Sustainable development means that current and future generations should have a healthy and good environment, economic and social welfare and justice. SFS believes that all aspects of sustainability are central to society.
The state has a special responsibility to set clear requirements for sustainability aspects within academia at the national level, especially in light of the rapid pace of climate change and its major negative impact on society. Academia should therefore actively work to reduce its own climate footprint. Higher education institutions also have unique opportunities to provide education and research on sustainability that benefits society as a whole. Sustainability is not limited to any particular scientific discipline, but can be included in all subject areas. It is important that sustainability issues within academia are addressed in an international context. Mobility must not be restricted, but responsibility is required in the internationalization process.
The provision in the Higher Education Act that universities and higher education institutions shall promote sustainable development was introduced in 2006. In 2016, the Swedish Government commissioned the Swedish University Chancellor's Office (UKÄ) to evaluate the work of universities and higher education institutions in promoting sustainable development. In its report, UKÄ stated that when the work of the higher education institutions was evaluated about ten years later, a mixed picture emerged. The positive aspect was that most higher education institutions were able to provide examples of courses or educational programs where sustainable development had been integrated. More worrying was that approximately half did not have university-wide goals for sustainable development in place and that even fewer carried out systematic follow-up of these goals or worked on skills development for their teachers. Several higher education institutions have begun work in these areas as a result of this evaluation. Even though these are coming late, it should of course still be seen as positive that the work is now underway. Overall, only a quarter of the higher education institutions have been rated as having a “well-developed process” for their work on sustainable development in education, which means that three quarters of the higher education institutions need to develop their processes in this area. The assessment group within UKÄ therefore believes that the higher education institutions’ work on promoting sustainable development must be clearer and carried out at a faster pace.
Sustainable development is a highly prioritized issue among students. Above all, the issue is largely about a sustainable transition with a focus on climate. At the SFS extraordinary general council in October 2020, it was decided that SFS should continue to develop its views on sustainable development, with a focus on ecological sustainability. SFS has worked on the social and economic aspects of sustainable development within the framework of “conditions for studies”, which refers, among other things, to the study social activities in feeling community with fellow students as well as study funds.