2010 WSES outcomes report

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20‐26, 20100

Outcomes Report Writing Team

The writing team consisted of 2010 WSES Delegates, WSEN Representatives, International Volunteers and members of the 2010 WSES Organizing Committee who are listed below in an alphabetical order:

Jean-Paul Brice Affana Affana Kathrin Schreglmann

Sarah Allan Wladyslaw Senn

Setu Goyal Riley Sziklai

Nikolas Hagemann Shiori Takano

Asami Hagino Brian Warshay

Yurika Ito Carina Zell

Back row from left to right: Jean-Paul Brice Affana Affana, Nikolas Hagemann, Carina Zell, Riley Sziklai, Wladyslaw Senn, Brian Warshay, Setu Goyal

Front row from left to right: Shiori Takano, Yurika Ito, Asami Hagino, Sarah Allan, Kathrin Schreglmann

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Outcomes Report 2010 World Student Environmental Summit – Tübingen, Germany

Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen

http://2010wses.org

October 4th, 2010

2010 WSES – Outcomes Report

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Foreword

This Outcomes Report was developed by the members of the World Student Environmental Summit

(WSES) Writing Team in the week following the 2010 WSES. It is based on the speaker presentations,

expert panels, and discussions between the WSES delegates that took place from September 20‐26,

2010, in Tübingen, Germany. The Writing Team took every effort to ensure that the delegates of the

WSES are appropriately represented. It should be noted that this Outcomes Report is only intended

to be a summary of the most important points and discussions that occurred throughout the WSES.

It is also important to recognize that the delegates of the WSES, representing over twenty countries,

came from different political, social, and cultural backgrounds, and as such had different opinions on

many of the topics discussed herein. Therefore, this Outcomes Report is not designed to represent

the view of each WSES delegate, but only presents the salient points discussed throughout the

weeklong summit and attempts to represent the scope and tone of the 2010 WSES as a whole.

The WSES 2010 Writing Team would like to sincerely thank the WSEN initiative of Doshisha

University in Japan, the numerous international volunteers, the WSES sponsors and the hard work

put up by each of the delegates of the 2010 WSES, all of whom contributed to a very successful and

enlightening week of debate, discussion, and knowledge sharing.

This Outcomes Report is intended to contribute to the growing body of knowledge managed by the

WSEN and is for use by likeminded active students and professionals worldwide. It is our hope that

this body of knowledge will be expanded upon at the next World Student Environmental Summit at

Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden, from 16‐20 May 2011, and will continue to gain

momentum and support on a global scale.


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Contents

1 Who We Are .................................................................................................................................... 5

1.1 The First WSES and the Establishment of the WSEN .............................................................. 5

1.2 Following Summits .................................................................................................................. 5

2 Our Mission ..................................................................................................................................... 7

2.1 Sustainable Development ....................................................................................................... 7

3 The 2010 WSES in Tübingen ............................................................................................................ 9

4 Focus for Developing Nations ....................................................................................................... 11

5 Context .......................................................................................................................................... 12

6 Daily Discussion Topics .................................................................................................................. 14

6.1 Sustainable Energy Supply Day ............................................................................................. 14

6.1.1 Guest Speakers .............................................................................................................. 14

6.1.2 Discussion Structure ...................................................................................................... 15

6.1.3 Energy Group Work Session A: Interest Groups ........................................................... 15

6.1.4 Energy Group Work Session B: Country Groups ........................................................... 19

6.1.5 Energy Day Summary & Important Features ................................................................ 22

6.2 Building a Greener Economy Day .......................................................................................... 23

6.2.1 Guest Speakers .............................................................................................................. 23

6.2.2 Students’ Discussions .................................................................................................... 24

6.2.3 Outcomes ...................................................................................................................... 24

6.2.4 Focus on Developing Nations ........................................................................................ 28

6.2.5 Economy Day Summary & Important Features ............................................................. 28

6.3 Sustainable Consumption Day ............................................................................................... 30

6.3.1 Guest Speakers .............................................................................................................. 30

6.3.2 Discussion ...................................................................................................................... 32

6.3.3 Consumption ‐ Outside the Box .................................................................................... 39

6.4 Education Day ........................................................................................................................ 40

6.4.1 Guest Speaker................................................................................................................ 40

6.4.2 Energy ............................................................................................................................ 40

6.4.3 Economy ........................................................................................................................ 40

6.4.4 Politics ........................................................................................................................... 41

6.4.5 ESD ................................................................................................................................. 41

6.4.6 Education Day Summary & Important Features ........................................................... 41

7 Case Studies in Sustainability ........................................................................................................ 43

7.1 Developing a Roadmap for Student Initiated ESD at the University of Tübingen, Germany 43

7.2 Sustainability Policy Examples in Brazil, Israel, Germany, and the USA ................................ 45

8 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 47

8.1 Thinking Globally ................................................................................................................... 47

8.1.1 Political Conclusions ...................................................................................................... 47

8.1.2 Economic Conclusions ................................................................................................... 48

8.1.3 Civil Society Conclusions ................................................................................................ 48


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8.2 Acting Locally ......................................................................................................................... 48

8.2.1 Formal Learning – ESD elements incorporated into academic curricula ...................... 49

8.2.2 Informal Learning – ESD elements incorporated non‐academic activities ................... 49

8.2.3 Direct Action – ESD elements incorporated into campus operations ........................... 49

9 Closing ........................................................................................................................................... 50

10 Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... 51

11 Appendix........................................................................................................................................ 55

11.1 Speaker Information .............................................................................................................. 56

11.2 Delegates’ Details .................................................................................................................. 62

11.3 Sponsors ................................................................................................................................ 64

11.4 Student Project List ............................................................................................................... 65

11.5 Summit Schedule ................................................................................................................... 66

11.6 Press review........................................................................................................................... 67

11.7 University Proposal Template ............................................................................................... 69

11.8 Political Proposal ................................................................................................................... 71


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1 Who We Are "We are a network of students that will develop solutions to environmental problems to combat

global climate change. We will draw on the strengths of diversity and achieve initiatives through

cooperation and passion. We are part of a collaboration that embraces the opportunities created by

contemporary environmental challenges. We are a network of students who want to help change the

world..."

WSEN Student Proposal, 2008 World Student Environmental Summit in Kyoto

1.1 The First WSES and the Establishment of the WSEN In 2008 the inaugural World Student Environmental Summit (WSES) commenced at the renowned

Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan. The summit was organized by a group of exceptional and

dedicated students who had the collective intention to formulate a global student proposal to enter

political decision making. Students from fifteen universities of eleven countries discussed innovative

technologies for climate change mitigation, collaborated on global action plans for sustainable

development and came to consensus on the unique role of the global student body. The student

proposal was created to fulfill our responsibility to establish a sustainable future and was delivered

to political leaders at the 2008 G8 conference in Japan. The summit was a success in its ability to

facilitate student connectivity and positively impact campuses and communities around the world.

During the discussion sessions at the WSES 2008, a common precondition for effective student

engagement was discovered amongst all countries: all expressed a need for a student network that

could facilitate information sharing and cooperation towards creating global solutions to climate

change. As a result, the World Student Environmental Network (WSEN) was formally established and

launched at the closing ceremony at Doshisha University in Kyoto. The WSEN acts as a hub for

student action in lobbying international governance bodies, creating international solutions to

climate change, and breaking the cross cultural barriers to campus‐based collaboration.

The ultimate goal for the WSEN is to become the driving force for an alternative future. This

alternative future is not what lies ahead of exploitation of resources, mass consumption, nor

degradation of environmental values, but rather a future of a society acting in a sustainable manner

where we become change makers through our actions. Five key objectives were developed to

achieve this goal:

Establish a global framework of like‐minded environmentally conscious university and college students

Share knowledge of best practices aimed to realize sustainability on campuses at a global scale

Provide a platform for students to discuss environmental issues and the alternative future

Initiate a database for environmental knowledge

Produce a forum where students of the world can freely communicate.

1.2 Following Summits The enthusiasm of the first WSES in Kyoto spread and formed the foundation for the second WSES in

Victoria, Canada in 2009, attended by representatives from twenty‐five universities from eighteen

different countries. This summit was organized by two delegates that exhibited strong leadership


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roles at the 2008 WSES. The students advocated three themes for universities to address

sustainability: energy, university sustainability, and global response to climate change. Dr. Rajendra

Pachauri, Nobel prize laureate and Chairman of the IPCC as well as Mukesh Kapila, Special Deputy of

the International Red Cross, made presentations at the second WSES. This summit formulated the

2009 Outcomes Report, which delivered the key points raised by the student delegation to those of

particular influence or change capacity, such as university executives and global policy makers.

Specifically, the report was shared amongst participating universities and delegates and was

delivered by student representatives of the WSEN to Lykke Friis, minister of climate and energy of

Denmark and later passed on to Yvo de Boer at the UNFCCC at the COP15 in Copenhagen in

December, 2009.

Figure 1: The growth of the World Student Environmental Network

The passion and momentum of the summits was, and continues to be, contagious. The annual WSES

acts as an event to connect students and produce cutting‐edge recommendations for action to

decision makers at the local and national level. The WSES contributes to widespread change and

awareness about global climate change, creating solidarity among the global student body to work

towards achieving more sustainable development.


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2 Our Mission Our mission is to Educate, Empower and Engage the world student community by providing them

with a common platform for exchange of ideas and opinions on numerous global issues pertaining to

climate change and encourage them to become agents of change towards global sustainable

development.

This will be carried out by including universities around the world in a common association called the

World Student Environment Network (WSEN) and encouraging them to take initiatives revolving

around sustainability and environmental wellbeing. This will allow them to serve as role models for

other universities and society as a whole.

The intent is to facilitate relationships between universities all over the globe to make possible the

exchange of research, knowledge, and technologies irrespective of geographical, political, social or

economic boundaries.

Educate: The World Student Environmental Network holds the annual World Student Environmental

Summit in one of its partner universities each year with support from its founding member, the

Doshisha University in Japan. The summit involves lectures from numerous eminent speakers from

different sectors of society including business people, politicians, members of the media, and experts

from the social sector to educate the delegates about the theories, practical issues, and applications

of sustainable development. Most importantly, the speakers are tasked with motivating the

delegates to take action as agents of change who can help shape their own future and that of future

generations.

Empower: The World Student Environmental Network believes that to be educated and aware is to

be empowered. The entire idea of having this annual gathering is to bring students from different

countries, universities, and cultures together and to be able to understand each other’s perspectives

on the issues of climate change and sustainable development. The Summit empowers these young

delegates to raise their voices and take action towards these issues and provides them with a

platform for their voices to be heard by decision makers.

Engage: The summit is different from typical conferences because it does not only involve

educational lectures and networking about environmental degradation and social equity but

demands active participation from the delegates in discussions about potential solutions to these

issues. By the time the Summit is concluded, the delegates are not only wiser but motivated and

enthusiastic about taking these tough issues head on. The delegates are encouraged to leaders to

shape global society as they envisage it to be. The delegates are asked to take suggestions and best

practices on campus sustainability measures from partner universities and recommend them to be

implemented at their own universities.

2.1 Sustainable Development This term was used numerous times throughout the Summit. For the purposes of this Report, the

term Sustainable Development is defined as follows from the Report of the World Commission on

Environment and Development (also termed The Brundtland Commission) on 11 December, 1987:

Believing that sustainable development, which implies meeting the needs of the present without

compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, should become a central


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guiding principle of the United Nations, Governments and private institutions, organizations and

enterprises,

Recognizing, in view of the global character of major environmental

problems, the common interest of all countries to pursue policies aimed at

sustainable and environmentally sound development.


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3 The 2010 WSES in Tübingen The organisers of the 2010 WSES kept the same principles of the previous two summits but created

some special features to add uniqueness to the 2010 Summit.

Participants

From September 20 until 26, 2010, 64 delegates from 36 universities in 23 countries of all inhabited

continents attended the 2010 WSES. This cultural variety led to discussions about global issues as

well as best‐practice sharing among nations and universities. The delegates had various academic

and professional backgrounds which enabled them to share information and hold discussions from

different perspectives.

Contextual Work

The four following topics were the focus of discussions for the last four days of the 2010 WSES:

Future Energy Supply

Sustainable Economy

Consumption Patterns

Education for Sustainable Development To structure the discussions and come up with more concrete outcomes, the participants were

divided into three interest groups: politics, economy, and civil society.

More than 20 speakers came to the 2010 Summit and shared their knowledge in keynote speeches,

panel discussions, and active workshops.

Writing Session

In addition to the actual summit event, a special opportunity was set up for five selected delegates,

WSEN members, and members of the 2010 organisation team to attend the 'Writing Session,' a 5 day

intensive workweek immediately after the Summit. The purpose of this session was to write two

proposals and this Outcomes Report.

The first proposal is targeted towards decision makers in politics. In December, it will be handed to

the COP16 in Mexico by the president of Doshisha University, Professor Hatta. Furthermore, it will be

handed to Mr. Norbert Gorißen, leader of the Division “Strategic Aspects of International

Cooperation” at the German Federal Ministry for the Environment at an official appointment on

October 4th, 2010 in Berlin.

The second proposal is addressed to the universities’ presidents and will be mostly written by the

participating students from each university. This individual, localized proposal aims to have a

maximal outcome because it is addressed to each university president specifically with ideas and

practices that can be implemented on each delegate’s respective campus..

The Outcomes Report presents a synopsis of the Summit and will be distributed to the delegates,

sponsors, and posted on the website for widespread consumption.

Support

We have some strong supporters of the 2010 WSES, namely Prof. Dr. Klaus Töpfer and Dr. Rajendra

Pachauri. Prof. Dr. Klaus Töpfer is a German politician and environmental politics expert and former

German Federal Minister for the Environment. From 1998 to 2006 he was executive director of the


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United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Dr. Rajendra Pachauri is director general at TERI

University and chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).He was awarded

the Nobel Peace Prize 2007.

UN Decade

2010 WSES is proud to be part of the German national action week for the United Nations World

Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.

Responsibility

To offset our carbon emissions, we initiated a visible project in Tübingen as a cooperative effort

between the organisation team, the University of Tübingen and other students. This project focuses

on fertilizing soil with biochar – a natural material to enhance growth and store carbon. Research is

carried out by the faculty of biology and geology of the University of Tübingen to explore the

potentials of this new technology for enhancing the carbon storage capacity of soil. The carbon offset

project will be a great contribution to the mitigation of climate change in the long run.

Additionally, the 2010 WSES was completely carbon neutral ‐ this was made by our sponsor

Southpole Carbon.

To ensure a low‐emission journey of the participants, short‐haul flights were replaced whenever

possible in favour of rail transport. All necessary print products were printed on 100% recycled

paper. Also, the catering for the participants was chosen with sustainability in mind. The meals

consisted primarily of regional and organic food. Also, almost every meal was vegetarian to reduce

methane and carbon emissions from livestock farming and to reduce non‐sustainable livestock feed

cultivation.


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4 Focus for Developing Nations Since most of the speakers and delegates in this summit belong to developed nations, many of the

outcomes mentioned in this report revolve around topics more relevant to the developed world.

However, the delegates made every effort to also consider representation from developing nations

by holding special topics and sessions as part of the main topics on each day of the Summit. Many of

these outcomes are mentioned specifically in this report wherever applicable.


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5 Context The summit commenced with an opening ceremony consisting of numerous speeches by prominent

scientists and social activists providing background information and context for the week ahead as

well as words of encouragement to all the participating delegates.

Prof. Dr. Lennart Olsson from the Lund University, Sweden, provided an overview to the participating

delegates over the self‐made environmental problems and their impacts on society, politics, and the

economy.

He discussed the seven major environmental and social challenges that people have created for

themselves over the past several decades:

1. Global Climate Change: The term ‘Anthropocene’ was introduced, referring to the

industrialization and post‐industrialization eras, which have had an ever lasting impact on the

global climate.

2. Global Water Crisis: The global water shortage was discussed, namely that today, world

over, about 1.2‐1.5 billion individuals do not have access to even 10 liters of safe drinking

water and how the situation will only become more urgent with these figures expected to

double in the next 10 to 20 years.

3. Global Health: With declining water quality and food availability and the changes in global

weather patterns increasing in frequency and intensity, global health will place a huge

burden on the world healthcare industry. The present global health systems will be unable to

meet such a load.

4. The Destruction of Ecosystems and Loss of Biodiversity: The increasing risks to ecological

diversity and world ecosystems, both of which are highly prone to the changing climatic

conditions.

5. Global food security: The concepts of over‐consumption and under‐consumption in different

regions and attributing them to the pattern of food consumption in different parts of the

world is increasingly important.

6. Depletion of Fish Stocks: The depletion of fish stocks continues to be a major issue,

especially because the consequences of activities are not obvious to society as a whole.

