he People’s Sustainability Treaty on Higher Education is an initiative led by the CA and seeks commitment and action for transformative change across the higher education system. The CA team engaged with this initiative as it aligned with commitments it made for 2012-14 including: increasing the visibility and work of CA at the international level; lobbying for policy change in higher education; and, the development of collaborative initiatives to support change for sustainability.
The Treaty presents the collective vision of higher education networks, groups and institutions that are seeking to build more sustainable futures. It was developed over a 6 month process involving 30 international and national higher education associations and agencies as well as students groups from across the globe. The Treaty process, which was facilitated by CA, already counts with over 65 signatories.
The People’s Sustainability Treaty on Higher Education is one of fourteen Treaties which were proposed as a series of independent collective agreements, with the intention of influencing Rio+20 outcomes. All the treaties were developed and presented in a series of events organised at Rio Centro and the People’s Summit in Rio de Janeiro between the 13th and the 21st June 2012.
We are delighted with the response received from the international community which has recognised the value of the Treaty in building a momentum during, and after, Rio+20. The Treaty not only acknowledges the work which has been done to date to embed sustainability within higher education, but invites higher education stakeholders to commit to its principles and take innovative actions to transform the sector.
The final version of the Treaty and an updated list of signatories are now available online here. We ask that your institution or organisation considers becoming a signatory of the Treaty. You can download and complete the form available in the Treaty’s webpage and send it to us (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) before the 31 August.
CA is planning to bring the Treaty’s singatories together virtually this autumn to discuss and develop plans to progress the Treaty and showcase efforts of signatories beyond 2012. We look forward to working together in influencing higher education and supporting change towards sustainability.