Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have been incorporating sustainability into education and curricula, where recent research has focussed on sustainability competences, pedagogical approaches, and how to connect them, generally on a single HEI. The process of integrating sustainability into education based on curricula assessment has been explained using adoption of innovations; and has the potential to explain the process of developing competences through pedagogical approaches.The aim of this paper is to investigate this process at academic discipline level. An online survey was developed to investigate teaching sustainability competences in

There has been increasing research on pedagogical approaches, sustainability competences, and how to connect them in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). This paper's aim is to provide deeper insights into the system of pedagogical approaches and sustainability competences, as well as how these interrelate. A survey was developed to

Purpose.-The persistence of shanty towns in cities is a major public issue due to the situation of poverty and abandonment of its inhabitants. Despite public authorities are concerned about this serious issue, they often fail to address suitably the problem due to their short term goals. In this paper, public policies and green economy projects to improve the quality of life of people living in shanty towns are assessed in northwest Spain from the point of view of sustainable development and the interaction between social, economic and environmental areas. Design/methodology/approach.-A systemic causal diagram is proposed for the empirical analysis. It has been contrasted through the study of the various actions undertaken in some shanty towns in Spain. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to complement this analysis. Findings.-As a result, the study shows that the actions should not only be limited to providing access to adequate housing, but should also require more extensive crosscutting projects. In this, green economy policies are shown as a good choice for improving the quality of life and development of the population. Originality/value.-The study highlights the potential of green economic policies to mitigate environmental problems in slum areas and to support the social and economic development of its inhabitants. This paper provides some lines of action to improve the efficiency of public policies implemented in these cases. Thus, benefits in multiple areas such as social, environmental and urban could be generated.

At present, there is an urgent need to move towards a model of sustainable economic growth. In this sense, citizens must be aware that their high levels of consumption have serious consequences when embarking on the path of sustainable development. This paper focuses on the textile sector. Specifically, it analyzes the behaviour of consumers towards a new concept of fashion, the Slow Fashion (SF). The SF is presented as a responsible alternative from a double point of view: social and environmental. Its main purpose is to change the focus, moving from quantity to quality, increasing, therefore, the time use of clothes. SF has born to face the current predominant model, the fast fashion (FF). The FF is based fundamentally on the establishment of low prices, diversity of styles and a reduced time of use with the consequent environmental impact. The main objective of this work is to analyze the preferences of consumers towards this new model, which is more socially and environmentally responsible. In order to achieve this goal, a questionnaire has been conducted and through the analysis of data, results show that women and consumers who frequently buy online have a greater willingness to pay higher prices for this type of clothing. On the contrary, consumers with higher income emphasize that they would not feel socially accepted with this type of garment.

La interacción entre la importante preocupación mundial en torno al desarrollo sostenible y el rápido crecimiento tecnológico ha dado como resultado el diseño de un curso abierto masivo en línea (MOOC) sobre Sostenibilidad en la era del Big Data. Este proyecto se enmarca en una convocatoria pionera lanzada por la Universidade da Coruña (UDC) (España) en 2018. Su objetivo principal es crear un espacio para difundir, concienciar y promover el desarrollo sostenible en sus tres dimensiones: ambiental, social y económica. Mediante el uso de herramientas basadas en la web, el conocimiento se comparte con un amplio público, sin necesidad de conocimientos previos. Para motivar a los estudiantes, el MOOC fue diseñado como una historia basada en un mundo distópico, la cual les permite involucrarse, desarrollar sus habilidades digitales y mejorar su aprendizaje sobre la sostenibilidad. Se proponen también diferentes desafíos aplicables al mundo real basados en el enfoque de gamificación, así como debates entre estudiantes. Asimismo, se ha realizado un cuestionario en línea para conocer el grado de compromiso de los participantes con la sostenibilidad al comienzo del curso y en su evaluación final. Su realización reveló la buena recepción de esta iniciativa, además de la generación de conciencia y conocimiento. Estos resultados fomentan el desarrollo de acciones similares, centradas en herramientas innovadoras.

Universities are experiencing a transition to sustainable universities, as addressing environmental concerns has become a cornerstone for the governance of higher education institutions. As responsible for the formation of decision-makers and because of its duty with the society, these institutions must be in line with the current society. This chapter deals with the implementation of sustainable procedures and initiatives in a concrete university: the Universidade da Coruña in Spain. Great efforts have been done regarding raising awareness on environmental issues and the implementation of sustainable procedures, even with limited economic resources. As a result, this university is very well positioned in international rankings and has great potential in the field of sustainable development.

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