7. Desertification and Degradation of Croplands: Over exploitation of land resources,

complemented with the effects of climate change, has resulted in the desertification and

degradation of croplands, resulting in a change of land profiles and increasing problems of

adequate food availability.

Prof. Dr. Olsson also asked the delegates to refrain from conspiracy theories and be explicit about the

values, facts, and figures pertaining to the climate change scenario. He insisted that the delegates

promote innovation and pursue a ‘grandchildren perspective’ when considering lifestyle choices. He

ended his speech by an optimistically and ambitiously stating that “The ‘impossible’ just takes a little

longer to achieve!”


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Miss Lili Fuhr from the Ecology and Sustainable Development Department at the Heinrich Böll

Foundation, discussed issues pertaining to the equity dimensions of the Global Climate Politics.

She discussed how developing nations are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change since

they are more prone to the problems of coastal flooding, diseases, and inadequate food supplies. She

also mentioned four dimensions of climate equity, fairness in dealing with climate change, the effects

of climate change, the inequity in causing climate change and a fair opportunity‐ sharing to propel

the transformation.

Her talks ended with discussions on the failure of the Copenhagen Summit, the need for equity in the

UNFCC process and on Climate Equity beyond the Global Deal.

Prof. Dr. Lenelis Kruse‐Graumann’s, from the University of Heildelberg, gave a speech on Education

for Sustainable Development and its impacts on higher education. Appreciating the efforts of the

participating delegates in combating the challenges involved in the integration of concepts of

sustainable development with education and their work towards making their respective universities

more sustainable, she described the necessity of education for sustainable development and that

universities to stress ‘learning’ more than just imparting knowledge.

The later part of the session included talks from people of different genre, enlightening the students

on the role of Politics, Civil Society, and the Economy in ensuring more sustainable living. These

speeches also gave the delegates a general idea on some of the issues which were discussed

throughout the rest of the summit.

The first presentation was given by Prof. Dr. Martin Jänicke, Professor for comparative politics at the

Freie Universität, Berlin, on the topic, Environmental Policy as Innovation. He stressed on the need to

innovate into a newer opportunity, giving examples on how crisis in the sectors like economy, social

welfare, governance, and environment could be easily transformed into opportunities. He also

introduced to the delegates the concept of ‘Eco‐Innovation’ and its importance, terming it as a

necessary condition for long‐term industrial growth and for having other associated co‐benefits like

increasing productivity and employment and ensuring energy security and health for the society.

Miss Angelina Hermanns, a freelance journalist in Brussels, talked about the role of Civil Society

Groups in shaping the policies. The delegates were also informed about the important role played by

the NGO’s in acting as a check‐mechanism within society.

Mr. Thomas Weiß, Sustainability Manager at a German organic brewery, Neumarkter Lammsbräu,

discussed issues from the industrial perspective and provided important insights on his views about

the Corporate Social Responsibilities of companies. He informed the delegates about blending

environmental concerns with the typical functions of an industry without having drastic effects on its

growth and returns.

The day ended with a speech from Mr. Frank Uekötter, a Dilthy Fellow with the Research Institute of

the Deutsches Museum in Munich, speaking on the role of civil society in environmental movements

and discussing issues like globalization and the challenges of generations, environmental justice, time

frames, and co‐optation.


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6 Daily Discussion Topics

6.1 Sustainable Energy Supply Day The delegates were presented with a panel of experts in the field of energy supply and policy to

discuss the potentials of sustainable energy supply from four different approaches.

6.1.1 Guest Speakers

Dr. Nicholas Dahmen

Head of the Thermochemical Biomass Refining Department, Institute for Technical Chemistry,

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT),

Dr. Dahmen discussed the potential of biomass processing via pyrolysis to provide a significant

quantity of renewable fuels for the transport, energy generation, and chemical sectors. Dry biomass

can be converted along several pathways into energy, synthetic gas, or liquid fuels with numerous

uses. The process proposed by Dr. Dahmen can retain up to 90 percent of the energy contained in

the biomass input into a slate of usable products, including biosyncrude (a liquid that can be further

converted into fuels or chemicals), synthetic gas, and other usable coproducts. This process is

relatively feedstock agnostic, meaning that it can use nearly any high yielding biomass crops or

residues without impacting global food, livestock feed, or fibre needs.

Ralf Dunker

Project Manager, Juwi Holding AG

Mr. Dunker spoke about his experience as an activist with Greenpeace and his current involvement

as a Project Manager at Juwi Holding AG. He discussed the importance of taking a broader view of

energy economics. Mr. Dunker and Juwi work as renewable energy project developers so that their

clients can become “pro‐sumers,” or entities that both produce and consume energy. He advocated

for corporate citizenship, a perspective of corporate accountability beyond that of just corporate

social responsibility.

Arnulf Dinkel

Dipl.‐Ing. Architect, Fraunhofer‐Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE)

Mr. Dinkel spoke about a case study, Masdar City in Abu Dhabi, UAE, from its design and vision to

reality. Masdar City is designed to function as a carbon neutral and zero waste city, meeting nearly all

of its energy needs through the use of renewable technologies. Many of these ambitious goals are

planned to be accomplished through design improvements that take advantage of local conditions

and resources. However, it was noted that in its first phase, Masdar City has not been able to meet

all of its design specifications and sustainable design goals for a variety of reasons. Fortunately, the

master plan for the city has been revisited and will be revamped to take into account the lessons

learned from the first phase of design and construction.

Professor Dr. Fred Steward

Professor of Innovation and Sustainability, The Policy Studies Institute at the University of

Westminster, London


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Dr. Steward discussed transformative innovations in providing sustainable energy supply from a

policy perspective. He explained that the high capital costs often associated with renewable energy

projects need not be considered as costs per se, but investments, as they have the potential to

provide investors with significant returns after several years. He acknowledged that numerous world

leaders are now openly discussing and committing to sustainability initiatives, including carbon

emission and renewable energy targets, and compared these goals to the space program in scope,

commitment, and complexity.

Rainer Baake

CEO, German Environmental Aid Association and Former Secretary, German Federal Ministry of the

Environment

Mr. Baake discussed the goal of 100 percent renewable energy in Germany and throughout the

world. He examined some of the constraints to renewable energy expansion and how it is important

to re‐evaluate the electricity grid mix as it tends to take advantage of the most efficient energy

sources available. He also explained that only natural gas is compatible with intermittent renewable

energy sources due to the flexibility of its use in relation to demand. Nuclear and coal fired facilities

are not as compatible as base load generators in electricity grids with increasing renewable energy

shares because of the minimum energy their facilities are required to constantly produce to run

efficiently, regardless of the varying demand load placed on the grid throughout the day.

6.1.2 Discussion Structure

Delegates were initially assigned to separate rooms based upon their interest groups (Civil Society,

Economy, and Politics). Within each interest group’s room, the delegates were further separated into

country groups (Countries with Money and Technology, Countries with an Abundance of Other

Energy Resources, and Countries without Money, Resources or Infrastructure). The discussions were

structured within the context of achieving 100 percent renewable energy (as discussed by the panel

and Rainer Baake), with specific outcomes examined in Session A, below. Each group was asked to

keep in mind the constraints or benefits of its country group. In a second round of discussions the

delegates were placed into separate rooms based upon their country groups and then into their

specific interest groups. After some initial discussion, the interest groups were combined to provide

for a collaborative discussion, with specific outcomes examined in Session B, below.

6.1.3 Energy Group Work Session A: Interest Groups

The three interest groups split off to discuss the issue of renewable energy based on one of the

assigned country groups. Using this structure, the interest groups discussed how to further develop

renewable energy from these perspectives.

6.1.3.1 Civil Society This session ended up being a group discussion with delegates developing strategies for ways civil

society can have an influence on the interest groups of the economy and politics in terms of

implementing renewable energies. For discussions, the goal of 100% renewable energy was set and

participants were asked how this could be achieved in the three different country groups.

The role of behaviour change in implementing renewable energy is an important outcome. The

example was raised regarding what it would take to shut down nuclear plants in France and the

following general procedure provides insight on ways to introduce renewable energy sources:


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General public needs to receive education on opportunities of renewable energy,

implications of the current system, and ways to get involved or learn more

The cost of renewable energy needs to be competitive

A phase out plan needs to be developed and the use of a combination of energy sources

rather than a single source is proposed.

The general public can also be influenced in behaviour change strategies by businesses supporting or

manufacturing local goods, enforcement of municipal tax constraints for non‐renewable energies,

and provision of education on sustainability. Civil society groups can use campaigns and boycotts to

demand that the public refuse to buy non‐renewable energy. Although there is a base of knowledge

on renewable technologies, an emphasis needs to be placed on research into efficiency

enhancements and also on the improvement of existing technologies.

Civil society needs to put pressure on political decision makers to not only implement policies that

support more sustainable solutions but also demand decision makers to be more accountable. Civil

society must:

Show their support so that politicians can feel comfortable avoiding influence by fossil fuel

supporters and lobbyists

The public needs to support a political party that takes initiative on sustainable policies

Publicize the need for different energy solutions and subsidizing renewable energy

Public support should be provided to enable politicians to implement measures such as feed‐

in tariffs, when applicable.

Businesses that are in the development stage of renewable energy need the political and public

support to continue their research and to implement their solutions should they become available.

Both policymakers and civil society can assist this industrial sector by providing media attention and

educating the public about the demand for eco‐friendly energy and encouraging the public to

demand green energy from companies.

Note on Developing Countries

The issue of 100% renewable energy was found to be an irrelevant target for countries with limited

money, resources, or infrastructure (developing countries). This was due to multiple constraints

including the provision of basic needs for the general population. Developing countries are not

among the industrialized group of countries that have a very high demand for energy. Industry

working in developing countries has an even greater responsibility to implement energy systems that

are accountable to international regulations. It was mentioned that the Clean Development

Mechanism (CDM) presents a controversial solution to renewables by allowing more developed

nations to pollute at will as long as they pay for (often controversial) mitigation projects elsewhere.

The result of discussions concluded that one of the most powerful mechanisms to work towards

100% renewable energy can come from the empowerment of student networks and local

communities to influence policy makers.

6.1.3.2 Economy In this session, the groups addressed similar questions but focused primarily on economic drivers.

This was discussed in parallel with the civil society and politics groups.


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One group discussed developing nations and their need for help with technology transfer from more

developed nations because developing nations comprise of most of the world’s population and more

holistic and natural consumption behaviours compared to that of the developed world. The group

explored how carbon credits are one way with which to encourage developed nations to reduce their

emissions as well as a way to encourage sustainable energy development and investment in less

developed regions.

With respect to energy, the economic sector should:

Enhance energy efficiency in its procedures

Employ or invest in a renewable lifestyle

Promote and offer more sustainable lifestyle choices to civil society.

Society needs to have a dedicated group of responsible individuals chosen from each sector

(education, research, media, government, industry, etc.) in order to oversee decision processes and

ensure that stakeholders’ interests are met.

Another group tackled the questions of which incentives are necessary for economy to engage

renewable energy. It was decided that behavioural changes are needed within corporations:

Managers need to take into account sustainable development on more than one level

This would come in the form of taking responsibility for their products as well as taking

responsibility for the departments within their company

Managers or owners with a vision for sustainability are needed.

In addition to this, innovation and research and development are needed from industries. It is not

only necessary to develop these technologies but also to develop ethical instruments for the transfer

of sustainable technologies to others (i.e. developing nations). In order for this to happen,

corporations need to shift their perception of renewable technologies from high risk to that of

opportunities.

The group also explored how the economic sector might be able to make a change. They discussed

corporate social and ecological responsibility (CSER) and making the senior management accountable

as decision makers. They decided that employees should also have power to influence the decisions

of the management and that stakeholders should be involved in the process apart from

shareholders.

The group determined that subsidies (money) are required to influence change among economic

drivers. Through the offering of subsidies or new types of loans, the government may be able to drive

the economic sector towards more sustainable development.

6.1.3.3 Politics Similar to the other groups, the politics group was asked to tackle several questions relating to 100%

renewable energy goals from a political perspective. The following outcomes came from their

discussions.

The question of what political actors can do to achieve 100% renewable energy was discussed. They

discussed the need to inform the public about the advantages of renewable energy and that jobs

need to shift towards the renewable energy industry. Laws are needed in order to promote


18

renewable energy sources. Politicians also must take a stand and campaign hard on the issue of

renewable energy.

Acknowledging that politicians also need support from other sectors (such as economic and civil

society), the group discussed the needs of politicians from these groups. They decided that industry

leaders need to innovate in the renewable technology field. In addition, civil society needs more

education on renewable technology and needs to adapt their lifestyle to be more energy efficient.

They also discussed the need to have the support of the people – such as their vote for parties

supporting greener initiatives.

Discussing how they can influence civil society and the economic sectors, it was agreed that

weakening the power of the fossil fuel industry is necessary (through measures like taxation or

subsidies to renewable energy). More awareness is needed in civil society which could be

accomplished through seminars and conferences (which is also applicable for economic actors).

International laws were also seen as a way to help deflect blame away from politicians for their

enactment (by having a higher authority responsible for them). In this way, it is easier for politicians

to retain the vote of the people even after committing to publicly unpopular initiatives and

legislation. However, until an international treaty is enacted, local politicians may have to take

responsibility for their communities and states.

One of the questions deals with the idea of how to encourage energy efficiency improvements as a

political actor. The group decided that primarily monetary incentives must be used in order to

influence changes among citizens. They discussed that this needs to be done by showing hard

numbers – for example return on investment(s). Demonstrating the creation of jobs (stimulation of

the economy) may also be another avenue to accomplish this goal. Additionally, the group also

discussed the importance of educating people on the development of sustainable energy. The group

also believed that bureaucracy is hindering sustainable development in many countries – and the

removal of this is needed to further influence and expedite its development.

The group then addressed the issue of what political decision makers require from economic and civil

society actors. They discussed the necessity of having support (the vote) from the people as well as

grass roots movements to drive changes. The confidence and commitment from companies was also

seen as necessary to support political decision makers and drive change.

The group believed that subsidies and incentives could be used for economic actors in order to

influence them to make sustainable decisions (i.e. driving energy efficiency). Close communication

and cooperation is needed throughout the three sectors (politics, civil society, and economy).

Countries lacking money and technology typically also have a low level of energy consumption per

capita. The following discussion draws a road map towards developing the energy sector in these

types of countries where renewable natural resources are often present in high quantity or quality

for decentralised energy production (wind, solar exposure, biomass, etc.).

The first steps should be conducted at national and local levels and include the mapping of these

resources together with the design of a national long‐term energy plan. To optimise the distribution

and the production of energy, multi‐scale cooperation is required between local and regional actors

and interests but also between the public and private sectors (PPP) including civil society to ensure

that the population’s interests are taken into account in the policy making process.


19

The necessity to appeal to international technological know‐how and funding was raised. Participants

expressed concern, however, towards the funding system and the origin of these funds. The obvious

dependency of many developing countries on international financial aid has to be replaced by

interdependency and knowledge transfer.

6.1.4 Energy Group Work Session B: Country Groups

For this section, the delegates separated into their country groups and the three interest groups

mixed to discuss another series of questions. Initial discussions in the groups revolved around what a

theoretical sustainable energy system or 100 percent renewable energy system look like, and

resulted in the following:

No carbon

Zero emissions

Recycling

Renewable

Decentred

Secure.

Further discussion about several of the participants’ home countries current situation included the following:

Australia: Cheap electricity, a lot of coal, and some oil and gas with a large energy intensive sector, only about 7 percent renewable

Norway: Nearly 100 percent renewable energy because of hydropower with a strong export‐oriented oil industry

Brazil: Huge hydropower sector with a large supply of biofuels for transportation (especially ethanol) and still a sizable fraction of fossil fuels. Overall there is a large potential for solar energy and hydropower

Iran: Primarily oil and gas with only about 1 percent renewable energy but it has a large potential for solar energy and hydropower

Czech Republic: About 60 percent of their electricity is generated from coal, but that will decrease as coal becomes less available (around 20 years). There are many industries dependent upon coal that will have to adapt to the decline of this resource. About 10 percent of the country’s energy is renewable and another 30 percent is from nuclear energy (It is the only country in the European Union with uranium mines and garners popular support).

6.1.4.1 Countries with Money and Technology Discussions between the Civil Society and Politics Groups representing Developed Nations led to the

following outcomes relating to how policy, economics, and civil society can use different mechanisms

to work towards and incentivize 100 percent renewable energy development and policies:

A long‐term perspective is important to perceive and encourage capital investment into

renewable energy technologies, taking into account potential risks of continuing with fossil

fuels and the avoided externality costs associated with renewable energy

Policymakers can provide incentives to businesses to encourage CSER, including subsidies,

long‐term commitments to more sustainable technologies and policies, sustainability

awareness campaigns, tax breaks on more sustainable technologies and behaviours,

increased transparency, and overall accountability to the current and future citizens of their

constituency


20

Policymakers should set short, medium, and long‐term, quantifiable and achievable targets

for renewable energy integration and enhanced sustainability measures such that the

economic sector can consider reduced risks from investing in projects with high upfront costs

and long‐term revenues.

