommendations of nature protection character.
Public organizations play a pivotal role in the formation of environmental culture
and outlook. The overall amount of public organizations together with a number
of charitable public funds is about 50 in the Lviv region. Public organizations
together with educational institutions influence on people’s opinion and increase
public awareness on environmental issues.
As a conclusion
We may place a well known artistic work by Leonardo da Vinci “The Vitruvian
Man” to end this article. The decoding of it can be interpreted as a symbol of a
human being, who is in the center of the world, and is on the one hand influencing
the surrounding world, and on the other hand is affected by the surroundings.
110
References
Kuhnel, H., 2004. Altag im Spitmittelalter, Graz/ Wien/Köln, 1986, 82. In Dinzelbacher, P. (ed.),
Europäische Mentalitätsgeschichte herausgegeben von Peter Dinzelbacher (The History of
European Mentality), 612. Litopys, Lviv.
New Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus of the English Language, 1993. Lexicon Publication,
Inc.; 316.
The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, 1992. UN General Assembly, A/
CONF.151/26 Vol.1. http://www.un.org/documents/ga/conf.15126-1annex1.htm (accessed
2008-5-30)
Ruskin, J., 2004. Sesame & Lilies: Complete Works, 18, London, 1905, 89.
Ryden, L., Migula, P. & Andersson, M., 2003. Environmental Science. The Baltic University Press
633, Almqvist & Wiksell Tryckeri, Uppsala.
Turi, H.E., 2004. Nature. Environment. Antique period. In Dinzelbacher, P. (ed.), Europäische
Mentalitätsgeschichte herausgegeben von Peter Dinzelbacher (The History of European
Mentality), 605. Litopys, Lviv.
W. Kemp, John Ruskin, München, 1983. In Dinzelbacher, P. (ed.), Europäische
Mentalitätsgeschichte herausgegeben von Peter Dinzelbacher (The History of European
Mentality), 639. Litopys, Lviv.
111
3.6 Dynamics of Sustainable Development – Karkonosze
Mountains and Odra River Valley in Poland
Karolina Królikowska, Piotr Magnuszewski & Jadwiga Magnuszewska, Centre for Systems
Solutions,Wroclaw, Poland and Jan Sendzimir, International Institute for Applied Systems
Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
Introduction
Our modern world appears complex not only for its impressive diversity but
also for how swiftly it changes. Change can be appreciated as a dynamic engine
of opportunities in modern life or as destabilizing harbinger of chaos. Whether
in technology, population, economy or environment, change seems to transform
our world within and across all levels, from local to global scales. Demands to
manage change are driven by a new sense of exposure to distant places and
processes. However, our technical and scientific means to understand or man-
age change seem ever more inadequate as change accelerates in pace and scope.
Catastrophes seem more commonplace as increasingly extreme events appear
more frequently, surprising us from over the horizon. How can we manage ef-
fectively in this dynamic world of growing complexity and accelerating changes
when our historical attempts to apply top-down technical solutions have failed so
often after promising initial successes? Management responses can become more
robust to change if we can expand the foundations on which we design policy,
integrate science, policy and local experience in social learning processes. This is
the modern challenge to management, scientists and society: can we establish a
functioning social-scientific basis for resolving problems and conflicts and thereby
go beyond narrow reliance only on technical policy tools to provide solutions?
Such capacity must be built within and across society by direct experience of
what works. Rules, policies or solutions imposed from outside often reinforce the
very passivity that stifled innovation and renewal of other forms of human and
social capital in the first place.
The course Dynamics of Sustainable Development (DoSD) is one of many ef-
forts to work more adeptly with local stakeholders at a pace and scope warranted
by their needs and understanding. The course pursues the larger goal of analyz-
ing and understanding the basis for sustainable development (SD). However, the
emphasis on dynamics points to the need to address the transition to SD. Rather
than settle for some impression of what SD might be, how can we both study and
navigate toward SD at the same time? DoSD is an educational experiment that
probes teaching concepts and methods to address these dual challenges along sev-
eral fronts. First, it lays down a conceptual framework built from the perspectives
of multiple disciplines to define some of the key questions to address. They range
112
from ecology and economy (how complex systems change in time and space) to
social studies and psychology (environmental conflict resolution) to concepts that
integrate across disciplines (systems science). However, the framework is broader
than academic multi-disciplinarity. It is trans–disciplinary, in that it accords respect
to the experience of NGOs and local stakeholders equal to that of academic disci-
plines. Second, the course introduces concepts and methods to help scientists and
stakeholders work together (adaptive management, systems thinking) to commu-
nicate and integrate the complex ideas about how society and nature are changing
(role playing simulation, systems thinking). Third, this course uses the community
as the testing ground for both the overall concepts and the methods, such that the
urgency of actual problems is the motivation for students to listen, inquire, ana-
lyze, question, and discuss. Within this area we hope to break down the traditional
barrier between the rich, educated, urban elite and the experienced but modestly
endowed rural society. Can our best students learn to listen respectfully and to
respond appropriately to the real needs of anyone in society? Finally, DoSD tries
to make some, however small, contribution to the actual transition by providing
a simulation of the community dialogue that might re-start or sustain the actual
community dialogue about how to address the key, current problems. The integra-
tion of these four factors makes DoSD more than a course, more than research,
more than activism, more than management. It pulls all these strands together so
that all participants (educators, activists, citizens, scientists, government agents)
can “learn by doing” the important work of actualizing the fair, democratic and
comprehensive transition to SD in a transparent way. This is novel and important
in Poland as well as any nation in Europe or abroad.
The context: environmental issues in Karkonosze Mountains and Odra River

Valley
Karkonosze National Park, SW Poland was established to protect one of the few
remaining “natural” landscapes in Central Europe against further human impact,
including growing numbers of visitors. Its restrictive role reduces pressure on nature
and blocks further development of the regional ski system. The tension between
development and conservation priorities drives frustration in local communities. To
sustain its regional and national appeal the ski industry feels compelled to modern-
ize and construct new infrastructure, such as lifts. Urged on by the apparent success
of ski industries in the Alps and, especially, their Czech neighbours immediately
across the border, new development within the park seemed the only option to
local government. These tensions have increasingly placed local government and
industry in ever more bitter opposition to the national park authorities. Local au-
thorities and media amplified these tensions by claiming that all regional problems,
such as high unemployment, arise because a blind and backward national park
protection system obstructs modern progress.
The walls separating the main parties of the conflict only grew in the years of
simmering conflict following these collapsed negotiations. As frustration fuelled
113
spiteful personal attacks, the accumulated negative mood stifled any creativity
or innovation that might generate novelty or even experimentation. Accusations,
counter-accusations and self-righteous justification flooded all communication
channels. In such an atmosphere our educational experiment of DoSD was organ-
ized, and its participants were supposed to represent all interest groups in this
conflict (Krolikowska et al., 2007).
The area where the Odra River Landscape Park is supposed to be created is one
of the few places in Europe where one can still see and feel truly wild nature. The
well-preserved big river valley with riverine forests, marshy meadows and oxbows
creates a unique and charming landscape. The area of the projected Park covers
almost 50 000 hectares along the Odra river valley between Brzeg Dolny and
Glogow. It includes the terrain between the river channel and the dikes and some
other particularly valuable places. The planned regulation of the Odra River for
transportation poses a real threat to the riverine forests and oxbows. The creation
of the landscape park would guarantee that this area, the importance of which is
noted at the European level, is preserved and protected. The campaign was run for
many years by the nongovernmental organization ‘Fundacja Ekologiczna Zielona
Akcja’. The Foundation has created a favorable climate for the creation of the park.
Most local authorities in the region are convinced that using the landscape and
natural features can constitute an important factor influencing the development of
this area. Cycling, hiking, horse riding and water tourism can all be developed there.
It is also a place for bird watching and ecological education. This is an important
advantage that local authorities and local businesses pinpoint in their promotional
strategies. As a result of numerous meetings and conferences for local stakeholders,
the Partnership for the Middle Odra River Valley has been created. Its members
include local authorities, forest authorities, schools, companies, NGOs and other
institutions active in this area. The open character of the Partnership provides a
platform for common initiatives aiming at sustainable development of the region
(Dynamics of Sustainable Development…, 2003).
The methods: Systems thinking and role-playing simulation
Systems Thinking (ST) approach is a way to tackle complexity around us (Senge,

1990; Sterman, 2000). It deals with understanding how complex systems change.
ST attempts to understand the basic causal structure of a system, and thus under-
stand the behavior it can produce. ST has evolved diverse methods and concepts
to help build awareness and understanding of one fundamental basis for causal
relations in complex systems: mental models. ST methods help us to communicate
more effectively by bringing to the surface and clarifying our own mental models
and the mental models of others. Our mental models affect what we see happening
in a system as well as how do we value the system behavior, our ability to change the
system and perceptions of cause and effect. Effective decision-making in complex
systems requires us to expand the boundaries of our mental models using system
tools. It offers innovative ways to describe, communicate and test our understand-
114
ing of how system behavior results from its structure. We applied this approach for
dealing with complex socio-ecological issues during the DoSD course.
Graphic tools such as diagrams and mental maps open the discussion of complex
systems to include people who find verbal descriptions too complicated or too
long and involved. Often a single map replaces pages of text required to describe
all of the variables and their interactions (Magnuszewski et al., 2005; Sendzimir
et al., 2007). Systems thinking methodology provides an easily accessible graphic
language (variables and links between the variables are the basic elements of this
language). This language enables us to successfully join diverse stakeholders’ ex-
periences and backgrounds into a common mental model map and in this way to
develop mutual understanding shared by all stakeholders.
Mental model maps enabled us to elicit from the participants their underlying
assumptions and mental models. As a picture of the key factors and processes for
the analyzed problem, a map can function as the knowledge container, open and
easily modifiable as new facts or ideas are provided or revealed during the process.
Graphic tools such as diagrams and mental maps open the discussion of complex
systems to include people who find verbal descriptions too complicated. Using the
map disciplined the group discussions in a positive sense as follows:
• Differences (and agreements) in opinions are articulated much more precisely

• Gaps in understanding can be discovered more efficiently.
The human mind is restricted in the amount of information it can grasp at any
one time. This makes traditional forms of analysis (using descriptions and lists)
very prone to errors resulting from omitting important factors and connections.
Mental maps overcome this limitation by allowing the group to keep visible all the
necessary variables and link between them and thus were found as very useful in
fulfilling the main goals of DoSD course.
Role-Playing Simulation (RPS) is a tool providing support for education, man-
agement and negotiation processes. RPS is also seen as an important method
of teaching interpersonal skills (Holsbrink-Engels, 1997), problem-structuring
(Joldersma & Roelofs, 2004), and forecasting decisions in conflicts. Role-playing,
role-play, or merely playing roles, can be a simple and easily organized technique.
It is highly flexible and leaves room for the demonstration of individual initia-
tive and imagination (Ladousse, 1987). The use of role-playing as an educational
or training technique is considered to be part of a wider set of techniques that
have collectively become known as simulation. These tools are often used to
enhance learning about sophisticated situations. Alkin and Christie (2002) found
role-playing as a tool for creating experiential learning environments designed to
increase student engagement in the learning process and academic achievement.
Role-playing is most commonly used in situations dealing with attitudes and
feelings, for example, to replicate the feelings of someone in a particular social
situation. It is also used to develop skills such as listening and conflict resolution.
Interactive role-playing techniques have been shown in practice to be extremely
effective for teaching conflict management skills (Chircop, 2000), as it is pos-
115
sible to simulate many scenarios, either hypothetically or with a high degree
of real-life experience. The role-playing simulation recreates in the classroom
a complete social interaction in a given issue area. Regarding the use of RPS in
management, Shubik (1975: 9) stated that “experience gained in playing roles
foreign to one’s own interests may provide insights hard to obtain in any other
manner”. For example, RPS can be used to minimize subjective portrayal of in-
formation in interviews if one suspects that the knowledge elicited is distorted by
the interviewee’s attempts to appear in a favorable light. Calculated attempts to
distort information may be more difficult when pressed to integrate many ideas
into a believable portrayal of a role in the novel atmosphere provided by an RPS
exercise. In brief, the discipline of dynamically portraying a complex role, espe-
cially in response to others in a public space, may over-ride any cunning attempts
to apply a specific spin or color to information. In conclusion, RPS is often used
in management and education, and it has proved to be particularly useful in the
case of aiding conflict resolution. It was with reference to all three of these areas
that we used RPS during the “Dynamics of Sustainable Development” course
(Krolikowska et al., 2007).
The process
Our course proceed over two weekends in a process consisting of 6 stages (Figure1)
described below in detail. The meetings were held in the very areas experiencing
conflict.
The project began with seminars to introduce the complexity of the situation in
both Karkonosze Mountains and Odra River Valley from the multiple perspectives
of different disciplines (ecology, social science, systems thinking). Students also got
brief instruction and preparation as to how to conduct interviews.
The organizers provided the participants with opportunities to meet representa-
tives of all stakeholders to minimize bias in the way that participants developed a
comprehensive picture of the problem. Students were divided into 5 teams, each
of which was supposed to represent a specified stakeholder group by playing their
roles in both simulations of negotiations and of public debates. These stakeholder
groups included:
Preparation Interviews Mental Models Preparation RPS RPS

to interviews Mapping to negotiations Negotiations Public Debate
Students, Students, Students, Students, Students Students,

instructors stakeholders instructors instructors instructors,
stakeholders
Figure 1. Project timeline and participants.
116
Figure 2. Participatory simulation: students during negotiations.
• Forest/national park authorities

• Local authorities
• Local and regional environmental NGO’s
• Local business representatives
• Representatives of the local community.
Students had an opportunity to personally meet and interview representatives

of their assigned stakeholder group in order to learn about their needs, interests,
values, and viewpoints. In order to prepare to participate in a role-playing simula-
tion of negotiations, participants within each team had to discuss and establish a
standpoint of the interest group that they represented.
The understanding that students developed from discussing what they learned
in the interviews helped them to take part in a “mock debate”, a simulation of how
negotiations might occur in the community (Figure 2). Only one debate session
was planned for one group of student teams, as it was not possible to organize
more repetitions in the time allotted for the whole course. During the debate each
team played the role of the stakeholder group they had interviewed. As with the
interviews, they were supposed to put aside their own point of view and per-
sonal knowledge to express as well as possible the stakeholders’ viewpoints and
interests.
The negotiations simulation prepared the student teams for a public debate in
front of real stakeholders the following day. Every team had the task to present
how well they understood the interests and viewpoints of their stakeholder hosts,
117
Figure3. Working on a mental model map.
and how they negotiated and made agreements while taking those interests into
account.
At the end students created mental model maps of different aspects of the com-
plex situations both in Odra River (Figure 3) and Karkonosze, based on knowledge
gained during the DoSD course.
Results
In the case of the Odra River Valley, during the negotiations it turned out that all
stakeholders argued for the creation of the park. They all hoped it would increase
the number of tourists visiting the region, create new jobs and raise their revenues.
The students representing the forest authorities warned about the perverse con-
sequences that the creation of the park may bring about. They used the example
of the already existing landscape park “Dolina Jezierzycy”. After its creation the
number of ‘wild’ tourists has risen there, and the area was not prepared to absorb
the increased number of visitors. Without sufficient educational and walking trails,
bars and restaurants and other types of tourist infrastructure, the tourists attracted
by promotional activities can come and destroy the forests, leaving more garbage
than money. During discussion the problem of financing tourist infrastructure arose,
generating an impasse. No person or organization has the resources to achieve
that purpose. The turning point came with the proposal of one of the partici-
pants: “let’s say what everyone can give”. This simple statement provoked a burst
of ideas. Local authorities promised to promote the region. One of them agreed
to guarantee the loans for the development of agro-tourist farms. Local businesses
promised new jobs, in return for tax exemptions and new opportunities to develop
land. Local authorities suggested that their Employment Office might fund a park
118
Figure 4. Situation in Odra River Valley according to mental models map.
ranger. Forest authorities offered help in designing the trails. Those who observed
the debate were impressed. They found it to be an efficient and effective form of
getting to know the points of view of the parties of a conflict and of looking for
creative solutions. These conclusions are particularly impressive as they are coming
from those observers who work in NGOs to organize people and projects in the
community for sustainable development.
The mental models map created in Odra River Valley (Figure 4) clearly indicates
the interdependencies between local economy, community and the environment.
When ‘traveling’ along the causal links (arrows) one can easily investigate the influ-
ence of local government’s decision making on environment, local people’s income,
promotion of the region and tourism.
Arrows (links) represent causal relationships. (+) or (-) symbols at arrowheads
represent polarity. Positivie polarity means that both variables (cause and effect)
change in the same direction (i.e. if cause increases then effect also increases).
Negative polarity means that cause and effect change in the opposite direction (i.e.
if cause increases then effect decreases).
In the Karkonosze Mountains the negotiations simulation began with the primary
aim of conflict resolution and reaching an agreement acceptable to all stakeholders.
Discussions were often intense, passionate, and sometimes stormy, and went on
much longer than originally scheduled. At the beginning, discussion focused on
facts, but later on emotions came to light in what can be interpreted as an excel-
lent identification of the students with their roles. Several failures in understanding
and organization became apparent during the negotiations. First, the central issue
or problem was not sufficiently specified so as to establish the “red thread” of the
discussion at the outset. As a result, many students often argued about irrelevant
119
issues. A second issue, related to the first, was the lack of moderator, who could have
redirected or refocused conversations back toward the main issues. Despite all these
difficulties the students came to an agreement. The most difficult thing in exercises
of this kind is to fully identify with a point of view we really do not support, to forget
about our own arguments and to be for a while in our opponent’s shoes. Simple as it
sounds, just this point can be essential for agreement. Based on this experience one
can imagine that some similar kind of participatory simulation could be helpful for
real stakeholders in Karkonosze. For example, imagine local businesses advocating
for the Park, and the Park’s director trying to be the Mayor of Szklarska Poreba.
During the public debate students presented the positions of their stakeholders.
Unfortunately, when real stakeholders took their turn to speak, the situation got
out of control. Instead of a professional discussion about the basic issues, personal
conflicts arose. Stakeholders concentrated mainly on the past, and usually on what
they perceived as their opponents’ mistakes. The future of the region, especially as
related to alternative visions of development, did not become a matter of debate.
The students had an impression that any compromise they achieved was not really
interesting for the stakeholder groups. In any case, given the long standing stale-
mate in the community, the fact of the meeting itself and any discussion at all can
also be regarded as some kind of success. We have also observed some subsequent
attempts of informal communication between the members of opposite groups.
Some students stayed in Szklarska Poreba one day more to work out some kind of
action plan for Karkonosze. The main problems to solve that were identified are:
no vision of multifunctional development, no social dialog, and no communication
between Park and local community. Our proposals to solve these problems include:
participation of members of the local community in decision-making, improved
public outreach from Karkonosze National Park, and education.
The effect of the process on the students
Students who applied for participation in the course did not represent a diversity
of perspectives. By and large they were mostly interested in sustainability and en-
vironmental protection issues. Due to this fact, they had personal opinions about
how conflicts should be resolved, who is right (environmental NGOs and nature
conservation authorities), and who is not (the rest of stakeholders). Although stu-
dents got brief instructions about conducting interviews, applying the interviewing
techniques proved surprisingly difficult. The most important and frequent error
was that they could not withhold their opinion and simply listen. They often got
involved in discussions with their stakeholders, and they encountered difficulties
when speaking to those that did not share their views. The biggest challenge for
the students was to ask questions that neither revealed their point of view on the
conflict, nor suggested any answer to the interviewee. Practice on the street and in
the homes of local residents showed the difficulty of generating questions that are
“real” to stakeholders that result from a genuine desire to get a better understanding
of the matter rather than the urge to put their respondents to the test, to ridicule
120
them or undermine their authority. The tendency of student teams to step forward
to persuade interviewees with an “ecological” view stood in stark contrast to the
goals that they set out with: to learn about the viewpoints and interests of local
people. Through their own struggle, the students personally experienced one of the
most difficult challenges in eliciting knowledge: to suspend our own perspectives
and identify ourselves with a point of view we really do not support. It was a short
step for students to see how inflexible (and perhaps sub-conscious) reliance on
personal perspective and identity can influence communication between groups.
They realized that these reveal some of the reasons why environmental conflicts
are so complex and remain locked in an impasse for long periods, as is the case in
the Karkonosze region (Krolikowska et al. 2007).
For most of the students role-playing simulation of negotiations was the first
time they ever had a chance to take part in such an experience of public round
table debate. To some extent, the simulation went beyond “control”, in that it fol-
lowed such a spontaneous and lively development that almost no coordination was
necessary. The whole group became so engaged in the negotiation that they forgot
about dinner, arguing on into the evening.
Discussion after the simulation showed that many students experienced a va-
riety of emotions and feelings related to the dynamics of the process. During the
simulation they went through multiple difficulties and impasses, but at the end the
whole group developed a kind of a consensus, which they found to be an important
success. To get to this point they had to learn how to manage the relations between
different stakeholders, to gain trust and to listen to what other groups had to say.
The students later described what views played roles in the simulation that also
seem to be very common in social conflicts. During the entire role-playing simula-
tion, some actors treated the attendance of some groups as marginal and passed
over their interests and values. Some groups behaved as an elite that could work
out solutions alone, omitting all or most of the others. For example, the team play-
ing the Karkonosze National Park authorities tried to negotiate only with the ski
lift company, since that was where they perceived the problem. By consequence,
other groups felt left out of the process. Although this happened in the simulation,
the students realized that it is also the case in the real conflict and presents an
important obstacle to its resolution (Krolikowska et al. 2007).
Conclusion
According to students’ comments both systems thinking approach and role-play-

ing simulation were illuminating and useful experiences. Students appreciated the
didactic values of these methods but also their potential to solve real problems and
enhance public participation and community dialog. Let them speak:
“The interviews provided a very interesting experience because quite often we were
able to discover new aspects of conflict.”
121
“Even though the maps we drew were not perfect because of our still imperfect skills,
it was possible to demonstrate that social, ecological and economic needs were linked.
The conclusion is obvious: no local problem will be solved without a holistic approach
to the whole social-environmental-economic system.”
“The evening confrontation (simulation of negotiations) was a very strong experi-

ence for me. It demonstrated what is quite often very difficult to believe – that we
cannot always reach a consensus. An intelligent person, respecting the others’ opinions,
tends to think that they can persuade those ‘others’ to their point of view. Or at least,
that, after discussion, they would all be able to reach some form of agreement. The
simulation showed why the conflict around ski lifts had already been there for a long
time and it was not possible to see its end. It was not about nature, the willingness to
protect it or not, it was not even about the money. It simply was a question of human
deficiencies – pettifogging, the tendency to care for one’s own affairs, to hide resent-
ments, to search for bad things…”
“There is nothing one can write here – one should have gone through it.”
References
Alkin, M.C. & Christie, A.C., 2002. The Use of Role-Play in Teaching Evaluation. American
Journal of Evaluation, 23(2):209-218.
Chircop, A., 2000. Teaching integrated coastal management: lessons from the learning arena.
Ocean & Coastal Management, 43:343-359.
Dynamics of Sustainable Development – Karkonosze Mountains and Odra Valley, 2003.
Stowarzyszenie Zielona Kultura, Wroclaw.
Holsbrink-Engels, 1997. The effects of the Use of a Conversational Model and Opportunities for
Reflection in computer based role-playing. Computers in Human Behavior, 13(3):409-436.
Joldersma, C. & Roelofs, E., 2004. The impact of soft OR-methods on problem structuring.
European Journal of Operational Research, 152:696–708.
Krolikowska, K., Kronenberg, J., Maliszewska, K., Sendzimir, J., Magnuszewski, P., Dunajski, A.
& Slodka, A., 2007. Role-Playing Simulation as a communication tool in community dialogue
– Karkonosze Mountains case study. Simulation and Gaming.
Ladousse, G.P., 1987. Role Play. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Magnuszewski, P., Sendzimir, J., Kronenberg, J. & Krolikowska, K., 2005. Conceptual Modelling
for Sustainability Assessment in the Barycz Valley, Lower Silesia, Poland. Proceedings of the
Easy-Eco Conference, University Of Manchester, 15-17 June 2005. Full text in pdf: www.
sustainability.at/easy/?k=conferences&s=manchesterproceedings
Sendzimir, J., Magnuszewski, P., Balogh, P. & Vári, A., 2007. Anticipatory modeling of bio-
complexity in the Tisza River Basin: First steps to establish a participatory adaptive
framework. Environmental Modelling & Software, 22(5):599-609.
Senge, P.M., 1990. The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organization.
Doubleday/Currency.
Shubik, M., 1975. Games For Society, Business And War. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
Sterman, J., 2000. Business Dynamics: Systems Thinking and Modeling for a Complex World.
Irwin/McGraw-Hill, Boston, MA.
122
3.7 Sustainable Development in Teacher Education in Estonia
Tiina Elvisto,Tallinn University, Estonia & Imbi Henno, National Examination and Qualification
Centre, Estonia
Introduction
During the recent decades environmental education and education for sustainable
development have deserved ever growing attention in the world. The educational
system has to take co-responsibility for sustainable development. The United
Nations General Assembly has been proclaimed the period 2005–2014 a Decade
for Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) (UNESCO, 2003). The DESD
Regional Strategy was prepared for Europe and North America under the United
Nations Economic Commission’s for Europe (UNECE) leadership, to facilitate the
introduction and promotion of education for sustainable development (ESD) in
the UNECE Region (United Nations, 2005). Estonia was among the states that
adopted UNECE strategy and it is a priority for us to promote sustainable develop-
ment through education.
Stephan Sterling (2001) argues that the present educational system does not enhance
sustainable practices in society. According to him “more education” is not the answer
to this crisis − or at least, not more of the same way. The implementation of ESD needs
deeper changes in educational culture, educational paradigm and all educational levels:
in conceptual (educational paradigm, core values), in organization and management (cur-
riculum, evaluation and assessment, management, community), in learning and pedagogy
(view of teaching and learning, learner, teaching and learning styles).
Teachers and educators have a key role in education for sustainable development.
There is a need for new knowledge, understanding and skills in many professions.
Universities should incorporate sustainable development themes in all curricula
and organize in-service courses for academic staff (An Agenda 21..., 2002a).
General situation
Increased efforts should be made in developing in-service training and consultancy

