Standards in the classroom: a vehicle for strategic sustainability education

Sustainable development is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. Sustainability standards and certifications are voluntary, commonly third party assessed, agreed upon norms and values relating to environmental, health, wellbeing, social, and ethical issues. From medical devices, to coffee, to fuels, sustainability standards have become an important cog (mechanism) to demonstrate and encourage sustainability leadership. Commonly these standards move beyond the traditional boundaries of manufacturing site process and site to encompass the environmental, social, and economic impacts of whole production chains.
Bringing these ideas, mode of thinking, and understanding of the related standards to the classroom is challenging, but vital in pursuit of sustainability. Students of all ages are the practitioners, managers, and experts of the future. Whether they become consultants, academics, engineers, designers, politicians, government employees, or otherwise, they will shape the future of sustainability standards and sustainable development. Therefore, an understanding of standards and certification is important to equip the next generation of global citizens to help us all make sustainable choices. To achieve this, education must equip learners with the ability to interpret, apply and use standards in practice.
This chapter will briefly explore with examples the role of standards in sustainable development using examples. The challenges of bringing these concepts and standards to the classroom at school and university level will then be explored. Key barriers, opportunities, and successes will be highlighted with a series of case studies and culminate in recommendations to overcome the challenges identified based on real-world experience in the classroom.