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Contributions of an environmental management system for sustainable development at a Brazilian university
Author(s) -
Beuron Thiago Antônio,
Madruga Lúcia Rejane da Rosa Gama,
Garlet Valéria,
Avila Lucas Veiga,
Guarda Fernando Guilherme Kaehler,
Terra Camila Castilhos de Freitas,
Balsan Laércio André Gassen
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
environmental quality management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.249
H-Index - 27
eISSN - 1520-6483
pISSN - 1088-1913
DOI - 10.1002/tqem.21697
Subject(s) - sustainable development , sustainability , ethos , promotion (chess) , context (archaeology) , standardization , sociology , environmental education , public relations , higher education , political science , economic growth , pedagogy , geography , economics , ecology , archaeology , politics , law , biology
In addressing quality education, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), one of them translates the responsibility of universities into context to ensure that all students acquire the theoretical and practical knowledge necessary to promote sustainability through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, respect for human rights, gender equality, the promotion of a culture of peace and nonviolence, global citizenship, and the enhancement of cultural diversity. There is some consensus in the area about the alignment between SDGs and education for sustainable development, and, in this study, we sought to develop a tool that has helped universities to contribute to an environment that is capable of strengthening a culture of ethos of sustainability. The present work has an objective to examine the environmental management system of a Brazilian university. In order to carry out this research, the design of a single study case was chosen. Multiple sources of evidence were considered, such as interviews, nonparticipant observation, and documents; all were analyzed qualitatively. For constructing the case, different data collection units were contemplated, together with management personnel, technicians, and professors. The categories of analysis arose from theoretical models already existing in the theory. The university in question is one of the largest private educational institutions in the country, and it has approximately 31 thousand students in the categories of presential and distance education. The main campus consists of a preserved area of more than 90 hectares, with lakes and green areas interconnected, which meets the criteria of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO 14001) since 2004. The case presents contributions in relation to the progress of sustainable universities in the national context, making it possible to qualify the necessary discussions for changes in infrastructures, curricula, teaching practices, and research that still do not address all problems that are global in scale and require more holistic approaches.