6.1.4.2 Countries with an Abundance of Other Energy Resources Initial discussion led the group to discuss, in general, “Countries that do not use 100 percent

renewable energy have an abundance of other energy resources.” This phrase provides a context for

the discussion that ensued, which included the following outcomes:

Civil society wants policies to support renewable energy companies by providing incentives

for renewable energy and not for fossil fuels

Taxes are discouraged because politicians may face barriers to their passage, therefore

positive reinforcement for more sustainable technologies is encouraged

Because elections reflect important issues for civil society it is possible to raise awareness

about renewable energy and expect votes by providing support for renewable energy

projects and policies

Education is especially important in rural areas and is necessary for raising awareness about

pressing issues related to public welfare, in this context weaning society off of fossil fuels and

pursuing policies that support renewable energy and sustainable behaviours

Sustainable development (SD) education should start early on in the education system

Renewable energy could benefit from mass marketing of it to the masses to make it more

popular and appealing (or ‘sexy’)

Consumers could make more informed decisions if products were required to display labels

that detail the environmental impact of the products production and use

Green building standards are essential to any large‐scale energy management plan

Infrastructure should be provided to support and encourage decentralized energy supplies

The civil society group is in favour of a global climate treaty and national strategic plans

Further discussion revolved around the role of the economic sector and its potential

contribution: Innovation and Research and Development (R&D)

Ethical financing (example: banks and insurance companies supporting renewable energy projects)

Use relevant industrial knowledge to facilitate knowledge transfer between and within the economic sector to develop more sustainable alternatives

The economic sector requires long‐term strategy with continuous policy that companies can rely on and plan with (certainty & predictability)

Subsidies and support for renewable energy and remove support for fossil fuel

Civil society should continue to apply political pressure and lobbying for sustainable energy policies and technological support

Civil society should continue to assist with spreading information and educating students and adults alike.

Greening the world economy could be a concrete solution to improve sustainable development at

the global level since our societies cannot function without the economy. In order to do so, there is a

need for civil society organizations and actors to influence the economic sector including industries

and other corporations. NGO’s can motivate by encouraging people to voice their opinions regarding

consumption of goods and services. Companies have a responsibility to invest in sustainable


21

technologies and practices to contribute to environmental protection and the safety of life on this

planet.

6.1.4.3 Countries without Money, Resources or Infrastructure Participants In this session the group decided to start by looking at concrete situations of energy production and

supply in Bolivia, Cameroon, and Guatemala, as examples of countries with limited means and

technology availability. The general outcome was that, in these countries, potential for renewable

energy production is high due to abundant natural resources (wind, solar, biomass, hydropower,

etc.). Renewable energy represents approximately 40‐50 percent of the national energy production

in each of these three countries, a proportion much higher than in most developed countries. Among

these three countries, renewable energy production mainly relies on one single source ‐ hydropower.

The result was the establishment of a monopoly on these resources that prevents the equal

distribution of the benefits to the population. In fact, a significant part of society in these countries

does not have access to electricity (15‐20 percent). Indeed, without a national supply grid that covers

the main populated areas, the centralised production in large‐scale installations (dams, natural gas

power plants) can only provide energy only to the population nearby. Much of the time the largest

part of the energy production is exported at the expense of the local population. For this reason, and

considering the environmental impacts of natural gas power plants and large dams, energy policy in

these developing countries may be more sustainable if it encourages more decentralised smaller‐

scale renewable energy production infrastructure (active/passive solar energy, biomass, wind). The

technology and the knowledge for distributed small‐scale renewable energy sources should circulate

in regional exchange networks and be carried throughout by national specialists. Importation of final

products (solar panels) and heavy reliance on external financing should only be temporary to get the

industry started.

Achieving 100 percent renewable energy is heavily reliant on the extensive awareness and

understanding of its benefit by society. In a number of countries, including Cameroon, the level of

awareness to issues related to energy supply and environmental impacts is low. In this context,

action should start in the form of strong support to grassroots movements and student organizations

together with the development of a regional know‐how (best practices) sharing network.

The main obstacles to 100 percent renewable energy discussed include:

Limited means and technology

Existing energy supply monopolies

Inadequate production and distribution infrastructure and national supply grid

Low level of sustainability and renewable energy awareness.

The lack of access to any energy, let alone renewable energy, is greatly exaggerated in the

developing world. Developing countries face many issues that residents of developed countries take

for granted, including lack of technological infrastructure or political instability. Another hurdle, as

seen in Brazil, is the inability to access the necessary funding to develop renewable energy projects.

In India, some sustainable farming practices have even been discouraged due to the financial crisis.

India is also investing in nuclear energy financing when it could be using these funds to commit to a

more sustainable energy infrastructure.


22

In order to improve access to renewable energy in the developing world, the delegates discussed the

following issues that can enable and empower governments, companies, and civil society

organizations to work towards this goal:

Establish long‐term solutions through public‐private partnership

Use media and civil campaigns to encourage world leaders to improve and ameliorate access

to renewable energy in their countries

Encourage students to choose studies focused on renewable energies sector

Encourage investments for the improvement of renewable energy throughout the world with

a focus on the developing world.

6.1.4.4 Focus for Developing Countries In addition to the section related to Resource Deficient Countries, above, the following are outcomes

discussed in the topics above that apply to developing countries and emerging economies:

Developing nations may not have abundant natural or fossil energy resources, and many that

do may not have the financial capacity to exploit them

It may be possible to implement policies such as a carbon tax, carbon fund, or carbon credits

into their economy to help develop renewable energy projects instead of those dependent

upon fossil fuels

Developing nations should define clear roadmaps and seek technology transfer from nations

with well‐defined technological and energy infrastructure so that they can avoid the fossil

fuel pitfalls encountered by many developed nations during the Industrial Revolution

Developing nations face a tough challenge from their relatively larger populations, under

representation, political instability, limited financial resources, and priorities toward more

basic needs (food, clean water, shelter) rather than focusing on greening their electricity

grids

NGO’s can play a substantial role in providing start‐up funding and encouragement for

developing nations to develop more sustainably than developed nations did.

6.1.5 Energy Day Summary & Important Features

Salient features of the discussions throughout the day included the following:

Energy legislation needs to be easy to enforce and understand and consistent

Legislation should be based upon good science and replace outdated and less relevant

conflicting legislation

Roadmaps should be developed setting clear goals with intermittent milestones and periodic

reviews to reassess progress and future goals

Monitoring, reporting, and feedback mechanisms should be incorporated into legislation to

ensure effectiveness and compliance

Incentives could be an effective measure to use in legislation, in the form of subsidies, tax

breaks, or taxes (or a lack of subsidies) on undesirable energy sources or unsustainable

technologies and behaviours

Government funding of green projects and research and development could stimulate

industry and institutions to work towards sustainable development


23

Networking was considered an important component of sustainable development, due, in

part, to the fact that the very idea of sustainable development is based upon global equality

and social justice between people and nations from different backgrounds

Widespread communication between interested parties (including industry, policymakers,

NGO’s, students, etc.) are necessary to foster private‐public partnerships and ensure buy‐in

from all stakeholders to achieve mutually beneficial goals

Companies should perceive sustainability as business opportunity, not as a risk or obligation

Companies should think in the long‐term for renewable energy projects and these projects should be supported by robust long‐term policies

A practical problem is that many regions and politicians are closely connected to coal, oil, and nuclear power and will resist many policies relating to sustainable energy. A way to mitigate this issue may be to sign into an internationally agreement (climate law), that sets legally binding national emissions target and which can be enforced.

6.2 Building a Greener Economy Day The day resulted in discussions on various aspects related to economy and its interrelationship in

achieving sustainability. The role of politics, civil society and government in the sustainable

functioning of the economy with respect to the environment was evaluated by the delegates. The

questions discussed by the delegates widely included the interrelationship between different sectors

of economy and how they can be intertwined with the environment as well as their views on the

inclusion of externality factors in the economic sector.


The day began by presentations from two eminent speakers discussing with the delegates futuristic

management models and the need for innovation in economy. Their insights on the economy’s road

to sustainability were thoroughly appreciated by the students and set the tone for the delegate

discussions session in the later part of the day.

Mr. Giles Hutchins

Global Director and Head of Sustainability Solutions, Atos Origin

Mr. Hutchins’ topic was “Businesses shaped by nature – ecological thinking for radical

transformation.” He discussed the significance of adapting business models to make them resemble

nature more closely. Through his presentation the delegates gained information on the different

kinds of volatility existing in the market, with regards to input costs, prices, and consumer buying

patterns. He also discussed the numerous problems that the world is now facing including changing

population demographics, the progression to a multi‐polar world, increasing scarcity of resources,

and the tensions emerging on the socio‐economic and political fronts all over the globe.

Using the term “Sustainagility” he gave us a contrast of what the society of the future should be like

in terms of becoming not only more resilient, but more flexible and adaptive as well. Given his

insight on futuristic management models, he stated that business would have to be holistic in its

approach and stress on issues like inspiration and values, collaboration and content, communication

and education, visibility and innovation and in researching intelligent networks and infrastructure.

Mr. Gabriel Chan

Research Scholar, Harvard University.


24

Mr. Chan discussed his perception on innovation economics from a political science point of view.

Innovation economics explain that any idea has high initial fixed costs but its subsequent usage or

replication involves low marginal costs.

He further discussed several problems associated with conventional economics. For example, if the

selling price fails to be greater than the marginal cost, there is less infusion of technology in the

market, whereas if the two are at par, the business could never be economically viable. He discussed

some of the parameters like research and development, knowledge spill‐over from other sectors,

economies of scale, economies of scope, and learning by doing, all of which drive innovation.

Innovation policy, however, is highly complex due to the difficulty of linking inputs to outcomes.

Political and economic decisions must be made today despite large uncertainties on the impacts of

climate change and policy tools.

6.2.2 Students’ Discussions

To facilitate the discussions and to reach some conclusions, the delegates were divided into their

three different interest groups of economics, politics, and civil society to role play in each of their

groups and provide their views on how they could act within their framework to influence the

economy to utilize, manufacture, and act in a more sustainable manner than the way it currently

does.

Most of the results that came out of these discussions were the best practices being followed in the

respective countries of the delegates. The delegates learned from one another and took away some

good suggestions which may be able to be implemented in their home nations and be recommended

to their governments.

The students were provided with questions that forced them to think about ways the economy

should function in a more responsible manner, utilize resources more sustainably, and take

responsibility for the externalities resulting from their product and service life cycles.

Some of the questions put forward for idea exchange with the delegates were as follows:

How can civil society get involved in the economy to promote sustainability?

How can NGO’s influence the economy to promote sustainability?

What could be the adaptation strategies for the change to a socio‐ecology based economy?

What could be the environmental regulations for socio‐ecology based economy?

How to diversify approaches to look for a ‘green’ change in the different sectors of economy?

How can the price of goods and services include environmental costs?

How can the economic system become more sustainable?

How can a government push the economy to be sustainable and how can civil society push

the government to do so?

6.2.3 Outcomes

Delegates addressed the above questions in groups. The following sections detail the important

points and outcomes of their discussions.

How can civil society get involved with the economy to promote sustainability?

The delegates discussed and agreed upon several strategies which they believed could be leveraged

to promote sustainability.


25

1. Choosing the right government, wherever possible. It is up to society to choose a

government which instead of having solely capitalistic ambitions, is concerned about the

environment and society as a whole as well.

2. Social networking could be used as an effective tool for involving civil society. Using sites like

Facebook and Twitter, which have a widespread outreach in today’s world, to promote

interest and awareness in the public, can be now seen as a means to start grassroots

movements and spread ideas of sustainability to many people. However, it is easy to ‘Like’

something or engage with it on social networks – but a concern is that people might

sometimes not take any ‘real action’ on the issues they support digitally. This is a question

still left unanswered.

3. The idea of having ‘community gardens’ was also appreciated by most of the delegates at the

summit, since this would not only bring the people, especially the children, closer to the

earth and nature, but could also render services and help to those belonging to the poorer

sections of society by getting then directly or indirectly involved with such causes.

4. Establishing of NGO’s that promote green products and services regionally or locally so that

people can get to have much more green, efficient, and cheaper products and services.

How can NGO’s get involved with the economy to promote sustainability?

This group session focused on how NGO’s could influence the economy by discussing what kind of

instruments could be used and sharing specific country examples and successes.

1. One method is to create local NGO’s that advertise

products and services which meet a standard –

doing the homework for the consumer beforehand

and building trust and connections locally. This

would also promote Corporate Social

Responsibility (CSR) since the companies would

like to have a good repute amongst people.

2. A major problem in today’s world is that

consumers choices are driven by what is available

in the market and not by what they actually need.

It thus becomes necessary to devise a

methodology to drive education and awareness among consumers and to make sure that it is

not the producers which control the consumption patterns in the economy but the other

way round.

3. Having a systematic approach to influence the economy is important in every stage of the

product process:

Production

a. NGO supporting through consulting

b. Community gardens.

Distribution

a. Creative ways for distribution that support local products

Eg. “Automats for Milk” (Figure 2).

b. Inventory management of similar products of different companies done by

NGO’s at one common place.

In Czech Republic initially local farmers

were not able to produce milk in a

profitable way because the big farms in

the EU can do it for lower costs. The

farmers then set up a milk delivery

system called as “automats” (automatic

machines) that dispense the milk, so

that people can buy locally produced

milk.

Figure 2: Automats for Milk


26

Consumption

a. Creating a demand for a

sustainable product by raising

awareness

Eg. Plastic bags being phased out

in Australia (Figure 3).

b. Driving movements discouraging the

use of unsustainable products and

services.

How could Governments get involved with the economy to promote sustainability?

As shapers of legislation, politicians have the power, the right, and the responsibility to align the

market’s boundaries and functioning rules to match people’s expectations and needs.

1. Using the concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) as a way to make companies

responsible for their products even after they have entered the market. This may influence

the design process itself for the products to be more easily recycled or reused.

2. As major actors on global market, governments must also implement ‘green procurement’

policies to green their own consumption, to give again a strong incentive towards more

environmentally and socially‐friendly production.

3. Basic environmental and social standards or labels should be made mandatory for all the

products and services by the governments and stricter methods should be considered for

their implementation.

4. Innovations in the area of environmental sustainability should be supported by funds from

the governments to further encourage such developments.

5. Free consultancy should be made available to various companies and industries to educate,

audit, and suggest measures for enhancing energy and production efficiency measures at

their premises or facilities.

6. Environmental taxes should not be the same for each industry but must be implemented

according to the amount of impact a particular product or service exerts on the environment.

7. Binding international or regional laws and regulations may help pressure the economic sector

to respect sustainable practices. Such regulations are necessary to keep in mind the interests

of all the stakeholders and also to be sure that the most efficient implementation of the

standards and practices with regards to the environmental concerns are enforced.

8. A transparent roadmap should be laid out by the government to show a time scale of a step‐

by‐step plan of when and what kind of political actions will be taken. This should include not

only large scale changes but also grassroots innovations.

9. To keep transparency, monitoring systems are compulsory, which could in‐turn be achieved

by having a regular dialogue between NGO’s, politicians, members of the economic sector,

and scientists, to make sure that all of their interests are safeguarded.

10. The polluter pays principle should be considered so that the entity responsible for the

pollution is directly responsible for its mitigation.

11. Since many clean technologies and more sustainable practices are typically capital intensive,

which generally is the main reason why companies tend to refrain from such initiatives, the

onus lies on government to not only provide funds but also act as role models in

implementing such initiatives themselves so that companies can be confident of long‐term

In Australia, a small group of people started

making hand‐painted bags as alternatives

to plastic bags, which has now become a

widespread movement across the country

to phase out plastic bags and embrace

these eco‐friendly ones.

Figure 3: Eliminating Plastic Bags


27

government support. Another model could be to foster public‐private partnerships pertaining

to such activities so that there is wide spread implementation of such projects.

12. Governments should also invest in the research and development of clean technologies to

enhance their energy efficiencies and make them more cost‐effective.

13. The government can encourage and incentivize the clean and green initiatives and at the

same time discourage practices that are less environmentally friendly. For example there

could be some kinds of reward or appreciation for good overall performances or incentives in

the form of lower taxes, tariffs etc. On the other hand, the government may decide to create

entry barriers for some companies manufacturing non‐green products to discourage their

proliferation.

How can the economic system become more sustainable?

Participants for this session decided to tackle the more general question of how the economic

system can become more sustainable, and especially, what can politics do to re‐define the

framework in which the market evolves to address global environmental and social issues.

