CSR In Higher Education: The Journey to Sustainability

1. CSR In Higher Education:The Journey to Sustainability John Hirst University of Durham

2. Key Milestones • 1980 World Conservation Strategy • 1983 UN World Commission on the Environment & Development: The Brundtland Commission • 1992 UN Rio Earth Summit: Agenda 21 Framework for Action For Sustainable Development • 1993 The Toyne Report: “Environmental Responsibility: An Agenda for FHE” • 1994 European University Charter for Sustainable Development (Copernicus Charter) • 1997 The Kyoto Protocol • 1998 UN World Declaration on Higher Education (UNESCO) • 1999 Government Strategy for Sustainable Development for the UK • 1999 HE21 Initiative • 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development • 2003 UK DfES Sustainable Development Action Plan for Education & Skills • 2005 Decade of Education for Sustainable Development

3. DfES Sustainable Development Action Plan • Objective 1: developing the skills, knowledge and value-base for active citizenship in creating a more sustainable society • Objective 2: pursuing the highest standards of environmental management • Objective 3: encouragement and support for all publicly-funded educational establishments to help them operate to the highest environmental standards

4. HEFCE Sustainable Development Strategy • Institutions as sustainable organisations • Sustainability in the curriculum • Sustainability in society • HEFCE as a sustainable organisation

5. Approaches • Bench-marking for Sustainability – a standards based approach • Curriculum design • Environmental management • Governance – accountability & monitoring • Organisational Learning for Sustainability – a personal & organisational development approach • Learning by participation in roles & responsibilities designed to promote sustainability literacy and CSR skills & competences • Performance coaching – linking beliefs, values, perceptions, feelings, ways of thinking, personality type, ethics, attitudes & behaviour • Integrated value-based framework promoting learning & innovation • Learning culture based on values and principle-centred leadership • Social capital – building meaningful, multicultural and multi-disciplinary communities and relational proximity • Procedures, Tools and Systems for Sustainability– a structural approach

6. The need for an integrated framework “Often by analysing activities in one framework, we can find solutions in unexpected places. People rarely think about things in a joined-up way and so miss negative impacts or, indeed, positive opportunities. This is one of the reasons we have fallen into unsustainable development.” (HEPS Reporting for Sustainability Guidelines, 2003) “CSR concerns the management of an organisation’s total impact upon both its immediate stakeholders and upon the society within which it operates” (DTI/CRG Report, 2003)

7. Frameworks • AISHE • HEPS Reporting Tool • European Corporate Sustainability Framework • EFQM Framework for CSR

8. Big Issues • Growth conflicts with sustainability – critical limits defined by “environmental space” and encouraged by “ecological tax reform” (ETR) – if the richest countries keep growing, the poorer countries can’t catch up • Present patterns of consumption are unsustainable in any case • Consumer affluence does not lead to happiness • The needs of future generations cannot be predicted • Sustainability is a global phenomenon • Much of the increase in productivity has only been achieved at the cost of growth in the use of energy and resource • A steady-state economy will require a completely different set of cultural values • Traditional cost-benefit analysis ignores environmental and social values • The very idea of inter-generational equity is contrary to utilitarianism • There prove to be significant conflicts between sustainability and free-market liberalism which serves the interests of affluent consumers who favour unsustainability – concern about sustainability is dismissed as a barrier to trade • Sustainability costs more in the short-term so is rejected by traditional investment appraisal methodologies that ignore social & environmental costs

9. Process-thinking for Sustainability STRUCTURAL CAPITAL Maintenance interactive – financial & physical capital Organisational learning for sustainability based on integral excellence/RADAR NATURAL CAPITAL – the environment McKinsey ‘hard’ S’s: strategy, structure & systems Scientific management • New Leadership Competences: • self-awareness • self-management • social awareness • relational management • emergent strategy Brand loyalty • Old Leadership • Competences: • command & control mindsets • strategic choice Systems-thinking Performance Coaching Training Process-thinking Flow Quality Control & Assurance Quality Enhancement Function Brand equity People interactive – culture, relationships, trust & commitment: social capital McKinsey ‘soft’ S’s: shared values, style, staff, skills Task interactive – activity, skill, knowledge: intellectual capital HUMAN CAPITAL

10. The Journey from Survival to Sustainability Brand Loyalty Corporate Survival Re-investment Productivity Cost Efficiency Value & Quality Corporate Fitness Supplier Relationships QA Process improvement Product innovation Service & Collaboration Product innovation Corporate Evolution Creativity Corporate Culture (trust & commitment) Customer Relationships Feedback Learning Continuous improvement Corporate Social Responsibility Employee pride & loyalty Delight/ goodwill Employee passion & peak performance QE Society licence to operate Global recognition & reputation Corporate Sustainability Brand Equity Re-investment Re-investment Adapted from “the Balanced Needs Scorecard” by Richard Barrett