– including training programmes for teachers. In Estonia teacher training curric-
ula proceed from The Professional Higher Education Act (Estonian Parliament,
2001), The Universities Act (Estonian Parliament, 1995), and two regulations of
the Government of the Republic: The Standard of Higher Education (Estonian
Government, 2002a) and The Framework Requirements of Teacher’s Training
(Estonian Government, 2000). The Framework Requirements of Teachers’ Training
establishes general and special requirements for teachers. The regulation extends to
all teachers from pre-school childcare institutions to higher education institutions.
123
The regulation provides general and special requirements for initial teacher train-
ing, for ‘on-the-job’ qualifying phase of young teachers and for teachers’ in-service
training. Teachers of all levels are expected to achieve different competencies such
as subject or professional and didactical competency, skills to notice links between
subjects and to realise the opportunities of cross-subject integration, etc. These
documents enact indirectly the necessity to take into account the principles and
goals of sustainable development at the higher educational level.
At the level of general education, the National Curriculum (Estonian
Government, 2002b) for basic and upper secondary schools addresses the teaching
of sustainable development through all the subjects and in all grades (1–12). The
topic Environment and Sustainable Development is one of the integrated themes in
the national curriculum in Estonia. Teachers have to present the multidisciplinary
topic within different teaching fields from the point of the local situation.
In 2002 the Ministers of Education or their representatives of the Baltic Sea re-
gion adopted in Stockholm an Agenda 21 for Education for Sustainable Development
(ESD) in the Baltic Sea Region (Baltic 21E) (An Agenda 21..., 2002a). For de-
veloping the Baltic 21E, the network for formal education, higher education and
informal education level was initiated. All working groups created a survey regard-
ing the situation on ESD in the region and every country compiled its own survey
for all three educational levels. It was found out at the higher educational level that
the low level of awareness and lack of support from governmental institutions were
the main obstacles for enhancing ESD. Most Estonian universities did not make
special efforts to increase knowledge of sustainable development among their staff
(An Agenda 21…, 2002b: 5).
In 2001-2003 two empirical studies of the Estonian teachers’ attitudes towards
the education for sustainable development were carried out by Henno (2003). The
main aim was to find out how Estonian teachers approach sustainability in their
teaching. It was discovered at the level of formal education that in Estonia teachers’
motivation and willingness to integrate environmental approach in their teaching
was the highest in the Baltic Sea region. Despite of this, the teachers’ environmental
awareness was not reflected in their professional work. According to the research
findings their understandings about the objectives, content and learning outcomes
of ESD were not in accordance with the contemporary approaches but were rather
contradictory. It was found out that teachers know well, which teaching and learn-
ing methods would be suitable in education for sustainable development, but in
real teaching situations teachers mostly stimulate students’ lower order thinking
skills. They are engaged in fact-based and theoretic teaching and develop mostly
student’s behaviour and consumption habits. Nevertheless, 30% percent of teachers
saw their professional role in developing skills for responsibility (Henno, 2003).
Teaching for sustainable development at Tallinn University
In Estonia, the systematic teaching for SD thematics started in the frames of the
Baltic University Programme. The first discussions by means of satellite TV were
124
participated by students and teaching staff from Tallinn University of Technology,
University of Tartu and Tallinn Pedagogical University (now Tallinn University).
Besides, Estonian students have participated in video, audio and computer confer-
ences, annual conferences in Poland, summer courses and sailings organised by the
BUP and the participating universities. To support the teachers in the BUP network,
seminars and conferences are organized to discuss how to use the teaching material,
which possibilities the lecturers from the Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn
University, University of Tartu, Estonian University of Life Sciences, University
Nord, and Tallinn College of Engineering have used. In Estonia, full BUP courses
have been taught at Tallinn University (Tallinn Pedagogical University) and Tallinn
University of Technology. At Tallinn University teacher education is one field of
activity.
At Tallinn University (TU) BUP courses have been taught since the academic year
1993/1994 by the lecturers of the Chair of Biology of the Faculty of Mathematics
and Natural Sciences: A Sustainable Baltic Region, 7.5 ECTS, and The Baltic Sea
Environment, 6 ECTS (the latter is part of the course package Environmental
Science). The course Water Management, 15 ECTS, was also taught during one year.
Students can take a BUP course as an optional subject. In recent years, for biology
students the course A Sustainable Baltic Region has been a compulsory part of the
curriculum.
Bachelor, diploma, master and doctoral students from TU and other higher edu-
cational establishments have passed BUP courses at Tallinn University. Most of the
students come from the Department of Natural Sciences. Besides biology students,
the courses are also participated by those studying geoecology, environmental man-
agement, physics, art and philology. Teacher education students form a substantial
part of those selecting a BUP course. In the frames of the course A Sustainable
Baltic Region students compile posters, which are presented in the public rooms of
the university and left hanging there for a couple of weeks being thus available for
those interested in the topic.
The BUP courses have been well received by TU students. From year to year
they have actively participated in the BUP student conferences, summer schools
and sailings. A precondition for attending the above-listed international meetings is
the compilation of an English-language research paper and its presentation. By the
time being, a total of 310 students have successfully passed BUP courses in TU and
received international graduation diplomas.
TU is the only university in Estonia where SD is a compulsory part of teacher
education curricula. From the 2002/2003 up to the 2006/2007 academic year SD
was taught in TU, including Haapsalu and Rakvere Colleges, in the second semes-
ter in the frames of the following curricula: class teacher, basic school teacher of
several subjects, vocational education, physical culture, pedagogics, craft and home
economics, manual training and technology. Distant-learning students are also
admitted for the above listed curricula, except pedagogics. The course is termed
Environmental Science and Education, volume 3 ECTS (still five years ago the use
of the word sustainable in the name of the course sounded somewhat strange to
those charged with approving the university curricula). The main lecturer has re-
125
currently participated in the trainings arranged for BUP lecturers, taught full BUP
courses in TU. In her work she uses videos and exercises elaborated by BUP. There
are two more lecturers engaged in teaching the themes Environmental Education
and Public Involvement in Environmental Impact Assessment.
Since the academic year 2007/2008, in connection with the increase of the
volume of optional courses in all TU curricula, the course is not compulsory for
students and is termed now Environmental Education and Sustainable Development.
The learning results obtained through the course Environmental Science and
Education at TU must ensure that the future teacher
• is capable of making SD-based choices at home, at work and on a wider

scale
• possesses knowledge, understanding and in case of need participates actively
in the resolution of environmental problems in the community
• knows the methods and thematics of environmental education and is capa-
ble of using them in the work at school in teaching the theme Environment
and Sustainable Development crossing the State Curriculum of general
education
Figure 1 shows the activities in contact lessons and e-environment of the course
Environmental Science and Education. In addition, it presents the evaluation of the
students’ work. The themes of the seminars are as follows:
• Hazardous waste, incl. household waste, environment and health

• Environmental impact of transport, building activities and agriculture
• Sustainability assessment methods; environmental ethics
During the seminars the students work in groups with the material distributed
by the lecturer at the spot or based on their previous studies and life experience
while preparing the subject for debate. A previously prepared subject (e-sources,
booklets) for debate has been The GMOs are useful for man and his environment.
The participants of the debate include a moderator, supporters and opposers of the
assertion. The debate is listened by the students performing the role of journal-
ists. For solving a self-rating test with alternative answers the students can find a
link to the study material in the e-environment. As a result, the students will see
how many correct answers they have given. However, they do not see where the
mistakes were made. They can solve the test up to five times. Every time the ques-
tions are given in a different order. Educational visits have taken place according to
the students’ grounded proposals, either to the Information Centre of Sustainable
Renovation, Tallinn Botanical Gardens or a park in the centre of the city.
The course Environmental Science and Education has been attended by 680
daytime students and 660 distant-learning students (together with the students
of Haapsalu College). According to annual feedback questionnaires the students
highly appreciate the course, particularly the educational visit and lecturer’s posi-
tive attitude, but also the relatively large share of seminars. After presentation of
126
CONTACT HOURS
Activities & teaching materials Evaluation
• Lectures • Assessment of fellow-students
• Seminars in seminars
• Debate • Teacher´s assessment of
• Videos participation in seminars work
• Educational visit and in debate
• Graded text
• Lecture materials • Self-rating test
• Learning instructions • Feedback
VIRTUAL SUPPORTING MATERIALS
Figure 1 Activities in contact lessons and e-environment of the course Environmental Science and
Education.
facts, such as the degradation of the environment, possible solutions or the ways
how to mitigate the problem in the Baltic Sea region have always been discussed.
Nevertheless, the answers of the students on final testing have shown that an inte-
grated understanding of SD is difficult to assimilate.
Since the first year of the course teaching, the basic part of the final grade is
formed on the basis of the graded test. The test is written in two groups. One group
has to answer the question what should be done in Estonia to make the society
more sustainable. Most frequently, the students have stressed the need to improve
waste management, often also the necessity to economize in the use of tap water
and electrical energy, to improve the situation of public transport, recurrently also
the necessity to ban chopping down of forests. However, the latter problem is not
topical in Estonia, because forests cover more than 50% of the Republic’s area, and
the climate and soils are entirely favourable for regeneration of forests. Besides, in
the press every spring much attention is turned to planting of forests all over Estonia.
The other above-mentioned themes are also regularly discussed in the press, radio
and television. The themes rather rarely discussed in Estonian media from the aspect
of sustainable development, include education, energetics and oil-based transport,
are rarely found in the answers. Energetics is quite critical for Estonia because the
main source for power engineering in the republic is the local oil shale – a fossil fuel
with a low calorific value; its mining and burning have serious negative impacts on
the environment. This question of the test has received a very few comprehensive
and complete answers although from year to year increasingly more attention has
been paid to the components of SD in the seminars and lectures.
The results of teaching the course Environmental Science and Education are satis-
fying in the aspect that more than 90% of the students who have passed the course
127
consider it as a necessary part of teacher education. During the course the interest
of students towards sustainable development and their independency and eager-
ness in the debates increase.
Final words
In February 1995 Estonia adopted a special Act on Sustainable Development.

During the next ten years responsibilities in the field of sustainable development
in Estonia belonged to the Ministry of the Environment. In 2006 the situation
changed, when these responsibilities were transferred to the Strategy Office of the
State Chancellery subordinated to the Prime Minister.
The principles and goals enacted in The Act on Sustainable Development and
Estonian National Strategy on Sustainable Development Sustainable Estonia 21
(Estonian National …2005) must be inserted into The National Higher Education
Standard. During the recent ten years there has been a contradiction between the
requirements: at the level of general education, the National Curriculum (Estonian
Government, 2002b) addresses the teaching of sustainable development through
all the subjects and in all grades, while the requirements of The National Higher
Education Standard do not validate teaching of SD and ESD to teacher education
students.
Teaching of sustainable development at the higher educational level in Estonia
has remained merely as an issue of teachers’ initiative. It depends on their un-
derstanding and attitude whether and to what extent the relevant themes will
be dealt with and how much time will be allocated for time-consuming teaching
methods (seminar, debate, project). The questioning of teacher education students
has shown that for them sustainable development means first of all the necessity to
waste management, rational use of energy and water, and forest protection.
Estonia is facing the implementation of SD principles in education. By the time
being, experiences in teaching of SD thematics has been obtained within the frames
of some curricula. The field of sustainable development belongs now to the admin-
istrative area of the Prime Minister. This creates preconditions for a more effective
and wide-based implementation of ESD in Estonia.
References
An Agenda 21 for Education in the Baltic Sea Region – Baltic 21E, 2002a. Baltic 21 Series. No
2/02. Ministry of Education and Science in Sweden. http://www.baltic21.org/attachments/
no1_2002_agenda_for_education_sector.doc
An Agenda 21 for the Baltic Sea Region Sector Report – Education. Baltic
21E: Annex 2.1 Report from Working group 1, 2002b. Baltic 21 Series. No
1/02. Ministry of Education and Science in Sweden. http://www.baltic21.
org/attachments/no22002_education_sector_report_.doc
128
Estonian Government, 2000. Õpetajate koolituse raamnõuded (The Framework Requirements
of Teacher’s Training). Regulation of the Government of the Republic of Estonia No. 381.
Riigiteataja, Tallinn. https://www.riigiteataja.ee/ert/act.jsp?id=81 2791
Estonian Government, 2002a. Kõrgharidusstandard (The Standard of Higher Education).
Regulation of the Government of the Republic of Estonia No. 258. Riigiteataja, Tallinn. ht-
tps://www.riigiteataja.ee/ert/act.jsp?id=812814
Estonian Government, 2002b. Põhikooli ja gümnaasiumi riiklik õppekava (National cur-
riculum for basic schools and upper secondary schools). Regulation of the Government of
the Republic of Estonia No. 56. Riigiteataja, Tallinn. https://www.riigiteataja.ee/ert/act.
jsp?id=802290
Estonian Parliament, 1995. Ülikooliseadus (The Universities Act). Riigiteataja: Tallinn. https://
www.riigiteataja.ee/ert/act.jsp?id=12750528
Estonian Parliament, 2001. Kutseseadus (The Professional Higher Education Act). Riigiteataja,
Tallinn. https://www.riigiteataja.ee/ert/act.jsp?id=690522
Estonian National Strategy on Sustainable Development, 2005. http://www.envir.ee//166310
(25.10.2007)
Henno, I., 2003. Education for Sustainable development and Estonian teachers approach to it.
[Master thesis]. Tallinn Pedagogical University, Tallinn.
Sterling, S., 2001. Sustainable Education: Re-vision Learning and Change. Schumacher Briefing
No 6, Green Books Ltd, United Kingdom.
UNESCO, 2003. United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.
Framework for a Draft Implementation Scheme. http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/
file_download.php/9a1f87e671e925e0df28d8d5bc71b85fJF+DESD+Framework3.doc
(25.10.2007)
United Nations, 2005. UNECE Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development (CEP/
AC.13/2005/3/Rev.1). United Nations, New York. http://www.unece.org/env/docu-
ments/2005/cep/ac.13/cep.ac.13.2005.4.rev.1.e.pdf
129
3.8 Preparing for an Oil Spill through Oil Combating Education in
Finland
The Baltic Sea is very unique as it is the largest brackish water basin in the world.
Due to thousands of islands and the broken shoreline the fairways are narrow,
which makes navigation difficult especially in winter time. One of the biggest en-
vironmental risks for the Baltic Sea is an oil tanker accident as oil transportations
are increasing more rapidly than ever in the whole of the Baltic Sea and especially
in the Gulf of Finland. In the early 90´s the total amount of oil transportations in
the Gulf of Finland was 15 million tons, in 2006 it was 140 million tons and by the
year 2010 it will be as much as 190 million tons. By the year 2010 even eight new
oil terminals will be built by the Gulf of Finland. Based on the above facts it is no
wonder that the risks for oil spills are increasing. The reason for that is not only the
increasing number of oil tankers but also the increasing number of other cargo and
passenger vessels due to positive economic development in the area. Accordingly,
the horror scenario would be a collision of a passenger vessel and an oil tanker. That
could have dramatic social, ecological and economic consequences.
Baltic Sea is surrounded by 11 countries. The safety of maritime conditions has
been increased by several agreements and recommendations which the Baltic Sea
states have signed. Each of these states has a liability to arrange oil spill response
within its own area. The response area of Finland covers a significant part of the
Baltic Sea, the northern side of the Gulf of Finland, the northern part of the
Baltic Proper and the eastern side of the Gulf of Bothnia. The total length of the
Finnish coastline without taking into account islands, capes and bays is about
1,200 km. When the thousands of islands and the broken shoreline are taken into
account, the total length of the shoreline that can be affected in oil spills is about
16,000 km.
National responsibilities in oil combating in Finland are divided mainly be-
tween governmental and local (municipalities) authorities. Finnish Maritime
Administration, Coast Guard and Defense Forces (especially the Navy) are also
liable to assist the above mentioned authorities on request. Also private compa-
nies are responsible to assist with resources at their disposal. The Finnish Ministry
of Environment has the supreme responsibility for the management and supervi-
sion of the oil pollution response and the Finnish Environment Institute operating
under the Ministry of Environment is the competent government oil pollution
combating authority. It is in charge of operations at open waters and whenever
severity of an accident so necessitates. As Finnish Environment Institute with its
staff is responsible for leading combating activities on open sea, each regional fire
and rescue service is responsible for arranging oil combating in its sea and land area
in cooperation with the Regional Environment Centre.
130
Both authorities and private sector operators are aware of the increasing risks and
they have also expressed the need for education in preparing for them. Haaga-Helia
University of Applied Sciences and Itä-Uusimaa Rescue Services in cooperation
with the Finnish Environment Institute decided to answer to this demand and
implemented the first national level Management in Oil Combating education in
the year 2006. It was financed by EU Interreg IIIA program and it was part of the
Eco-Logistics project coordinated by the Itä-Uusimaa Regional Council.
Management in Oil Combating education realized in a concrete way the chal-
lenges of the UN Millennium Declaration 2005-2014 and especially the local Baltic
21 and Baltic 21 E programmes as a significant feature for sustainable develop-
ment, and education for sustainable development is defined to be cooperation and
partnership between different actors. The pilot education gave concrete evidence
of the fact that through cooperation between higher education institutions and
other organizations positive results can be achieved.
In education, the total number of participants was 25. Four participants were
master degree programme students from the Emergency Services College/ Savonia
University of Applied Sciences. Other participants were management level opera-
tors from rescue services, regional environmental centers and from private sector
companies. All participants had several years of working experience behind them.
Even the students from the college had already done their lower degree and were
working at the same time as finalizing their master degree programme.
In this article, the objectives and the pedagogical approach chosen for the educa-
tion will be firstly described. After that, the education will be evaluated based on
the feedback gathered from the participants and finally some development ideas
for the future will be given.
Objectives
The objectives of the education were to give a holistic understanding of an oil spill
and oil combating, to increase the capability to manage and operate efficiently in
an oil spill situation and to increase cooperation between the institutions respon-
sible for oil combating. The objectives can be observed from individual level and
from organizational level. The main concrete objectives from the individual per-
spective were to improve the skills in oil combating management and operations
and to increase preparedness for cooperation. Other objectives in the individual
level were to increase the understanding of the importance of oil combating from
a sustainable development point of view and to increase the positive attitude to oil
combating related work as such. The main objective in the organizational level was
to develop strategic and operational management systems for oil combating and to
raise the cooperation between the organizations liable for oil combating into a new
level. The objectives of the education are illustrated in Figure 1.
The objectives of the education are based on the holistic approach to educa-
tion for sustainable development (see more Rohweder, 2007: 76). According to
that approach the underlying principle of education for sustainable development
131
Holistic picture
Efficient management
Efficient operations
Co-operation
Knowledge and skills

• Oil combatting Values and appreciation
• Sustainable development
Figure 1. Objectives of Management in oil combating education.
is an integration of knowledge, values and the promotion of action. This is also in

accordance with the critical management research, which stresses that values and
attitudes need to change before an organization can engage in pro sustainable ways
of action (Halme, 1997: 79).
Transformative learning circle
Pedagogical solutions for education should always be based on the objectives and
on the special characteristics of the participants, if possible. Adults have special
features as learners. Such features are for instance inner motivation, self steering,
commitment and previous experiences. These features are taken into account in
student centered learning methods which are based on constructivist and human-
istic learning philosophies.
The objectives of the education, the special features of the participants as working
life actors as well as the relatively small size of the group conducted to humanistic,
student centered pedagogical approach. Student-centricity sees the student as an
active participant who builds and creates information and who is then capable
of assimilating newly learnt experiences to previous knowledge and who can ac-
commodate earlier information construct to better correspond to new situations.
Considering the practical objectives of Management in Oil Combating Education
it was essential to encourage participants for active knowledge constructing and to
increase the open minded attitude in order to achieve better solutions.
The learning method used in the education is called transformative learning
circle. It has many similarities with problem based learning but is not as formative
as that (Rohweder, 2007: 77). In the transformative learning student centered-
ness, collective and the contextual approach to learning play central roles (see also
Sterling, 2005; Wals, 2006). In the transformative learning circle, participants are
in the centre of the learning process. They are responsible for learning and the role
of teachers is to guide and encourage instead of being an authority. Teachers or
132
supervisors need to instruct the learners to assimilate information in a constructive
manner and to develop the skills needed. The transformative learning circle is all
about the learning process and not about the learning result. In other word the
focus of education is in what happens after the participants have left education
behind them and how the process will continue in the workplace.
In the transformative learning circle, learning is a collective process which aims
to produce new knowledge and understanding. Knowledge is used as the objec-
tive of learning and developing. Thus, the starting point for learning are concrete
problems arising in the workplace. The method develops learners’ problem solv-
ing skills, knowledge analyzing skills, communication and cooperation skills and it
intends to make the values behind their own behavior and decisions more visible.
One could say that the goal of the transformative learning circle is to get rid of
reasoning “this is how it has always been done or thought of”. It implies searching
inquisitively into new ways of thinking and proceeding.
Figure 2 illustrates the transformative learning circle developed for this educa-
tion. The circle was carried out three times during the education, which means that
the education consisted of four seminar days and of development projects done in
teams between the seminar days. Seminar days consisted of presentations given by
oil combating experts and by participants and of discussions.
The education was grounded to the knowledge dimension. During the semi-
nar days dissemination of the prevailing knowledge about oil combating related
issues was carried out through lectures given by oil combating experts and univer-
sity professors or researches of different disciplines. The aim of the presentations
was to raise questions for further practical development work done in teams. The
Contact learning = Seminars Finding out the themes of the development

