EUA Annual Conference: "Sustainability is a strategic imperative for universities" (D. Tilbury)

"We can't say anymore that sustainability is a side project, it’s a strategic imperative for universities. We can't address the challenges we face today if we do not embed sustainability the way we do other topics. We need to situate sustainability in the current context", declares Daniella Tilbury, Professor and UN Economic Commission for Europe, on 10/04/2025.

She is speaking during the plenary session on the role of universities in and for sustainability at the EUA Annual Conference, taking place in Riga (Latvia) on 10 and 11/04.

According to the EUA, based on the sustainability survey 2021 and trends report of 2024: "Universities feel a strong social and economic responsibility to contribute to sustainability, they want to be actors and play a transversal role.

We see a growing recognition of the importance of sustainability-related topics and commitments from universities to tackle them. 72% of universities have an environmental and sustainable strategy, up from 61% three years earlier."

However, opposing trends also appear: "We are now facing headwind against sustainability in…