1. Nature should be considered as an inspiration for sustainable businesses, wherever possible.

Many concepts of nature like symbiotic relationships, feedback chains etc. can be easily

incorporated in most of the business models in existence today. The companies should also

take care of the carrying capacity of nature at a particular place so that its resources are not

overburdened and it is easily able to recoup itself.

2. The economy should go back to its basic principle of satisfying just the needs of citizens

rather than creating new ones.

3. One of the ways to achieve sustainability and reduce the global flow of natural resources and

energy is to fight against ‘planned obsolescence.’ An economy focusing on selling services

and functions rather than goods (functionality economy) can work towards that goal.

4. Companies should be persistent in looking for ways to enhance production system efficiency

since it would lead to less resource utilization and may eventually provide increased profits

for the company.

5. Companies should also look forward to working with different companies and sectors or

sharing best practices and innovating their products and services to make them more and

more efficient. For example a company utilized the engine components of an air‐carrier to

manufacture better wind turbines.

6. Another way to reduce the environmental impact of some products is to make them last

longer with a possibility to segregate and reuse their components in the later stages of the

product life‐cycle when it actually becomes unusable, an approach termed as ‘cradle‐to‐

cradle.’

7. Companies should also keep in mind the externality costs of their products and services, right

from the raw material procurement to the product disposal. These costs should be

incorporated into the product’s production cost such that the sale price better reflects the

true cost of the product’s life cycle.

8. Companies should also look forward to keeping long‐term relations with their resource

suppliers and customers to build and maintain trust which not only reduces the risks involved

in the supply chain of the product or service but also brings in cost‐effectiveness and

efficiency within the system.


28

9. One issue to keep in mind is that improving the production system is not always a solution in

itself due to the potential of the ‘rebound effect.’ The actual savings anticipated with

increases in efficiency are often diminished because of a correlated increase in consumption.

6.2.4 Focus on Developing Nations

1. NGO’s can play an important role in raising awareness in local communities to protect

resources in their region and promote local economic activities.

2. Governments should set aside a certain portion of their budget to invest in research and

development of clean technologies to enhance their efficiencies to make them more cost‐

effective. This would not only increase the knowledge base of the industry but may also

make these countries more self‐reliant on their own technology and thus minimize their

dependence on developed nations for technology. However, certain amount of caution is

needed in exercising such a solution since the governments in developing nations may be

unstable at times and there may be numerous governance issues involved.

3. It is important for developing nations to have restrictions and labels for their imported

products to make the consumers aware of the high carbon emissions involved with such

products and also to promote local industries.

4. Developing nations also need to have a proper estimation of resources and a clear and

transparent roadmap of utilization of these resources and implementation of policies

5. Companies in developing nations may begin with an all share‐holder approach since it is very

difficult for start‐ups to consider the environmental concerns in their business models. Over

time they could transition to a stakeholder approach of which stakeholder is just a small part

and there are many other parts like the government, civil society, NGO’s, environment (both

local and global) contributing to the pie (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Transition from Shareholder to Stakeholder Approaches

6.2.5 Economy Day Summary & Important Features

Salient features of the discussions throughout the day included the following:

Energy legislation needs to be easy to enforce and understand and consistent

Legislation should be based upon good science and replace outdated and less relevant

conflicting legislation

Roadmaps should be developed setting clear goals with intermittent milestones and periodic

reviews to reassess progress and future goals

Monitoring, reporting, and feedback mechanisms should be incorporated into legislation to

ensure effectiveness and compliance


29

Incentives could be an effective measure to use in legislation, in the form of subsidies, tax

breaks, or taxes (or a lack of subsidies) on undesirable energy sources or unsustainable

technologies and behaviours

Government funding of green projects and research and development could stimulate

industry and institutions to work towards sustainable development

Networking was considered an important component of sustainable development, due, in

part, to the fact that the very idea of sustainable development is based upon global equality

and social justice between people and nations from different backgrounds

Widespread communication between interested parties (including industry, policymakers,

NGO’s, students, etc.) are necessary to foster private‐public partnerships and ensure buy‐in

from all stakeholders to achieve mutually beneficial goals

Companies should perceive sustainability as business opportunity, not as a risk or obligation;

Companies should think in the long‐term for renewable energy projects and these projects

should be supported by robust long‐term policies

A practical problem is that many regions and politicians are closely connected to coal, oil, and

nuclear power and will resist many policies relating to sustainable energy. A way to mitigate

this issue may be to sign into an internationally agreement (climate law), that sets legally

binding national emissions target and which can be enforced.

Throughout the day of productive discussions, participating delegates exchanged and developed

multi‐perspective ideas over how the economy could become more sustainable and the role that

different sections of society could play in achieving such goals. The following are the concluding

remarks from the different interest groups:

Civil Society: Civil society needs to be very particular for whom they vote (wherever applicable) and

support government initiatives towards meeting environmental concerns. Civil society takes

advantage of social networking and media and utilizes them for constructive purposes such as raising

awareness about issues of climate change and the need for sustainability.

NGO’s: NGO’s should work towards promoting green products and services and raising consumer

awareness by conducting background research so that the environmental impact of similar products

can be compared. This could only be attained by the active participation of not only the companies

but the consumers as well.

Governments: Governments have a very important role to play in being a watchdog to make sure

that the interests of the consumers, the companies, and also the environment are satisfied. They

need to devise and implement environmental laws and standards according to regional constraints

which industries must comply.

Governments should also foster innovation by encouraging research and development programs and

consider co‐finance options as a means to boost the implementation of clean technology solutions.

Companies: Companies need to be careful about the impacts of their products and services on the

environment and bring efficiencies in their entire product cycle to reduce them. They should consider

the cradle‐to‐cradle approach to make sure that their products are long lasting and that they can be


30

reused and look forward to bringing innovation in the processes by seeking knowledge from other

companies and other sectors as well.

The companies should consider including the cost of externalities with their products to make them

more accountable for what they generate. However, this should be done in a manner which does not

pose an undue burden over the consumer.

Developing Nations: It is of the utmost importance for developing nations to prepare a clear

roadmap for themselves to chalk their resource utilization timeline and also for the implementation

of concerned policies. They also need to allocate a certain percentage of their budgets on research of

cleaner technologies to become self‐reliant and independent. Apart from this, the companies in such

nations need to transition over time from having ‘only‐shareholder’ approach to a ‘stakeholder’

approach, of which the shareholders are just a small pie, sharing space with many other external

forces affected by their product or service. However, careful consideration should be taken while

carrying out the representation for the stakeholder approach since the success of this kind of

economic model relies on the principle of equal participation or consideration of all the affected

sections, including the environment.

Approaching from these several directions may contribute towards developing synergistic benefits in

a more sustainable economy.

6.3 Sustainable Consumption Day In order to reach sustainable consumption, there needs to be a combination of sustainable products

and consumption patterns. There was extensive debate regarding producer versus consumer

responsibility. Ultimately, it was agreed that both parties are in some way responsible for

overconsumption, especially in developed countries.

The structure of this chapter is a road map to sustainable consumption: through economy

responsibility → consumer responsibility → universities leading by example.


Annika Schudak

IT Specialist, Institute for Market‐Environment‐Society (IMUG)

She initiated the discussion day on consumption by giving a presentation on “Sustainable

Consumption.” This presentation focused on informing the participants on the drivers of

consumption, worldwide ecological footprint, and strategies towards sustainable consumption. Some

key strategies were to rely on the models of sufficiency, efficiency, and the consistency. Each model

uses a particular maxim, respectively “less is more”, “more with less” and “the end is the beginning.”

She called for the sharing of responsibility by all the stakeholders and cited J.F Kennedy on the

“Rights of Consumer.” The main discussion involved ways to change consumption patterns and the

obstacles to this process. Among these obstacles, Ms. Schudak underlined the potential of key topics

where the change of behaviour is likely to happen with little resource investment (e.g. efficiency of

cars, house insulation), as opposed to the unpopular “hot potatoes” (e.g. not owning a car, fewer air

flights). For the individual scale, IMUG developed an interactive tool, “The Sustainable Shopping

Basket,” to give a practical method of evaluating individual consumption. The potential for voluntary


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significant decrease of one’s own personal footprint or a bottom‐up change is limited without the

implementation of strong policies as top‐down strategies.

Dr. Irmgard Schultz

Senior Researcher, Socio‐Ecological Research Institute (ISOE)

Dr. Irmgard presented the political challenges related to sustainable consumption and production

(SCP) and a number of instruments at hand to tackle this problematic situation. Table 1 includes the

most important ones underlined by Dr. Schultz, stating that contrary to intuition, the first type of

“hard” instruments (e.g. regulations, economic instruments) which are most extensively used are

according to her own experience often less successful in the long‐term and also prove to be more

expensive than some of the softer instruments (e.g. education, information campaigns). To be most

effective, however, these political instruments need to be combined and adapted to each situation

and field of action (e.g. food, mobility, energy). Their success depends also on their matching of the

needs and demands of different consumer groups, their potential for integration into daily activities

and for stirring active participation of the consumers (network building). This local capacity‐building

support is today much neglected by policy makers, but represents, to Dr. Schultz’ opinion, the most

effective instrument towards sustainable consumption.

Political Instruments

for SCP

Information selection

and purchase

Use, maintenance and

repair Waste disposal

Regulatory instruments Obligations for information

Indirect: via regulation of energy providers etc.

Public regulation of household waste etc.

Economic instruments Indirect: via taxes, funds/subsidies

Indirect – via subsidies for public traffic (public

traffic use)

Refunds on bottles*tax breaks/financing on

efficient appliances *tax free income (FSA)

Information/ orientation instruments

Labels, information campaigns, platforms

(web)

Campaigns for energy and water savings, web information (user advice)

Public campaigns for waste separation and

recycling

Consumer education instruments

Food & health education

Traffic and mobility education at schools Education on climate

change

Waste separation at schools, kindergartens, and the workplace

Others Instruments of supporting capacity building for SCP

Table 1: Options for Sustainable Consumption Patterns (SCP), Source: Dr. Irmgard Schulz’s presentation

“Politics and Consumption”, 9 September, 2010

Daniel Fischer

PhD Student, Institute for Environmental & Sustainability Communication (INFU)

Mr. Fischer gave a presentation on “Contributions of Educational Measures for Promotion of

Sustainable Consumption among Youths and Young Adults.” This opened up a discussion on the role

of education and behaviour change in order to promote sustainable consumption. He taught

methods and strategies for different consumer groups.


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6.3.2 Discussion

6.3.2.1 Economy and Sustainable Consumption

Services instead of goods

A novel paradigm for production could be developed where producers would create longer lasting

products1 and sell the products’ services instead of the products.2 As a result, consumers would

essentially be renting products for a specified amount of time, entering into service contracts with

producers so that their products (mainly for appliances) were maintained properly and recovered at

the end of their contract. This would allow the more mobile class of young professionals to avoid the

capital expenditures of appliances while providing for their improved maintenance and thereby

improved efficiency. Also, with producers maintaining ownership over this type of good, the product

recycling or dismantling could be more appropriately managed. Overall this business practice may

encourage producers to provide products that incorporate more easily recyclable components or

designs that make upgrading less difficult.

Regional integration

Specific examples discussed included encouraging companies to cater to their demand in a more

regional way whenever possible. On a more general basis, regional integration should be preferred to

more widespread supply and provision, to reduce not only the transportation costs already taken

into account, but also the environmental impacts of long distance shipments of raw materials or final

products. The positive impact of small investment in local economy shall most likely prove interesting

on the middle to long term. This can of course only apply in particular circumstances, but the

potential for improvement should be emphasised.

E‐commerce

The concept is very important from the perspective of driving a sustainable consumer behavioural

change. E‐commerce not only brings in system efficiency but also eradicates the need of companies

to have a physical presence. The companies would produce only as much as is the requirement and

this would not only reduce the resource utilization on the production side, but also reduce the

company’s burden on managing the waste associated with its products. The overall consequences of

implementing such a system would be reduced costs and increased customer satisfaction owing to

the wider choice availability. E‐commerce is a great way to manage the supply chain of any product

service by making it highly optimised to suit the needs of both the producer as well as the consumer.

Green labels and Corporate Transparency

Green labelling was also discussed as a way to inform consumers about the environmental impacts

resulting from the production and use of goods, in a better manner. Strict guidelines are necessary to

implement this type of measure, but it may provide better information to consumers. Numerous

examples exist already; their impact on SCP is, however, difficult to evaluate. The abundance of

green labels and requirements may also cause confusion for consumer decisions with the

unfortunate consequence a feeling of mistrust towards the producer. To (re‐)gain the trust of

informed consumers, companies should implement strong transparency policies in parallel to the

1 See Economy chapter. 2 See the concept of Functionality Economy.


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labelling process. In the end, the necessity of clear labels and their potential is obvious but the details

of implementation of such system require specific attention.

On a general basis, basic environmental and social labels should apply to all products to ban

substances and production methods with high impacts. In fact, a number of international treaties

dealing with chemicals and pesticides (e.g. Basel Convention, Stockholm Convention, Rotterdam

Convention, WTO regulations) are already in place, but are needed to be enforced by governments

in a better manner.

Smart awareness‐raising products

So‐called smart technology provides today’s consumer with direct insight into his or her level of

consumption. A number of devices can measure direct water or energy use, for instance. This

information is crucial to raise awareness of one’s own consumption level and distribution. The

impact on the consumer’s behaviour can then be significant if, as underlined by Annika Schudak in

her presentation, the potential for change with limited resource investment is important.

Consumer Responsibility

Technology alone, or improving the quality and the efficiency of products as discussed above and in

the chapter on economy, cannot lead to sustainability. One issue to keep in mind is that improving

the production system, though necessary, is not a solution in itself, due to the possible rebound

effect or Jevon’s paradox that states that an increase in efficiency tends to increase consumption

rather than reduce it. Therefore a behaviour change is needed, especially considering the global

population growth and the aspirations of the developing countries. Developed nations consume

indeed a disproportional amount of goods per capita relative to developing nations. This

consumption of goods and energy implies an inherent social exclusion for the less fortunate, even

more evident with sustainable products which are often more expensive than the rest of the

products. Developing countries are also included in this social exclusion due to financial constraints,

the necessity to provide for basic needs, but also the availability of the technology and the know‐how

for this type of production.

Consumers are responsible for their purchases and need to be better informed as to the impact of

their consumption decisions. Smarter consumers and consumer demand for more sustainable

products can push the market to move in more sustainable patterns.

What can Civil Society do to drive consumption patterns towards sustainability?

Support NGO Projects and Green Government Policies o Give funds to NGOs o Vote Right! o Get active in local/national government

Bring communities together to cooperate and collaborate on sustainable projects o Cooperative wind turbine (e.g. in the UK) o Community gardens (Canada) o Women of a community collaborating to educate children (Iran) o Students’ project of managing faculty`s waste (Indonesia) o Community recycling programs (Brazil)

Lobby government to spread environmentally sustainable messages o Striking, protesting, Petitions (when appropriate) o Advertising by government through NGOs


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o WSES 2010 student proposal o Attending conferences

Lead by example: Acting sustainably to influence others o Through consumer buying power o Influence friends/family/social network/fellow students/colleagues o “Quality not quantity” – approach

Using positive, innovative and informative messages to motivate and influence society o Using free local media (radio/ TV), flyers o Visual campaign

e.g. pile up the waste of only ONE day to show people how much it is o Funny slogans

Green is sexy Bike to work, save the gym class Save earth

6.3.2.2 University Projects As major regional entities and production facilities of scientific knowledge vital for sustainability

awareness campaigns and research initiatives, universities have a responsibility to practice more

sustainable behaviours both to reduce their own environmental impacts and to teach their members

to be environmentally responsible. Discussions revolved around ways to dematerialize university

practices, by reducing, for instance, the availability of disposable goods, encouraging the reuse of

second‐hand materials, the use of durable goods and products with recycled content.

It is essential to convince a university’s administration by illustrating the cost savings and societal

benefits often associated with dematerialization. The knowledge of food utilisation and ensuing

waste patterns is also essential when it comes to considering university consumption patterns. Food

could be reused for other purposes including using expired food for livestock feed or generating

energy. A sustainable food supply would be based on regional and seasonal products for campus

food services.

In order to incorporate sustainable consumption into societal norms, it is important to continuously

educate students, as well as the academic, administration and technical staff. Several simple,

constant reminders were discussed as ways to encourage individuals to act in a more responsible and

sustainable manner throughout their daily tasks at university. Specific examples were provided

including placing stickers or posters throughout college buildings to remind users of proper

behaviour and to constantly remind inhabitants about consumption issues. Examples included:

Placing signs to remind people to shut off lights

Light sensors

Automatic double‐sided printing

Placing printers and other devices on energy saving modes

Transportation sharing bulletin boards

Offering numerous areas for bike storage and parking.