Presentations by visitors projects?
What was new? What do we not yet know?
What did we know already? How does the subject link to our own work?
What do we think about What information does our organization need
the subject? about the subject?
How should we develop our organization about
the subject?
Holistic picture
Efficient management
Efficient operations The circle of
Co-operation transformative learning
goes aroun three times
Distant learning/ doing the development

projects
Searching information
- Material in the organzations
- internet
- other material
Contact learning/ Presentations by
- meetings with the development
development teams
teams
Collective learning
Individulal and collective learnng in
What should we develop further?
development teams
Figure 2. Transformative learning circle in management in oil combating education.
133
themes of the presentations included oil combating from ecological, economical,
technological and legislative perspectives as well as from strategic and operative
management perspectives. As oil spills have always remarkable environmental and
socio-economic effects, also the values supporting sustainable development were
brought as part of the learning process. When values are acknowledged and made
transparent, learners acquire an analytical approach to information and they be-
come conscious of the role of their work in the bigger picture (Rohweder, 2007:
77). Information about sustainable development tends to increase peoples’ sense
of responsibility and sensitivity to related issues, which are fundamental elements
of responsible behavior. The consequences for nature and societies can vary a lot
depending on the decisions made during oil combating. The basic idea was that
knowledge about the ecological and socio-economic effects of an oil spill would
increase participants’ motivation and respect for oil combating related work and
also the understanding how valuable the work is from the sustainable development
point of view.
Development projects done in teams between the seminar days formulated
the core of the learning process. In the transformative learning circle the aim of
the development projects is to learn by developing through increasing the skills
and making the values behind decisions visible. Participants of the education were
encouraged to consider critically and analytically the prevailing oil combating prac-
tices from organizational perspective as well as from ecological perspective. The
aim was to evaluate and further develop the organizational and communicational
practices and management systems to which they were used to. The following
questions are examples of the problems that formulated the basis for some of the
development projects: What are the weaknesses in the decision making process
of oil combating? On what information should the decisions of different oil com-
bating methods be based on? How should environment be valued in prioritizing
different oil combating options?
The teams formulated the subjects for development projects themselves, the only
precondition being that the projects had to be practically oriented and that they
had an importance from the organizational and/ or from environmental point of
view. The instructors pointed out that development projects were not done for their
inspection, but to increase the preparedness to response in an oil spill situation.
As one aim of the education was to increase cooperation between the opera-
tors, the teams consisted of representatives of different organizations. All teams
presented their outcomes during the seminar days so that other members of the
education could also learn out of them. The development projects done in teams
and the discussions during the seminar days were the ways to implement the di-
mension of collective learning into oil combating education. The discussions and
team projects also played also a role in developing the preparedness for argumenta-
tion and analyzing different options.
The supervisors’ role le in such student centered learning processes is to give
proper learning conditions and support the whole process, not to operate as authori-
ties and knowledge transformers. The supervisor from Haaga-Helia was responsible
for the whole project and especially for the pedagogical solutions of education
134
and about the learning process. She was also responsible for integrating the niche
of sustainable development to the education. The supervisor from Itä-Uusimaa
Rescue Services was responsible for the substance related issues. As a rescue serv-
ices director he had a strong professional competence about the area.
Evaluation of the education
This chapter will concentrate on the evaluation of the education. Evaluation is

based on the feedback gathered from all participants (n=25). The questionnaire
consisted both of statements and of open questions. The validity and reliability of
the evaluation was tested in two ways: The results were sent back to all participants
and they were asked to comment them in case there was something they felt was
strange. The results were also analyzed face to face with five “key informants”.
Contents of the education

The participants were very satisfied with the contents of the education. Almost all
participants felt that the education gave them a holistic picture of oil combating,
increased their personal skills in oil combating and preparedness to cooperate with
other organizations in an oil spill situation. All participants expressed that one of
the most valuable achievements of the whole education was that all central opera-
tors were brought together. Knowing each other face to face will be useful if a real
emergency situation happens.
One of the objectives of the education was to increase the appreciation for oil
combating related work and to open up the values of sustainable development
from oil combating point of view. It was very positive that almost all participants
felt that the dimension of sustainable development from the oil combating point
of view was an interesting and important issue. Especially the participants from the
Emergency Services College pointed out that it was very important to get a holistic
picture of oil combating and learn to understand the importance of it also from the
nature point of view. That raised the appreciation for oil combating as it is not seen
as heroic as other rescue tasks, such as saving people from burning houses. They
also pointed out that in the curriculum of the Rescue Services College there is a
lack of the dimension of sustainable development. Integrating a niche of sustain-
able development into the curriculum would have a positive effect on the values
of future rescue managers and directors.
Pedagogical method
The transformative learning circle used in education emphasizes practical develop-
ment in teams. Education was not based on traditional one way transmission of
knowledge from experts to learners but the participants had a central role in the
whole educational process. Supervisors had planned in advance only the frame of
the education. Participants formulated the objectives of the development projects
based on the presentations given by visiting lecturers and based on their own ex-
perience on the need for development from the organizational point of view. As a
135
conclusion, participants had a responsibility for their own and as well as for the col-
lective learning process. From supervisors point of view it was challenging to engage
the participants to be initiative and to get them devoted to the common goals of
the education. One thing that helped in this process was that participants felt the
subject was extremely important from personal and from organizational aspects.
The general opinion was that the transformative learning circle was effective and
worked well. They shared the opinion that the division of the education during the
contact days to lectures given by the visitors, to the presentations given by partici-
pants and to the discussions worked well and was effective both from the individual
as well as from the collective learning point of view. They also felt that the education
was a start for further development projects in preparing for the risk of a possible oil
spill. That is an important aspect from a life long learning point of view.
The development projects done in teams between the seminar days need never-
theless further development from two aspects. Firstly, participants felt that it was
difficult to find time for developing and secondly all participants were not equally
devoted to the projects.
Finding time for development projects was a real problem. Supervisors encour-
aged the participants to work with the projects in the virtual learning environment,
Black Board. However, teams did not get interested in that. Even the students from
the Rescue Services College felt that the virtual learning environment was useful
only in the role of the material bank. Participants preferred to have meetings, even
though it was difficult to find suitable meeting times. They also claimed that it was
difficult to find time for development and writing between the meetings, as there
were always so many other projects going on at the same time. On the other hand,
they recognized that prioritizing other projects generally above oil combating
projects is one reason why oil combating related issues need urgent development.
So far there has not been a concrete need for that work as the evidence of an oil
spill to happen has been seen as quite minimal – as bigger spills have luckily not
occurred. Nevertheless the situation is now changing as the oil transportations are
increasing on the Gulf of Finland and the risks for oil spills are also more concrete
than ever before.
The positive thing in the feedback was that most of the participants felt de-
velopment projects to be useful for their organizations and that the cooperation
between organizations was truly developed. Also quite many of the participants
believe that the development projects worked well in a role of a promoter for
continuing development. One example of such projects is a project aiming at a
permanent cooperation model in oil combating among an oil company, harbor, a
company providing oil combating equipment and a local rescue service. The other
example is a project aiming to develop the curriculum of the Rescue Services
College so that oil combating and the niche of sustainable development would be
more visible in it.
Development ideas
The main development ideas for education have to do with the pedagogical meth-
od used. In the next education the biggest challenge is to integrate development
136
projects better to the education. One possibility is to increase the number of semi-
nar days so that the dates for development work would be appointed in advance.
The other big issue is how to get all the participants devoted to development. This
might be a target that can never be reached. At least the supervisors should clarify
with the team members their preferable roles. In most of the cases it is not harm-
ful from the final outcome point of view, if members have different roles, some
of them being in the role of commenter, some as informants and some as actual
promoters for the whole project to proceed. The most important is that everybody
knows what kind of contribution to expect from each other.
In the pilot education, the dimension of ecological sustainability played a pivotal
role among all the dimensions of sustainable development. The socio-economic
issues were taken into consideration only to some extent. Still, an oil spill can
have remarkable socio-economic effects on people living around the Baltic Sea.
Although the ecological dimension can be considered the most important in the
case of an oil spill, other dimensions should also play a more remarkable role in the
coming education programmes.
Management of oil combating education will be carried out again in the year
2008. Participants will come partly from the same organizations as in the pilot edu-
cation. The objectives of the coming education on the individual level can be the
same as in the previous one but the objectives on the organizational level should
be raised onto a new level. That means that the new development projects should
make a continuum to the projects done in the education already carried out. From
this perspective the supervisors need to figure out whether they should point out
the themes for development projects more clearly than what was done in the first
education.
Conclusion
Management of oil combating education was a pilot project as it was the first of the
kind in Finland where all the central operators of a possible oil spill were gathered
together. As the participants pointed out, this already was an achievement as such.
From a university point of view the educational project was challenging because
it was a cooperation project where pedagogical and professional expertise were
integrated. The experience achieved from the project is extremely encouraging.
It was challenging to develop an education with a professional expert of a specific
substance area. This is something all university teachers should do every now and
then. It gives to the education a taste of real life and guarantees that the theoretical
issues have a connection to real work. Especially in sustainable development re-
lated issues, universities should increase the number of cooperation projects done
together with the practical operators. The idea of sustainable development does
not proceed unless universities get more open and launch the theoretical concepts
at the practical level.
137
References
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London.
Rohweder, L., 2007. Education for Sustainable Development in Business Schools. In: Kaivola, T.
& Rohweder, L. (eds.), Towards Sustainable Development in Higher Education – Reflections.
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Sterling, S., 2005. Higher education, sustainability, and the role of systemic learning. In: Docoran,
P.B. & Wals A.E.J. (eds.), Higher Education and the Challenge of Sustainability: Problems,
Promise, and Practice. Dodrecht, Kluver Academic Press.
Wals, A.E.J., 2006. The end of ESD…the beginning of transformative learning – emphasizing the
E in ESD. In: Cantell, M. (ed.), Seminar on Education for Sustainable Development. Helsinki,
15th February 2006. Publication series of the Finnish National Commission for Unesco 83,
Helsinki.
138
RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
4
This part of the book focuses on research and development activities for sus-
tainable development in higher education. Sustainable development means a
fundamental social change and learning process. When seeing universities not only
as supporters of change but as creators of society and social change, universities
have a meaningful role as agents of change for sustainability. Universities are the
agents of change through education but also through producing new knowledge in
research and doing development activities in society by applied research.
An area as wide as sustainable development is bound to appear vague and abstract
(Lindroos & Cantell, 2007: 91). Research in the field of sustainable development is
not an attempt to establish a new discipline but a crosscutting theme embedding
and integrating all the disciplines through interdisciplinary and holistic approaches.
Research in higher education for sustainability or sustainable development can be
determined as “any research that is directed at advancing our ability to incorporate
sustainability concepts and insights into higher education and its major areas of
activity. In addition, it refers to research that treats higher education institutions
as complex systems and focuses on the integration of sustainability across all of its
activities, responsibilities, and mission.” (Wright, 2006: 121-122.) According to the
research done in Canada (Glasser et al., 2005, see Wright, 2006: 122) there are six
general focus areas of research in higher education for sustainability, which are:
Background:
SD trat
r S es
s
fo alu
in egi
D
V
- DESD
SD in
e
- Baltic 21E
s
- etc.
Sustainable
- Future
needs for future
SD
Research
Education and
for SD development
for SD
139
• Defining end envisioning higher education for sustainability
• Integrating sustainability into higher education activities and responsibilities
• Assessing how well academic institutions incorporate and model
sustainability
• Improving the ability of scholars to teach about sustainability or incorporat-
ing sustainability concepts and principles into courses, curricula, disciplines,
and research programs
• Addressing questions that are crucial to our transition to a sustainable future
• Addressing processes for social learning, innovation diffusion, knowledge
transfer, policy analysis, decision-making, and educational reform that are
crucial for the transition to a sustainable future.
Fudge (2002) has also addressed the scientific framework for research fostering
sustainable development. According to him research should include the following
issues:
• Environmental limits in relation to carrying capacity

• Social and cultural limits in relation to welfare, human capacity
• Economic and institutional limits in relation to governance, resource man-
agement and demand management
• Ethics.
The recent overview of research for sustainable development is given by

Niiniluoto (2007: 40). He emphasizes the challenge of multidisciplinary research
so that e.g. natural sciences, technological research, biology, agricultural and forest
sciences, medicine, urban studies, cultural studies, economics and other social sci-
ences have to work together. According to Niiniluoto this is a way how the subject
matter of research is broadened to the interaction of man and nature, especially
the rational utilization of natural resources and the cultural, social, and economical
aspects and conditions. Also the role of ethics and values cannot be overestimated
according to him as many other authors.
The articles in this part of the book are concentrated, in particular, on address-
ing the questions that are important in the transition towards sustainability as well
as on addressing the processes for social learning and innovations for sustainable
regional development and developing activities. The next chapters introduce four
examples of innovative ways for research and development practices for sustain-
able development in higher education institutions in the countries of Ukraine,
Germany, Estonia, and Russia. The articles are cases of solutions for what is to be
researched for sustainability and what are the targets of developing activities for
sustainability. In addition, the articles give examples how to connect research and
regional development activities into education.
The first case study is from Ukraine. Iryna Kriba and Yuriy Zin’ko from Ivan
Franko National University of L’viv are focusing on urban development in Ukraine
and the implementation of local ecological action plans in small towns. The idea of
the article is to describe the complex development of small towns in Ukraine, and
140
to find solutions for balancing social, economic, cultural and ecological compounds,
with the example of the historical town of Western Ukraine Zhovkva. The critical
factors for the development of small towns are, according to the authors, the inte-
gration of socio-economic, environmental and cultural heritage issues. In addition,
value clarification and cultural thinking are important; there should be a com-
monly shared attitude to develop the town to be friendly to inhabitants, visitors
and future generations by understanding the value of preserving the historical and
cultural heritage of Ukrainian, Polish and Jewish people. To enforce a successful
development process, the wide involvement of the public on the different stages is
to found to be important. The authors describe, in their article, the ways in which
a wide public participation and co-operation between different actors in the town
was realized. One part of the participation process was the inclusion of education
in the research and development projects. Students were involved in the process
in different ways; involving in polling concerning the evaluation of the ecological
problems, performing mapping of the ecological situation, as well as taking an ac-
tive role in conducting all-town actions.
Participation is also an important theme in the second article. The authors from
University of Applied Sciences Eberswalde, Juergen Peters and Kertin Kreve, and
from UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin (federal administration
bureau), Uwe Graumann and Sabine Pohl, from Germany, introduce, in their
article, participation as an instrument for rural settlement development in the
cultural landscape area of Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin. In the article,
the innovative solution to promote sustainable development through research and
development is participation. That is seen as a basic instrument of sustainable de-
velopment, in particular social sustainability but also cultural, ecological as well
as economic sustainability. The authors argue that with regard to planning and
development projects, the social principles of sustainability demand respect for
and involvement of campaigners and decision makers. The conservation of histori-
cal villages and construction types sustains the cultural identity and aesthetic value
of landscapes. In that way there is also potentiality for sustainable tourism, which
means economic profit as well as well-being of people. The article also describes
the other ways to protect the historical landscapes, such as soil protection, which
promote ecological sustainability. The project is connected to education in two
ways; using the results in teaching and connecting the students to the research
process through several study projects or their thesis.
The third article in this part of the book describes the political tools for sus-
tainable forest management and their implementation in Estonia. Paavo Kaimre
from Estonian University of Life Sciences handles with sustainability in the con-
text of Estonian forestry. The main idea of the article is to find criteria and tools
for monitoring and managing sustainability in the forest sector. The solutions are
formulations of indicators and instruments of forest policy. The development and
implementation of tools for sustainable forest management gives tools for eco-
logical sustainability in forest sector. In addition, the article shows how knowledge
building through research and development activities can yield changes in educa-
tion at the curriculum level.
141
The paper from Russia introduces an example of the integration of research and
education. Tatjana Regerand and Nikolay Filatov from Nothern Water Problems
Institute from Republic of Karelia describe the activities of the Institute, co-op-
eration at the national and international level, as well as actions and success of
the connection between research and education. The main idea of the connection
between scientific research and high education are to prepare highly qualified pro-
fessional staff for scientific research institutions, teachers for secondary schools and
pro environmental administrative personnel and public. Knowledge building has a
special role in the activities, which means that all the scientific data collected in the
Institute is used in education. The specific feature of the activities is the continu-
ity of the study process: school pupil – university student – postgraduate student
– young scientist. The article shows how life-long learning and learning as a process
are important features of the activities of the Research Institute.
All the articles describe ways how to promote different aspects of sustainability
through research and regional developing activities in combination with education.
The following introductory chapter outlines the objects of research and develop-
ment activities for sustainability. In addition, the chapter describes ways to connect
research and development activities with education. The main aim should be the
connection of different dimensions of sustainable development as an integrative
process, and the cases in this part of the book give us ideas how this can be made. In
the end of this introductory chapter, some critical factors of research and develop-
ment for sustainable development will be raised, which can also be connected to
the cases from Ukraine, Germany, Estonia, and Russia.
What is to be researched and developed for sustainable development?
This introductory chapter focuses on questions about what is to be researched and

developed and what is to be sustained by developed activities for sustainability.
Figure 1 illustrates the objects of the research and development activities. These
are environment, society, people and economy, and the aims to be sustained, such
as nature, life support and well-being.
Research and development activities focus on the environment, society, people
and the economy. Research gives knowledge about the economy, environment,
society and people and about the development activities needed. The great-
est emphasis has focused on economic development during the modern time,
with the productive sector providing employment, possibilities for consumption
and economic welfare. Transformation towards an eco-efficient and socially re-
sponsible economy means that, in addition to economical profit point of view,
environmental, social and cultural aspects are taken into account in research and
development of the economic world. This means that attention shifts to human
development, including an emphasis on the reflection and changes of values and
goals. There is also a call for society that complies with the rules of sustainability,
which means the analysing functions and aims of institutions and their social
capital.
142
Research and development activities
for sustainable development
What is to be researched and What is to be sustained?

developed?
• NATURE
• ENVIRONMENT - Earth
- Landscape - Biodiversity
- Ecology - Ecosystems
- Architecture
• LIFE SUPPORT
• SOCIETY - Natural resources
- Institutions - Living environment
- Social capital - Financial resources
- Democracy
• PEOPLE
- Identity • WELL-BEING
- Equity - Cultures
- Participation - Groups
- Places
• ECONOMY - Social cohesion
- Production
- Consumption
Figure 1. Objects of research and development activities for sustainable development (adapted from Kates
et al., 2005/ U.S. National Research Council, 1999).
Research also gives knowledge of what is to be preserved and sustained for a sus-
tainable future. Most commonly the interest is emphasized on life support systems,
when nature is seen as a resource for utilitarian life support for human beings.
Achieving a sustainable path, natural resources are handled in terms of ecological
capacity and biodiversity, which form a framework for economic profit as well. In
addition, the quality of living environments and democracy in society are important
supports for sustainable life. They also have an impact in well-being, in addition to
appreciating cultural diversity, social cohesion and place identities.
An integrative mindset and approach to research and development for sustain-
able development is needed. This is because widespread transformative changes
will be required to address the nature, scale and character of the challenges while
improving our society and living environments towards sustainability. An integra-
tive way to consider development activities and their effects enables win-win-win
opportunities in building a sustainable society and environments. A win-win-win
situation means not only the management of nature and ecological conditions to-
wards sustainability but also economic profit and well-being of people.
How to connect research and development activities with education?
Higher education responds to society and its development needs, and is based on
research and professional expertise. The traditional way to connect research with
education is through lecturing; knowledge produced in research is mediated and
shared through lecturing with students. This is important, because field-specific
and evidence-based knowledge forms a basis in the development process towards
professionalism. All knowledge is situational and also moulded by the students,
which means that the capacity to assimilate knowledge differs among students and,
therefore, the students construct their own knowledge basis. At the same time the
knowledge produced in research is constructed and “colorized” by the students.
143
Research and development activities produce important knowledge for the ref-
ormation of curricula. Innovative findings in research can mean that the traditional
knowledge is old-fashioned or even wrong, which yields changes in the curriculum.
There can also be found out a new set of required knowledge and skills, which need
to be added into the curriculum.
Research and development activities can also be connected to education at the
pedagogical level. This means that students participate in research and develop-
ment activities in different ways. The participatory model integrates the tasks of the
universities, when research and development projects bring lecturers, students and
professionals together into collaboration in authentic learning situations. Students
are seen as partners who acquire and improve their competences not only during
lectures but also in real projects through participation.
Critical factors of research and development activities for sustainable

development
Promotion of sustainable development through research and development activi-

