Sustainability can be defined as 'development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'.
In July 2005, The University of Manchester made a public pledge to sustainability by signing the Talloires Declaration, the official commitment to environmental sustainability in higher education. The University has introduced a number of sustainability initiatives, including:
Sustainability is also increasingly at the heart of many of the University's top-flight research groups. The University is home to the UK's largest single campus-based community of researchers with interests in sustainability and the environment, and research groups such as the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, the Joule Centre for Energy Research, the Centre for Urban Regional Ecology, the Sustainable Consumption Institute and the Brooks World Poverty Institute are committed to ongoing research into sustainability issues.
Students can also get involved in sustainability issues whilst studying at Manchester by engaging with various initiatives, including the Students' Union Climate Change Campaign and Going Green Environmental Policy and the Student Sustainability Forum, which holds monthly meetings in the Students' Union.
The Study Abroad Unit at The University of Manchester is also committed to sustainable development, demonstrated through a number of initiatives, including:
A number of course units enabling students to learn more about environmental issues are available:
Students undertaking the Study Abroad plus Leadership and Service pathway can get involved with local environmental and conservation projects as part of their community engagement activity.
The Green Passport Program was developed as a way to raise awareness of the environmental and social impact of study abroad.
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