To generate ideas and maximise the impact of the concrete projects, the whole university

community, from the students or faculty representatives to administration and technical staff, has to

be involved in the process from the beginning. The Agenda 21 framework has been used for that

purpose at the University of Lausanne (Switzerland), for instance. In addition to this participative


35

basis, the specific projects need to be regularly monitored and evaluated with different methods.

Reporting progress to the different bodies of this community, such as quantifying the amount of

waste that has been recycled to date, shall indeed strengthen the general understanding of the

impacts of consumption changes, thus increasing eventually the support and the efficiency of the

university efforts towards sustainability. During the discussion, a number of large scale projects were

presented as good practices and inspiration for other universities.

Waste Management

The first part of the discussion about possible waste management strategies focused on university

canteens. The main idea was that reusable dishes and utensils have a smaller impact on the

environment (see LCA) and human health (chemicals in plastic); they should therefore be preferred

to disposable plastic cups, plates and cutlery. At the University of Sao Paolo (Brasil), for instance,

every new student receives or buys a reusable plastic cup that he or she must keep until the end of

his/her studies. In other universities, reusable glass or ceramic dishes and metal cutlery are the

norm. Sanitary and cleanliness issues must, however, be taken into account.

As for the food refuse and other organic waste, interesting projects were presented:

A number of universities with appropriate facilities compost their organic waste on site.

At the University of Lausanne (Switzerland), a pilot project was started in 2009 to send the

food refuse and the coffee grounds to a biogas installation above the city. These wastes were

previously incinerated, composted or fed to pigs. To reduce the environmental impact of

these disposal methods (methane production from compost fermentation and raising pigs,

soil contamination by leachate water from composting, gas emissions from incineration),

decision was taken to start the biomethanisation of these organic wastes.

At the University of Sao Paolo (Brasil), wasted oil is used as bio‐fuel for the university campus

buses.

On a general basis, waste sorting should be improved in universities, by setting or increasing the

number of collection points (e‐waste, paper, plastic, toxic laboratory waste and so forth), but also by

setting effective awareness‐raising actions. The University of Lausanne was offered as an example

where a students’ association regularly organises striking events like the presentation in open spaces

of all waste collected the previous day or month in the main course rooms. Participating students

underlined that there is no point in separating the waste if the appropriate infrastructure to collect,

reuse and/or recycle it does not exist with sufficient capacity. This should therefore be part of a

larger scale policy making process, which should start by emphasising the necessity to reduce the

waste generation in the first place before focusing on separating it.

Transportation

Among others, the “University go green” project prohibits cars on campus and promotes the switch

to bike transportation provided on‐site. Taking the example of “Bike to work” projects for companies,

participants receive services, awards and prizes for this activity. More accommodation must however

be provided also on campus to avoid the need of people having to commute.

To reduce the number of travels to university by car, another highly interesting solution is to

promote car sharing. The financial and time‐saving advantages of this type of collaborative transport

are to be emphasised and additional support provided in the form of free parking, for instance. A

communication platform needs to be established first. To make this effective, signs should be


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available for car windows to show the membership to this programme and the availability of free

seats. Slogans should also be put up to promote the environmental benefit. A monthly or semester

fee could provide the financial funds for this project, which would serve to pay some of the drivers’

expenses. Additional profits could then be used for offsetting this or other projects.

Campus Markets

The students also discussed campus market initiatives. Universities’ situations varied from having no

market on campus (University of Namibia) to food markets (selling local products and fair trade

coffee, University of Savoie). Developing a framework for establishing campus markets, students saw

organisation as a priority. The delegates agreed that in order to organise a market, decision‐making

people were needed as well as supporters who could supply money in order to promote the

endeavour. Some of this support can come from other eco‐friendly companies, the university itself,

or can be gathered through a membership fee.

Developing a framework for establishing campus markets, students saw organisation as a priority.

The delegates agreed that in order to organise a market, decision‐making people were needed as

well as supporters who could supply money in order to promote the endeavour. Some of this support

can come from other eco‐friendly companies or the university itself. The group also noted that

suppliers would be needed. For a campus market, these could be students (supplying used text books

or furniture), local farmers (supplying own local products) and other eco‐friendly companies

(supplying students’ needs such as pens, paper and other stationary items).

Students acknowledged that advertisement of the market was vital for its success and long term

viability. The creation of events could generate enthusiasm among those on campus. By also

leveraging the power of social networks (Facebook, Twitter, etc), information about the market could

be spread amongst students and faculty. The creation of a website and the distribution of posters

and flyers were seen as a means to bring customers and awareness to the market, but issues of

resource saving were raised.

Markets can also be completely virtual. Second‐hand exchange platforms for books, clothes,

electronic devices or furniture already exist in different universities:

“Note PC reuse project” (University of Tokyo, Japan): the project office collects the used

laptop computers from the laboratories and individuals at the university, refurbishes or

repairs them, and lends them again to students for free. In the third application period, they

have supplied about 100 computers to students.

Second‐hand books exchange website (Uppsala University, Sweden).

In addition to the consumption of sustainable products, the reuse of second‐hand books or devices

allows the students to reduce their overall impact.

Campus Organic Gardens

At Murdoch University (Perth, Australia), students developed a successful project for the production

of organic food on the campus. The first requirement was obviously the availability of appropriate

land, but its success depended also on different complementary factors:

Strong student organization

Interactive student activities such as vegetarian barbecue to make it enjoyable and inclusive


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Roster for summer vacation to ensure the maintenance of the garden cultures

Organic waste from campus outlets and students own vegetable waste for compost and

worm farming

Agreement with college restaurants to exhaust the stock of organic food

Education and research projects

Meeting point for information and discussion (possible selling outlet).

Energy

Various universities use creative ways to reduce their energy expenditure. The projects offered

solutions; from tackling antiquated climate control systems to offering economic incentives to

faculties for reducing energy usage. Below are some specific successful project examples:

Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta India

‐ Formerly very intense energy use, with no natural light

‐ Now Solar panels for heating water

‐ Waste is used for biomass energy

o Waste used to be dumped without separation between biodegradable and other waste

o No liquid and solid separated

o Biodegradable is now composted, and waste that can be made into biogas flows into the

nearby biogas plant.

‐ New classrooms take advantage of natural lighting to reduce need for artificial lights.

‐ Climate control system automatically adjusts temperatures, humidity and air quality to

appropriate levels.

‐ Where did the initiative come from?

o Infrastructure from administration

o Competition (see next line) for energy use from students

‐ Inter‐hostel (dormitory) competitions to see which can be the most energy efficient

o 10‐15% reduction in energy use in each dormitory

o Currently meters work only for the building as a whole; but there is an interest in getting

them into each individual apartment/room.

The use of personalized motorized vehicles by students and faculty members is discouraged.

Teri University, New Delhi India

‐ Earth – Air tunnel system

o About 4 meters beneath the ground, temperature is constant year‐round.

o In summer, air temperature reaches 40°C, and underground temperature stays around

25°C.

‐ Architecture considerations

o South‐facing windows

o Double‐glass windows

‐ Electric cars on the campus for commuting between the campus and the administration office on

the other side of the city.

‐ Solar thermal system for heating water

‐ Sustainability club

o Currently estimating solar and wind potential for the college

Lighting system automatically regulated by sensors measuring outside light


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Technion, Haifa Israel

‐ Financial incentives for reducing energy use: University administration provides capital to the

faculties for energy upgrades. The money saved in energy use (compared to the previous year)

can be kept for faculty use.

‐ Installed sensors to turn off electrical appliances when people are not present

‐ Ice rooms: off‐peak power is used to freeze water which can then be used for cooling when

electricity demand is higher.

‐ Installed meters in the student rooms to raise students’ awareness of their energy consumption

‐ These initiatives reduced energy use by 25% in the first year, and continue to reduce energy

consumption year after year (and people continue to be rewarded for the year‐to‐year

reductions).

6.3.2.3 Proposed Ecological Footprint Project This would be an organized workshop for students concerned about ecological footprints, and where

students find out the impacts of their own activities on the environment. Advice provided to students

on how to reduce ecological footprint and how to educate their peers. Alternate materials needed

would be ecological calculators, knowledge of available products and advertising resources. Next,

students are given the task to note and calculate their footprints for a suggested period of time.

Once this task is complete, a final workshop would be given to deconstruct their activities and find

alternate ways to reduce their impact. Software programs (green calculator, eco‐calculator) of

calculating eco footprint are used, and a baseline is shown to compare footprints with others. This is

used to inform the average footprint to maintain a sustainable planet. The final stages of this project

could be broadened to university administration including professors and university trips.


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6.3.3 Consumption ‐ Outside the Box

6.3.3.1 Consumption ‐ Outside the Box

The topic chosen at first by this group discussion was to design a roadmap to reach a sustainable

consumption pattern. Quickly, however, desire was expressed to go back to our “mission” described by

Rajendra K. Pachauri, Chairman of the IPCC, as “thinking outside the box.” Indeed, students were concerned

that present tasks and discussion topics had kept them inside the box of consumption, even if made

sustainable. During the first part of the discussion, participants attempted then to find a concept to replace

consumption as the measure of our society’s development and activity. Three concepts came out:

experience, happiness and art. The way forward in the discussion was however blocked here. The main issue

was the importance of diversity which these concepts coming from a developed countries perspective could

not account for. It was underlined that one single model of an ideal society cannot succeed.

The discussion shifted therefore to a brainstorm on the basic theoretical principles that we want to be used

as guiding principles for our thinking/vision of a sustainable society and the way towards it. The plurality of

these principles should guarantee the taking into account of the diversity of points of views and lifestyles. A

first consensus was reached on the importance of promoting a simpler lifestyle, where people should enjoy

the same satisfaction level with less products, an idea related to the concept of degrowth. Emphasis was put,

however, on the importance of making sustainability sexy or attractive rather than a bleak perspective.

Participants also mentioned the relevance of active civil participation, information, equal distribution of

means and benefits, and the importance of associating to rights the notion of duty for a sustainable society.

The modern definition of freedom has indeed come to mean the abolition of limits to human aspirations. A

sustainable definition of that word should however re‐introduce the necessity of setting voluntary limits to

one’s own behaviour and desires for the benefit of others, the society and the planet. This new definition can

be understood as complementary to the concepts of respect, fairness and responsibility. Other notions were

also mentioned, but most were underlined as controversial and/or hardly applicable: peace, happiness,

harmony, basic needs.


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6.4 Education Day The participants at the 3rd WSES explored the contribution of education to reach global sustainability.

This includes economy, politics, energy and consumption related to Education for Sustainable

Development (ESD) through the fact that they can influence each other. Discussions also took place

on 100% renewable energy, the influence of civil society on economy, politics, and consumption

patterns.

6.4.1 Guest Speaker

This day was started with a lecture with the topic of “Doing ESD at Universities – Methodological,

Epistemological and Ethical Dimensions.”

PD Dr. Thomas Potthast

Head of the International Center for Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities, University of Tübingen

PD Dr. Potthast provided an overview on how to implement ESD at universities. His intervention

helped delegates to learn that ESD, as an integrative concept not an additive concept, should be

understood properly. He also stated that it requires knowledge and concrete approaches with

orientated competencies so that universities and institutions of higher education could include it in

their programmes and curricula.

6.4.2 Energy

It is possible to bring societies and people to use 100% renewable energy sources around the world

not only though the influence of politics and economy groups but also by educating people on this

necessity in the context of climate change. The role of behaviour change in implementing renewable

energy is important and civil society can reach this goal by encouraging people to be eco‐friendly

consumers and influencing economy and politics. Civil society needs politics to improve their support

to renewable energy’s projects and needs economy to adopt an eco‐friendly system when producing

and distributing their services and goods. Educational groups like NGOs and community‐based

organizations recognize that not using 100% renewable energy in the world is also the consequence

of the lack of environmental awareness among people. The personal interests of economic and

political groups hinder the public from gaining full access to the information associated with 100%

renewable energy. In the developing world the lack of funding and appropriate technologies is

mostly the reason of this limited access. Talking about the role of the environmental movements of

civil society to bring positive change, Frank Uekoetter, the Deputy Director of Munich’s Rachel

Carson Center, agrees that the sustainability of global energy is necessary to ensure the lasting

management of our societies. Future generations must be flexible with the changing demand of

energy needs in response to environmental degradation and climate change.

To ensure the 100% usage of renewable energy in the world, the general public should receive

education on the importance and the opportunities of using renewable energy. The cost of this

technology needs to be competitive and accessible for the developing world. It is necessary to use a

phase out plan and a combination of energy sources rather than move away from the current system

too quickly.

6.4.3 Economy

Greening the worldwide economy was part of the discussions related to the education topic. To bring

economic actors to adopt a sustainability system in their companies, industries, etc., education can


41

play a role by influencing people’s consumption patterns. Civil society groups can use campaigns,

boycotts and peaceful demonstrations to demand that the public refuse to buy non eco‐friendly

products or refuse to use non‐renewable energies. The public needs a critical mass ‐ one such

method of obtaining this may be to drive education and awareness among consumers in order to

empower their capacity to be eco‐consumers. Another method is the formation of local NGOs that

advertise products that meet a minimum standard of sustainability and promote them among

people. Education could also influence the economic sector by promoting among companies

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and asking that companies support green campaigns and

projects aiming to reach this goal.

6.4.4 Politics

By raising awareness among the general public and policy makers, education can pressure politicians

to implement sustainability policies. Holding the political system accountable is also important so

that politicians cannot be influenced by non‐renewable energy sectors, especially by oil companies,

when putting green policies in place in their countries or the using of renewable energy. Once

educated the public should have the knowledge to support a party that takes initiative on sustainable

policies and can call for different energy solutions and renewable energy subsidies. Politicians also

need incentives to implement green procurement policies for their region. Education should be

provided to enable politicians to implement feed‐in tariffs with the full support of civil society and

industry.

6.4.5 ESD

Education for Sustainable Development is really needed to achieve a sustainable planet. During the

public opening ceremony of the summit on September 21, Prof. Dr. Lenelis Kruse‐Grauman, Vice‐

Chair of the German National Committee on the UN Decade of ESD, mentioned that mental change

and changes of lifestyles are necessary to implement sustainability in our communities and ESD is an

essential (political) instrument to managing sustainable development. ESD should be interdisciplinary

and transdisciplinarity in its scope and application. Areas for future improvement of ESD include

focusing on bridging the generational gap that often evolves between University students and

professors who may be used to the status quo. Encouraging the incorporation of ESD into their

curricula and outreach to the youngest generation at the earliest stages is needed so that it becomes

the new status quo. After learning ESD on a theoretical and macroscopic scale, delegates discussed

case studies of incorporating ESD practically with some examples examined in detail in order to

develop a roadmap to implement similar programs at their respective universities and communities.

6.4.6 Education Day Summary & Important Features

The key takeaways from the day’s discussions included:

Focusing on developing new learning techniques that are outside the typical classroom

learning style (lectures, classical seminars) focused on just one discipline

Including Hands‐on activities in education

Visiting site and providing practical applications for students to gain a better understanding

of how to link academic knowledge with implementation.

This provided delegates with the theory and tools necessary to encourage spreading the ESD theory

and application into their university curricula. One important point in the discussions was the

necessity to underline the potential gain from inter‐ and transdisciplinarity endeavours on an


42

academic and personal level. Confronted with other points of view and backgrounds, individuals

(students and others) are expected to present and defend their own, strengthening their knowledge

of their primary field of studies/research with the subsequent increase in self‐confidence. Delegates

decided that ESD is a necessity in our societies today and it is important to implement it now even

before the end of the UN Decade. Furthermore, delegates determined that ESD is extremely

important when trying to implement and encourage sustainable actions and environmentally

conscious behaviour in civil society and beyond.


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7 Case Studies in Sustainability The following are some specific case studies that were discussed among the delegates that emerged

from the discussions throughout the week.

7.1 Developing a Roadmap for Student Initiated ESD at the University of Tübingen, Germany

After discussing Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) theory a specific example of how to

implement ESD was discussed in the context of the host institution, the University of Tübingen. The

goal of this discussion was to provide a framework for the early stages of implementing ESD from a

bottom‐up initiative at an institution or organization that previously did not have an interest in doing

so. This section is not designed to provide a single method of ESD implementation but more to

provide guidelines that others can use as a starting point to formulate plans specific to their

institution or organization.

