An on-going dilemma of working on the sustainability in education agenda is defining the balance between the environmental impact or externalities of your work and the wider educational benefit of engaging or inspiring more young people into an Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) pathway.
In 2017, an opportunity arose for me to assist with the delivery of an international student field trip as part of a module within the Department of Organisation Work and Technology (Lancaster University Management School). The trip was a week in Mexico City, with the students being invited to experience and work at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Council Member meeting. The module title is Management and Sustainability – WBCSD Student Bootcamp, led by Dr Alison Stowell.
The conference content highlights member-company contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals. After 3-days at the conference, the group undertook a sustainability in action excursion to an ecological lifestyles and community education centre on the periphery of Mexico City as well as a one-day cultural tour to visit the pre-Aztec Teotihuacán monuments including the Sun and Moon temples. It was an eye-opening and enriching experience for the students and staff involved.
But what about the environmental impact of all this? Of course, Mexico City involves flying half way around the world and back, corresponding with a proportionately high level of greenhouse gas emissions (CO2e).
In order to address this dilemma, I have to ask whether the excursion achieved tokenistic or transformational change for those involved? For me, it significantly changed my outlook on the role of business and sustainability, in a positive sense.
Read Darren's full blog on the EAUC website:
http://www.eauc.org.uk/flying_high_for_sustainable_development