Responsible Consumption and Production: RCE Saskatchewan Leadership in a Global Higher Education Cluster for the SDGs Case Study Presentation Dr. Roger Petry, RCE Saskatchewan 8th Americas Regional Meeting 23-25 September, 2019, Burlington, USA

1. Responsible Consumption and Production:
RCE Saskatchewan Leadership In a Global
Higher Education Cluster for the SDGs
Dr. Roger Petry (presenting),
Jocelyn Crivea, Jill Forrester,
Margret Asmuss, Jon Yee, and
Aura Lee MacPherson
(contributors)
8th RCE Conference of the Americas
Burlington, Vermont
15:45, September 24, 2019

2. RCE Saskatchewan Region

3. Presentation Overview
RCE SK and IAU Higher Education and Research
for Sustainable Development SDG Cluster
Other Updates:
 Quill Lakes Flooding Roundtable
 SDG Children’s Books
 Strategic RCE Saskatchewan Correspondence
to government
 SDG Visibility on Campus and in Community

4. Transforming the “Ivory Tower” into a “Tree of Life”
Francis
Bacon
Gresham
College
Royal
Society of
London
Faculties of Science,
Engineering, &
Administration
Industrial
Production
United
Nations
University Regional Centres
of Expertise on
ESD
?
Transformed
Autonomous
Universities
Sustainable
Consumption &
Production
+
Hans Van Ginkel &
Charles Hopkins
+

5. Background on International Association of
Universities (IAU) & Relation to RCE Movement
 Created in 1950 under the auspices of UNESCO
 An official UNESCO partner
 Goal: “Building a worldwide higher education community”
 Membership-led Higher Education NGO (650 HE
institutions in 130)
 IAU General Secretary (or rep.) attending RCE Global
Conferences
 RCE panel presenting at IAU 2018 International
Conference in Malaysia (November 2018)

6. International Association of Universities (IAU) Higher
Education and Research for Sustainable
Development (HESD) Cluster
“The IAU Cluster on HESD promotes the role
that Higher Education Institutions globally have
to fulfill in order to achieve the SDGs and
Agenda 2030. Universities are to address the
SDGs, which themselves impact on and
transform universities. The Cluster encourages
a holistic approach to the SDGs, focusing
specifically on the whole institution approach.”
 http://www.iau-hesd.net/en/contenu/4648-iau-hesd-cluster.html

7. IAU Cluster Structure and Goals
 1 HE Lead for each SDG w. university team, one from each
continent
 Foster engagement of HE Institutions with Agenda 2030
 Create inclusive and innovative global synergies between HEIs for
Agenda 2030
 Promote invaluable contributions of HEIs towards achieving the
SDGs
 Engage public support for HE as a key stakeholder
 Focus on Policy-Science Interface/knowledge to policy
 Highlight the (Inter) Cultural Dimension in Sustainable
Development
 Promote the Whole Institution Approach
 Develop critical engagement with and between SDGs
 Work inter and transdisciplinary

8. Initial Lead Universities for each SDG in 2018
2019 Update:

9. Member Universities of SDG 12 IAU Sub-Cluster

10. 2019 Cluster Developments
 Meeting of 17 SDG cluster leads in Paris at UNESCO (January
28-30, 2019)
 Inaugural Conference of IAU Cluster on SDG 12 at Luther
College (Regina, Canada) & U. Regina Funding: "Advancing
Responsible Consumption and Production in Higher Education”
(May 6-7, 2019)
 Regional participation of RCE Saskatchewan's HE partners,
RCE members, SDG 12 Satellite Universities, and IAU
 Video and PPT Presentations Available:
 https://www.luthercollege.edu/university/alumni-friends/events/iau-sustainable-development-goal-12-inaugural-
conference
 Participation of IAU HESD Cluster at the UN High Level Political
Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development (New Yorkm July 9-
18, 2019)
 https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?page=view&type=20000&nr=5792&menu=14

11. Strategic Dimensions:
 Whole Institution & Cultural Approach to Conference:
 academic and administrative conference funding
 representatives from across HE (faculty, administrative
staff, students, and board members) & community
 Combining Theory & Practice, Global & Local
 SDG 12 principles and values & practical efforts in
production & consumption:
 (1) energy, (2) shared equipment, (3) sustainable
food, (4) sustainable livelihood and lifestyle, (5)
education for SCP, (6) financing and procurement, (7)
SDG 12 indicators, and (8) engagement with policy
makers and communities
 Employ UN SDG 12 Targets & Local University SDG
challenges

