keynote 4: leadership and education for sustainable development, philip vaughter

Leadership and Education

for Sustainable

Development 2016 AKEPT-ProSPER.Net Leadership Programme

Labuan, Malaysia – August 8th, 2016

Dr. Philip Vaughter

UNU-IAS

Leadership for Sustainability

Around the world, leaders shape how their organizations engage with the

world around them

Government leaders steer policy

Business leaders work with markets

Civil Society leaders work on a variety of issues

However, there has been a lack of leadership in shifting to a just and

sustainable lifestyle across sectors and across nations

Why is there a lack of quality leadership around sustainability?

What makes a leader for sustainability?

According to the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership there are

seven key characteristics for leadership tackling sustainability issues:

1) Systemic, interdisciplinary understanding

2) Emotional intelligence and a caring attitude

3) Values orientation that shapes culture

4) A strong vision for making a significant difference

5) An inclusive style that engenders trust

6) A willingness to innovate or be radical

7) A long-term perspective on impacts

What factors enable sustainable

leadership?

Collaboration is key

Systems must operate to allow

diverse groups to interact;

breakdown the silos

Focus on critical challenges

Priorities must be set to tackle

most critical challenges first

Support for change

Leaders must operate in

institutions that allow for change –

the status quo must be

questioned

Challenges leaders face in addressing

sustainability problems

Often takes long time for a solution

Complex interactions with the components and people involved

A weak and scattered science base for making evidence-based decisions

Lack of integration across disciplines needed to tackle problem

Atmospheres are often emotional and contentious



Communication has made

information more available – but

this quantity of information can

make communication more

difficult and complex

More stakeholders are making

their voice heard, very different

than the past



Sustainability is complex – leaders

have to be careful that

addressing sustainability in one

context does not mean

neglecting sustainability in

another context

Who are seen as leaders for addressing

sustainable development?

According to GlobeScan

Sustainability Leaders Survey, non-

state actors consistently

outperform national governments

in contributions to sustainability

NGOs still leading with

conservation of ecosystems

City/local governments active

with climate change mitigation

Research/academic

organizations seen as crucial

players



Perceptions on corporate

leadership divided by regions

Wide range of economic sectors

Consumer facing companies

(businesses that emphasize

consumer satisfaction and

feedback) lead this list



But while individual companies in

different sectors were seen as

being leaders, no sector in the

global market stands out as a

leader

While experts feel companies

have an important role to play in

sustainability, they were critical of

performance, with all sectors

receiving mostly negative or

neutral ratings

How does education relate to

leadership for sustainability?

Education can…

Train leaders how to work with long term timelines

Provide systemic ways to breakdown complex problems

Inform decision makers about knowledge bases to provide evidence

Teach how to work between disciplines

Give insight into stakeholders motivations

How does education relate to

leadership for sustainability?

Education is often promoted as a tool leaders can use to change the

behavior of their team or their institution to make it more sustainable

But ironically, sometimes it is the most educated that are leading the least

sustainable lifestyles

Therefore, it is not just that leaders need more education, but a different type of education

Education for Sustainable

Development and Leadership

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a different approach to

education

Note the difference (McKeown, 2014):

Education about Sustainable Development is an awareness lesson or theoretical

discussion

Education for Sustainable Development is using education as a tool to transform society

If leaders are going to meaningfully engage with sustainability, education

for sustainable development is the most appropriate educational tool to

use



UNESCO defines ESD as having the following characteristics:

Based on principles of sustainable development

Deals with four dimensions of sustainability – environment, society, culture, economy

Promotes lifelong learning

Locally relevant and culturally appropriate

Based around local needs but links to global processes

Engages formal, non-formal, and informal education

Builds capacity for community-based decision-making, social tolerance, environmental stewardship, adaptable workforce, and good quality of life

Is interdisciplinary – no discipline can claim ESD for itself



While leaders in many different fields can use ESD to advance sustainability,

the following skills are essential for using ESD (Tilbury & Wortman, 2004):

Envisioning – being able to imagine a better future. What does it look like?