ties means that there have to be certain aims and in addition suitable methods. This
final chapter introduces some notions that are important in research and develop-
ment for sustainable future.
Sustainable development means a transformation of society, and it is essential
that this transformation be done on a firm knowledge base. Existing knowledge
must be structured and restructured in a new way and new knowledge is needed.
Knowledge building or competence building for sustainability means a new aware-
ness of the interaction of processes in the environment, society and the economy.
For this we need multi-, inter- and transdisciplinary and holistic understanding
and research. This requires integrative and systemic thinking as well as taking into
account all dimensions of sustainability. The principle of sustainable development
in research and development does not mean four separate dimensions to be taken
into consideration, but the integrative point of view of these dimensions.
Management tools and methods are essential when trying to find solutions for sus-
tainable regional development. Management tools and systems are ways to handle
processes and activities in organisations, society, and the environment. The first part
of this book concentrates on management practices at educational organisations,
which can also be one focus area of research in higher education for sustainability
(see Wright, 2006: 121-122). Instead of concentrating on research of management
systems in universities, this part of the book introduces how living environments
can be managed by law, policy and plans. Monitoring and measuring the changes in
the environment, society and the economy give an impression about the changes
and their sustainability. The indicators of sustainable development are widely used
measurements for analysing and describing changes at different spatial scales.
Research and development activities for sustainable development require a
process-oriented approach. This means firstly the aim to have sustainable regional
development processes, in other words that the principle of sustainability is the
144
main concern in environmental, economic and socio-cultural processes. The other
meaning of the process-oriented approach is to have the sustainability principle in
research and development with participation and co-operation as important factors.
This means that all stakeholders should take part in the planning and development
processes for sustainability. Not do only professionals of sustainable development
have expertise in this wide phenomenon, but every citizen. For instance, local in-
habitants have much “silent knowledge” about the quality and problems of their
living environment. Through active participation all stakeholders engage them-
selves in the process for sustainability, and, at the same time, a process for building
sustainability capacity can be guaranteed for the community.
References
Fudge, C., 2002. The concept of sustainable development. In: Structural change in Europe
– Innovative cities and regions, 92-98. Hagbarth Publications, Bollshwell.
Kates, R.W., Parris, T.M. & Leiserowitz, A.A., 2005. What is sustainable development? Goals,
indicators, values, and practice. Environment 2:10-21.
Lindroos, P. & Cantell, M., 2007. Education for Sustainable Development in a Global
Perspective. In: Kaivola, T. & Melen-Paaso, M. (eds.), Education for Global responsibil-
ity – Finnish Perspectives, 85-96. Publications of the Ministry of Education 31, Helsinki
University Press.
Niiniluoto, I., 2007. Science and sustainability. In: Kaivola, T. & Rohweder, L. (eds.), Towards
Sustainable Development in Higher Education – Reflections 38-41. Publications of the
Ministry of Education 6, Helsinki University Press.
Wright, T.S.A., 2006. The Role of Research in Achieving a Sustainable Future? In: Holmberg, J.
& Samuelsson, B.E. (eds.), Drivers and Barriers for Implementing Sustainable Development
in Higher Education, 121-125. Education for Sustainable Development in Action, Technical
Paper 3, Unesco.
145
4.1 Planning and Implementing of Local Ecological Action
Programmes (LEAP) for the town of Zhovkva in Western Ukraine
Iryna Kriba & Yuriy Zin’ko, Ivan Franko National University of L’viv, Ukraine
Introduction
In Ukraine, utmost importance is attached to the working out of special purpose

programmes (strategies) aimed at providing sustainable development for the cities
and towns. These programmes are brought forward by the bodies of self govern-
ance or public organizations and are financially and structurally supported by the
authorities at the national and regional levels as well as by international funds.
The experience of the Ukrainian cities testifies that sustainable development issues
in the programme documents are realized through elaboration of several types
of instruments: sustainable development strategies or programmes (Agenda 21),
strategies of economic development, social economic development strategies as
well as local ecological action programmes – LEAP. The study (Working out…,
2003) shows that in Ukraine only 10% of big, medium and small cities and towns
have developed instruments for the sustainable development programmes, social
economic development strategies and local ecological action plans. A number of
them still remain draft documents, and their implementation in the long term was
never started by local communities.
The national programme of sustainable development for Ukraine focuses much
attention to the issues of the complex development of small towns, in particular
to balancing social, economic and ecological compounds. For a number of small
towns, the Soviet period of their history was the time of active economic growth,
specifically the development of industrial enterprises and social infrastructure,
such as housing, educational establishments and health care institutions, though
the ecological component in most of the cases was underestimated.
In the independence times characterized by a social and economic decline, eco-
logical problems became even more pressing. Ecological problems in small towns
stimulated the interest of local communities to working out the ecological action plans
(LEAP) as an important compound of long-term development for these towns.
1. Approaches to planning of the ecological action plans for small historical

towns of Ukraine
The research introduced in this chapter deals with the problems of the devel-
opment of Ukraine‘s small towns. A critical analysis of materials concerning the
contemporary social, economic and ecological state of the small towns as well as
long-term plans for their development indicates the necessity to work out general
146
recommendations concerning the sustainable development of these towns and to
introduce good and successful practices for the preparation and implementation of
long-term plans.
In Ukraine, more and more attention is devoted to small historical towns both
on the state and regional levels. It is associated with the policy of preserving the
national cultural heritage as well as creating a relevant cultural image and tourist
promotion for Ukraine on the international arena.
Alongside with it, the contemporary state of preserving historical and cultural
heritage objects and using them for educational and tourist purposes in many
historical cities and towns is still far from the standards adopted in the European
countries. On the one hand, the issues of the complementary development of
cultural heritage objects and the sphere of their maintenance, and, on the other
hand, raising the social and economic standards of these towns as well as improv-
ing the state of the environment, are on the agenda of development programmes
for small historical towns in Ukraine. The ecological dimension in the develop-
ment plans for the historical towns is of considerable importance and provides
for the functioning of natural and historical ensembles, and for the improvement
of ecological consciousness among citizens and tourists. With financial aid from
international funds, the elaboration and implementation of ecological action
plans were introduced as an instrument to improve the state of the environ-
ment in many towns in Ukraine. Working out and implementing ecological action
plans requires partnership among power authorities, business and the town com-
munity. Producing different kinds of informational and educational materials is
an essential component of planning and implementing ecological actions. Such
informational and educational maintenance is realized through scientific and
project documentation, processing statistical data, as well as publishing popular
booklets, information bulletins and other documents.
As already mentioned the dissemination of best practices of elaborating and
implementing sustainable development plans for towns, including those related
to improving the state of the environment, is of utmost importance for Ukraine.
The content aspect of the ecological action plans concerning the priorities as well
as the best practices of their implementation are of great value for the decision
makers and the staff of public organizations who are preparing and implementing
the instruments of long-term development (programmes, concepts, action plans).
The ecological action plan for a small historical town is an important practice and
one of the first practices for towns focusing on integrating the issues of historical
and architectural heritage preservation, social and economic development, and
the improvement of the state of the environment.
2. Planning the ecological action plan for the town of Zhovkva (Western
Ukraine)
The town of Zhovkva is well known in Ukraine and beyond the borders of Ukraine’s
rich historical and cultural heritage of Ukrainian, Polish and Jewish peoples of
147
XVII-XIX centuries. A State Historical and Architectural Protected Area, attract-
ing a number of tourists both from Ukraine and abroad, is located in Zhovka. The
town is situated close to the Ukrainian-Polish border on the international E-4 route
connecting Warsaw and L’viv. At the beginning of 2006, the population of Zhovkva
was 12.5 thousand inhabitants, 99.3% of whom were Ukrainians. In the Soviet
times, the town specialized in machine building, but after the crisis of the 1990s
it has transformed towards service business, attracting a number of tourist flows.
Unemployment has remained acute for a number of years. In the Soviet times, a
great number of Zhovkva’s inhabitants worked at the industrial enterprises of L’viv,
only 30 km from Zhovkva, while now some of them are working in the neighbour-
ing (Poland) and remote (Italy, Portugal) foreign countries.
In the last decades, small towns in Western Ukraine have been characterized
by complicated, and sometimes rather problematic, ecological issues. During the
Soviet period (until the nineties of the last century) a number of industrial en-
terprises were concentrated in this area, which resulted in pollution to the air as
well as into surface and ground water. At that time, ecological activities were not
facilitated actively.
The economic decline of the 1990s, on the one hand, led to improvement of the
environment, because of the shutting down of the industrial enterprises. On the
other hand, the old long-lasting problems remain, such as the littering of urban ter-
ritories and the lack or absence of well-equipped dumps, surface water pollution,
and the absence of sewage disposal.
That the city has critical environmental condition was proved true by an opinion
poll (see Table 1) held within the framework of the project “Chysta Zhovkva” (“Clean
Zhovkva”). The project was undertaken by public organizations “Ecogeographical
Fund” (the city of L’viv) and the centre of urban development of the town of
Zhovkva “Svitlo Kul’tury”(“The Light of Culture”) in 2002 and 2003. In the poll, the
inhabitants of the city pointed out the importance of the environmental problems
and were greatly concerned for the improvement of the environmental condition
of the town (Table 1).
The confirmation of the current state of the ecological problems contributed to
the introduction of the project “Chysta Zhovkva”, which envisaged working out
LEAP for the town community. The realisation of the project aimed at the elabora-
tion of an ecological action plan and to the setting up of an ecological committee
(15 participants). The committee comprised representatives of public organiza-
tions (coordination of the project), town authorities, educational establishments,
political parties and communal services, as well as private sector representatives.
People active in public organisations (such as political and cultural ones), lo-
cal high school students as well as students from L’viv universities (Ivan Franko
National University and National University “L’viv Polytechnics”) were involved
in the research and development process to formulate the ecological action plan
for the town of Zhovkva. In particular, the students were involved in the project.
They took part in the organisation of the opinion poll among inhabitants. They
also made a map of the ecological condition of the Zhovkva’s main water-way, the
Svynya River, as well as monitored the physical, chemical and ecological state of
148
Table 1. The results of the opinion poll of the inhabitants of Zhovkva concerning the ecological situation in
the town of Zhovkva (500 respondents).
No Main questions Distribution of answers Special remarks
1 Are the ecological problems • Positive reply (Yes) – 95.6% Haven`t made up
of importance for Zhovkva? • Negative answer(No) – 2.4% their mind – 2,0%
2 How has the ecological cn- • Deteriorated – 53.6%
odition in the town changed • Hasn`t changed – 42.2%
for the last five years? • Improved – 4.2%
3 What are the main envi- • Pollution of the Svynya river by the enterprises Other ecological
ronmental problems of the and communal services – 40.6% problems – 2.6%
town? • Collecting and treatment of waste – 35.5%
• Insufficient green areas and poor organization
of the town parks – 15.0%
• Pollution of the atmospheric air by transit
transport – 6.3%
4 Who bears responsibility for • Local authorities – 33.4% There is no one to
the environmental situation • Town inhabitants – 25.0% blame – 19.1%
in the town? • Communal services – 23.5%
5 Do the inhabitants of • Insufficient – 90.4%
Zhovkva have sufficient envi- • Sufficient – 9.6%
ronmental information?
6 How can the environmental • Increasing financing of environment protecting Rotation of the
condition in Zhovkva be measures – 43.6% heads of communal
improved? • Working out the long-term action plan (for services and nature
5-10 years) to improve the state of environment protecting depart-
-23.0% ments – 12.4%
• Upgrading the environmental education of the
population – 20.2%
7 How can you use your own • Upgrading the ecological state of your own Can support finan-
possibilities, knowledge and dwelling – 60.4% cially or with experi-
experience for solving envi- • Participation in actions aimed at … of the ence – 4.2%
ronmental problems? town – 35.5%
the river. The students took an active part in organising all-town actions: they ar-
ranged conferences, edited an informational bulletin for the project, and arranged
a photo exhibition “Chysta Zhovkva” (“Clean Zhovkva”). The results became the
basis for course and diploma papers, especially “Nature Protection Management”,
at the Faculty of Geography of Ivan Franko National University of L’viv. In addi-
tion, scientific and popular publications were prepared.
Local ecological action plans were developed according to the international
standard procedure (European sustainable cities, 1996; Borkowska-Domanke &
Jasinkiewicz, 1998; Local Environmental Action Programme, 2002). The commit-
tee at its sessions
• specified the main ecological problems of the town and made their
evaluation
• worked out the programme of environmental protection in the town speci-
fying the concrete aims and methods to achieve them
• developed ways of realising the environmental protection programme for
the near future (2-10 years).
149
According to the definite combination of factors (determinants) (Ecological
Indicators, 1996; European sustainable cities, 1996) the following problems were
pointed out as the most crucial for the environment:
• utilization of domestic waste

• pollution of the water in the main waterway of the town – Svynya river
• air pollution, especially in the central historical part of the town
• deterioration of the state of the town’s green zones (parks, squares and
countryside forests).
In particular, according to the collected data, there were 21 spontaneous dumps

(206 m3) registered in the town. In the Svynya river, which is the tributary of the
river Western Bug (the Baltic Sea drainage area), water was polluted due to the
sewage from the industrial enterprises and housing flowing into the river without
purification. At the same time, the town treatment facilities had not been function-
ing for a long time. Air pollution in the central part of the town grew at the beginning
of the 2000s, caused by the increase of transit transport. The town’s green zones are
exposed to littering with domestic waste and an excessive recreational load, causing
trampling which erodes the green areas, compaction of the soil, as well as destruc-
tion of plants. Parks that once were appreciated for its beauty are now characterised
by lack of diversity of green plantations, and are far from an attractive sights.
According to the evaluation of the town’s ecological problems, the Public
committee “Chysta Zhovkva” (“Clean Zhovkva”) in cooperation with town and
communal services specified seven strategic purposes that envisage the idea of the
sustainable development in the town of Zhovkva. Among them, the following were
emphasized:
1. Clean river, to which the life is returned (vegetation, fish and other
animals)
2. Clean ground water and good quality of drinking water
3. Developed system of waste management
4. Absence of ecological risks for the existing and long-term perspective
5. Friendly town to the inhabitants and tourists
6. Environment and natural resources management
7. Enhancing the role of the community in improving the state of the
environment
In particular, in the implementation of the purposes, a number of tasks and

measures were specified:
• eliminate the potential risks of the existing sewage and

• accomplish the reconstruction of the sewage systems in the town’s central
part
• stop wastes flowing from the upper part of the river
• clean out the river-bed and provide conditions for fauna reproduction
150
• manage and plant the green areas along the riverside line
• arrange collecting of all kinds of secondary raw materials and packaging
• complete collecting, sorting and utilization of wastes
• stop the habit to throw wastes at spontaneous dumps
In addition, many other important tasks were determined, such as removing traffic
from the town’s central part and transforming it into a pedestrian area; renovation
of historical parks and formation of urban park and recreation complex; developing
suburban green areas for the recreation of the population; informing and educating
children, youth and grown-up population, organizing of informational services for
the town’s guests as well as setting up a public ecological organization.
All basic aims and purposes of the local ecological action plan for the town of
Zhovkva prepared by the Public ecological committee were discussed with the
town community at the all-town conferences that were held at the beginning and
at the end of the project. The special publication – the bulletin of the public eco-
logical committee “Chysta Zhovkva” - enabled the inhabitants to get acquainted
with the way the project was being realized (Figure 1: Bulletin of the Public eco-
logical committee “Clean Zhovkva”, 2002-2003). After discussions had been held
with the public and the proposals had been taken into consideration, the main
instrument – Local ecological action plan for the town of Zhovkva comprising the
main aims and purposes for the period of 2003-2013 – has worked out in early
2003 (Figure 1). This document (Clean Zhovkva…, 2003) was approved in June
2003 as a programme of the ecological perspective for the town of Zhovkva at the
session of the town council.
3. Implementation of the environmental protection programme
In the framework of the project “Chysta Zhovkva”, which focused on planning of

the local ecological action plan, great attention was paid to protection of the envi-
ronment. Striving to realise the strategic aim of the plan concerning the developed
programme of waste management at the beginning of 2003, prompt actions were
taken to eliminate spontaneous dumps and facilities to gather wastes. For instance,
litter bins for the central part of the town were purchased. These actions were co-
ordinated by the Public committee in close collaboration with the town authorities
and communal services, and the costs were covered by international technical aid
as well as by the town municipality.
During 2003-2006, the elaborated and approved programme of local ecologi-
cal actions for the town of Zhovkva was implemented in accordance with the
mentioned strategic directions. Special importance was attached to the realisation
of measures aimed at cleaning out the Svynya river-bed from garbage. That was
provided by communal services in cooperation with local population. The all-town
actions were held in order to put the riverside in to order.
In connection with celebrating the 450th anniversary of the town of Zhovkva in
2004, much attention was focused on the development of the town’s landscapes in
151
combination with the rehabilitation of the architectural environment of the town.
Costs for special purposes from the state budget were appropriated in 2003 and
2004, following the decision of the Supreme Council of Ukraine. Specifically, the
renovation of the castle park was implemented. Project documentation was devel-
oped, and the work aiming to reproduce the historical park with regular planning
was started. The implementation of the large-scale reconstruction of the Rynok
(Market) square of the town made it possible to transform it into a pedestrian zone
and considerably limit the flow of the transit transport through the town’s central
part. Hence, the decrease of air pollution in the town began to be realized. The
town was becoming more attractive for the tourists. For the recent years, the positive
changes concerning gathering wastes as well as gathering and utilizing the garbage
have come to light. The network of the secondary raw materials posts expanded,
new garbage sites were developed and new containers for gathering garbage were
installed. The work aiming to put into order the all-town dumps is currently being
carried out. Such results proved possible due to the collaboration among the town
authorities, communal services, entrepreneurs and the local population.
The initiatives of the town authorities aimed at searching investors, including
foreign grants, to build modern communal units for the purification of the sewage
and the utilization of garbage deserve special attention. In this respect, especially
the contacts with Polish partner towns and German companies specializing in the
sphere of communal services proved to be extremely useful.
Informing the citizens about the ecological condition in the town and about the
aims of the ecological action plan through the local press and educational actions,
as well as through cooperation between the local deputies and the population,
Figure 1. Informational and programme materials of the project “Chysta Zhovkva”.
152
has considerably improved over the recent years. The town council decided that
the ecological questions should be included in the other programmes for special
purposes being realized in the last years. Among such programmes, one should
mention the “Complex programme of the preservation and reproduction of the
historical architectural environment of the town of Zhovkva”, “Programme of solv-
ing the surface subsidence of the town area” and the “Programme of increasing the
employment and improving the leisure for young people”. The availability of the
wide spectrum of the programmes in different spheres of urban life will allow, in
the nearest future, to form an integration programme for sustainable development,
in which the main postulates of the ecological action plan Agenda 21 will be the
basic elements of the Local Agenda 21.
The analysis of the realization of the elaborated ecological action plan un-
dertaken in 2003-2005 (Solving geo-ecological problems…, 2005) showed that
approximately 30% of the outlined aims are being implemented, and about 10%
may be regarded as fulfilled in general. The main reason for not reaching the rest of
the aims is a lack of financing. The issues of the elimination of ground water pol-
lution and sewage disposal are still very acute. Raising people’s awareness as well
as informing the population and the tourists about the state of Zhovkva’s environ-
ment still remains topical. The attempt to establish a local ecological organization
which would perform informational and educational activities to preserve the
environment and search for grants of national and international organizations for
the environment has failed. It is of special importance to provide effective public
control over the monitoring of the implementation of the aims and purposes of the
ecological action plan through lobbying the ecological problems at the sessions of
the town council, all-town actions as well as by means of mass media.
Experience of the elaboration and implementation of the ecological action plan
for the historical town of Zhovkva was presented by the public activists as well
as by the heads of local governing institutions on the all-Ukrainian conferences in
Kyiv and L’viv dedicated to sustainable development. The principal project materi-
als, such as “Aims and Purposes of Ecological Action Plan for the town of Zhovkva”
and “Ecological Action Programme for Zhovkva”, were disseminated at the forums.
All-Ukrainian organizations such as “Association of Historical Cities and Network
of Sustainable Cities and Towns of Ukraine” were supplied with these materials.
Over the recent years the national and international forums on the problems of the
complex development of cities have been held in Zhovkva.
The programme documentation is used for the development of investment
projects on waste and sewage disposal. The respective municipal projects were the
subject of discussions with home and foreign investors. A number of aims envis-
aged in the ecological action plans (e.g. solving the problem of soil subsidence, and
rehabilitation of green areas) were implemented while preparing for the 450th
anniversary of the town of Zhovkva (2004). Many a delegation, both from Ukraine
and abroad had an opportunity to get acquainted with the progress made by the
town concerning the preservation and the use of the cultural and historical heritage
and the improvement of the environment during the celebration.
153
Conclusions
The experience of working out plans of sustainable development, strategies of

economic development as well as ecological action plans for the cities and towns
of Ukraine was found interesting among local authorities, private companies and
the population. The preparation of the documents for long-term development
purposes is considerably supported by national public organizations as well as by
international funds. Depending on the priorities of development of the given cities
and towns and their partnership relations with national and international coordina-
tors and donors, the appropriate strategies of long-term development are chosen.
They may be topical (economic, social, ecological) or integrative (the sustainable
development strategies). The experience of Ukraine indicates great popularity of
the topical strategies of development, including ecological action plans, among
the territorial communities of the towns and cities. The preparation of ecological
action plans and their implementation into the legislative instruments for the ter-
ritorial communities show that they are quite efficient as basic political documents
in terms of providing environmental protection at the local level. In the proc-
ess of their elaboration, wide involvement in all sectors of the town communities
was provided. In addition, at the stage of implementing environmental protection
programmes at the local level, a number of organizational and financial problems
connected with their realization emerged.
For the Ukrainian cities and towns at the stage of implementation of LEAP,
the collaboration with international partners, namely consultative and educational
organizations, municipal authorities, foundations of technical assistance as well as
expert and implementation organizations, are of utmost importance.
154
References
Borkowska-Domanke E. & Jasinkiewicz M., 1998. How to develop the programmes of ecological
development for cities. Agenda 2, T.III. 60. (In Ukrainian: Jak budowac program ekorozwoju
w gminie miesjskiej)
Bulletin of the Public ecological committee “Clean Zhovkva”, 2002-2003. No 1-3. (In Ukrainian:
Бюлетень Громадського екологічного комітету «Чиста Жовква»)
Clean Zhovkva: Aims and purposes of the ecologic action plan for the town of Zhovkva, 2003.
(In Ukrainian: Чиста Жовква: Цілі і завдання плану екологічних дій для м. Жовкви).
Ecological Indicators, 1996. Materials of II European Conference of Ecological Development
Cities. 84. (In Ukrainian: Wkazniki ekorozvoju. Materialy II Europejskej Konferenciji Miast
Ekorozvojowych.)
European sustainable cities, 1996. Report by the Expert Group on the Urban Environment
European Commission, 244.
Local Environmental Action Programme (LEAP), 2002. Institute for Sustainable
Communities, 6.
Solving geo-ecological problems of the small towns of Ukraine by means of implementation of
local ecological action plans, 2005. Landscape and Geo-Ecological Problems of the Dniester-
Prut Region, 39-42. (In Ukrainian: Койнова І., Ковпак Д. Розв’язання геоекологічних проблем малих
міст України шляхом впровадження місцевих екологічних програм дій. Ландшафтні та геоекологічні
проблеми Дністровсько-Прутського регіону.)
Working out and implementation of the Strategy of territorial community’s development: home
experience, 2003. 112. (In Ukrainian: Розробка та реалізація Стратегії розвитку територіальних
громад: вітчизняний досвід. (). Дата банк Україна.)
155
4.2 The Working Group ”Sustainable Settlement Development” –
an Instrument of Participation within the Framework of Rural
Settlement Development in the Biosphere Reserve
Schorfheide-Chorin in Germany
Juergen Peters & Kerstin Greve, University of Applied Sciences Eberswalde, Germany, and Uwe
Graumann & Sabine Pohl, Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin, Germany
Introduction
After German reunification in 1990, an unimagined number of modern building

types and styles as well as construction materials have flooded the Eastern German
market. In rural areas, construction practices typical of the region have already
been overshadowed by new architectural styles. In new housing estates, ‘off the
peg’ materials and building types dominate. Particularly, as far as road construction
is concerned but also with regard to private building projects, the apparently sim-
plest and/or cheapest solutions are sought and commonplace materials (asphalt,
concrete) are used. In the long-run, this leads to the loss of construction practices
typical of the region, such as cobblestone streets, natural stone or half-timbered
facades and outbuildings.
In cooperation with the administration of the large nature reserve the project
“campus.rurale” of the University of Applied Sciences in Eberswalde aims to be-
come active for sustainable settlement development in the Biosphere Reserve
Schorfheide-Chorin. The loss of regional construction practices has already had
negative affects on the specific landscape patterns of the Biosphere Reserve and
the entire region. In addition, there are problems to unite growing construction
activities with landscape and nature protection regulations. The rapid increase of
soil sealing by eliminating cobblestone streets or the growing number of new hous-
ing estates are having considerable negative and long-term effects on nature and
the landscape.
In order to improve the co-operation between various public institutions, the
working group “Sustainable Settlement Development” has been set up. This forum
makes it possible for decision makers to discuss issues concerning concepts and
goals before possible conflicts arise. A prime objective is the promotion of confi-
dence building processes accompanied by a heightened awareness for sustainable
settlement development.
Participation regarding natural resource and environmental planning has not
been an influential factor in Eastern Germany until the political change in 1989.
On the other hand civil engagement in the former German Democratic Republic
had been politically volitional and indirectly postulated. Thus nowadays civil en-
gagement or especially participation is often still associated with restraint.
156
One goal of the project “campus.rurale” has been the dissemination of collabo-
rative planning methods in the Federal State of Brandenburg. The benefits and
challenges of participation has been demonstrated and communities, public au-
thorities and planners have been brought together. The Working Group “Sustainable
Settlement Development” prepared the ground for open discussions without re-
straints. Especially the organisation by a neutral institution signalised the openness
of the discussion forum.
Settlement development in the Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin
The Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin was established in 1990 and has

since then been subjected to the UNESCO guidelines concerning the conserva-
tion of the characteristic cultural landscape with its unique nature and landscape.
The Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin comprises approx. 1,300 km² of, for
German standards, extremely sparsely populated land (28 inhabitants/km²) with
many small villages and fractured settlements. In many places, historical villages
in shapes typical of the region have been preserved (linear street villages, square
or green villages and villages which developed around/with an estate/a manor). In
accordance with professional criteria as for example presented in the “Men and
Biosphere”-Programme of the (MAB)-National Committee, permanently sustain-
able ways of land utilization must be established in the Biosphere Reserve. Species
typical of this natural surrounding must be preserved. These basic principles have
led to the following goals of settlement development.
Goals of settlement development in the Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin

The goals of settlement development are based on the basic principles of sustain-
ability as well as on the professional guidelines of the Landscape Programme and the
succeeding Landscape Structure Plan of the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment
and Regional Planning of the State of Brandenburg (Ministerium…, 2004). In par-
ticular, these guidelines refer to soil, nature and landscape protection as well as to
aesthetic aspects concerning the landscape. Thus, they are closely connected with
the conservation of construction practices typical of landscapes and/or regions as
well as with village design and appearance.
The goal of soil protection is zero soil sealing. When due to unavoidable con-
struction soil sealing takes place, de-sealing in a ratio of 1 to 1 must be performed
as compensation, according to the impact regulation under nature protection law
of the State of Brandenburg (§ 12 BbgNatSchG). The land register concerning
buildings to be torn down offers to investors the utilization of sites in other lo-
cations. This promotes the well-coordinated de-sealing of unused, so-called ‘old
territory’ (e.g. derelict industrial sites) in the Biosphere Reserve. On the one hand,
this is in accordance with soil protection legislation. On the other hand, nature
and the landscape are freed from interfering plants and buildings. Investments are
facilitated. In this way, approx. 60,000 m² of derelict ‘old territory’ have been given
back to nature in the Biosphere Reserve.
157
Nature protection plays an important role when designating new building es-
tates. Attention is paid to the conservation of biotope networks, green spaces and
to well-adapted integration into the landscape with so-called ‘soft transitions’ to-
wards settlements. The focus lies on the high-quality soils and habitats as well as
on the protection of sensitive areas, such as the banks of rivers and lakes, lowlands
or exposed sites, e.g. slope rims and tips.
Within the framework of the Protection of High-Quality, Near Nature Landscapes
the outer edges of settlements enjoy special protection. Settlement development
is supposed to focus on built-up areas; possibilities for internal development of
those built-up areas should be better exploited. As far as existing buildings are
concerned, adaptive reuse possibilities are sought.
As far as aesthetic landscape aspects are concerned the conservation and/or the
development of distinct and ‘soft’ transitions towards settlements are listed high on
the agenda. Such transitions can be created by planting belts of orchards, extensive
vegetable gardens, hedges and alleys.
In order to preserve the characteristics of village centres as well as settlement
forms and elements typical of the region, it is important to avoid construction
practices which are untypical of the region. In this context, the conservation of
cultural and historical landscape elements as well as of characteristic architectural
styles come to the fore. However, construction practices typical of the region are
not simply deducted by copying historical models. Especially with regard to the
erection of new buildings, they require sensitive answers to questions concerning
natural, cultural and architectural preconditions. The integration of environmentally
friendly technologies, such as renewable sources of energy, should be comprehen-
sively subsidised. But the necessary technological devices are to be harmonised
with their surroundings to ensure that they do not mar the overall appearance of
the new or reconstructed houses (Figures 1-2).
Insufficient achievement due to opposing interests

Not all goals of the Biosphere Reserve can be achieved everywhere. This is due
in part to opposing interests of investors and the administration of the Biosphere
Reserve. This problematic situation is intensified by missing or insufficient instru-
ments for the realization of the Biosphere Reserve’s professional guidelines. For
example, in particular since the change of the Federal Nature Protection Law in
2004 the administration of the Biosphere Reserve has only had few possibilities
to influence planning procedures directly. As a public agency the administration
of the Biosphere Reserve as well as other affected institutions and authorities
can state its ideas and concerns. In doing so, they can voice their opinions but
the missing legitimization for participation can mean that their influence de-
pends on the goodwill of community administrations and public offices. Due to
their sovereignty in matters of spatial planning municipalities use their options
for balancing different opinions often not in favour of the Biosphere Reserve’s
objections. Evidently, a fundamental problem lies in the fact that municipalities
and offices of building inspection usually develop opposing concepts which one-
sidedly focus on monetary issues. Unlike the administration of the Biosphere
158
Figures 1-2. The difference between new-built areas without a transition towards landscape and those with
distinct and ‘soft’ transitions between settlement and landscape (Photos: Jürgen Peters).
Reserve, the municipalities have at their disposal suitable means for the realiza-
tion of planning projects.
Municipalities rarely implement spatial planning regulations concerning the
stabilization of town and village centres and adaptive reuse of existing buildings.
By establishing new housing estates and construction areas on the outskirts and
allowing villages and towns to expand into the landscape, much strain is put on the
edges of settlements. Increased urban sprawl and the impression of jagged cuts into
159
the landscape are the results. The harmonious integration of settlement edges into
the landscape is disappearing because sufficient belts of gardens with woody plants
typical of villages are missing.
As a public agency the administration of the Biosphere Reserve can only react to
these plans. This has led to the Biosphere Reserve administration being perceived
as a ‘hindering factor’. Because of mutual disagreement on guidelines and goals,
confrontations have over the years repeatedly surfaced and in the past occasionally
escalated to serious cleavages on a personal level (see Peters et al., 2005).
Even important conceptual approaches by the Biosphere Reserve administra-
tion concerning the realization of the UNESCO-criteria are difficult to implement.
Indeed, concepts by the Biosphere Reserve administration have been presented
and discussed at meetings with different partners. However, municipalities and the
authorities cannot classify them as obligatory. For example, a concept for the con-
servation of protected, historical natural cobblestone streets has remained without
effect on modern road building. This has led to conflicts with permission procedures,
especially concerning building projects outside the boundaries of settlements.
The discontinuous adaptation of land development plans according to sporadic
needs of investors, which undermines long-term planning reliability, offers an even
greater potential for conflict. In addition, many areas do not have any land develop-
ment plans at all. Apparently, some communities are not interested in preparing
planning guidelines, least of all a land-use plan. In some cases, however, sufficient
funding is not available. A further problem lies in the oftentimes very broad regu-
lations of development plans, which permit a large number of designs, types and
styles including untypical ones, too.
Due to missing normative guidelines, some authorities seem to be overwhelmed
with their task of inspection. For instance, nothing is done against the creeping
urbanization of weekend home settlements. Unplanned residential areas are devel-
oping, not provided for by the land development plan and/or forcibly taken away
from the area’s initial utilization category (e.g. designated forest area).
Functional changes of villages and village structures are further causes of the
problems. Many villages have become pure dormitories, completely unrelated to
agricultural production. New needs ask for alterations of buildings and open spaces.
Apparently, modern needs do not go well with old types, styles and materials. Often
radical reconstruction solutions are chosen, leading to considerable loss of aesthetic
(landscape) aspects.
Little understanding for elements typical of the cultural landscape which are
worth protecting combined with difficulties of receiving funding quickly, does not
often add up to sustainable decisions being taken concerning reconstruction and
redevelopment issues. Owners, offices of building inspection as well as architects
have little understanding for and know-how of the conservation of village charac-
teristics with outstanding buildings, materials (for example, natural stones and/or
cobblestones) and the integration of belts of gardens. Therefore, most of them sel-
dom accept statutory guidelines, as for example construction statutes for certain
building districts. Obligations and regulations supporting ecological and aesthetic
goals are seen as impediments to investment.
160
The working group “Sustainable Settlement Development”
As mentioned before, municipal planning projects can only be influenced in a re-

stricted, mostly indirect manner. But laws and regulations can be interpreted in
many different ways. Routine decisions by planners, municipalities and administra-
tions can be considerably influenced by agreements with campaigners and lobbyists.
The chance to alter perceptions by investors and municipalities of the Biosphere
Reserve from a disliked ‘critic’ to a competent partner and consultant seems to lie
in communication technology and knowledge transfer. This requires a basic under-
standing of the principles of sustainable development.
In order to solve problems of goal accomplishment between the Biosphere
Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin and external decision makers, a forum was set up
which brings together all the relevant parties on different subject matters. The
participatory approach chosen is supposed to strengthen confidence in each other
and to create mutual understanding. Last but not least, the Biosphere Reserve
aims to become involved in all relevant planning processes at an early stage. The
exchange of knowledge and experiences, the forming of opinions and creation of
awareness as well as the declaration of common goals and concepts are supposed
to support the accomplishment of the goals of sustainable settlement develop-
ment (see Peters et al., 2005).
In the aftermath of a meeting with mayors of the Biosphere Reserve
Schorfheide-Chorin and initiated by the administration of the Biosphere Reserve
Schorfheide-Chorin, as well as by the organisation “Kulturlandschaft Uckermark
e.V.” and the project “campus.rurale” of the University of Applied Sciences in
Eberswalde, the working group “Sustainable Settlement Development” was estab-
lished in September 2001.
Participation as an instrument of sustainable development

Participation is seen as a basic instrument of sustainable development. With re-
gard to planning and development projects, the social principles of sustainability
demand respect for and involvement of campaigners and decision makers. The
intention is to reach broad acceptance and thus facilitate long-term, i.e. sustainable
development by including all groups in a participatory manner.
Participation intends to give equal rights and duties to the different players -in
this case to the Biosphere Reserve, municipal planning authorities and offices of
building inspection. Among other things, this means transparency of planning proc-
esses, open ways of communication and publication of (background) information.
Providing and exchanging information and experiences are key factors of participa-
tion. This means, introducing opportunities for getting familiar with these new ways
but also finding players who are interested in this learning process. Here, the players’
competence is important because it leads to mutual respect (see Selle, 1996).
From the authorities’ point of view, participation often means giving away some
of the power which in their eyes they ‘deserve’. Usually, only if one group of players
feels excluded it asks for participation. However, if the other groups do not share
this feeling, it is often difficult to convince them of the advantages of participation.
161
A win-win situation can be created if the group that is giving away some of its pow-
ers, recognizes other advantages, such as increased social prestige, commitment to
values and acceptance of planning projects (see Selle, 1996).
Organizer of the working group “Sustainable Settlement Development”

The working group “Sustainable Settlement Development” is organized by the
project “campus.rurale” of the University of Applied Sciences in Eberswalde. The
University of Applied Sciences sees itself as a rural area competence centre and has
worked closely as a long-standing co-operation partner with the Biosphere Reserve
and many rural communities nearby.
The project “campus.rurale” aims to promote the transfer of knowledge between
the University of Applied Sciences in Eberswalde and rural communities in the
north eastern part of the State of Brandenburg by means of an offered consulting
programme called “Sustainable Rural Development”. Furthermore, “campus.ru-
rale” wants to support regional players and rural community leaders and decision
makers on their way towards independent, sustainable village development. In the
course of the project, participatory methods are supposed to initiate, manage and
support village development processes as well as concepts for tourism. Thus, it is
intended to improve the quality of discussions and decision-making processes in
the communities and to make planning processes more efficient. The people in
the region regard and appreciate “campus.rurale” as a neutral and knowledgeable
authority.
The project “campus.rurale” is supported by the State of Brandenburg’s Ministry
of Science, Research and Culture as part of a special programme for universities. The
project has been funded in two phases, from 2001 to 2003 and from 2004 to 2006.
Organization and members of the working group “Sustainable Settlement

Development”
From the start, the working group has consciously renounced institutionalized
structures. Working group participation is voluntary and free of charge. Thus, the
working group presents an open forum for discussions.
Working group members are representatives of the Biosphere Reserve
Schorfheide-Chorin, of local planning and building inspection offices, and of the
County administration as well as free-lance landscape planners and architects and
representative of locally and regionally active groups and associations (Figure 3).
Working group meetings normally take place in selected villages in close co-op-
eration with the mayors. In addition to the working group’s permanent members,
interested citizens, members of the village council, its building committee and
local groups and associations are always invited to these meetings. With regard
to selected locations and topics, this qualified mix of experts has over the years
discussed diverse issues concerning village design/organization and development.
Both, the chosen villages and the individual participants of the working group have
considerably profited from these discussions.
At working group meetings, the project “campus.rurale” serves as neutral media-
tor who can also defuse conflicts.
162
Communities
Landscape Associations
planners
County Biosphere
administration Reserve
Inspection
• Open forum for discussion Research
offices
• Development of common goals and concepts
• Organisation of field trips with expert discussions
Figure 3. Organisation of the working group.
Activities of the working group “Sustainable Settlement Development”

Meetings of the working group have mostly been organized as field trips with ex-
pert discussions. Since 2002, several field trips to various villages in the region have
taken place twice a year (so-called ‘Looking Over Your Neighbour’s Shoulders’
Excursions). Different questions relating to village and settlement development
have been discussed. Here are some of the topics (locations see Figure 4):
• Conservation of village characteristics in Friedrichswalde, Glambeck and

Parlow (2002)
• Street/pavement design and problematic subsidy procedures in Gross
Ziethen (2002)
• Village development, adaptive reuse and tourism in Gross Fredenwalde and
Stegelitz (2003)
• Village design and appearance, construction statutes for certain building
districts in Poratz (2004), Finowfurt / Lichterfelde (2004)
• Working group meeting discussing "Villages with Historical Centres" in
Neulietzegoericke (2005)
• Village entry design and appearance in Althuettendorf (2006)
Additional working group meetings were called at short notice when action
was eminent, e.g. discussing topics such as ‘Natural Cobblestone Streets vs. New
Asphalt Roads’ and ‘Legal Bases of Construction Statutes for Certain Building
Districts’. Experts were invited to these meetings.
Discussion topics for the working group meetings have been agreed upon to-
gether with the members of the working group. Often, topics were chosen which
at the same time were being discussed in the Biosphere Reserve or in State of
Brandenburg politics. Then, communities with a potential for the respective topic
and a known interest in consultations were selected. Sometimes, there were also
inquiries directly from communities or authorities.
Working group compositions changed depending on topic and location of the field
trips. There was a core of members who regularly participated in the meetings. But
163
Figure 4. Location of the visited communities within the scope of the working group “Sustainable Settlement
Development“ (Data source: Basis DLM/25/2).
not always all players could be reached. For example, local and regional authorities,
who are seen as very important partners concerning planning project questions,
were frequently under-represented. Also, village council members, who voiced local
interests, could not always be sufficiently included. Obviously, the advantages of
exchanging ideas and opinions were not adequately perceived by these partners.
On the other hand, it was found that the interest in construction practices typical
of the region is an important issue on the municipal as well as on the private level.
This statement is strongly supported by the interest shown in the “Regionaltypisches
Bauen” Contest (‘Contest for Best Construction Practices Typical of the Region’).
In 2003, this contest was started by the existing network of the working group and
the project “campus.rurale” of the University of Applied Sciences in Eberswalde.
Under the auspices of the former State Environment Minister and the director of
the Biosphere Reserve, there was an unexpectedly good response to this contest.
More than 70 private and public investors, for whom houses were being built, took
part in the contest and thus made public their enormous interest in construction
practices typical of the region (Figures 5-8).
Connecting the students to the research process

Many students have been connected to the research process by several study projects
or their theses in cooperation with the project “campus.rurale”. There have been
two notable comprehensive community-based projects of “campus.rurale” and the
working group “Sustainable Settlement Development” that have been accomplished
with students. In 2002 a settlement development plan has been initialised based on
164
Figures 5-6. Field trip of the working group in Poratz and Neulietzegoericke (Photos: Kerstin Greve).
165
Figures 7-8. Exhibition of the “Contest for Best Construction Practices Typical of the Region” in the major
hall Angermuende and winners of the contest (Photos: Rhodius).
166
the participatory method “planning for real”. In 2006 “campus.rurale” and the work-
ing group “Sustainable Settlement Development” brought another planning process
into being. A team of ten students have been guided by “campus.rurale” and experts
of the working group “Sustainable Settlement Development” especially for applying
collaborative planning methods. This student project has been a part of the European
Leonardo da Vinci project “Enhancing Training of Collaborative Planning”.
Dissemination of the research results to the society

Research results have been disseminated in reference literature or on national or
international conferences. Noteworthy is the attendance on the international con-
ference ”From knowledge of landscapes to landscaping action” in Bordeaux, France
(organised by the French Minister of Ecologie and Sustainable Developement)
or the “International Seminar on Collaborative Planning of Natural Resources
Management” in September 2006 in Helsinki, Finland.
Additionally the brochure for house builders “Regional Typical Building in the
Region Uckermark-Barnim” disseminates broad information on sustainable set-
tlement development. The brochure benefits from the different contributions of
several experts of the Working Group.
Conclusions
In retrospect, the participatory approach of the working group has been successful.
The working group has been able to intensify and support the confidence building
process between the different groups involved in the planning process. Nonetheless,
this process has not been completed yet – it needs to be continued. Confidence
building takes time and in order to cooperate well there need to be possibilities to
regularly meet in a pleasant atmosphere and to become acquainted with each other.
It seems that particularly informal talks have contributed to confidence building
and mutual respect. Here, open-mindedness towards on-going learning processes
as well as personal engagement are of key importance.
Strong points of the working group were the openness of the discussion fo-
rum, regular exchanges of experiences and network formation, which improved
the relationships between the participants. The informal set-up made it possible
to discuss topics in a relaxed atmosphere and to resolve misunderstandings. Points
of view of the different groups and decision makers were openly talked about and
a sense of understanding for the mutual interests and decisions was created. The
working group was used by administrators, representatives of the authorities and
practitioners alike as a possibility for exchange of ideas and further education. It
also served as a forum to clarify disputed subject matters. Field trips to formerly
not known villages made it possible for ‘strangers’ to see their own problems in
unfamiliar places and to consider them in another light because they had been
removed from the conflicts of their home surroundings.
An integrated consideration of sustainable settlement development was neces-
sary and important in order to create awareness for the topic and the problematic
167
nature of the accomplishment of its goals. Connections between soil, landscape
and environmental protection issues as well as protection of historical monuments
were shown and discussed, including also and in particular the relationship to sus-
tainable tourism development. Developing and strengthening village identity and
a feeling of the villagers for their villages also played a central role in the discus-
sions. In working group meetings, the members of the working group were able
to convince citizens and representatives of planning offices and offices of building
inspection that in the long run construction practices untypical of the region can
cause a loss of village prestige and image. Talking to the people affected helped
resolve fears of losing freedoms when designing and erecting buildings.
The working group “Sustainable Settlement Development” has been well accept-
ed not least because of the role of the University of Applied Sciences in Eberswalde
as a neutral and simultaneously expert partner in the region. Now that the project
“campus.rurale” has been completed and subsidies from the State of Brandenburg
have come to an end, a new task is arising, i.e. developing a new organizational
structure for this successful model of sustainable settlement development.
References
Ministerium für Landwirtschaft, Umweltschutz und Raumordnung, 2004.

