The universities need to play a crucial role in the pursuit of sustainability. University education needs to be reoriented towards sustainable development by fostering environmentally aware attitudes, skills and ethical responsibility.

Universities strongly need to accept the present challenge of reducing the emission of greenhouse gasses, protecting biological diversity, preventing the destruction of forests, conserving energy and reducing soil erosion. A new educational paradigm is needed that shifts the focus from mono-disciplinary knowledge towards an integrative focus. 

Universities through their education research and diffusion activity are expected to induce the society towards environment protection. It is the responsibility of institutions of higher education to perform actions for sustainable and equitable form necessary for an environmentally secure and civilized world. There is dire need for the universities to invest in maintaining the ecological services and resources and natural capital, upon which society depends.

The efforts of environment protection by government alone are not sufficient unless universities come forward for the cause. Role of universities needs change in the present circumstances. Universities can play an important role in developing eco-friendly approach to devise solutions for the problems concerned with sustainable development.

Such universities are also named ‘Green Universities’. Green University mean;
 Exploring opportunities for efficient and optimal use of resources by
        decreasing negative impacts on the environment,
 Increasing Environment Knowledge in universities,
 Evaluating the implementation  of  various Environmental Laws,
 Optimal use of existing Environment Knowledge besides routine activities,
 Encouraging research in the field of Sustainable Development,
 Promoting Sustainable Environment for society by becoming a role model for others.
Various international conferences and meets attended by Prime Ministers, heads of states and Chancellors of various universities have also stressed the need for prominent role to be played by universities for sustainable development. Some of these have been given below:

1. The Tbilisi Intergovernmental Conference on environmental education, organized by  United National Educational, Scientific And Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) at Tbilisi, Georgia, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR),  in October 1977. The Conference suggested the development of environment education at the university, national and international level. It had given the objectives and aims to maximize the benefit from this type of education.

2. Tallories Declaration, in October 1990 in Tallories, France, with 66 member states and participants. Conference had discussed about the increasing ecological degradation, pollution and depletion of natural resources and suggested that urgent actions should be taken to stop the ecological imbalance on earth. They agreed on taking ten steps in the university education to respond to urgent challenges. 

3. The Halifax Declaration, convened at Halifax, Canada, in December, 1991 by International Association of Universities (IAU) and the United Nations Universities. Colleges of Canada and 33 international representatives from tertiary education had participated in it. It also underlined an important role for the universities for sustainable development.

4. The United Nations Convention on environment and development at Rio De Janeiro (UNCED, 1992) highlighted environmental issues and has given35 principles. The recommended steps include that the government and the universities can’t escape responsibility for maintaining healthy balance between ecological, social and economic factors. 

5. The Swansea Declaration released at the conclusion of the association of commonwealth universities (ACU) in Swansea, Wales, in August 1993, with participants drawn from over 400 universities in 47 different countries had a consensus opinion that the dying globe can’t be saved without active participation of the universities towards ecological concerns.

6. The Kyoto Declaration signed at Kyoto, Japan, in November 1993 by the 650 university members of the international association of universities unequivocally stressed the need for universities to play a pro-active role in saving the globe and its civilization from extinction.

7. The University Charter for Sustainable Development known as the CRE Copernicus Charter, Presented to the CRE bi-annual conference in Barceloria, in 1993. Two hundred and thirteen (213) universities of Europe participated in it and felt concerned over the ecological degradation and insufficient role of the universities to save the civilization from digging its own graves by not making the industrial houses, the tertiary sector, the governments and masses at large sufficiently aware about the consequences of mad race for economic development and its disastrous consequences.

From above it’s amply clear that the world acknowledges that the universities the world over need to act effectively and efficiently towards creating a globe that’s worth living for this generation and the future generations. The role of the universities in saving the dying globe can’t be underestimated. The universities can’t sleep over the matter, nor can they ignore their responsibility in creating a harmony between ecological environment and economic development. They have to accept this challenge to minimize the conflict between economic development and ecological degradation. Further mere paper work or heated exchanges in air- conditioned chambers expressing concerns about sustainable growth will not work, ground realities need to be understood and active steps should be initiated without any further delay. Otherwise it will be too late and hardly anything would be left for concern. So it’s high time that the universities accept the challenge as an opportunity for a good cause.
Some of the suggestions for universities for achieving the goals of sustainability are as under:

 Promoting less dependence on non-renewable energy resources or polluting resources in their production and cost-effective use of resources such as fuel, electricity, water, detergents and paper, efficient utilization of resources, reduction in the use of chemicals and pesticides, use of recycled products, finding ways in which recycled materials could be used, disseminate widely the relevant approaches to sustainable development in the employability strategy, building up a creative and critical approach to teaching in sustainable development.

 Encourage teaching and research into sustainable development issues at all levels of the university; and include specific mention of courses that contain Sustainable development, to  ensure understanding of sustainable development issues as a part of continuing student activities, as also appropriate use of teaching methods which promote development of skills such as participation and team-work. Apply integrated environmental management policy at every department of the University, for maintaining and developing the university in a sustainable manner.

 Build partnerships for sharing experience and knowledge of sustainability and to establish a liaison with industrial and commercial establishments and introduce Sustainable Development Committee (SDC) which might supervise sustainable development issues and report on progress made towards sustainability by reviewing university operations to the syndicate, senate and executive bodies of the university.

* Professor, Department of Commerce and Business Management, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar
** UGC Research Scholar, Department of Commerce and Business Management, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar
***Doctoral Research Scholar, Department of Commerce and Business Management, Guru Nanakv University, Amritsar