Critical Thinking – question our assumptions. What is development?

Systemic Thinking – looking for links. How is this system connected to others?

Building Partnerships – learning to work together. How can we help each other?

Participating – feeling empowered to act. How can I use my knowledge to make

the world more sustainable?

Who is using ESD in Leadership?

The Provincial Government of

Manitoba in Canada

Who is using ESD in Leadership

Training?


Manitoba in Canada

The Ministry of Education in

Scotland


Training?


Manitoba in Canada


Scotland

The Ministry of Education and

Ministry of Environment in Japan


Training?


Manitoba in Canada


Scotland

The Ministry of Education and

Ministry of Environment in Japan

German Federal Ministry for

Economic Cooperation and

Development, in partnership with

governments of India, Mexico,

and South Africa

But, is leadership training using ESD

reaching current leaders?

Many countries now include sustainability in the education that primary and

secondary students receive

Example of long-term thinking – train tomorrow’s leaders today

However, this is typically education about sustainability, not education for sustainability:

lot’s of good knowledge, not a lot of workable solutions

Other major challenges (Leicht, 2014):

Going from a pilot project to a policy

Small scale to large scale

Margins to mainstream

Most ESD focuses on youth – adults need to change their behavior as well

What helps leaders engage with ESD?

In addition to the before mentioned skills, the following preconditions are necessary

for helping a leader engage with sustainability, and to use ESD to do this

1) Make the case for change: a leader must be adept at shifting others from

unconscious to conscious reactivity to the challenge. Must be able to educate

about the challenge and frame in a way that seems serious but also one that

can be overcome.

2) Translate vision into action: stakeholders respond to plans with action rather than

vague commitments to concepts. Must be able to work with experts and ideas

to design actions that fit with sustainable vision.

3) Expand boundaries: a leader must anticipate and evaluate long-term sustainability trends to embed sustainability within the organization, spotting new

opportunities along the way. Must be able to learn from similar case studies and

use critical thinking and forecasting.

What structures can help leaders

engage with ESD?

To recap:

Collaboration is key

Systems must operate to allow

diverse groups to interact;

breakdown the silos

Focus on critical challenges

Priorities must be set to tackle most

critical challenges first

Support for change

Leaders must operate in institutions

that allow for change – the status

quo must be questioned

Regional Centres of Excellence (RCE) as an

approach to Leadership using ESD

An RCE is a network of existing formal, non-formal, and informal organisations that facilitate education for sustainable development in local and regional communities

Because of this unique synthesis of actors, leaders from different sectors can access a pool of experts

Helps break down silos

Gives overview of critical issues due to multiple stakeholders

Pool of experts can support change



The RCE network brings together multi-sectoral and interdisciplinary members who might not usually work together. As such, they are uniquely placed to help create solutions to these challenges through dialogue, education, and learning.

With their official links to UN agencies, formal education institutions, and informal educators worldwide, RCEs are excellent models leaders can use to gain and share knowledge about sustainability challenges in their home regions.



Local leaders around the world

have used the RCE model to help

incorporate ESD into their decision

making

City governments using ESD in

leadership in RCEs include:






making



Okayama, Japan






making



Okayama, Japan

Tongyeong, South Korea






making



Okayama, Japan


Grand Rapids, USA






making



Okayama, Japan


Grand Rapids, USA

Skane, Sweden

We can’t wait for a new generation of

leaders!

Leaders across all sectors need to

start engaging with ESD today –

right now!


leaders!



right now!

Why?


leaders!



right now!

Why?

Life expectancy and material

aspirations continue to rise around

the world


leaders!



right now!

Why?



the world

GHG emissions tend to be higher

among the most educated and

powerful


leaders!



right now!

Why?



the world

GHG emissions tend to be higher

among the most educated and

powerful

Adaptation is the key to good

leadership

Remember, “Once you are through

learning, you’re through…”

Will Rogers (1879-1935)