Landschaftsrahmenplan Biosphärenreservat Schorfheide-Chorin, Potsdam.
Peters, J., Rhodius Regina in Roesener, B. & Selle, K., 2005. Kommunikation gestalten,
Beispiele und Erfahrungen aus der Praxis für die Praxis. Dortmunder Vertrieb für Bau- und
Planungsliteratur, Dortmund.
Selle, K., 1996. Planung und Kommunikation, Gestaltung von Planungsprozessen in Quartier,
Stadt und Landschaft. Bauverlag GmbH. Wiesbaden, Berlin.
168
4.3 Implementation of Policy Tools for Sustainable
Forest Management in Estonia
Paavo Kaimre, Institute of Forestry and Rural Engineering
Estonian University of Life Sciences, Estonia
Introduction
Remarkable changes have been taken place in Estonian forestry since regained inde-
pendence in 1991. Some of the changes have been favoured ex post, whilst some have
been criticised. The smooth transition from planned economy to market economy,
re-establishment of private property and institutional changes in state forest manage-
ment are considered successful achievements. The predominant topics of concern
are the stability of forest ecosystems and reforestation in privately owned forests.
There is no universally agreed definition of the concept of sustainability, conse-
quently in the literature there are many different definitions and interpretations
of the term. Historically, in forestry the concept is based on the comparison of
annual increment and annual felling volume, the last one could not exceed the
first. In National Forest Policy (Estonian Forestry Development Programme, 1997)
the sustainability of forestry was defined as the management of forests in a manner
and to the extent that maintains their biological diversity, productivity, capacity
for regeneration and vitality as well as their potential to fulfil at present and in the
future ecological, economic and social functions at the local, national and global
level without damaging other ecosystems.
Different policy instruments are used in achieving balance between several forest
functions and sustainable forest management. Legislation is considered the most im-
portant mean of forest policy, but in recent years financial instruments have also been
implemented in Estonia. Although the means of forest policy are varied, the imple-
mentation should be directed both towards general political and economic goals.
The Estonian forest policy recognizes that the Estonian forests have high envi-
ronmental and ecological values, including biological diversity, landscape aesthetics,
and natural stand structure, each of which contributes to alleviating environmental
problems both at local and global levels. These values will be protected in conform-
ity with the Estonian Environmental Strategy and the international agreements the
Estonian Government is committed to.
Material and method
The international framework and Estonian experience have been compared to de-
scribe the concept of sustainable forest management. The most important policy
169
documents such as the National Forest Policy, Forestry Development Plan until
2010, and the Forestry Act have been analysed. Relevant study results from the
period 1997-2006 are presented as an illustrative material when compiling the
article.
Criteria and indicators of sustainable forest management
The development and implementation of criteria and indicators for conservation

and sustainable management of forests is an important step in implementing sus-
tainable forest management. An indicator is something that helps you understand
where you are, which way you are going and how far you are from the target situ-
ation where you want be. They also provide a common framework for describing,
assessing and evaluating a country’s progress towards sustainability at the national
level.
In accordance with the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in
Europe (MCPFE) “criteria characterise or define the essential elements or a set of
conditions or processes by which sustainable forest management may be assessed”
(MCPFE, 1998). The indicators show change over time for each criterion and dem-
onstrate the progress made towards its specified objective.
The 6 criterion of sustainable forest management were approved by the MCPFE
in Lisbon 1998:
Criterion 1: Maintenance and appropriate enhancement of forest resources and

their contribution to global carbon cycles
Criterion 2: Maintenance of forest ecosystem health and vitality
Criterion 3: Maintenance and encouragement of productive functions of forests
(wood and non-wood)
Criterion 4: Maintenance, conservation and appropriate enhancement of biologi-
cal diversity in forest ecosystems
Criterion 5: Maintenance and appropriate enhancement of protective functions
in forest management (notably soil and water)
Criterion 6: Maintenance of other socio-economic functions and conditions
Given the wide difference in natural, economic and social conditions among
countries, the specific application and monitoring of the criteria and indictors, as
well as the capacity to apply them, vary from country to country based on national
circumstances. Some strategic indicators on Estonian forests and forest manage-
ment are as following: forest area, growing stock, sector’s share in GDP, number of
employees etc.
Forests cover more than a half of Estonia’s mainland territory (50.5% or 2.21
mil. ha) and together with other wooded land this figure is increased to 52.3%
(2.29 mil. ha). As the population density of Estonia is rather low (31.2 inhabitants
per km2), there is 1.63 hectares of forest land and 342 m3 of growing stock per
capita. These indicators surpass the World and European average and also the cor-
170
responding indicators of many other European countries. Of the total forested land
approximately 2.07 mil. ha (94%) is available for wood supply, with 0.14 mil. ha
(6%) classified as forest not available for wood supply due to conservation reasons.
There has been a constant and rapid increase in forest area and growing stock
of stands during the last 60 years, with forest area increasing 2.6 times (from 0.9
mil. ha in 1940 to 2.2 mil. ha in 2002) and the growing stock by 4.1 times (from
108 mil.m3 to 444 mil.m3 respectively). Forest area has increased as a result of the
afforestation of abandoned agricultural lands and the draining of bogs from the
1960s-1980s.
The calculated optimum annual felling volume for Estonian forests for the years
2001-2010 is approximately 12.6 million m3 over bark (Ministry of Environment,
2002). For decades before the 1990s the average annual felling volume remained
at approximately 3.5 million m3 level and decreased to the 2 mil. m3 in 1992 at the
time of general economic recession. Rapid increase of the felling volumes in 1990s
took place mainly in the private forests (from 0.6 mil. m3 in 1995 to 8.3 mil. m3
in 2001) while the volumes in the state forests remained stable (3,0–3,5 mil. m3).
The increase was driven by the advancing land reform, reorientation of the foreign
trade, restructuring and privatization of the forest industry and increased domestic
demand for wooden products.
The forests of Estonia have diverse nature and offer different utilization pos-
sibilities. Forests are divided into three categories by the main purpose of the forest
use: protected forests for the maintenance of natural objects and species, protection
forests to protect the state of environment and commercial forests. The right to use
forest is granted for everyone by the Forest Act. Picking of berries, mushrooms and
herbs, studies and research, recreation and sports; hunting and timber procurement
are a few possible ways of forest utilization. The hunting is one of the traditional
uses of forest (there are 14,200 hunters) and the hunting tourism of foreign citizens
has gained popularity in recent years. Picking wild berries (bilberries, lingonberries
and cranberries) and mushrooms has not lost the importance in economic terms.
Targets of forest owners
Several studies about the goals and targets of forest management have been carried
out in Estonia (Indufor OY, 1996; Oisalu, 2001; Centre of Forest Protection and
Silviculture, 2002). The results revealed that the most important goals for forest
owners are timber production and timber sale. However, the use of natural prod-
ucts and recreational functions are also viewed as important.
In 2001 research was carried out to study which aims and methods of forest
management private forest owners considered important. It was studied by The
Centre of Forest Protection and Regeneration and the results are presented show-
ing the percentage of respondents considering one or another way of forest usage
important. Altogether 1088 private forest owners were questioned. The main for-
est functions were (Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture, 2002):
171
• Timber (82%)
• Protection of environment (69%)
• Life support services (66%)
• Nature protection (65%)
• Non-wood products (55%)
• Recreation (52%)
• Hunting (28%)
• Defence functions (24%)
• Science and training (21%)
The results indicate the use of timber prevails over other forest functions in the
opinion of Estonian forest owners. Among the Estonian people, however, aware-
ness concerning multi-functionality of forests seems to be rather high. This was
confirmed by the 2001 empirical study in the Põlva County which investigated
peoples’ opinion on the importance of different forest functions (Oisalu, 2001).
People were asked to give marks from 0 to 5 (0 = no importance, 5 = very impor-
tant) on the relevance of a particular forest function. The results showed that for
this sample (101 respondents) the most important were different nature products
(berries, mushrooms etc) (forest function – average credit):
• Nature products (berries etc.) – 3,17

• Recreation – 3,13
• Landscape – 3,07
• Timber – 2,99
• Employment – 2,22
• Science – 1,81
• Defence – 1,87
The author concludes that different goals have to be considered when formulat-
ing the national forest policy and designing the legislation as a forest policy tool. It
can be seen that there is a complexity of goals associated with forest management,
and most of them are not in conflict with the others. When there are conflicts,
these can be solved so that the functions do not eliminate each other.
Reforestation – a key question of sustainable forestry
As previously mentioned, a problematic issue in Estonian forestry is concerned

with reforestation in private forests. Critical statements considering both environ-
mental and economic aspects have been published.
The inventory carried out in 2004 on clear cut areas from 1995-1999 revealed
that the problem is not the quantity of regeneration, but its character (Centre of
Forest Protection and Silviculture, 2004). According to the requirements set in
Forest Act, the regeneration is sufficient in 80.8-89.1% of the clear cut areas. The
distribution of tree species is troublesome, as a large proportion of economically
172
Scots pine 6%
Norway spruce 14%

Other
deciduous 28%
Pine +
spruce 7%
Grey alder 6% Coniferous +

Deciduous 10%
Aspen 9%
Birch sp. 20%
Figure 1. Results of reforestation by inventory made in 2003 (Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture,
2004).
valuable stands (spruce, pine, silver birch) are naturally replaced by less valuable
tree species. Figure 1 illustrates the prevailing trend – clear-cut areas are regenerat-
ing with deciduous tree species. Table 1 describes the harvesting of timber by tree
species in Estonian forests.
Comparison of data indicates that Norway spruce and Scots pine give a biggest
share of cutting volume – 42% and 21% respectively. At the same time, the area of
young spruce and pine stands is only 37%, indicating that the share of coniferous
stands is decreasing in Estonia at present. As a consequence of natural processes and
silvicultural techniques, the composition of stands is likely to have altered in favour
of coniferous species during the past decades. Nevertheless the 28% share of “other
tree species“, which are non-forest trees (mainly Bird Cherry (Padus rascemora),
Common Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) etc.) is alarming. Forest officers and policy mak-
ers are trying to find and implement relevant instruments to improve the situation.
Legislation as the tool for achieving the sustainable forestry
The most important legislative documents connected with the forest management
and nature protection in Estonia are:
Table 1. Comparison of suggested and actual harvesting volume by tree species.
Tree species Suggested annual harvesting volume Actual annual harvesting volume
2001-2010, million m3 1999-2003, million m3
Scots pine 2.1 2.5

Norway spruce 3.2 5.0
Birch sp. 2.6 2.0
Aspen 1.8 1.2
Black alder 0.5 0.4
Grey alder 2.3 0.5
Other species 0.2
Total 12.6 11.8
173
• Forest Act
• Law on Nature protection
• Law on Environmental Charges
Estonian Forest Act regulates the management of forest as a renewable natural

resource to ensure human environment, which satisfies the population and the
resources necessary for economic activity without unduly damaging the natural
environment.
In the Forest Act different functions are treated, but no preferences are empha-
sised. Hepner (2002) considers that the Forest Act is orientated towards forest
management and use. But at the same time, forest protection is treated more thor-
oughly in the Forest Act compared to the legislation of neighbouring countries
(Finland, Sweden). One tenth of the Act deals with the questions concerning forest
protection and 4% relates to nature protection.
Economic incentives
Financial incentives have been widely used as an instrument of economic policy.

The study “Evaluating Financing of Forestry in Europe“ revealed that in the 1990’s
the share of direct and indirect financial support for private forestry compared to
other countries was the lowest in Estonia (European Forest Institute, 2005). In
2000 when the Private Forestry Centre started to provide support to private forest
owners for soil preparation, the volume of reforestation in privately owned forests
was 1987 hectares. In year 2004 the planting and sowing area covered more than
3600 hectares (Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture, 2006). The remarkable
growth of forest cultivation is due to the increase of planting which gives better
results compared to the sowing but it is also more expensive (Table 2).
Compensating the maintaining of key habitats
Compensating for the protection of key habitats in Estonia is quite a unique finan-
cial instrument implemented in forestry. Another financial instrument should also
be mentioned, namely exempting the protection forest from land tax. In general,
the opinion that forestry has to be profitable and finance its activities is prevailing.
Table 2. Subsidies and reforestation in private forests in 2000-2005.
Year Financial support, EUR Area of soil preparation, ha Area of reforestation, ha

2000 11800 179 1987
2001 11900 173 2770
2002 38600 588 2765
2003 42850 626 3699
2004 51100 924 3604
2005 91400 1300 Data not available
174
Hence, the using of subsidies in forestry is marginal and limited to regeneration and
tending of young stands.
A key habitat is an area which needs protection in a commercial forest due to
the high probability of an endangered, vulnerable or rare species occurring. Such
areas include the vicinity of small bodies of water and springs, small marshes, burnt
woodlands and bog islands, species-rich forest glades, overgrown former gardens,
forest skirts, terraces and parts of virgin forests.
The protection of a key habitat in a forest, which belongs to a person in private
law or a local government, shall be performed on the basis of a contract entered
into between the Minister of the Environment and owner of the forest. In a state
forest, the manager of state forest shall organise the protection of a key habitat in
accordance with the precept of the Minister of the Environment. At the end of
year 2005 the average size of the stand with a key habitat was 2.15 ha, the average
annual payment according to contract was 82 EUR per ha.
Changes in curricula
Awareness of the multifunctional character of forests, their products and services

has shifted attention from wood production alone, and is focusing much more on
recreation and biodiversity aspects. Forests are no longer a private domain of the
forester, who must now accept that the rest of society takes part in decision-mak-
ing related to multiple goods of services provided by forests. This has led to a whole
new set of required knowledge and skills of the foresters. To explain the principles
of sustainability to students, new topics such as International forest policy and
sustainable forestry, and Nature protection and recreation, have been included into
forestry curricula.
Conclusions
Pan-European criteria and indicators of sustainable forest management, as agreed

by the MCPFE have been applied also in Estonia. Although most of indicators prove
the sustainability of forest management, some of them are still a matter of concern.
Researchers and practitioners together should elaborate a modern approach, how
to evaluate the sustainability of forest management. The intertemporal dimension
of timber use would be a topic for discussions.
Estonian experience shows that a general “framework” Act alone is insufficient
to maintain the sustainable forest management, it is essential to draw out legal ap-
plication Acts in parallel.
The use of financial instruments is getting more attention in forest management
in Estonia; instruments are implemented in order to protect forests as objects of
nature and on the other side, to increase the economic value of forests as well.
Forest certification as a tool for achieving sustainable forest management has also
been used in Estonia, exemplified by the state forests being certified according
175
to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standard. In addition, increasingly more
attention is being paid to the function of forests for environmental protection and
recreational uses.
References
Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture, 2002. The need for advising and the strategy for
extension services in forestry. Tartu.
Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture, 2004. The inventory of clear-cut areas (in
Estonian). Final raport. Tartu.
Centre of Forest Protection and Silviculture, 2006. Yearbook Forest 2005. Tartu.
Estonian Forestry Development Programme, 1997. Estonian Forest Policy, Tallinn.
European Forest Institute, 2005. Evaluating financing of forestry in Europe. Executive summary.
http://www.efi.fi/projects/effe/Deliverables/. 16.12.2006.
Hepner, H., 2002. Forest Act as the Instrument of Forest Policy. Comparative Analysis of Forest
Legislation of Some Countries in the Baltic Sea region (in Estonian).MSc Thesis. Estonian
Agricultural University, Tartu.
Indufor OY, 1996. Private forestry in Estonia – results from a survey study.
MCPFE, 1998. Third Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe. Follow-up
Reports on the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forest in Europe. Volume II.
Liaison Unit in Lisbon (Ed.).
Ministry of Environment, 2002. Estonian Forestry Development Programme until 2010. Tallinn.
Oisalu, L., 2001. The evaluation of forest value on the example of Ihamaru forest protection
area (in Estonian). BSc thesis. Estonian Agricultural University, Tartu.
176
4.4 The Educational-Scientific Centre as a New Possibility
for Promoting Sustainable Development in Karelia, Russia
Tatjana Regerand & Nikolay Filatov, Northern Water Problems Institute, Russia
Introduction
Activities of the Northern Water Problems Institute (NWPI) in the field of environ-
mental education started in the early 1990s. The most urgent task to be dealt with
then was the problem of professional training for schoolteachers of natural sciences.
They needed additional, new and reliable knowledge about the environmental situa-
tion not only at the local and regional levels but also of the global scope (knowledge
building). Giving lectures, researchers from NWPI presented examples of scientific
methods of thinking, critical and systematic, as the basis for successful analytical
work (critical and systematic thinking). At the next step, it became quite clear that
“scientifically trained” teachers were ready to start their own research work together
with pupils. The regular school teaching process was enriched with scientific projects
fulfilled by pupils in groups under the supervision of trained teaches (participation).
Owing to the intense interest in environmental stability and sustainable development
of the home region or even one’s small village there was formed a fast network of
teachers participating in NWPI environmental education activities, which has worked
steadily for more than 15 years now (partnerships/cooperation). Close contacts with
scientists and own scientific research conducted at school have contributed to career
guidance of many pupils (future orientation). Today, at the new step in the environ-
mental education activity of NWPI in the form of the Educational-Scientific Centre
we are working with students beginning their “scientific life” in schools. It is in our
own interest to prepare the new scientific generation able to continue the research
work to promote sustainable development around the world.
Republic of Karelia
Republic of Karelia is situated in the northwest of European Russia, between

61° and 67° N (ca. 650-km north-to-south stretch) and between 30° and 38° E
(max west-to-east stretch ca. 400 km). The area is 172,400 km2 if waters of Lakes
Ladoga and Onego within Karelian territory are included, or 155,900 km2 other-
wise (Filatov et al., 2006 ) (Figure 1).
The combined action of a number of factors, including geographic position,
climate, geological structure and others, has generated a well developed drainage
network belonging to the White Sea and Baltic Sea watersheds. The White Sea
watershed covers 57% of the republic (water areas of Lakes Ladoga and Onego
excluded) and 43% of the territory of Karelia belong to the Baltic Sea watershed.
177
Figure 1. Republic of Karelia.
178
The drainage network is mainly composed either of small rivers, or of short chan-
nels which connect numerous lakes to form lake-river systems.
The total number of rivers known today in the area (Karelian Isthmus included)
is 26,700. Their combined length is 83,000 km. Watercourses shorter than 10 km
prevail. There are 25,300 of those (95%) with a combined length of 52,300 km
(63%). Only 30 rivers are longer than 100 km, thus belonging to the medium-size
class. Watersheds of an overwhelming majority of rivers are also small in area. Only
366 water systems have watersheds larger than 100 km2, including 51 systems with
a watershed larger than 1000 km2 and 5 watersheds larger than 10,000 km2 (rivers
Kem, Vyg, Kovda, Vodla, Shuja).
The main structural elements of the drainage network in Karelia are water bod-
ies (lakes and impoundments). There is a total of 61,100 lakes with a combined
area of ca. 18,000 km2 in the republic. About 50% of the water area of Lake Ladoga
and 80% of Lake Onego – the largest bodies of freshwater in Europe – fall within
Karelian territory. Lakes cover 12% of the territory. If Karelian parts of Lakes Onego
and Ladoga are included, the proportion rises to 21%, which is one of the highest
in the world. Most lakes are less than 1 km2 in area. Only 1389 water-bodies have a
larger area (slightly more than 2% of the total), and only 20 of these are larger than
100 km2. The prevalent type of small water-bodies is lakes with no visible discharge
(“drainless”), represented mainly by small forest and mire lakes.
Northern Water Problems Institute
The Northern Water Problems Institute (NWPI) is the academic research structure
conducting scientific investigations of the aquatic environment in Northwest Russia
for 60 years already. It was established as the Department of Water Problems in
the Karelian Branch of the USSR Academy of Science in 1946. In 1991, it was re-
organized into the Northern Water Problems Institute that belongs to the Karelian
Research Centre, Russian Academy of Science.
The basic research areas of the institute are:
• Natural development of the lake-river systems and ground waters located

in Northwest Russia, study of their stability and variability with regard to
climatic and anthropogenic factors
• Scientific assessment of the status and forecast of changes in water ecosys-
tems; development of measures for nature conservation and restoration
• Assessment of water ecological potential; development of the scientific basis
for sustainable management of water resources in the North of European
Russia
• Optimization of use, conservation and restoration of water resources in
Karelia
• Theory of lake-river and sea systems development
• Water resources in relation to population vitality
179
NWPI is active in the implementation of new methods and technologies in
water systems investigations. Our areas of expertise include remote monitoring,
aerospace methods, geographical information systems (GIS), mathematical mod-
eling (diagnostic, adaptation and prognostic) of water systems. A new sphere of
the institute’s research work is climate changes in Northwest Russia. A unique
database of long-term observations on the water-bodies of the Baltic and White
Sea watershed territories was created. Dendrochronological expeditions were or-
ganized in co-operation with the Karelian State Pedagogical University in Karelia
and Kola Peninsula. A latest innovative line of NWPI’s scientific investigations
is the development of the expert system “Classification and typization of North
Russian water-bodies”. The new approach in this work is that the research objects
are viewed as “integrated social-ecological-economic systems”. This innovative ac-
tivity demands the efforts of multidisciplinary teams of specialists, especially at the
practical stages connected with application of the scientific results.
Thus, dissemination of the results obtained during surveys and comprehensive
analysis is crucial for training highly environmentally qualified specialists working
for sustainable development of the region in different fields of activity.
Because of the fact that 43% of the territory of Karelia belongs to Baltic Sea water-
shed, anthropogenic activity in almost a half of the territory influences the Baltic Sea
condition. That is why environmental education is essential for sustainable develop-
ment of Karelia and well-being of the Baltic Sea watershed in general (Figure 2).
NWPI maintains a wide range of international scientific cooperation. One of the
main issues is environmental education based on teamwork with some European
Universities, including those in the Baltic Sea region.
Goals, tasks and necessity of the Educational-Scientific Centre (ESC)
The Educational-Scientific Centre (ESC) “Water resources of Karelia and methods

of their investigation” was organized in NWPI in 2002 on the basis of previous
wide environmental education activities of the institute using the teaching experi-
ence of its researchers and close co-operation with universities in Russia (Moscow
and Saint-Petersburg) and, particularly, in Karelia within the Russian Academy of
Science program “Support to young scientists”. The main idea is to prepare a highly
qualified professional staff for scientific research institutions. This is, however, a
complicated process which affects not only higher educational institutions but also
secondary schools and the society at large.
The specific unique feature of NWPI ESC is the continuity of the study process:
school pupil – university student – postgraduate student – young scientist, with
school teachers involved in the process as the basis for high-quality environmental
education in schools. This closed circle of the study process gives the opportunity
to monitor the results and coordinate the process to correspond to variations in the
educational system and to the development of NWPI research activities. Moreover,
it contributes to the formation of a new generation with an environment-friendly
lifestyle and striving for sustainable development of the society.
180
Figure 2. Quality of rivers and lakes in Karelia.
181
Figures 3-4. Environmental education situations.
From this point of view the main goal of NWPI ESC is to conduct environmen-
tal education in co-operation with different partners preparing a highly educated
young generation of scientists both for Higher Schools and Academy Scientific
Institutions via the educational cycle: school – university – Higher school educa-
tion/Academic scientific institution – teacher/researcher – school (Figures 3-4).
NWPI ESC project aims at effective interaction between basic scientific research
conducted at NWPI and the educational process at universities, taking into account
the pre-university stage – schools, including teachers and final-grade students.
The goals of the ESC project are:
182
• as applied to Universities – support to and development of basic research,
enhancement of the study process quality, integration of scientific research
and education, attracting talented youth to scientific research done at NWPI
• as applied to secondary schools – earlier detection of science-gifted youth,
their professional orientation to scientific research through professional
development of school teachers in the field of new possibilities of scientific
research work with school pupils
• as applied to the general public (including municipalities and authorities)
–wide dissemination of scientific knowledge about the environmental situa-
tion and potential anthropogenic pressure
• as applied to NWPI – highly educated and qualified young professionals.
The NWPI ESC project is very topical in a number of ways and at different
levels. The activity of ESC is supported at the national level by financing com-
ing from the Russian Academy of Science for strengthening and development of
professional research staff. At the republican level the project is conducted via the
co-operation network, including additional partners –“Vodlozersky” National Park,
Karelian Regional Study Museum, district administrations, schools and environ-
mental education centers.
Activities for education for sustainable development
The main types of activities for education for sustainable development are:
• Theoretical lectures on aquatic environmental problems related to the

research areas of NWPI
• Practical experiments including field and laboratory work
• Study expeditions on the “Ecology” research vessel
• Summer field camps
• Teacher training courses in Finland
• Publications on environmental education
• Seminars and conferences for students, teachers and schoolchildren
• Participation (together with Karelian Regional Study Museum) in setting up
water environmental exhibitions organization.
Potentiality for promoting and implementing sustainable development in NWPI

are described in Table 1.
Connection of research and education
NWPI ESC activities have a binary effect on both the scientific part of the aca-
demic institution and on the education part of the higher educational institution.
The study programs of the University can be changed in conformance with the
183
Table 1. NWPI potential for ESC activities.
Research activity Field surveys Training Co-operation

professionally qualified s cientific-research vessel lecturing room with compu- Internet capacities, own
research team “Ecolog” of the river-sea ter and office equipment internal website
class with two laboratories
5 laboratories with fl owing water system, wide l ibrary of scientific literature, integrated collection
modern analytical nautical capacities, modern video films and computer of different software
equipment navigation equipment databases (ArcViewGIS, MapInfo,
ERDAS, IDRISI, etc.)
Accredited by the Mi- r esearch station on Lake license for educational operating international
nistry for Science and Vendyurskoe activities, training doctoral cooperation network
Technology, Russian students
Federation
possibilities offered by the scientific institute both theoretically and practically.

