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A Peaking and Tailing Approach to Education and Curriculum Renewal for Sustainable Development

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  • Cheryl Desha

    (Science and Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, 2 George Street, Brisbane 4001, Australia)

  • Karlson 'Charlie' Hargroves

    (Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute, Kent Street, Bentley, Perth 6102, Australia)

Abstract

Contextual factors for sustainable development such as population growth, energy, and resource availability and consumption levels, food production yield, and growth in pollution, provide numerous complex and rapidly changing education and training requirements for a variety of professions including engineering. Furthermore, these requirements may not be clearly understood or expressed by designers, governments, professional bodies or the industry. Within this context, this paper focuses on one priority area for greening the economy through sustainable development—improving energy efficiency—and discusses the complexity of capacity building needs for professionals. The paper begins by acknowledging the historical evolution of sustainability considerations, and the complexity embedded in built environment solutions. The authors propose a dual-track approach to building capacity building, with a short-term focus on improvement ( i.e ., making peaking challenges a priority for postgraduate education), and a long-term focus on transformational innovation ( i.e ., making tailing challenges a priority for undergraduate education). A case study is provided, of Australian experiences over the last decade with regard to the topic area of energy efficiency. The authors conclude with reflections on implications for the approach.

Suggested Citation

  • Cheryl Desha & Karlson 'Charlie' Hargroves, 2014. "A Peaking and Tailing Approach to Education and Curriculum Renewal for Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(7), pages 1-19, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:6:y:2014:i:7:p:4181-4199:d:37737
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. World Commission on Environment and Development,, 1987. "Our Common Future," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780192820808.
    2. Charlotte L. Briggs, 2007. "Curriculum Collaboration: A Key to Continuous Program Renewal," The Journal of Higher Education, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 78(6), pages 676-711, November.
    3. Garnaut,Ross, 2008. "The Garnaut Climate Change Review," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521744447.
    4. Stern,Nicholas, 2007. "The Economics of Climate Change," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521700801.
    5. Rammel, Christian & van den Bergh, Jeroen C. J. M., 2003. "Evolutionary policies for sustainable development: adaptive flexibility and risk minimising," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(2-3), pages 121-133, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Jan DeWaters & Susan Powers & Felicity Bilow, 2021. "An Introductory Energy Course to Promote Broad Energy Education for Undergraduate Engineering Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-22, August.
    2. Rodrigo Lozano & Maria Barreiro‐Gen & Janna Pietikäinen & Carmen Gago‐Cortes & Claudio Favi & Maria Teresa Jimenez Munguia & Ferenc Monus & João Simão & Javier Benayas & Cheryl Desha & Sevket Bostanci, 2022. "Adopting sustainability competence‐based education in academic disciplines: Insights from 13 higher education institutions," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(4), pages 620-635, August.
    3. Mei-hui Chen & Yenchun Jim Wu & Kune-muh Tsai, 2018. "Building an Industry-Oriented Business Sustainability Curriculum in Higher Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-14, December.
    4. Rodrigo Lozano & Maria Barreiro‐Gen & Dalia D'Amato & Carmen Gago‐Cortes & Claudio Favi & Ricardo Martins & Ferenc Monus & Sandra Caeiro & Javier Benayas & Savindi Caldera & Sevket Bostanci & Ilija Dj, 2023. "Improving sustainability teaching by grouping and interrelating pedagogical approaches and sustainability competences: Evidence from 15 Worldwide Higher Education Institutions," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(1), pages 349-359, February.

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