Connecting and Developing Synergy

Between Health and Sustainable

Development Agendas

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 Health and Sustainable Development:
Key Concepts
 Public Health: ‘the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging
life and promoting health through the organised efforts of society.’
(Acheson, 1988)

 Health Promotion: ‘the process of enabling people to increase

control over, and to improve, their health.’ (WHO, 1986)

 Sustainable Development (SD): ‘development which meets the

needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.’ (World Commission on
Environment and Development, 1987)

‘Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable

development, they are entitled to a healthy and productive life in
harmony with nature’
Rio Declaration Principle 1 (United Nations, 1992)
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 UK Sustainable Development Strategy:
Five Principles
“The coalition Government is committed to sustainable development…
This refreshed vision and our commitments build on the principles that
underpinned the UK’s 2005 Sustainable Development strategy, by
recognising the needs of the economy, society and the natural
environment, alongside the use of good governance and sound science.

“Sustainable development recognises that the three ‘pillars’ of the

economy, society and the environment are interconnected…Our long
term economic growth relies on protecting and enhancing the
environmental resources that underpin it, and paying due regard to
social needs. As part of our commitment to enhance wellbeing, we will
start measuring our progress as a country, not just by how our economy
is growing, but by how our lives are improving; not just by our standard
of living, but by our quality of life."
Source: http://sd.defra.gov.uk/2011/02/the-coalition-governments-vision-for-sustainable-development/

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UK Sustainable Development Strategy:
Five Principles

Source: H.M Government, 2005

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Healthy and Sustainable Communities

Source: Adapted from Hancock, 1996

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 Health and Sustainable Development in
Higher Education: Connections

Higher education can make substantial contribution to promotion of SD and

public health – which are closely interlinked (Orme and Dooris, 2010):
 SD embraces environmental/social/  Ensure action for SD within higher
economic dimensions and aspires to education engages with and
health-enhancing communities, addresses health and wellbeing
societies and environments
 Health determined by environmental,  Acknowledge that environmental
social and economic influences – and ‘triple threat’ (climate change, peak
the health of people, places and the oil/resource depletion, environmental
planet are interdependent degradation) contributes to socio-
economic inequalities, poor health
and increasing inequities in health
 Causes and manifestations of  Appreciate and develop synergy
unsustainable development and poor between climate change and
health interrelated – and pose obesity agendas
interconnected challenges
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 Healthy and Sustainable Universities:
Examples of Integrative Work
 Transport: sustainable transport policies are increasingly being
developed and championed across higher education sector,
contributing to action on climate change by reducing carbon emissions
and helping tackle obesity and other chronic diseases by promoting
physical activity.
 Food: ‘whole university’ healthy and sustainable food frameworks can
also impact positively on health and carbon reduction, helping to
address interconnected procurement, catering, retail, education,
research and advocacy roles in an integrated way.
 Curriculum: universities can also embed health and sustainable
development into their core business through means of curriculum
development linked to research and knowledge exchange – with an
emphasis on inter-disciplinary transformative learning.

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 In Conclusion...

 Public health, sustainability and climate change are so inextricably

linked that they need to be considered as one overarching system.
 Higher education is large, distinctive and influential sector with potential
and responsibility to lead for change regionally, nationally and globally.
 This leadership will involve a number of mechanisms:
 Evidence-informed communication and advocacy for ‘joined-up’
understanding and integrated approach.
 Corporate social responsibility – using leverage and ‘corporate
muscle’ at institutional and sectoral levels.
 Development of values, knowledge and understanding of students
and staff, shaping views of future citizens, leaders and policy makers.
Orme and Dooris, 2010
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