12. Key RCE Role in SDG 12 Cluster Development
 RCE network invaluable in finding HE partners
(Malaysia, Germany, and Colombia)
 Saskatchewan RCE partners participating in network
 Apply RCE learning re. multi-partner facilitation back
into autonomous HE communities
 RCE culture of goodwill & patience overcoming
difficulties (time zone differences, resource mobilization
and limits)

14. Calling Lakes Ecomuseum and RCE
Saskatchewan Update on Quill Lakes
Illegal drainage – cleared wetlands
Flooded downstream farms from
illegal drainage

15. Proposed Solution: Common Ground
Drainage Diversion Project
• Initial Proposal by Quill Lakes
Watershed Association (QLWA) to
construct a 25 km drainage diversion
channel redirecting salinated surface
water to Last Mountain Lake
• Estimated 7,000,000 m3 surface
water/year
• Proposal Withdrawn but new Request for
Proposals to widen existing (?) channel
(July 29, 2019)
North America’s First Migratory Bird
Sanctuary - Last Mountain Lake

16. Quill Lakes Academic-Led Roundtable
 Stakeholder Meeting Held June 13, 2019
– Included Quill Lakes Watershed Association,
Ecomuseums, Saskatchewan Alliance for Water
Sustainability (SAWS), University of Regina, and
RCE Saskatchewan
 Dr. Peter Leavitt (Canada Research Chair in
Environmental Change) hosting roundtable on Quill
Lakes through the U. of Regina Institute of
Environmental Change and Society (IECS) in
November, 2019
– SDGs Part of Evaluative Roundtable Structure

17. SDG Children’s Book: Opportunity to
Collaborate on 17-Book Series on SDGs
2019 Sustainability Award Recipients
The Three Birds, Authors
of The Right Colour Blue

18. Learning Objectives
UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable
Development Goals – Learning Objectives:
• Cognitive
• Socio-Emotional
• Behavioural
https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf000024744
4

19. Looking for Translators and RCEs to lead other SDG stories: Will
your RCE help? Contact: jonathan_d_yee@yahoo.com

20. Strategic RCE Correspondence: Proposed Gravel
Road Construction over Artifact Site
 Lack of Notification of 10,000 Year Old Artifact Discovery to
Local Community
 Initial Construction Work Despite Indigenous/Public Concern
 RCE writes Letter to Local Authority re. Governmental SDG
and UN Culture Commitments
 CBC Media Report of Letter
 Construction Halted; Government Culture Ministry Updating
Procedures
Photos Source: CBC
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canad
a/saskatoon/sask-first-nations-
artifact-international-1.5166345

21. Components of RCE Letters to Government
Authorities (local, provincial/state, national)
(1) Identify the issue: frame a negative situation as a positive educational
opportunity
(2) Provide background on the RCE and Global Network
(3) Cite relevant SDGs applying to the current situation suggesting a change
in action from what is proposed & other relevant UN commitments
(4) Suggest RCE help with specific alternative courses of action (e.g.,
educational involvement of larger groups of stakeholders/community)
(5) Indicate others cc'd on
correspondence (e.g., RCE members,
UN University)
(6) Request a reply re. how concerns
to be addressed and and
follow-up governmental action

22. RCE Saskatchewan Learning from RCE Curitiba:
New SDG Staircase at Luther College, U of R

23. SDGs in the Community: Treaty 4 Parade in
Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan, Sept 2019

24. 29 Initiatives Recognized at RCE Sask 11th
Annual Sustainability Awards, May 2019
RCE Saskatchewan recognizes 29 initiatives
at 11th annual awards ceremony in 2019
RCE Saskatchewan recognizes 29 initiatives
at 11th annual awards ceremony in 2019
RCE Saskatchewan recognizes 29 initiatives
at 11th annual awards ceremony in 2019
RCE Saskatchewan recognizes 29 initiatives
at 11th annual awards ceremony in 2019
Hosted by Saskatchewan Polytechnic at Hannin Creek Facility on Candle Lake

25. 2019 RCE Lyle Benko Future Generations Award
Regina Huda School 5A Recycling