Policy, change and environmental sustainability in the university

Using a Multiple Paper Format, this dissertation explored issues related to environmental sustainability within a university context. The first paper examined national and international sustainability declarations and institutional sustainability policies related to higher education. The analysis of these documents revealed emerging patterns in how universities are framing the central task of becoming sustainable and how higher education views sustainability. The second paper explored the challenges and barriers for universities attempting to become more sustainable. Using examples from both European and Canadian case studies, this paper confirmed the literature which lists governance, advocacy and leadership, communication, economics and policy issues as potential barriers to institutional environmental change within universities. The third paper examined the extent to which the international environmental sustainability declaration, The Halifax Declaration, was implemented within Canadian signatory universities and the extent to which the Declaration challenged signatories to re-think and reconstruct their environmental policies and practices. The study found that the majority of signatory universities were unable to implement the Halifax Declaration within their institutions and suggested how declarations could be improved based on the case study. The fourth paper reported on a study conducted at Dalhousie University that used the Delphi Technique to consult with key representatives of the university community in order to gain an understanding of stakeholder views and ideas as to the most desirable and feasible ways to incorporate an environmental policy into the activities and structure of the institution. This study was part of a larger project initiated by the Dalhousie University Senate Environmental Committee Environmental Implementation Plan Sub-committee, to create an Implementation Plan for the university's new draft Environmental Policy. The dissertation concludes with a discussion of how the document as a whole contributes to the body of knowledge in sustainability and higher education.