The Student Initiative for Greening the University of Tübingen began approximately three years ago

with a group of interested students who wanted to make their university more sustainable. To begin

working towards this goal, a core group of a few students got together and developed a ‘Policy

Paper’ pointing out to directions of impact:

(1) University administration: implementing environmental management

(2) Teaching: implement general studies on sustainability open to all students

This paper took nearly six months to develop but was able to point out the lack of information and

understanding that the current administration had in relation to campus energy and water

consumption and waste generation. It was no surprise that at the time of the Policy Paper most of

the typical information necessary to perform an energy audit was wholly unavailable and never

examined by the administration. The Policy Paper included general research of sustainability

initiatives undertaken at other similar universities as well as information relating to overall cost

savings that can result from such initiatives3. This got some of the staff, faculty, and administration

thinking, but did not garner buy‐in from the decision makers.

On the heels of the Policy Paper the students were able to begin networking with other likeminded

individuals in the community, faculty, administration, and at other institutions. From this network,

the students gathered more information and began to formulate an action plan with influential

faculty and administrators that could push ideas through to upper management and decision makers.

It was noted, repeatedly, that support from a faculty or administration member is essential to

invoking change by

Learning the “language” of the administration

3 A good place to start looking at other student initiatives can be found at The College Sustainability Report Card, currently

only for North American schools (http://www.greenreportcard.org/) and The National Wildlife Foundation’s Campus

Sustainability Case Studies (http://www.nwf.org/campusecology/resources/yearbook/index.cfm)


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Getting familiar with the structure of your university’s administration

Getting to know more people that might facilitate your work.

Over the next six to twelve months this movement gained momentum. The students were then able

to put together academic presentations and begin developing more concrete and quantifiable plans

for sustainability improvements throughout the campus. These presentations included experts from

the faculty and from the community and often included invitations for the upper management of the

university to attend.

Then, after about another six months, they brought in the ‘Big Shots.’ With (or without) support of

the administration, the students set up a symposium to discuss sustainability initiatives. They were

able to use their network to bring in politicians and important guests that guaranteed attendance by

upper management of the university and forced the decision makers to make a commitment to the

initiative. Though this might not be possible to put together at every university, this event really

cemented in the administration’s commitment to sustainability and was the foundation for the

numerous strides that the university has taken since then.

One of the key results of these efforts is the university’s participation in the Eco‐Management and

Audit Scheme (EMAS) of the European Union4. By participating in this program the University of

Tübingen is taking part in a process of continuous improvement and reporting by setting baselines

and goals for numerous campus sustainability initiatives.

It is necessary to hire an environmental or sustainability coordinator for the entire university in order

to implement an environmental management system. Moreover, this position, common in many

other universities with sustainability initiatives, is often a direct voice in the administration’s

decisions and typically coordinates with the numerous on campus sustainability student groups to

ensure both a top down and bottom up approach to achieve more sustainable campus operations.

The efforts on teaching lead to the implementation of a seminar program called “Studium

Oecologicum” offering soft skill courses on sustainable development including:

Basics of environmental science for students not studying environmental science but

humanities or economy etc.

Principles and ethical dimension of sustainable development

Humanities and sustainable development

Sustainable consumption

Intercultural competence in terms of sustainability

Sustainable economics for both economists and non‐economists.

Students having participated in at least three or four seminars can receive a certificate which shows

that they learned competencies for sustainable development. Seminars are open to all students and

they can gain credit points for their studies if soft skills are compulsory.

4http://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/index_en.htm


45

Now the initiative is working on inter‐linkages between the environmental management system and

education in order to implement the idea of transdisciplinary education and research, e.g. a project

for on‐campus nature conservation involves the administration of the university, the administration

of the city of Tübingen, the faculty for Biology (offering theses on that project), and students.

7.2 Sustainability Policy Examples in Brazil, Israel, Germany, and the USA To develop a better understanding of the practical nature of policy development, one of the policy

groups with members hailing from Brazil, Israel, Germany, and the USA decided to discuss and record

their respective countries’ most effective policies relating to energy. This provides a wide swath of

applicability, representing both developed and developing nations as well as countries with strong

economic energy policies (Israel) and countries with softer energy policy incentives (USA). In

addition, Brazil represents a nation that is devoted to large‐scale renewable energy (hydroelectric)

and biofuels (sugarcane ethanol) with nearly half of its energy from renewable sources while the USA

struggles to manage even 10 percent of its energy needs with renewables. Please note that the list

below is by no means exhaustive and only reports the knowledge of the group participants. The

information is provided for illustrative purposes only and does not attempt to interpret or present

specific policy language. The following are several policies discussed within the group:

Energy Efficiency:

USA, Brazil, Germany, Israel – All countries have some regulation in place to label their appliances

according to standards that indicate their energy efficiency relative to one another. These labels

have been an extremely effective tool for informing consumers about the energy and water

efficiency related to the long‐term investment they are making in appliances. In the USA the Energy

Star label even goes so far as to not only list energy consumption of appliances, but to include

average costs of running the appliances using average electricity rates. This provides the consumer

with a tangible metric by which they can make more educated decisions.

Brazil – Imposes a reduced tax on appliances with higher efficiency.

Germany, Israel – Impose minimum standards for the energy efficiency and performance of

appliances.

Transportation:

Brazil – Due to the high penetration of ethanol as an alternative for gasoline, Brazil has a reduced tax

for flex‐fuel vehicles (vehicles that can run on 100% gasoline or 100% bio‐ethanol, or a combination).

In addition, ethanol is substantially cheaper (especially in ethanol producing regions) compared to

gasoline. This price reduction often makes it cheaper per distance traveled to run a car off ethanol

than gasoline.

Israel – Implemented a ‘Green Taxation Program’ in August, 2009 which places imported cars into 16

categories according to their emissions. The lower the emission level, the lower the purchase tax,

ranging from around 10% tax on hybrids to 83% tax on gas‐guzzlers.

Japan – Though Japan was not directly represented in the group, one of its policies was of special

interest to this discussion. Japan has a ‘Top Runner’ program in which every two years it tests and

chooses its most efficient and least polluting cars and then resets the standard minimum efficiency

and pollution levels to that ‘best’ car, thereby raising the bar for car manufacturers considerably

every other year.


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USA & Israel – ‘Cash for clunkers’ policy in which old, more polluting cars could be brought to dealers

and traded in for cash rebates or discounts on the purchase of new, more efficient automobiles. This

policy helped stimulate the market for new and more efficient used cars as well as taking inefficient

automobiles off the road. In most cases, the ‘clunkers’ were dismantled and recycled.

Consumption of Water and Energy:

Brazil & Israel – These countries use what the group called a ‘tiered system’ to charge users

(residents and/or businesses) for electricity and water. It can be thought of like a staircase of prices

per unit of water or electricity. Users pay a fixed price per unit of water or electricity up to a

specified threshold. Once users consume above that specified threshold of water or electricity they

are bumped into a higher cost category for the use of each additional unit of water or electricity.

There can be multiple tiers and cost categories for the use of each resource. For example, users may

pay $0.10/kwh for each kWh used under 1,000 kWh in a given month. For each kWh consumed

above 1,000 kWh, users may have to pay $0.12/kwh. In Brazil this system is for both water and

electricity. In Israel, this policy is for water only.

USA & Israel – Most US states implement peak tariffs for electricity consumption during the hours of

the day when the most electricity is used. With smarter appliances consumers are incentivized to

use electricity in the off‐peak times, often when utilities can generate base load power with their

more efficient plants rather than at the peak when they operate lower efficiency, peak facilities.

Most states in the USA implement this policy for both residents and businesses while in Israel this

rate applies only to businesses.


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8 Conclusion The delegates at the WSES approached sustainability from the perspectives of social, political, and

economic actors working to integrate sustainable development into the mentality of civil society,

government, and corporations worldwide. Throughout the Summit, thinking globally and acting

locally was the foundation of many of the discussion groups and presentations. This concept

embraces maintaining a broad global perspective for all decisions and policies, keeping in mind

individuals in developing and developed countries. This concept also demands action on a local level,

encouraging individuals to take active roles in their communities and regions where they can have

the largest impact.

To encourage society as a whole to embrace this concept, the delegates worked together to

approach sustainability and global social equity on a macroscopic scale. Efforts were made to reach

consensus on several pressing issues related to sustainability and to speak as one cohesive voice

working towards change. Despite various cultural and social backgrounds, the delegates agreed that

they, as the next generation of leaders and decision makers, had to take action to protect the quality

of life for current and future generations by living more sustainable lifestyles. By uniting on this issue,

the delegates truly lived up to the perspective of thinking globally.

The delegates discussed opportunities for improvement in civil society, governments, and global

businesses as well as specific sustainability initiatives that they could each pursue on their university

campuses after the Summit. By learning about successful ideas from other institutions and countries,

the delegates were able to leave the Summit with a renewed sense of confidence that they were part

of a growing group of advocates working towards a more sustainable society. In this context, the

delegates brought to fruition the concept of acting locally.

The conclusions discussed below were taken from the five days of presentations, discussions, expert

panels, and networking. The results from the numerous discussions were distilled by the Writing

Team to bring the most salient points to the surface as expressions of the overall tone of the Summit.

8.1 Thinking Globally The following are the most well‐supported broad policy and sustainable development

implementation measures that were discussed within the three interest groups:

8.1.1 Political Conclusions

Binding international agreements to combat climate change and placing a price on carbon, are essential for integrating sustainability initiatives into global society.

Local governments should be empowered to put forth innovative sustainable solutions that will improve their communities and reduce their overall environmental impact.

Policies should be enacted that provide financial incentives for technology research and development, encouraging more sustainable behaviours, and renewable energy.

Mandating labels that indicate product environmental and/or social impacts can be an effective measure to empower consumers to make better informed decisions.

Politicians are reminded to represent society as a whole and not special interest groups or lobbies with short‐term views that do not embrace sustainable development concerns.


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Policies should encourage knowledge and technology transfer, especially from the developed to the developing world, and efforts should be made to avoid exploitation of the less fortunate for the benefit of those with ample means.

Short, mid, and long‐term achievable renewable energy goals should be laid out and supported widely to build confidence in the market.

8.1.2 Economic Conclusions

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) reporting is an important way for businesses to account for the environmental and social impacts of their operations and to become accountable to their customers for their decisions

Businesses should rethink their operations to incorporate practices and measures of more sustainable production.

Businesses should seek to have their products and services certified for their life cycle impacts by state certified third party organizations and to provide information about their production processes to consumers.

The current shareholder approach to business management should shift to a more stakeholder approach such that their actions represent the best interests of society.

Technology research should be focused on products that inherently benefit society instead of merely products that fulfil an unessential market niche.

Technology and knowledge transfer should be leveraged by corporations and perceived as an opportunity instead of a risk

8.1.3 Civil Society Conclusions

People need to be empowered to make better informed about the products and services they purchase and they need to understand their responsibility in guiding the market with their decisions.

As voters, people need to unite to support common causes and actively support the candidates that will work towards a sustainable development

NGO’s should work together to develop strong lobbies that support more sustainable development initiatives that can combat the well‐funded lobbying groups from less sustainable organizations

Educating people from an early age in terms of sustainable development is an absolutely essential component of building up momentum for the sustainable development movement and a stable society.

Universities and other institutions of higher learning need to integrate sustainable development into every aspect of their curricula and operations.

8.2 Acting Locally The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) announced the

Decade of Education for Sustainable Development from 2005‐2014. Supporting the UN’s objectives,

the delegates discussed initiatives and best practices that can be implemented on university

campuses around the world to foster education for sustainable development and to encourage more

sustainable lifestyles among the global student population.

Universities can incorporate ESD into their operations directly through Formal Learning, Informal

Learning5, and Direct Action, as follows:

5 The terms ‘Formal’ and ‘Informal’ Learning were taken from a small discussion group lecture by Daniel Fischer, Member of

the Institute for Environmental and Sustainability Communication, Leuphana University Lüneburg.


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8.2.1 Formal Learning – ESD elements incorporated into academic curricula

The topic of sustainable development should be included as a component of every academic program in the university, raising awareness about the interrelationship between most societal activities and their impact on society and the environment.

Curricula should have mandatory sustainable development courses or ‘for‐credit’ seminars for students to gain at least a basic understanding of the importance of it within society.

Numerous optional or cross‐disciplinary courses in sustainable development should be offered.

Inter and trans‐disciplinary courses and projects should be encouraged to provide more hands‐on practical applications and understanding of sustainable development.

8.2.2 Informal Learning – ESD elements incorporated non‐academic activities

University faculty, staff, and administration should act as role models for students.

Student groups can promote sustainability initiatives on campus and in the local community, providing a bottom up approach to sustainable development.

Students can assist with educating the youth at local elementary and high schools.

Universities can publicize the initiatives they are undertaking that promote sustainable development, growth, and operations.

8.2.3 Direct Action – ESD elements incorporated into campus operations

University administration can provide a top down approach to sustainable development by actively and publicly promoting sustainability initiatives on campus and in the region.

Campus operations should be improved in terms of their environmental and social impacts, including solid waste management, purchasing, food selection, transportation, energy and water consumption, and overall campus awareness.

Research and knowledge pertaining to sustainability related initiatives should be readily available and be transferred to other universities in the region and accessible around the world.


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9 Closing Our generation stands at a crossroad: we know what is happening to our environment and we will

very likely witness the consequences of society’s action or inaction. In such a situation, our active

engagement towards an environmentally and socially responsible society needs to be very clearly

understood by higher political spheres of our respective countries and universities throughout the

world. To stand out, students’ unified voices needs to be firm, realistic but ambitious, conscious of

the constraints with sufficient imagination to free ourselves from enough of them to build an

acceptable future. The writing of the proposals and this Outcomes Report are therefore crucial

processes to report on the fruitful and many‐faltered discussions held in Tübingen at the 2010 World

Student Environmental Summit.

The outcome of this Summit may appear as one more proposals for decision‐makers to read, as one

more list of collective hopes. Despite our common effort to bring forward a new and innovative

vision of a more sustainable future, none of us can predict the real impact of these

recommendations. What each of us delegates and organisers can recall with solid certainty, however,

is that we came out of this Summit with much more than just knowledge.

Young people studying around the world experience vastly different approaches to the growing

public consciousness about environmental issues and the recommended actions that should follow.

This Summit was a unique occasion to gather and confront our visions of these issues, regardless of

geographical, political, or cultural boundaries. The most powerful and concrete impact of this event

has, without a doubt, been on the participants themselves. The social network and friendships

created by many of the delegates is a first and significant success to build upon. The basis for this

international endeavour has existed since 2008 thanks to the WSEN. The goals that we, the

participants and organisers of this summit, set for ourselves and our network is to carry on

exchanging knowledge and information and sharing our experiences and perspectives for continuous

improvement both locally at our respective universities and globally through the WSEN and our

actions. The WSEN shall be a leading example for multi‐scale cooperation, a powerful tool for

support mobilisation across cultures and countries to push forward the unconditional necessity to

head towards an alternative future.


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10 Acknowledgements The organisation and carrying out of the third World Student Environmental Summit would not have

been possible without the effort and support of so many great people.

University of Tübingen

Prof. Dr. Bernd Engler, President of University of Tübingen ‐ He enabled the 2010 WSES

Michael Grünwaldt and Waltraud Hermle, Department for International Affairs ‐ They supported the

organization team during the whole period of one and a half year.

Prof. Dr‐Ing. Olaf Czirpka, Dr. Peter Merkel and Willy Kappler, Institute for Geoscience; Prof. Dr.

Wolfgang Rosenstiel and Margot Reimold, Wilhelm‐Schickard Institut für Informatik ‐ For quick and

unbureaucratic support

Student Organisation Team

Co‐Chairs ‐ Nikolas Hagemann, Christiane Schmidt, Kathrin Schreglmann, Carina Zell

Co‐Organizers ‐ Asami Hagino, Hagen Krohn, Sinikka Lennartz, Agnes Meyder, Svea Obermaier, Lisa

Oberschelp, Sebastian Gomez Petersen, Martin Reichenberger, Kerstin Schiele, Michael Tarantik,

Timo Ziegler

Carrying out (Logistics, Technics, Workshop Moderation, Documentation, Photos) ‐ Annika Beck,

Matthias Breitinger, Florian Dirner, Tobias Ide, Marion Koch, Dorothee Lorenz, Hans‐Jochen Müller,

Ronja Ratzbor, Riley Sziklai, Sven Tews, Jana Timm, Anthony Thompson, Khangaikhuu Uvgunkhuu,

Dieudonné Wouamba, Ulrike Zeigermann

WSEN Steering Committee Members

Jill Doucette, Aya Imai, Yui Imai, Yurika Ito, Chantal Orr

Furthermore, we want to thank the speakers for coming and their interesting input, the delegates for

participating, their ideas and committed contribution in discussions and workshops, and the

sponsors. All of the speakers, delegates and sponsors are explicitly listed in the following appendix.