New materials, results of investigations, methods and dataware of the institute can
be used for study purposes of the university students, teachers and schoolchildren.
This fact will raise the efficiency of the study process and interest in scientific
work. Results of field expeditions, study trips on the research vessel and laboratory
analytic experiments are used by students for course, diploma and post-graduated
papers and presented at students’ conferences organized by NWPI ESC.
To optimize NWPI ESC activities, the “study pilot water object” – Lake
Pryahzinskoe situated in the village of Pryazha village near Petrozavodsk – was
chosen. NWPI in cooperation with Petrozavodsk State University and Karelian
State Pedagogical University conducted multidisciplinary research including hy-
drological, hydrochemical, hydrobiological, hydrogeological, geo-ecological and
toxicological investigations on Lake Pryazinskoe and in its watershed (Figure 5). The
samples gathered were analyzed in NWPI laboratories. The results were presented
by students in 2005 at the Republican research conference for young scientists
“Water resources of Karelia: research, use, protection” organized at NWPI.
Lake Pryahzinskoe was chosen not by chance. This water-body is situated not far
from Petrozavodsk. The lake and its watershed are not large that is convenient for
organization of field expeditions, real-time interactions of research teams and fast
gathering of results. This lake can also be used as a research model of the effect of
different anthropogenic loadings on the water quality because of village popula-
tion, agricultural and some industrial activities on its shores and nearby watershed
area. This lake has been used as the source of water supply to the village population
for a long time. At the moment, drawing upon NWPI results, ground water supply
facilities are being constructed. Moreover, there is a large secondary school in the
village, teachers and pupils of which are highly interested in environmental studies
and ecological education. This well-studied water-body can be used as the model
object for international education, too. The scientific material gathered is delivered
to the local administration for decision making, and presented, in suitable interpre-
tation, in the local newspaper for raising public awareness.
Finally, the connection of students’ studies and the real research process is
achieved through preparation and presentation of joint scientific reports of students
184
Figure 5. NWPI in co-operation with Petrozavodsk State University and Karelian State Pedagogical University
students.
and researchers from NWPI at international seminars, conferences and workshops.

This is a special aspect of training provided to students at NWPI, as an academic
research institution, since the University, being an educational institution, pays little
attention to this topic. The knowledge and experience thus obtained in this field will
later help young schoolteachers properly organize research work with schoolchildren
from the very beginning. A recent example is the international conference within the
project Lakepromo -Tools for water management and restoration processes held in
Petrozavodsk in 2006, where results on Lake Pryahzinskoe were presented.
International co-operation in NWPI environmental education and ESC activity
There are some specific issues chosen for the environmental education project
that are topical for Karelia and have been dealt with in Finland: water study, use
and protection, drinking water, waste utilization, transboundary water objects and
some others (Regerand et al., 2003). On the other hand, there is a lot of forest
on both sides, which is managed and protected in different ways. It is quite clear
therefore that the co-operation in environmental education between Karelia and
Finland is really needed. The objective is the same – to teach the new generation
to understand that there are no boundaries in the environment, and that its protec-
tion is required for the safety of the population and for stable development in the
region on both sides of the national border.
The first international partner of NWPI in connection with environmental edu-
cation is Kainuu Regional Environmental Centre in Finland. The environmental
activity was started in 1996. So far, about 150 teachers took part in this program.
185
This type of scientific co-operation between our organizations has been conducted
for a while already. The results were published in 2001 in the book Surface waters
of the Kalevala and Kostamuksha areas under anthropogenic influence (Lozovik &
Markkanen, 2001).
The first Ecological days event was organised in Finland in 1997. The Kainuu
Regional Environment Centre organised a camp-school for teachers from Karelia.
The main goal was to study and to understand the significance of environmental
values and sensitivity in the educational process. It was also important to ex-
change the experiences of conducting environmental education in public schools
in Karelia and Finland. It was also necessary to establish new connections and to
plan future activities. This action led to the new contacts between teachers from
Karelia and Finland. In 1998, the Northern Water Problems Institute organised a
summer camp-school at the Vendyury research station. The new activity of the
environmental education project was successful and productive. Experts from the
institute organised a high level “scientific immersion” for teachers from Karelia and
Finland. During the summer camp-school, the teachers had the opportunity to
become acquainted with different methods of field investigations, to get advice on
organization of research and get their results processed.
According to the agreement on co-operation, which is very important for sustain-
able activity, environmental education is performed continuously up till now. Every
second year NWPI ESC has the opportunity to organize training for school teach-
ers, students and young scientists in Finland, in the Kainuu Regional Environment
Centre together with the Friendship National Park (figure 6).
Project-based co-operation
In 1998, environmental education activities were supported by the EU TACIS CBC

facility project Environmental education for schools in Karelia: Diversity of forests
and lakes (ENFOLIA).
The main goal of the project was to raise professional environmental education
skills of teachers in Karelia. NWPI scientists gave lectures on ecological investi-
gations, modern environmental situation in Karelia and the problems of nature
conservation. In addition, they provided advice to all teachers who needed help
in ecological scientific work conducted at schools in order to prepare the best
students for the higher educational system. The main idea was to support school
teachers in their scientific work with pupils in schools and investigate the inter-
est in science among schoolchildren – future university students. Various activities
were organised during the project: seminars, lectures, meetings and camp-schools.
Also, three study books were published.
The next project organized by NWPI in 2002-2004 is called People and environ-
ment – hand in hand for the future: education towards sustainable development in
Karelia as a model for NW Russia. Elimination of public environmental illiteracy
through local administrative structures is a right way to health, development and
happiness (ECOPROMT). The main goal of the project was to connect different
186
Figure 6. Co-operation between NWPI and Kainuu Regional Environment Centre.
levels and societal groups, such as schools, administrations, mass media, for environ-
mental education development. In this project the main attention was directed to
public environmental education proceeding from the point of view that enhance-
ment of the public environmental education level and, especially in the younger
generation, guarantees future sustainable development in the region.
A new idea was to use a protected area, for example a national park, as a part-
ner in NWPI ESC environmental education activities. To this end, co-operation
with the Vodlozersky National Park is established. The role of National Parks in
environmental education is vast. Protected areas are organised in the districts of
Karelia where people live in the forest and use forest products, which are gifts of
the nature. The Vodlozersky National Park conducts its own environmental educa-
tion program, but our experience shows that join activities are incontestably more
effective. Since 2003, the NWPI ESC has a new partner for the environmental
education program – the Koli National park in Finland. The activity is going on in
two directions: one-week training courses for secondary school teachers and stu-
dents in the form of an environmental excursion and one-month training courses
for young scientists – doctoral students from NWPI – with participation in the
park’s research activities. The possibility to visit this unique natural area within the
framework of NWPI ESC activities adds to potential for understanding sustainable
development in the international context.
187
Co-operation in Baltic University Programme
A special remark must be mentioned on the role of Baltic University Programme

(BUP) in NWPI ESC activities. BUP gave a unique opportunity to enlarge and ren-
ovate our environmental education activities and to make them more interesting
from the different points of view. The co-operation between NWPI and BUP was
initiated in 1991. The Baltic Sea Environment course was adopted and enlarged
by the regional components suitable for the school students and Karelian State
Pedagogical University students. The special additional course and the study-book
was prepared on the results of the GIS project Geoinformation systems and their
application for environmental investigations (Filatov, 1997). After that the next
BUP course Sustainable Water Management was developed in local aspect and
implemented into the study program for students of the geographical department.
The NWPI took part in the preparing of the BUP study book Sustainable water
Management in the Baltic Sea Basin. The NWPI used wide experience of BUP ac-
tivities preparing the study book Hydrophysics and ecology of lakes together with
State Moscow University.
Nowadays the co-operation of NWPI and BUP is going at the new convolution
in the frame of ESC using the previous experience. NWPI ESC specialists give
theoretical lectures on the basis of BUP courses integrated in the KSPU program
taking into account the new environmental situation not only on the local level but
thinking in the global scale. Practical studies of KSPU students at NWPI within the
SRC framework are based on the material of BUP courses. Environmental educa-
tion of school students and teachers with view to professional orientation of school
students to environment-related future activity in different professions are organ-
ized as a BUP extra activity. Researchers from NWPI, especially young scientists,
enthusiastically take part in BUP actions (teachers’ conferences, Internet sites and
individual contacts). All the information received is used in practice in the NWPI
environmental education program.
The results of international co-operation between institutions imply that there
is a hope to educate a new generation which will have not only theoretical knowl-
edge but also practical skills. And what is more important, representatives of this
generation will understand the role and the place of people in the environment and
thanks to this they will act in a scientifically correct way to ensure co-existence and
well-being of both people and the environment.
Publications of NWPI ESC on environmental education for sustainable

development
One of the priorities in educational activities for sustainable development is the

dissemination of the results of scientific research by their publication in a popular
form easily understood and useful for secondary schools, higher schools and a gen-
eral readership. Some examples are:
188
• Ecological investigations of Karelian natural waters (Filatov, N. et al. (eds.),
1999)
• The water environment of Karelia: research, management and conservation
(Lozovik, P. & Regerand, T. (eds.), 2003)
• Environmental education: from theory to practice (Regerand, T. & Fradkova,
L. (eds.), 2004)
There are also some practical booklets with schemes for construction, such as
“Biotoilet – actual, modern and easy”, “Properly constructed well – good water in
it”, “Composting – the basic tool for a clean garden”. This information has been
widely disseminated to the society through mass media and local newspapers. It
is quite understandable that the environmental situation cannot be improved in-
stantly, but we hope that the results of our environmental education activity will
become visible soon.
Conclusion
NWPI ESC is a flexible facility connecting an Academy research institution and

higher schools, involving additional partners including international ones. It pro-
vides favorable conditions for effective education for sustainable development. It
gives plenty of opportunities for all partners, and by promoting environmental
education benefits sustainable development not only in a specific region, but more
widely – at the national and international scope. NWPI ESC has a future-oriented
character, being opened to the new ideas and challengers.
References
Filatov, N., 1997. Geoinformation systems and their application for environmental investigations.
Karelian State Pedagogical University, Petrozavodsk.
Filatov N., Morozov, A., Kuharev, S., Salo, Y. & Regerand, T. (eds.), 1999. Ecological investigations
on Karelian natural waters. Northern Water problems Institute, Karelian Research Centre of
Russian Academy of Sciences, Petrozavodsk.
Filatov, N., Litvinenko, A., Särkioja, A., Porttikivi, R. & Regerand, T. (eds.), 2006. Water
Resources of Republic of Karelia and their use for drinking water supply. Experience of
Karelian-Finnish cooperation. 2006. Northern Water Problems Institute, Karelian Research
Centre of Russian Academy of Sciences, Petrozavodsk.
Lozovik, P. & Markkanen, S.-L. (eds.), 2001. Kalevalan piirin ja Kostamuksen alueen pintavedet
ja kuormituksen vaikutukset niihin. 2001. Venäjän Tiedeakatemian Karjalan Tiedekeskuksen
Pohjoisten alueiden vesientutkimuslaitos, Petroskoi.
Lozovik, P. & Regerand, T. (eds.), 2003. The water environment of Karelia: research, manage-
ment and conservation. Northern Water problems Institute, Karelian Research Centre of
Russian Academy of Sciences, Petrozavodsk.
189
Regerand, T. & Fradkova, L. (eds.), 2004. Environmental education: from theory to practice.
Northern Water problems Institute, Karelian Research Centre of Russian Academy of
Sciences, Petrozavodsk.
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190

5
This chapter starts with the presentation of the framework and the aim of the
project. After that the development procedure is presented. The main focus in
the chapter is in the outcomes of the development process. At the end the whole
process is evaluated.
Description of the development procedure
The general framework for this project arises from the global, regional and lo-
cal strategies and concepts of sustainable development and, in particular, from
strategies and concepts for education for sustainable development (see chapter
1.1). Thus, on the one hand, the Baltic 21E Programme as well as the Finnish na-
tional strategy for ESD and United Nation’s Decade for Education for Sustainable
Development (DESD) formulated the framework for the project. The Baltic
University Programme and the Baltic Sea Sustainable Development Network, and
the aims of the networks, on the other hand, enabled the project to realize.
The general aim of the project is to increase the understanding about the chal-
lenges underlying for sustainable development in higher education and to raise
innovative solutions to stimulate further actions through improving the quality
and efficiency of all activities in higher education. In addition, the aim is to increase
the common awareness of the state-of-the-art practices relating to management, to
education, as well as to research and development.
The theoretical aim of the project is to develop the critical elements for sustain-
able development in higher education. The theoretical components of learning for
sustainability according to Tilbury and Cooke (2005) served as a starting point
for the development work. While much of the literature is focused on the role
that education and pedagogy can play in creating a sustainable citizenship, minor
attention has been focused on the importance of research and development and
management practices in this context. In this project both education as well as
research and development and, in addition, management systems are studied, as
they all play important roles in learning for a societal change. Thus, the aim of the
project is to give some answers how to cross barriers and create drivers for achiev-
ing a sustainable future in higher education institutions.
In the process of the implementing sustainable development, higher education
institutions can choose two different roles. According to the first one, higher educa-
tion institutions are merely indicators of changes in attitude within a society, and
cannot themselves provide the impetus for change. The basic assumption behind is
191
that educational institutions are created by society, and are therefore a reflection of
it and are in no way a force for social change (Wright, 2006: 121). The other view
that this project stands for states that the university can and/or should be a proac-
tive leader in creating societal change (Giroux, 2005; UNESCO, 1997).
The conferences organized by the Baltic University Programme and the Baltic
Sea Sustainable Development Network played significant roles in the develop-
ment procedure of this project. The starting point was the conference organized
by the Baltic University Programme in Borki Molo, Poland, 21–25 March 2006,
where twenty teachers and researches joined the project. For the members of the
Baltic Sea Sustainable Development Network, the project idea was launched in
Pskov, Russia, 4–6 September 2006. Nine experts from the Baltic Sea Sustainable
Development Network expressed their willingness to become project partners.
Teachers and researchers who were interested in joining the project were asked
to formulate country based teams to stimulate collaboration and collective learning.
The teams were to choose state-of-the-art solutions about management practices,
teaching or research and development work with what they wanted to contribute
to the project. Partners confirmed their participation to the project by sending ab-
stracts about the chosen themes to the project managers. Abstracts were accepted
by the end of the year 2006. After that partners were given detailed information
about writing the case descriptions. They were encouraged to raise the innova-
tive ideas and critical elements for sustainable development in higher education.
Writers were also asked to study the article “A National Review of Environmental
Education and its Contribution to Sustainability. Frameworks for Sustainability”
(Tilbury & Cooke, 2005) in order to further develop the critical factors introduced
by Tilbury and Cooke. Project managers chose the critical factors for learning for
sustainability presented by Tilbury and Cooke as a starting point for the whole
development process after a wider literature analysis of the field in question. For
instance, similar approaches are introduced by UNESCO in the declaration of
Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, which highlights that education
for sustainable development should be interdisciplinary and holistic, values-driven
and locally relevant, and it should promote critical thinking and problem solving
(UNESCO, 2004). During the year 2006 Tilbury further developed the critical
factors together with Ross (Tilbury & Ross, 2006). The results of that development
work were also taken into consideration in the development procedure of this
project. The further developed factors are future orientation, values clarification,
critical and cultural thinking, partnerships, participation in planning and learning,
systemic thinking, relevance and capacity building (Tilbury & Ross, 2006).
Partners were free to proceed with formulating their case descriptions about
the accepted ideas. This procedure is of special importance as there is no universal
definition of sustainable development, nor a universal model of how to promote
sustainable development. Forcing for consensus about sustainable development
would be undesirable from a deep democracy perspective and would also be es-
sentially “mis-educative” (see also Wals, 2006: 41).
Based on the theoretical knowledge, on the outcomes of the cases in the previous
chapters in this book, and on the discussions conducted by e-mail with the project
192
Description of the project
Articles about
innovative solutions
to promote sustainable Developing critical elements
development/ • Poland, Lodz, May 2007/
Project group Project group
Innovative
solutions
Formulation to promote
of the sustainable
project group development
• Poland, Borki Molo, in higher
March 2006 education
• Russia, Pskov,
September 2006
Developing critical elements

Developing critical elements/ • Germany, Neubrandenburg
Project managers October 2007/
Project group
Figure 1. Description of the project.
partners, the project managers made the first proposal for the developed critical
elements for sustainable development. Two workshops were organized to concep-
tualize the ideas presented by the project managers further. The first workshop
was organized during the conference of the Baltic University Programme in Lodz,
Poland (20-24 May 2007) and the other one during the conference organized by
the Baltic Sea Sustainable Development Network in Neubrandenburg, Germany
(10-12 October 2007). Participants of the workshops were project partners and
other experts joining the conferences. Totally 22 experts joined the first workshop
and 19 the second one. Figure 1 illustrates the procedure of the project.
In Poland, at the beginning of the workshop, project managers presented the
framework of the project and the critical elements that had been set out as a start-
ing point of the project and the development work they had already done based
on the preliminary articles prepared by the project partners. The critical elements
that were used as the basis for the development work were thus: time perspective,
spatiality, value clarification, critical thinking, systemic thinking, cultural thinking,
knowledge building, partnerships, cooperation and participation (Figure 2). The
participants were asked to consider if the elements are relevant or if some im-
portant factors are missing. In addition, the participants were asked to think to
re-categorize the proposed elements. The central questions the participants were
asked to discuss were (see Figure 2):
• Are the introduced critical elements for sustainable development relevant?

• Are some important elements missing?
• Should the elements be combined?
• How could these elements be taken into consideration in everyday practices
in higher education?
193
Framework of the workshop
HOW IS 1) Are these critical elements

TO BE relevant?
EDUCATED, 2) Are some elements missing?
RESEARCHED & 3) How to combine the elements?
DEVELOPED 4) How these elements can be
AND taken into consideration in
MANAGED)? education (and in research
& development work and
Critical elements management practices)?
for SD:
Time perspective
Spatiality
Value clarification WHAT IS TO BE
Critical thinking EDUCATED
Systematic (RESEARCHED &
thinking DEVELOPED AND SUSTAINABLE
Cultural thinking MANAGED)? FUTURE
Knowledge People?
building Economy?
Partnerships Society?
Cooperation Environment?
Participation
Other elements?
Figure 2. Framework of the workshop.
In the workshop, project partners, on the other hand, presented their innovative
ideas and critical elements to open up the minds and to stimulate the discussion.
After the introduction four development teams were formulated. The teams were
encouraged to have a creative approach. The workshop ended up with the presen-
tations of the teams, which were followed up with lively discussion.
Based on the results achieved in the workshop in Poland the project managers
made the new proposal for developing the critical elements for sustainable devel-
opment in higher education. The proposal was introduced and developed further
in the workshop carried out in Germany, in Neubrandenburg. Five teams were for-
mulated to discuss innovatively about the elements (Figures 3–4). The procedure
of the whole workshop was the same as in the first workshop.
At the end the project the leaders draw final conclusions about critical elements
for sustainable development in higher education. As a result of the development
work the critical elements were determined in a way to take into account all ac-
tivities in higher education institutions. The developed critical elements are most
important from the educational perspective, but they also play an important role in
research and development as well as in management practices in learning for com-
petences for sustainability. Therefore, the case descriptions from different higher
education institutions in the Baltic Sea region handle all these activities.
Critical elements for sustainable development in higher education
The critical elements for learning for sustainable development are divided into con-
text, mental and activity related aspects. Contextual elements form a framework,
while mental aspects refer to conceptual changes in the learning process for sus-
194
Figures 3–4. Workshop situation and the results in Germany.
tainability. Activities are the ways to realize educational, research or management

practices for sustainability. The categorization is based on the idea that learning for
sustainability in higher education needs a reorientation of activities in terms of the
content as well as the style of the processes. Context related critical elements for
sustainable development are (1) integrative approach (integration of ecological,
social, cultural and economical dimensions; multi-, trans- and interdisciplinary, ho-
listic viewpoint), (2) time perspective and (3) spatiality. Mental aspects are related
to (4) value clarification (including peace and democracy), (5) systemic thinking,
(6) critical reflection and (7) motivation building (including the combination of
motivation, knowledge and skills developing). The third category, activities, has to
do with (8) partnership, (9) cooperation and communication and (10) participa-
tion related factors. The final outcome of the learning process is 11) competence
building to promote sustainable nature, life support and community (Figure 5).
1) Integrative approach
An integrated and interconnected approach for sustainable development is the
basis for understanding and handling the world as a harmonious entity. Integrative
approach means, first of all, understanding the causal links of the dimensions of
sustainable development, and handling these as interconnected and integrated with
each other (Rohweder, 2007: 23; Virtanen, 2007: 89). Ecological questions are not
separate from economic, social and cultural ones, and vice versa.
Multi-, trans- and interdisciplinary are important components for education for
sustainable development – it is not easy to find something more multi-, trans- or
interdisciplinary than sustainable development (Holmberg & Samuelsson, 2006: 8).
Traditional discipline-based structuring of education is not enough for education for
sustainability. In order to learn about sustainable development, an understanding
of several different branches of science is needed. There are three different types of
interdisciplinary of research (Lindroos, 2007: 98), and the division can be applied
to education as well. The multidisciplinary point of view focuses on the autonomy
of different disciplines and it does not lead to changes in the existing disciplinary
195
Learning for sustainable development
Strategies
Critical elements
for ESD:
for SD:
- DESD
- Baltic 21E
- National
SD in CONTEXT
Management Integration
strategies
Spatiality
- etc Practices Time perspective
Competence
building for
Society: sustainable
MENTAL ASPECTS
- Future -nature
Value clarification
needs -Life support
Systematic thinking
for -Community
Critical reflection
SD
Education for Motivation building
Research and
Quality: SD development ACTIVITIES
SD as part
of the high for SD Partnerships
Cooperation &
quality
communication
Participation
Figure 5. Critical elements in learning for sustainable development.
and theoretical structures. The interdisciplinary approach means a formulation