International Delegates and Organising Team of the WSES

Annika Beck Matthias Breitinger Florian Dirner

Nikolas Hagemann Tobias Ide Marion Koch

Hagen Krohn Agnes Meyder

The Student Organisation Team

Sebastian Gomez Petersen

Asami Hagino

Dorothee LorenzSinikka Lennartz

Kerstin Schiele Christiane Schmidt Kathrin Schreglmann

Riley Sziklai Michael Tarantik

Hans-Jochen Müller Lisa Oberschelp Ronja Ratzbor

Martin Reichenberger

Svea Obermaier

Sven Tews Anthony Thompson

Ulrike Zeigermann

Carina Zell Timo Ziegler

Khangaikhuu Uvgunkhuu Dieudonné WouambaJana Timm


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11 Appendix

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11.1 Speaker Information 1) Prof. Dr. Lennart Olsson

Prof. Dr. Lennart Olsson is Professor at Lund University in Sweden and Founding Director of LUCSUS –

The Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies which is a faculty independent platform for

trans‐disciplinary research on all aspects of sustainability science.

He is as well director of the international MSc programme LUMES – Lund University Master in

Environmental Studies and Sustainability Sciences.

Prof. Olsson studied Geography and Social Anthropology at Lund University and holds a PhD in

Physical Geography.

He will be Coordinating Lead Author on IPCC 5th Assessment report, was Lead Author on IPCC report

on LULUCF (Good Practice Guidance for Land‐Use, Land‐Use Change and Forestry) and Lead author

on UNEP Global Environmental Outlook. He is also member of various other international scientific

commissions.

2) Lili Fuhr

Lili Fuhr is heading the Ecology and Sustainable Development Department at the Heinrich Böll

Foundation. Before that she was in charge of International Politics at the Foundation. She studied

Geography, Political Sciences, Sociology and African Studies in Cologne, Tübingen, Strasbourg and

Berlin. She currently works mainly on international climate and resource politics.

3) Prof. Dr. Lenelis Kruse‐Graumann

Prof. Dr. Lenelis Kruse‐Graumann is Professor for Psychology, currently at the University of

Heidelberg; until 2007 she was also Professor for Psychology at the Fern University Hagen, Germany.

She is Vice‐Chair of the German National Committee of the United Nations Decade of Education for

Sustainable Development (ESD) and Vice‐ Chair of the Baden‐Württemberg Council on Sustainable

Development as well as former member of the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU)

and member of the German National Committee of the UNESCO for the program „Man and

Biosphere“.

She works mainly on ecological psychology, psycho‐social aspects of global environmental problems

and education for sustainable development.

4) Angelina Hermanns

Former TV journalist Angelina Hermanns works as freelance journalist in Brussels and, since 2003, as

Consultant and Media adviser for NGOs, Civil Society Groups and Non Profit Organisations such as

IAVI/International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, WWF, Global Alliance to Fight TB and the International

AIDS Society. She was a spokesperson for a former President of the European Parliament and adviser

to a Commissioner. During her entire professional life, she has been engaged in health and

development issues, especially in the field of poverty related diseases. She developed Aids

prevention campaigns for women and girls with German health agency BzgA and was an honourable

board member of the German Aids Foundation for almost 20 years.

5) Prof. Dr. Martin Jänicke

Prof. Dr. Martin Jänicke has more than 35 years of experience as professor for comparative politics,

scientific author and senior policy advisor (e.g. of the planning staff of the Chancellor’s Office, from


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1974‐76, or the German Environmental Ministry, since 1999). He was member of the Berlin State

Parliament in the early 1980s and member the German UNESCO Commission. He was Director of the

Environmental Policy Research Centre, Freie Universität Berlin (1986‐2007) and Vice President of the

government Expert Council on the Environment (2000‐2004). Today he is Author and Expert

Reviewer of the IPCC (4th and 5th Assessment Report), member of the International Advisory Board of

the Wuppertal Institute and of the Board of the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt. His bbooks on

State failure, Ecological modernisation, best practice in environmental policy and the “Green

Industrial Revolution” have been translated in other languages. In 1998 he received the Prize of the

Nature Protection Foundation in Berlin.

6) PD Dr. Frank Uekötter

Frank Uekötter studied history, political science and the social sciences at the universities of Freiburg

and Bielefeld in Germany and the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, USA. Between 1997 and

2001, he was a doctoral student at the graduate school of the Institute for Science and Technology

Studies of Bielefeld University. In 2001, he received his Ph.D. from Bielefeld University for his

dissertation on the history of air pollution control in Germany and the United States. In 2002, he

organized the conference “Nature Protection in Nazi Germany” under the auspices of the German

minister for the environment Jürgen Trittin. Effective September 1, 2006, he is a Dilthey Fellow with

the Research Institute of the Deutsches Museum in Munich, working on a history of agricultural

knowledge in the 20th century. He is also deputy director of Munich's Rachel Carson Center.

7) Thomas Weiß

Thomas Weiß is Sustainability Manager at the German organic brewery Neumarkter Lammsbräu and

lecturer of environmental management at the FH Weihenstephan – Triesdorf. He studied Biology and

Environmental Sciences in the US and previously worked as an environmental consultant for various

companies.

8) Arnulf Dinkel

Arnulf Dinkel is Representative of Abu Dhabi for the Fraunhofer‐Institute for Solar Energy Systems

ISE. He is responsible for the relationships with MASDAR and other important partners in Middle

East, Asia and Africa. Arnulf Dinkel has successfully applied all kind of renewable energy techniques

and efficiency tools during his career as architect. He has extensive operational and technical

expertise gained in a number of senior executive roles and he operates the strategic review and

alignment of the ISE’s portfolio related to housing and construction.

Prior to Fraunhofer ISE, Arnulf was with the German Development Service DED, the operating arm of

the German Ministry of Development, coordinating the implementation of development policy

related to cities development and construction in developing countries.

Arnulf has a diploma in architecture from Karlsruhe University.

9) Prof. Dr. Fred Steward

Fred Steward is Professor of Innovation & Sustainability at the Policy Studies Institute, University of

Westminster, London. Prior to this he led innovation research at the business schools of Brunel

University and Aston University. Seconded to NESTA, the UK innovation agency in 2008, he has

advised government departments in the UK, Europe and China on innovation and sustainability.

During 2009 he worked with 6 European regions on a successful bid to the European Institute of

Innovation & Technology for a climate change Knowledge & Innovation Community. He is Visiting


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Professor at Imperial College, London and President of the European Association for the Study of

Science & Technology, EASST.

His primary research interest is in ‘transformative innovation’ – pervasive radical system wide social

& technological change.

He is a member of the Royal Society committee on Global Environmental Change.

10) Ralf Dunker

Ralf Dunker is Project Manager in the Juwi Holding AG campaign “100% renewable”

11) Dr. Nicolaus Dahmen

Nicolaus Dahmen studied Chemistry at the Ruhr‐University of Bochum, finishing 1992 as a PhD in

natural sciences in the field of high pressure thermodynamics. Starting with a postdoc position on

high pressure process separation sciences and reactions using carbon dioxide as an alternative

solvent he is now the head of the Thermochemical Biomass Refining department and project

manager of the bioliq pilot plant project at the Research Center Karlsruhe. Refining biomass by

thermochemical processes includes R&D work on hydrothermal high pressure processes to convert

“wet” biomass as well as pyrolysis of dry biomass to produce gaseous, liquid and solid fuels. In 2010

he did his habilitation on fundamentals for process development utilizing supercritical fluids at the

Karl‐Ruprechts‐University Heidelberg at the faculty of Chemistry and Geology.

12) Rainer Baake Rainer Baake is (alongside Jürgen Resch) federal whip of the German Environmental Aid Association

(Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V., DUH).

The studied economist was deputy District Administrator in the District of Marburg, then state

secretary in the environmental ministry of the federal state Hessen (Hesse) until 1998. From 1998 to

2005 he was state secretary in the ministry of environment in Berlin. Here, he was in authority of all

“big” eco‐political topics that were addressed during the government of the coalition of social‐

democrats and greens: Nuclear power phase‐out, climate policy, Kyoto‐protocol, extension of the

use of renewable energies, amendment of the federal law of nature conservation and waste policy.

Besides various nature and environmental projects, his key activities are in the sectors climate and

energy.

13) Giles Hutchins

Giles Hutchins is Global Director and Head of Sustainability Solutions for Atos Origin, across all

service lines and sectors globally.

He draws on over a decade of business and IT transformation experience to focus on how

organisations can adapt efficiently to embrace the desire, and demands, to become more

sustainable.

Giles’ main activities over the last few years as Practice Head have been: leadership & people

management; sales & business development; delivery excellence; go‐to‐market proposition

development; business strategy; partnership & alliance management; senior stakeholder

management; contractual & financial management. Prior to Sustainability, Giles lead the Business

Transformation, CRM and Analytics practices for Atos Origin and Atos KPMG Consulting.


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Giles has an MSc in Business Computing Systems Analysis & Design and a diploma in Advanced

Leadership.

14) Gabriel Chan

Gabe Chan is a Public Policy Ph.D. student at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government where he

studies energy technology innovation economics and policy. Prior to coming to Harvard, Gabe

graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he received Bachelor of

Science degrees in Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Science, and Political Science. In 2007 and

2009, Gabe worked at the U.S. Department of Energy where he worked in the Climate Change

Technology Program (CCTP), an interagency group tasked with prioritizing the federal government’s

investments and policies for mitigating climate change through accelerated technology innovation

and deployment. Current research projects are looking at expert opinion of future cost and

performance of fossil power plants and vehicles, the impact of venture capital and federal R&D

financing for "transformative" innovation, and firm‐level decision making for adopting new

technologies in developing countries.

15) Annika Schudak

Annika Schudak works at the imug institute (Institute for market ‐ environment ‐ society), which was

established in 1992 at the University of Hanover as a research institute with a practical orientation, in

the fields of sustainable consumption and consumer information. Besides this, she does her PhD

studies there which focus on aspects of consumer policy and the Web 2.0.

Mrs. Schudak is a trained IT specialist and a studied economist at the Leibniz University Hanover

focusing on CSR and sustainable consumption from a marketing perspective.

Concerning the issue of sustainable consumption Mrs. Schudak published papers about fostering

sustainable consumption with an evaluation of ecological and social labels. Furthermore she was

involved in the development of the brochure “Sustainable Shopping Basket”, a policy information

tool by the German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE).

16) Dr. Irmgard Schultz

Irmgard Schultz is senior researcher and co‐founder of the Institute for Social‐Ecological Research

(ISOE) in Frankfurt/Main, Germany, where she is leading the research department ‘Everyday Life

Ecology, Energy and Consumption’.

She holds a doctorate degree in Arts.

The main focus of her scientific work comprises the fields Everyday Life Ecology and Sustainable

Consumption, Gender & Environment and Corporate Social Responsibility.

17) Daniel Fischer

Daniel Fischer is Member of Institute for Environmental & Sustainability Communication (INFU) at

the Leuphana University Lüneburg, Germany. He currently works on his PhD Project about a ‘Culture

of Sustainable Consumption’ in Educational Organizations, is member of the revision committee of

the curriculum mobility which is commissioned by the ministry of education of the federal state of

lower Saxony and he is research associate at the Institute for Environmental & Sustainability

Communication in the project BINK (Educational Institutions and Sustainable Consumption).


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He holds a Master degree in “Educational Management and School Development” at the University

of Osnabrück, Germany and the Austrian Federal Pedagogical Academy in Vienna. He has as well a

University teaching degree for primary schools as well as secondary general and intermediate

schools.

His main research interests are Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in different contexts,

Sustainable Consumption and Education for Sustainable Consumption (ESC), School and

Organizational Culture and Whole School Approaches to Sustainability.

18) PD Dr. Thomas Potthast

PD Dr. Thomas Potthast is scientific coordinator at the International Centre for Ethics in the Sciences

and Humanities (IZEW) at the University of Tübingen and spokesman of the post graduate

programme “Bioethics” at the IZEW. He is habilitated in the field of ethics, theory and history of

sciences.

His fields of interest are interdisciplinarity, ethics and philosophy of biodiversity, nature conservation,

genetic engineering and historic aspects of ecology and nature conservation.

He studied biology and philosophy and taught biology, philosophy, forest science and geoscience at

various German universities.

19) Lena Keul

Lena Keul studied international economics with special focus on Latinamerica in Tübingen, Germany

and Recife, Brazil. During her studies, Lena specialized on development studies, environmental

economics and gender studies and worked in social and micro‐credit projects in Chile and Brazil.

Besides that she is voluntarily active in the social sector, worked with asylum seekers and people

with special needs. In 2006, together with friends, she founded the student initiative “Greening the

University”. This association initiated the implementation of an environmental management system

at the University of Tübingen and realizes the interdisciplinary programme “Studium Oecologicum”

for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Today, Lena works at the University of Nürtingen,

in the section of ESD.

20) Alejandro Esguerra

Alejandro Esguerra is a PhD. Candidate at the Berlin Graduate School for Transnational Studies at the

Free University, Berlin; in his research and teaching he focuses on the interplay of knowledge and

order in transnational environmental governance. He studied International Relations and Philosophy

at the University of Tübingen, Germany and at the University of Massachusetts, at Amherst, USA.

Besides his studies he was an intern in a number of NGOs such as Amnesty International, Melbourne

and the Austrian Business Council for sustainable development, Vienna. In 2006 he initiated the

ongoing student‐run project "Greening the University" that effectually lobbied for the set‐up of an

environmental management system at University of Tuebingen and organizes a seminar program

offering soft‐skill seminars focusing on skills for sustainable development.

21) Winfried Hermann

Winfried Hermann is Member of Parliament for the German Green Party "Bündnis '90/Die Grünen”

since 12 years. There, he is chairman of the Committee on Transport, Building and Urban Affairs and

spokesman of his faction in the field of sports. He studied German language, politics and sports and

worked as a teacher for 5 years.


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22) Bill McKibben

Bill McKibben is an American environmentalist and writer who frequently writes about global

warming and alternative energy and advocates for more localized economies. In 2010 the Boston

Globe called him "probably the nation's leading environmentalist" and Time magazine described him

as "the world's best green journalist.” In 2009 he led the organization of “350.org”, which

coordinated what Foreign Policy magazine called "the largest ever global coordinated rally of any

kind," with 5,200 simultaneous demonstrations in 181 countries. The magazine named him to its

inaugural list of the 100 most important global thinkers, and MSN named him one of the dozen most

influential men of 2009.


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11.2 Delegates’ Details Name University Country

Samuel Green Murdoch University Australia

Sasha Claughton Murdoch University Australia

Alicia Qian University of New South Wales Australia

Jeppe Krommes‐Ravnsmed Universidad Nacional Ecológica Santa Cruz‐Bolivia

Bolivia

Rafaela Andrade Universidade Federal de São Paulo Brazil

Carolina Theophilo Universidade Federal de São Paulo Brazil

Pilar Carolina Villar Universidade de São Paulo Brazil

Maria Daniela de Araújo Vianna Universidade de São Paulo Brazil

Jean Paul Brice Affana Université de Yaoundé 1 Cameroon

Coby Woods British Columbia Institute of Technology Canada

Fernanda Cunha British Columbia Institute of Technology Canada

Lindsay Doucette Okanagan College Canada

Valeriya Edemskaya University of Victoria Canada

Sarah Allan University of Victoria Canada

Connie Niesbet University of Victoria Canada

Lin Li Fudan University China

Roman Matousek University of Prague Czech Republic

Anna Bencokova University of Prague Czech Republic

David Lam Leuphana Universität Lüneburg Germany

Benjamin Smith Leuphana Universität Lüneburg Germany

Loni Hensler Universität Tübingen Germany

Elli Gebhard Universität Tübingen Germany

Svenja Vollmer Universität Tübingen Germany

Nele Kapretz Technische Universität München Germany

Lina Kliucininkaite Christian‐Albrechts‐Universität zu Kiel Germany

Sabrina Ansanay‐Alex Université de Savoie France

Jean Agnese Université de Savoie France

Michael Kodua University of Ghana Ghana

Sandeep Goel The Energy and Resources Institute India

Setu Goyal The Energy and Resources Institute India

Zubin Sarkar Indian Institute of Management Calcutta India

Harshavardhan S Indian Institute of Management Calcutta India

David Immanuel Sihombing Universitas Indonesia Indonesia

Sandy Raharjo Universitas Indonesia Indonesia

Nurzanty Khadijah Universitas Indonesia Indonesia

Mohsen Arsalani University of Tehran Iran

Leila Habibi University of Tehran Iran

Oren Kidar University of Haifa Israel

Michal Nachmany University of Haifa Israel

Sarie Manar Arava Institute of Environmental Sciences Israel

Sebastian Ignacio Charchalac Ochoa Hokkaido University Japan

Aoi Shimeno Hokkaido University Japan

Shiori Takano Doshisha University Japan


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Name University Country

Tomoyo Doi Doshisha University Japan

Misako Matsuba The University of Tokyo Japan

Francine Muyumba University of Namibia Namibia

Alvine Samuel Universitiy of Namibia Namibia

Sam Lusk University of Victoria, Wellington New Zealand

Maria Waag University of Oslo Norway

Anne Raaum Christensen University of Oslo Norway

Lourdes Beltrán Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru Peru

Melissa del Rosario Marengo Serrano Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru Peru

Rasmus Pierong Uppsala University Sweden

Ha Soojeong Uppsala University Sweden

Elza Stepanyan Blekinge Institute of Technology Sweden

Muhammad Adnan Hanif Blekinge Institute of Technology Sweden

Anders Rodewald Blekinge Institute of Technology Sweden

Laura Burger Chakraborty Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich

Switzerland

Salome Schoris Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich

Switzerland

Florent Michaud Université de Lausanne Switzerland

Wladyslaw Senn Université de Lausanne Switzerland

Nikita Jayswal Masdar Institute of Technology United Arab Emirates

Brian Warshay Masdar Institute of Technology United Arab Emirates

Gregory Napolitano New York University United States


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11.3 Sponsors Partner Sponsors:

University of Tübingen, Germany

Doshisha University, Kyoto, Japan

South Pole Carbon Asset Management Ltd., Zürich, Switzerland (Offset of Inevitable Carbon

Emissions)

PE International GmbH, Leinfelden‐Echterdingen, Germany

Basic Sponsors:

Blekinge Institute of Technology, Karlskrona, Sweden

Landesbank Baden‐Württemberg Foundation, Stuttgart, Germany

In‐kind Sponsors:

Der Marktladen, Tübingen, Germany

Hipp GmbH & Co. Vertrieb KG, Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, Germany

Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England

Delinat AG, Horn, Switzerland

Bäckerei Gehr, Tübingen, Germany

Bionade GmbH, Ostheim vor der Rhön, Germany

Studentenwerk Tübingen‐Hohenheim, Germany

Jürgen Eberhardt, Mancuso Tübingen, Germany


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11.4 Student Project List These are some generic student projects which will be available in the student project database on

www.2010wses.org which exemplify some best practice student initiatives taking place at

universities around the world.

Country: Cameroon

Project title: Making Your Room Green for the Planet: Do Water and Electricity Economy!

University: Université de Yaoundé 1

Delegate(s): Jean Paul Brice Affana

Website: http://avd.organisation.over‐blog.com/article‐participation‐to‐the‐global‐youth‐service‐

day‐2010‐50251462.html (written report) and http://avd.organisation.over‐blog.com/article‐global‐

youth‐service‐day‐2010‐52238239.html (Photographs)

Country: Switzerland

Project title: Food and Climate – How everything is connected

University: ETH Zurich

Delegate(s): Laura Burger Chakraborty and Salome Schoris

Website: http://www.eaternity.ethz.ch/

Country: Japan

Project title: Sustainability Weeks

University: Hokkaido University

Delegate(s): Sebastian Ignacio Charchalac Ochoa and Aoi Shimeno

Website: http://www.sustain.hokudai.ac.jp/sw/

Country: Japan

Project title: Note PC reuse Project

University: University of Tokyo

Delegate(s): Misako Matsuba

Website:http://pcreuse.adm.u‐tokyo.ac.jp/english/index.html

Country: Germany

Project title: Greening the University

University: University of Tübingen

Delegate(s): Loni Hensler and Elli Gebhard

Website: www.greening‐the‐university.de

Country: Canada

Project title: SPOKES (Student promotion of kickstands etc. salvaging)

University: University of Victoria

Delegate(s): Valeriya Edemskaya

Website:http://web.uvic.ca/sustainability/SPOKES.htm

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11.5 Summit Schedule ENERGY ECONOMY CONSUMPTION EDUCATION

Monday, 20/09/10 Tuesday, 21/09/10 Wednesday, 22/09/10 Thursday, 23/09/10 Friday, 24/09/10 Saturday, 25/09/10 Sunday, 26/09/10

Break

Break

Break

Break Break

After 22 Trip to Sonnenmatte Party

Departure of Delegates

Breakfast

11-12

12-13

Lunch Snack and Poster Exhibition:

Best Worldwide Student Sustainability Projects

Speech Prof. Engler (University of Tübingen)

Breakfast

Groupwork V Pratical Follow-ups in Education

Lunch Lunch Snack

Breakfast

9-10 Trip to TübingenExpert Lecture III

Giles Hutchins "Business Shaped by Nature"

Breakfast

Break

Break

Arriving of Delegates

15-16

Groupwork Ia Brainstorm

Expert Lecture V

Measures and Concepts for Change

Expert Lecture IV

Patterns and Impacts of Consumption

8-9

Groupwork II

Sustainable Economy Concepts

Break

Groupwork III

University Project Development

Breakfast

Break

Expert Lecture V Doing ESD at Universities –

Methodological, Epistemological and Ethical Dimensions

Plenary Session Education

Presentation of group outcomes

Presentation of WSEN

14-15

Panel Discussion

Potentials of Sustainable Energy Supply: Four Different Approaches

Presentation of Groupwork

13-14 Lunch Snack

10-11 Public Opening Ceremony

Speeches about Anthropogenically-Induced Environmental Problems and Impacts on

Society, International Climate Negotiations and Justice and Education for Sustainable

Development

Free Afternoon with Different Options:

- Biochar Excursion

- City Tour

- Boat Trip

- Talk by Gabriel Chan:Harvard meets Tuebingen "Energy Economics and

Innovation"

16-17

Break

Initiatory Groupwork

Obstacles and Potentials of the Interest Groups17-18

18-19

Groupwork Ib

Discussion Groups: How Do the Interest Groups Have to Act? Cooperations,

Obstacles, etc.

Dinner

Expert Lecture I

Getting to Know your Interst Group

Trip to Sonnenmatte

Public Closing Ceremony

Speech on Possibility to Impinge on Sustainable Development, Video Message on Civil Engagement, Announcement 2011

WSES

Evening Meeing II

Best Practice: Students Present their University Projects

BreakDinner Snack

Trip to Tübingen

Break

Break

Break

Get‐Together

Sponsoring Event

Evening Meeing III

students present their research in the scope of sustainable development

Dinner

Break

Free Evening:

Optional Meetings and Activities, Party

19-20

Evening Meeing I

Intercultural Evening

Dinner

Speech Prof. Hatta

(Doshisha University)

20-21

21-22

Groupwork IV

Suggestions for the interest groups

Dinner

Final Plenary Session

Wrap-up of 2010 WSES, Handing over of Certificates, Signing of Outcomes Report

Celebratory Dinner

Expert Panel Potentials of Sustainable Energy Supply:

Four Different Approaches

Breakfast

Introduction to University Proposal Writing

Lunch snack

Expert Lecture II

"100% Renewable Energy- What Else?"Trip to Tübingen

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11.6 Press review

Medium Name Reference Language

Radio Uniradio Tübingen http://www.uni-tuebingen.de/einrichtungen/zentrale-einrichtungen/universitaetsradio/programm/unimax/unimax26-09-10.html GER

SWR2 http://www.swr.de/swr2/programm/sendungen/impuls/-/id=1853902/did=6949390/pv=mplayer/vv=popup/nid=1853902/11p4a3v/index.html GER

Deutschlandfunk http://www.dradio.de/aodflash/player.php?station=1&broadcast=9539&datum=20100924&playtime=1285332855&fileid=7a46d825&sendung=9539&beitrag=1280349&/ GER

TV SWR, BW aktuell http://www.swr.de/bw-aktuell/archiv/-/id=6803240/did=6924964/pv=video/nid=6803240/etq8lw/index.html GER

Print announcement WSES only available as print version or scan GER

announcement biochar only available as print version or scan GER

article biochar only available as print version or scan GER Internet Article swr.de http://www.swr.de/international/de/-/id=233334/nid=233334/did=6906702/jcn6hu/index.html GER bne-aktionstage.de http://www.bne-aktionstage.de/index.php?year=2010&d=g&mode=quick&gid=790 GER Deutschlandfunk http://www.dradio.de/dlf/sendungen/campus/1280349/ GER

bne-portal.de

http://www.bne-portal.de/coremedia/generator/unesco/de/04__Aktuelles/01__Veranstaltungen/Veranstaltungen__national/20100926__Konferenz_3A_20World-Student-Environmental-Summit.html GER

Sourcews Deutschland http://www.sourcews.de/world-student-environmental-summit-an GER

Publishing of Press Release

Uni Tübingen WSES

http://www.uni-tuebingen.de/en/news/pressemitteilungen/newsfullview-pressemitteilungen/article/world-student-environmental-summit-an-der-universitaet-tuebingen/250.html GER

Uni Tübingen Closing

http://www.uni-tuebingen.de/en/news/pressemitteilungen/newsfullview-pressemitteilungen/article/abschlusszeremonie-des-world-student-environmental-summit-an-der-universitaet-tuebingen/250.html GER

Uni Tübingen Political Proposal

http://www.uni-tuebingen.de/landingpage/newsfullview-landingpage/article/positionspapier-des-tuebinger-world-student-environmental-summit-2010-wird-im-umweltministerium-uebe/148.html GER

idw online http://idw-online.mobi/en/news386064 GER uni-protokole.de http://uni-protokolle.de/nachrichten/id/203730/ GER

juraforum.de http://www.juraforum.de/wissenschaft/world-student-environmental-summit-an-der-universitaet-tuebingen-331555 GER

AlphaGalileo http://www.alphagalileo.de/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=85229&CultureCode=en EN


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Medium Name Reference Language

technobahn science

http://news.technobahn.com/World_Student_Environmental_Summit_at_the_University_of_Tuebingen__2010091500005229.html EN

scientific computing http://www.scimag.com/news-world-student-environmental-summit-at-the-universi-091510.aspx EN greenz.jp http://greenz.jp/2010/09/13/gakusei-sekai-kankyou/ JAP eco-online.org http://www.eco-online.org/public-press/event/20100914109.php JAP

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11.7 University Proposal Template [Day/Month/2010]

Dear [Your President’s name],

[Please introduce yourself and thank your university president for his/her support in covering the

cost of your flight to the WSES. Example: “I want to thank you very much for providing the

opportunity for [me/us] to take part in the third World Student Environmental Summit (WSES), which

took place from September 20 – 26 at the University of Tübingen, Germany.“]

[Below is general information. Please use it as appropriate for your proposal and edit it if

necessary. Be sure to make recommendations about ways your university can improve.]

2010 World Student Environmental Summit

The 2010 WSES more than doubled in international scope since 2008, and included 64 students from

36 universities representing 23 nations. The event was supported by Prof. Dr. Klaus Töpfer, our

patron and former head of UNEP (United Nations Environmental Program), Dr. Rajendra Pachauri,

Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and Prof. Dr. Bernd Engler, the

president of the University of Tübingen.

Our contextual work focused on future energy supply, economy, consumption patterns and

education. We delegates heard input speeches from experts in politics, economy, civil society and

science and had fruitful discussions and workshops. The essence of this work is summarized in an

Outcomes Report and in a brief proposal for political decision makers.

Using the guideline Think Global ‐ Act Local we also focused on networking and sharing of ideas for

local projects to shape and influence our community ‐ that means mainly our universities. To enable

ongoing exchange, a database for student‐run projects was established on www.2010wses.org. This

database already is a compilation of over 40 initiatives taken at universities in more than twenty

nations around the world.

We want to develop this database as a hub for both outstanding student initiatives and universities

which enable and foster bottom‐up initiative towards a sustainable development. On this platform

our university can present its achievements in fostering projects in terms of sustainability and can

thus act as a role model. As a first step we ask for the support of the following concepts:

Education for Sustainable Development

In our complex world facing so many immense and global problems, new approaches in higher

education and research are needed. Knowledge‐based education and scientific work within the

borders of single disciplines are not the appropriate tools to work on these issues.

Education for Sustainable Development is a new perspective cutting across traditional subject areas,

scientific disciplines and administrative sectors.

[I/we] want to establish ESD as integrative concept for research and teaching at our university. We

want to /our idea is to …. [I/we] are working on the detailed strategy and will come back to you in a

few months


70

For this, [I/we] kindly demand your support in… In [my/our] opinion, such a strategy will be

beneficial for the university. Due to the last crisis of the world economy, business and industry are

looking for applicants trained to think outside the box. Additionally more and more funding agencies

focus on interdisciplinary research. Establishing ESD at our university will attract attention of

potential students, funders and the broad public in the long‐term.

[Other suggestions specific for your university should follow!]

The following paragraph is optional because we did not focus on this during the summit. If you want

to include it and implement environmental management at your university, make sure that you read

the following web pages and learn more about the topic:

EMAS: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/index_en.htm

ISO: http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_14000_essentials and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO_14001#ISO_14001 (explanation of PDCA ‐ cycle)

[I/we] highly recommend to you to establish an eco‐management system at the university according

to ISO 14001 standard / the EU Eco‐Management and Audit Scheme EMAS. EU country => use EMAS,

other countries => ISO Using this, not just the environmental performance of the university will be

improved but will also lead to money savings and general benefits by reviewing and improving

processes in administration.

Our university’s role in the World Student Environmental Network

All universities sending students to the WSES are part of the World Student Environmental Network

(WSEN). The WSEN acts as a hub to connect students engaged in the field of environmental and

sustainability issues from all over the world and their campus‐based projects. Breaking the cross‐

cultural barriers is equally important as the exchange of ideas and concepts and as agreements on

general principles which we express through our outcomes reports and proposals to political decision

makers. These proposals have been delivered to the Japanese Minister for the Environment (2008),

the Canadian parliament (2009), the Danish Minister for Climate and Energy (2009).

[I/we] kindly ask you to stay active in this network and continue sending students to the annual

WSES and support them with the implementation of the ideas they got at the summit back at our

university. We would like to stay in contact with you to assist you in selecting next year’s

delegates.

Thank you very much for your consideration of [my/our] suggestions. [I/We] will go on working on

concepts for a sustainable university and their implementation. This will however require ongoing

projects which cannot be implemented just by students on the long‐term. I/We would highly

appreciate if we as the students can collaborate with you and the administration so that our

university can fulfill its responsibility in society!

Yours sincerely,

[Your name(s)]


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11.8 Political Proposal Proposal to Political Decision Makers October 4, 2010 Dear Decision Makers, Deeply concerned by the necessity to implement and ensure sustainable development around the

world with the full participation of young people across their political, socio‐cultural and

geographical borders, we the 64 international delegates representing 36 universities from 23

countries who attended the 3rd World Student Environmental Summit at the University of Tübingen,

Germany, present this proposal to the attention of world leaders.

We ask you to take now, the necessary actions to create a global political environment for a

sustainable economy due to your important role as a guardian of the interests of citizens,

companies, and the environment. A sustainable economy should not only take into consideration the

shareholders’ interests, but pursue instead a stake‐holder approach. This must include a shift of

focus from growth and the generation of profit to generation of value for the society. We need you

to devise and implement strict environmental laws and standards according to regional constraints

which must encourage industries and businesses to adopt sustainable management practices of the

natural resources and services. We need our governments to foster innovation by encouraging

research and development programs and consider co‐finance options as a means to boost the

implementation of clean technology solutions.

We call your attention to mobilising more resources to forge towards incorporating Education for

Sustainable Development (ESD) into our community management and both school and university

curricula. Requisite support should be provided to the universities and research institutions to act as

role models for the society by taking initiatives towards sustainability. This can be achieved by raising

awareness among the general public to adopt eco‐friendly behaviours and consumption patterns,

and letting them know how they can, right now, contribute at an individual or community level in

saving this planet.

We need you to work towards the more efficient use of natural resources and the establishment of a

fair technology and knowledge transfer mechanism with open and just access to all nations,

appreciating the fact that environmental problems are issues of global concern and hence need

solutions on a global scale. World governments should try and achieve the maximum possible

amount of renewable energy based power in their overall energy mix by developing incentive

mechanisms to promote clean energy initiatives and establish concrete feedback and monitoring

mechanisms to keep a check on ‘non‐green’ practices. To enable the implementation of such causes

at both the local and global levels it is essential for all to have a clear roadmap, consisting of short,

mid, and long‐term goals, defining the policies and actions needed with achievable timelines in place.

We recognise that Economy, Education, Energy, and Consumption are important issues to reform in

order to achieve global sustainable development. However, the onus lies on you, the decision

makers, to act now. We are aware of your capacity to influence all of these categories by working

with civil society and the economy, and keeping this in mind, we call you, the world leaders, to take

action without delay and ensure sustainable development around the world.

Sincerely yours,

The Delegates and Organising Team of the 2010 World Student Environmental Summit

Photo credits cover and all pictures unless otherwise noted:

Ronja Ratzbor and Kerstin Schiele

http://2010wses.org

2010 WSES outcomes report

Documents

Transcript of 2010 WSES outcomes report