of a uniform, discipline-transcending terminology or common methodology. The
transdisciplinary approach requires a common theoretical understanding accompa-
nied by a mutual interpretation of disciplinary epistemologies.
A proactive university sees over the traditional scientific disciplines and ex-
plores solutions for a coherent competence building framework for sustainability.
Reconnection and reconstruction of traditional educational study fields and sci-
entific disciplines offer new possibilities to a holistic and integrative approach for
learning for sustainable development. The new vision for learning emphasises a
holistic and interdisciplinary approach to develop knowledge and skills as well as
a necessary change in values, behaviour and lifestyles to promote sustainable de-
velopment (Melén-Paaso, 2007: 114). Wals & Corcoran (2006) use the concept of
transformative learning, which requires competence building to integrate, connect,
confront and reconcile multiple ways to look at the world. One transformative shift
is a transdisciplinary shift that means looking at sustainability issues from a range of
disciplinary angles that is not confined by any certain discipline (Wals & Corcoran,
2006: 107).
In educational practices, an integrative approach becomes apparent at the cur-
riculum as well as at the study course level. At the curriculum level, the integrative
approach means that sustainable development is not a separate course as such,
neither a field of a certain study branch only, but it belongs to every study branch in
higher education. An example of an integrative approach at the curriculum level is
introduced in chapter 3.2, which describes an innovative way to handle sustainable
development as integrated to all degree programmes and, first of all, to the compe-
tences building process of students during their study path. At a study course level
sustainable development should be handled as an integrative way to take into ac-
196
count all dimensions of sustainability, although the focus can be in one dimension.
An interdisciplinary study course description is introduced, for instance, in chapter
3.4, in which the authors introduce two interdisciplinary courses for education for
sustainable development by combining the fields of transportation, psychology and
life safety. Another example is described in chapter 3.6, which handles the study
course that integrates disciplines from ecology and economy through social studies
and psychology to concepts that integrate across disciplines, i.e. systems science.
An integrative approach is also important in management practices in higher
education. Chapter 2.2 focuses on a practical approach to sustainable development
through an integrated management system. Instead of developing separate envi-
ronmental, security and quality management systems, the authors of the chapter
emphasize the importance of an integrated approach to handle all these within the
same management system.
2) Time perspective
The time perspective is one focal aspect in transformative learning including trans-
/intergenerational shifts in accordance to look at sustainability from different time
perspectives, i.e. past, present and future (Wals & Corcoran, 2006: 107; Ryden,
2007: 30). That is to say that the time perspective is not only a future-oriented
approach for learning but also understanding of history. Future thinking is most
important, but without the knowledge about the causal links and reasons for un-
sustainability it is impossible to construct a sustainable future.
Behind sustainable development is an internal idea of the transformation towards
a sustainable future. Therefore, the determination and envisioning of qualities and
criteria for the sustainable future are important elements. Having a clear vision of
the sustainable future, it is possible to find tools to reach it step by step. Building
a vision is, most of all, about imaging a better future. Future thinking is an envi-
sioning process in which people are conceiving qualities for a better and more
sustainable future. The question is about imaging a better future (Tilbury & Cooke,
2005: 23).
Envisioning should be the starting point of learning for sustainability in which
people begin to feel engaged, empowered and responsible to act in ways to reach
their vision for a sustainable future. The aim of envisioning is to create a positive and
proactive approach to sustainability (Tilbury & Ross, 2006: 19). The envisioning
reconstructs the values for society and environment in a new way, and in addition,
it forms a motivation for activities for sustainability. Future thinking opens to see
the results of the way of living and of consumption and production models. In
the background lies a common definition of sustainable development according
to which “sustainable development is development which meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs” (Brundtland, 1987). The definition as such yields for future thinking in the
determination of the limits for contemporary living in a way that future genera-
tions have an ability to meet their, at least basic, needs.
Chapter 3.3 introduces innovative teaching methods to use in the envisioning
process to mould students’ abilities for becoming active in solving problems and
197
shaping society’s social, economic, technical, and ecological transition towards a
sustainable future. The time perspective also has an important role in chapter 3.5,
which opens our minds to reflect our values and behaviour towards the nature and
environment in the historical context.
3) Spatiality
Spatiality is important in the discussion of sustainable development. Learning for
sustainability needs a transgeographical shift, i.e. looking at sustainability issues
from different spatial perspectives from local to regional and global perspective
(Wals & Corcoran, 2006: 107). The lenses to analyse and interpret are worldwide,
but at the same time the interest to manage and handle issues is on local questions.
UNESCO (2002: 21) has focused on the importance of global understanding:
“A key aspect of citizenship education within the context of sustainable development is
international understanding. This helps bring an understanding of the links between
local and global issues.”
Chapter 1.3 in this book introduces international networks that work for global
sustainability. Examples of the cases to focus on local or regional sustainability
are described in the research-oriented chapters. For instance, chapters 4.1 and 4.2
introduce two ways to plan and develop local living environments to promote
sustainability in a way to take into consideration a wider social and environmental
context, such as worldwide political programmes and sustainability challenges.
4) Value clarification
Dealing with attitudes and values are seen important in addition to achieving
knowledge and understanding for sustainability (Lundholm 2006: 55). Uncovering
and understanding values can be seen as essential steps in the process of learning
for sustainability, and, in addition, in the process towards a sustainable future. The
question is on reflecting, articulating and argumenting the reasons for unsustainable
behaviour, and, in addition, the barriers to transform the activities in a sustainable
way. Uncovering the values behind the everyday practices is a beginning for the
journey to change the activities, the workplace and wider society for sustainability.
In value clarification people explore the links between the assumptions, their bi-
ases, their culture, decision-making and actions (Tilbury & Cooke, 2005: 25). The
critical questions to consider are (Tilbury & Cooke, 2005: 25):
• What do I value and why?

• What do other people value and why?
• What has informed and influenced my values?
• Who is making the decisions?
Dealing with values is the question of ethics most of all. Ethics is a statement
regarding good and bad, and it is characterised by reflecting one’s attitudes, concep-
tions and behaviour. Chapter 3.5 opens the minds to reflect and re-construct our
values towards nature in a new innovative way as integrated to different disciplines,
and is an example to handle value clarification in every study branch.
198
5) Systemic thinking
Systemic thinking is a way to outline the complexity of systems and the connectiv-
ity of its parts. In the background there is an idea that the whole is more than the
sum of its parts. In modern time the common way to understand things is by taking
them apart, deconstructing and breaking down components into smaller parts. This
kind of analytical thinking is not enough in a complex and ever changing world.
Systemic thinking offers a way to understand and manage complex processes and
situations as it emphasises a holistic and integrative approach, which takes into
consideration the relationships between systems’ parts. Concepts such as joined-up
thinking, integrative thinking, relational thinking, and holism, are also used to refer
to systemic thinking (Tilbury & Cooke, 2005: 28).
Systemic thinking offers new ways to formulate and realize education as well
as research and development work. Systemic thinking leads to re-evaluation and
reconstruction of a fragmentary and reductionist worldview, which underpins tra-
ditionally the curriculum in the educational institutes. Systemic thinking challenges
us to formulate higher education according to the principles of interconnectedness,
holism, interdisciplinary and cross-curricularity.
Chapter 3.6 introduces how system thinking methods help all participants to
communicate and work together in a study course. It is also brought out how sys-
temic thinking methods integrate the complex ideas about how society and nature
are changing.
6) Critical reflection
Critical and reflective thinking is one feature for building individual and group
capacity for learning and change towards sustainability. Critical thinking, reflective
thinking or reflection challenges us for new ways to see and interpret the world as
well as our activities. Reflection can be determined as critical evaluation of one’s
own work, thinking and everyday practices. Critical reflection gives a wide and
deep understanding of the structural things and interests behind the everyday hab-
its. A critical viewpoint encourages us to reconstruct the ways to understand the
world and its political, economic and social structure, which affect sustainability
(Tilbury & Cooke, 2005: 33).
Critical thinking has been stated to be an important component of education
for sustainable development by the discourses of global organisations, such as
UNESCO (2002):
“Education for sustainable development must explore the economic, political and social
implications of sustainability by encouraging learners to reflect critically on their own
areas of the world, to identify non-viable elements in their own lives and to explore the
tension among conflicting aims.”

Critical reflection is linked to the process of thought, i.e. to the skill of evaluating
actions, attitudes as well as concepts and power structures behind them. Critical
reflection is not only analysing and interpreting one’s own world, but also to have a
discussion and an open dialogue with the colleagues. Critical reflection at it highest
199
level demands students, teachers and other stakeholders to question their precon-
ceptions of issues and create new or modified interpretations to understand and
realize activities for sustainability.
Pedagogical approaches and teaching methods that enable us to learn critical
reflection formulate the base for education for sustainability. Critical reflection is
also important in research and development and in management practices in order
to challenge the common and intrinsic behaviour and to reorganise higher educa-
tion activities to promote a sustainable future. An example of the need for critical
and reflective thinking is a curriculum renovation for sustainability presented in
chapter 3.2. The integration of sustainable development in the curriculum needs
a reorientation not only in everyday work and studying but in the whole organisa-
tional culture. For reorientation, critical reflection towards contemporary situations,
activities and attitudes is needed. The example of education that emphasizes criti-
cal reflection is described in chapter 3.8, which focuses on the importance of open
learning environments as a basis for life long learning for sustainability.
7) Motivation building
Learning for sustainability is to build motivation, knowledge and skills to take ac-
tions. Motivation, knowledge and skills are intertwined; motivation is an inspirer
for the desire to find knowledge and train skills to behave in a sustainable way.
Hence, motivation building changes mental models. With strong motivation for
sustainability the lifestyles and more extensively the power structures can change
to lead for sustainability.
Chapter 3.1 focuses on the role of reflection and the creation and stimulation
of new mentality for sustainability as important tasks of an educational system.
The innovative idea of the article is to introduce how to improve the educational
system in a way that it would stimulate the creation of a motivation capacity for
people to be able to bring nature and mankind to the path of sustainable develop-
ment. Motivation and knowledge building were important themes in the articles
that describe research and development work and its connection to education.
Chapter 4.4 describes how knowledge building has a special role in the activities
of the research centre that is oriented for education as well. Building capacities for
sustainability by producing new knowledge and mediating it for students and a
wider audience is described as an example to realize life-long learning and learning
as a process. Chapter 4.3 gives an example how knowledge and motivation build-
ing through research and development work can yield changes in education at the
curriculum level for sustainability.
8) Partnerships
The demand for sustainable development is complex and difficult, and therefore,
it requires new kinds of partnerships. Ideally the partnerships for sustainability are
based on a collaborative culture. New partnerships based on a collaborative cul-
ture are among educational communities, public organisations, nongovernmental
organisations, local communities, entrepreneurs, etc. By bringing together different
groups from different sectors with diverse knowledge and skills, partnerships are the
200
basis for building collective knowledge through social learning. In addition, for learn-
ing for sustainability an effective and open-minded participation of all stakeholders is
fruitful. Being successful, partnerships require trust, open dialogue and communica-
tion, defined and accepted roles as well as transparency and accountability with the
attention to the issues of equity and fairness (Tilbury & Ross, 2006: 12).
Chapter 4.1 describes the ways how a wide public participation and partner-
ships between different actors in the town planning for sustainability are realized.
Partnerships introduced do not include only university teachers and researchers
and public organisations, but students are also participants in a collective learning
process to reorient town planning and environments in the promotion of sustain-
able development.
9) Cooperation and communication

Cooperation and communication between universities is an important factor, but
in order to fulfil their service functions for the workplace and society, wider co-
operation is required. Higher education institutes will have to be active nodes in
international, and national networks as well as in networks with other partners,
such as primary and secondary schools, vocational education, science centres,
companies, NGOs, national and regional governments, etc. (Dam-Mieras, 2006:
13). Cooperation and communication assure a proactive nature for education. In
other words, when education is a reflection of the workplace and society’s needs
in addition to a theoretical knowledge base, it has a great potentiality to produce
competencies for real future needs.
Cooperation and communication is a move toward a more democratic and criti-
cal engagement. It is of high importance to recognize diversity and difference, and
thus, to characterize democratic and equity viewpoints (see also Zompetti, 2006).
The aim is real dialogue and real cooperation and communication instead of ex-
plicit or more indirect manipulation (see also Biesta, 1995).
Chapter 3.4 describes how two pedagogical methods, role playing simulation
and system thinking, can help participants to cooperate and communicate in a
dialogic way and to work together and integrate the complex ideas about the proc-
esses of society and nature to promote sustainability. Also, chapter 3.8 shows how
a collective and communicative learning process enhances competence building
for sustainability. Chapter 3.7 introduces an example how systematic education
for sustainable development started in the frames of the regional cooperation. A
long-term continuity for country-based education for sustainable education is most
of all a result of cooperation in the Baltic University Programme network.
10) Participation
Participation means involvement at different levels from consultation and consen-
sus building to decision-making, risk sharing and partnerships. In the context of
education for sustainability, participation is linked to notions of decision-making
for sustainability and to wide participation of all students and other stakeholders to
the learning process. Through participation people can build knowledge and skills
as well as take responsibility for outcomes. Participation in the learning process for
201
sustainability is an important way of recognising the value and relevance of local or
context specific issues. (Tilbury & Cooke, 2005: 38.)
Participation occurs by active involving and dialogic discussions. Participants
need to have the confidence for negotiation and sharing attitudes, knowledge and
experiences with each other, as well as for listening and commenting other view-
points. In practice, learning for sustainability demands a transition from a single
action and single communication to long-term participation. (Tilbury & Cooke,
2005: 42.)
In chapter 2.1, involving and active participation are argued as the most impor-
tant critical elements to build a functional environmental management system and
to get all actors committed to the process. The other example of the role of par-
ticipation in learning for sustainability is introduced in chapter 4.2, which focuses
on participation as an instrument for rural settlement development in the cultural
landscape area, and in that way to promote sustainable development through par-
ticipative research and development work.
11) Competence building

Competence building consists of developing at three levels, which are individual,
organisation or community and institutional or social level. At the individual level
competence building equips individuals with the motivation, understanding, skills
and access to information, knowledge and training, which enables them to per-
form according to the principles of sustainable development. Development at the
organisation or community level forms the elaboration of management structures
and processes for sustainable development within the organisation or community
but also in a larger context. The institutional level challenges changes for sustain-
ability in legal and regulatory systems as well as in other social structures. The main
result of competence building is to increase the abilities for sustainability of nature,
life support and community.
Reflecting on the project
According to the feedback gathered from the workshops the procedure was suc-
cessful, as the method was analyzed to be inspiring, proactive and mind-expansive.
In addition, the process was a way to launch new ideas to conceptualize learning
for sustainable development in higher education. Interdisciplinary group dialogue
offered multiple viewpoints to the procedure. In addition to the innovative solu-
tions for the critical elements of sustainable development in higher education, the
workshop procedure encouraged reflective and collective learning for sustainability
of the participants. The lack of time for deeper conversation was the only negative
feedback from the workshops.
The final result of this development project is not an end or the only “right” solu-
tion to the wide and complex question to define the critical elements for learning
for sustainability. But the critical elements developed in this project are a new way
to categorize and open the concept of sustainable development in higher edu-
202
cation. Not the least important is that the empirical material (case descriptions)
underpins the results, which means that the developed critical elements are em-
pirically relevant. This project as such was an example of the outcome to realize
collective learning, critical reflection and competence building carried out by the
learning-by-developing method and a process-oriented approach. The process as
such was innovative, but in addition the outcome of the procedure was innovative
by producing a new model or tool to enhance the process for sustainability includ-
ing all activities in higher education institutions.
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Biographies
Project managers and editors:
Dr (management) Liisa Rohweder, is a principal lecturer for sustainable development and

responsible business at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences. She leads national and in-
ternational Environmental and Safety Management Cooperation Projects (EnSaCo). Before her
academic career she worked for 10 years in the oil and chemical industry both in research and in
management positions. She has published several books and articles on education for sustainable
development and on responsible business and has experience in leading EU-funded international
projects in the field of environmental and safety management. Dr Rohweder is a member of the
steering group of Åbo Academi University National Resource Centre for ESD (2007-2009) and
of the Baltic Sea Sustainable Development Network (2007-2009). She works in a close coopera-
tion with the Finnish Ministry of Education in sustainable development related issues. In 2007
she was nominated as a vice chairman of the Growing to Global Responsibility strategic project
of the Ministry of Education. Dr Rohweder holds several commissions of trust, such as a vice
chairman of the board of trustees of WWF Finland (2007-2009). She was the chairman of the
board of the Finnish Association for Environmental Management in 2005 and 2006. In 2008 Dr
Rohweder was nominated to represent Rectors’ Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied
Sciences in the Finnish National Commission on Sustainable Development (2008-2012).
Dr (geography) Anne Virtanen, works with education and research for sustainable development
at Laurea University of Applied Sciences. She is responsible of the curriculum in the degree
programme of sustainable development in Laurea, and she coordinated the national project in
which the competences for sustainable development degree programme were determined. Dr
Virtanen was a coordinator of the Baltic Sea Sustainable Development Network in 2005-2006,
and since that she has been a member of the steering group of the Network. She is a member of
Finnish Network for Sustainable Development, in which the indicators for sustainable develop-
ment in higher education are developed. Dr Virtanen is nominated as a project manager of the
national project An Evaluation and Development System for Sustainable Development and
Global Responsibility in Higher Education (2008-2009). Dr Virtanen has worked in the research
projects Ecological Modernisation of Urban Regions (1996-1999) and Private Actors in the Public
Realm (2000-2002) funded by the Academy of Finland. She has worked in several environmental
impact assessment projects, and concentrated especially on social impacts.
Contributors:
Estonia
PhD (ecology), Associate Professor Tiina Elvisto, Department of Natural Sciences, Tallinn University
MA (Educational Sciences) Imbi Henno, Chief Expert of National Examination and
Qualification Centre, General Educational Curriculum and Examination Department, Tallinn
Dr Paavo Kaimre, Institute of Forestry and Rural Engineering, Estonian University of Life
Sciences, Tartu
Finland
MSc, Environmental Coordinator Tove Holm, Sydväst University of Applied Sciences, Turku
MA, Senior Lecturer, Kristina Sahlstedt, Sydväst University of Applied Sciences, Turku
Dr, Director Paula Lindroos, Centre for Continuing Education, Åbo Akademi University
205
Germany
Uwe Graumann, the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin, Federal State of
Brandenburg
MSc, MA Kerstin Greve, University of Applied Sciences Eberswalde until 2006, after that the
Technical University of Berlin
Dr, Professor Jürgen Peters, Landscape Planning and Regional Development, University of
Applied Sciences Eberswalde
MSc Sabine Pohl, the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin, Federal State of
Brandenburg
Dr, Professor Anja Grothe, Berlin School of Economics
Miriam Schmeling, Berlin School of Economics, Institute for Resource Conservation, Innovation
and Sustainability (IRIS e.V.)
Dr, Professor Walter Leal Filho, TuTech Innovation, Hamburg
Dr, Professor Bernd Delakowitz, University of Applied Sciences Zittau/ Goerlitz
MSc Markus Will, University of Applied Sciences Zittau/ Goerlitz
MSc Econ. Anke Zenker-Hoffmann, University of Applied Sciences Zittau/ Goerlitz
Poland
PhD Karolina Krolikowska, Centre for Systems Solutions, Wroclaw
Jadwiga Magnuszewska, Centre for Systems Solutions, Wroclaw
PhD Piotr Magnuszewski, Centre for Systems Solutions, Wroclaw
PhD Jan Sendzimir, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
Russia
Dr, Professor Nikolay Filatov, Director of Northern Water Problems Institute, Professor of State
Pedagogical University, Department of Geography
PhD Tatjana Regerand, Scientific secretary of Northern Water Problems Institute,
Leader of the Educational-Scientific Centre “Water resources of Karelia and methods of their
investigation”
PhD, Associate Professor Victor Ionov, Head of Oceanology Department and Division of
International Baltic and Arctic projects at St.-Petersburg State University, Director of North-
West Russian Center of the Baltic University Programme and ”Phoenix” Distance Learning
Center
PhD Ksenia Shelest, Project coordinator of the North-West Russian Center of the Baltic
University Programme until 2006, at present the Committee of Nature Use, Environmental
Protection and Ecological Safety, City of St.-Petersburg
Ukraine
Assistant Natalie Horal, International Relations Department, Ivan Franko National University of
Lviv
Associate Professor Igor Lozovyj, National University Lvivska Polytechnika
Head Engineer Olexandr Makovejchuk, Bureau of Information Technologies Ltd
Associate Professor Roman Zinko, National University Lvivska Polytechnika
Lecturer Iryna Kriba, Ivan Franko National University of L´viv
Associate Professor Yuriy Zin´ko, Ivan Franko National University of L´viv
206
The book you now have in your hand, or on your computer screen, is the result of practical
work of The Baltic Sea Sustainable Development Network (BSSDN) and the Baltic University
Programme (BUP). These two networks of academic institutions have now merged. They have
as one of their main common visions to contribute to education for a sustainable development
for the Baltic Sea region and for its peoples.
The book displays examples of sustainable management practices, examples of teaching and
learning processes, as well as research and development work for sustainability. We believe
that it is a unique first step towards fruitful discussions and developments about WHAT sus-
tainable development in higher education could be in reality.The examples display an ambition
to include interdisciplinary issues, use true participatory methods of learning, and contribute
to an understanding of Nature/Ecosystems giving frames or limits to man’s activities.

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LEARNING FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

1 ENHANCING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT................................................................. 9

2 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN MANAGEMENT PRACTICES................................ 32

3 TEACHING AND LEARNING FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT............................ 60

5 INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS . ............................................................................................ 191

Ingrid Karlsson, PhD

Challenge 1: Intensifying the dialogue on sustainability

The international framework for sustainable development

However, the definition of sustainable development given in the Brundtland re-

• The connection between human needs and nature’s capacity

Figure 1 illustrates the integrated approach to sustainable development and

The next United Nations’s conference on sustainable development was held in

Education for sustainable development in the Baltic Sea region

The Finnish National Strategy of Education for Sustainable Development

Guidelines for Finland's strategy for the

Proposal for implementation

Basic and Vocational Liberal and

The Finnish national strategy of education for sustainable development

The aforementioned international and regional programmes can be concretized

1 The promotion of SD (including sustainable consumption and production)

2. SD in operative level of all activities

Agenda 21, 1992. http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/documents/agenda21/index.htm (21 October

Based on a recommendation from the Johannesburg Summit in 2002, the UN

The implementation of the Baltic 21E strategy

Main objectives of the Baltic 21E

The emphasis of the Baltic 21 Education sector programme is on strengthening the

• Policies and strategies – include the development of education of sustainable

The Baltic 21E programme aims at making sustainable development considerations

Universities for sustainability

Table 1. Traditional and modern views of sustainability in higher education.

Item Traditional view Modern view

Interest Low High and on the increase

Networking in the field of sustainable development has always been acknowledged

• The Network of Regional Governments for Sustainable Development

1 Governance – addressing issues of RCE management and leadership

As far as stakeholders are concerned, an RCE is composed of a network of:

1 Re-orient education towards sustainable development (SD), covering exist-

Seven pioneer RCEs were launched at the UNU-UNESCO Conference on

Seven challenges to universities

Challenge 1: Intensifying the dialogue on sustainability

Challenge 2: Increasing the participation of staff

Challenge 3: The dissemination of information and best practices

Challenge 4: Combining legal and regulatory requirements

Challenge 6: Raising support from the top

Challenge 7: Ensuring continuity of the work

Activities for SD in higher education:

Implementing sustainable development in an organizational culture

In a postmodern world, pathways towards sustainable higher education institutions

The different phases of change in an organizational culture

1) Internal and external forces of change

a) A vision: a way to kick off the process of change

b) Commitment and motivation

4) Accepting sustainable development as part of daily practices

Bird, A., 1996. Training for environmental improvement. GMI 14:79-94.

Sustainable Development is widely acknowledged as a key concept for human

• Quality basic education in a interdisciplinary perspective

ESD should thereby be more than a theoretical concept, it should be a suitable

Tell them, and they will forget,

(Confucius / Epigraph to the 2nd European Conference of Sustainable Cities

Following the well considered Confuciusian words, students should be involved

Environmental Management Systems

An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a structured approach and man-

• Improved ability to meet compliance requirements

Standards have been developed to enable well structured and comparable