A recent look at the sustainability programs cropping up at colleges and universities across North America raises two questions: Do those classes include everyone who could or should be there? And what steps can institutions of higher learning take to address these structural inequities? 

When we at Diversity in Sustainability completed our State of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Sustainability report in 2021, it was clear that sustainability professionals are a privileged group. Sixty-two percent hold a master’s degree (that drops to between 5% and 13% among the general population in the United States, Canada and United Kingdom). Three-quarters come from a middle-class or higher level of social mobility. And while research showed that younger sustainability practitioners are more ethnically diverse compared to more seasoned professionals, we also know that many communities of colour are pushed to the social and economic margins, which can make accessing higher education in these fields difficult.  

Our recent research looks into how some schools are trying to attract more racially diverse students by taking alternative approaches. Arizona State University is working with environmentally focused high school teachers to build relationships with potential enrollees. Ontario’s Trent University and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation recently introduced an Indigenous Environmental Students & Sciences diploma for Dene students in the Northwest Territories that blends Western science with Dene Traditional Knowledge.  

Admissions departments are also considering a wider set of extenuating factors that could affect a student’s application, asking students how they have overcome adversity, along with adjusting testing requirements, since privileged students score higher on standardized tests thanks to multiple retakes and additional academic support. More and more schools such as Johns Hopkins University and the University of California system have eliminated legacy admissions, known to give preference to the most privileged.    

Among faculty, professors are expanding the syllabi beyond Western authors and guest speakers. “Elevating BIPOC voices is essential to sustainability innovation, and we actively incorporate their expertise and lived experiences into our work,” says Kimberley Smith with the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. “We believe these diverse perspectives will drive the transformative change needed within the higher-ed sector.”

RELATED:

How Big Oil has infiltrated universities and shaped climate research

New degree is training the next generation of leaders in animal ethics and sustainability

New degree woos next generation of green financial experts

Still, barriers persist, and many racialized youth say that they simply can’t afford pricey tuition for sustainability programs. There are ways around it: the University of Toronto’s Master of Science in Sustainability Management program has an internship program where close to 100% of interns are paid, lowering barriers for students financially while allowing them to gain experience. The Yale School of the Environment’s Three Cairns Scholars program offers tuition and non-tuition support for qualified students from the Global South who are focused on climate solutions.  

Bottom line: cultivating a diverse community in sustainability takes a village, and schools have an important role to play as the entry point into the profession. Creating a sustainability sector that’s accessible to communities of colour will be critical if we’re serious about a just transition toward a future that benefits more than a select few. 

Heather Mak is co-founder of Diversity in Sustainability. 

The post University sustainability programs are trying to make classrooms more diverse appeared first on Corporate Knights.

Environmental and social injustices are disproportionately borne by people of colour – whether it is higher rates of air pollution, unsafe drinking water or exposure to toxic waste and chemicals. Many join the field of sustainability to create a better world. But a better world for whom, and defined by whom? 

I am one of the co-founders of Diversity in Sustainability, a membership network that aims to develop a sustainability profession that is more representative of the world we want to see. We ran the State of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Sustainability Survey to understand the demographics of the sustainability sector, barriers for entry and advancement, individual experiences of equity and inclusion within the sector, and organizational approaches to equity, diversity and inclusion. We received 1,500 responses mainly from Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom from sustainability professionals working for corporations and non-profits, as well as public sector employees and self-employed individuals.

Among our findings was that sustainability is an elite, privileged sector to work in – attracting those who have the means to do so. We found that 77% of sustainability professionals grew up in middle- or upper-class households, 62% have master’s degrees, and the most senior positions in sustainability organizations are disproportionately held by white men. In addition to high social mobility and educational attainment, a barrier is created when entry includes a reliance on unpaid internships and poorly paid entry-level roles in some of the world’s most expensive cities. These barriers to entry exclude the people that typically suffer from environmental and social injustices.

Many join the field of sustainability to create a better world. But a better world for whom, and defined by whom?

Looking at the tenure of professionals in sustainability, those with 16 or more years of experience are typically white, and those in leadership roles are disproportionately white men. Early entrants to an industry often have the benefit of shaping the industry, its values, and systems, and worldviews can persist over time. Can such a narrow demographic really create a better world, or are we exacerbating existing inequities? 

While we see a shift happening, with 42% of sustainability professionals aged 25 to 34 being people of colour, and 54% of sustainability professionals aged 18 to 24 being people of colour, those in positions of power need to take a more considered approach to succession planning to avoid a drop-off in retention. We also need to integrate alternative views on sustainability – whether it’s traditional cultural knowledge that has existed for millennia or those who truly understand on-the-ground realities of the social and environmental injustices affecting their communities. 

While there are more diverse junior staff members coming up in sustainability organizations, we also need to focus on their experience. Those who identify as Black, South Asian, and those from materially poor and working-class backgrounds feel left behind in the profession. Only 34% of Black sustainability professionals felt that being a diverse member of society didn’t hold them back from advancing in their organization, while for South Asians it was 38%, and for those from materially poor and working-class backgrounds, 41%. This suggests we have much to do to ensure that we clear away barriers and advance those who can challenge the dominant worldviews in the sector. 

In a year of extraordinary weather events, from Siberia to Mozambique to Louisiana to Germany to Brazil, COP26 will dictate much of what happens in the world in terms of climate change. We cannot continue down a path where sustainability remains the domain of the privileged. We need to see more diversity among those leading the charge toward a more sustainable future. 

Heather Mak is one of the co-founders of Diversity in Sustainability and the author of the State of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Sustainability Survey.

The post We need more diverse leadership in the sustainability sector appeared first on Corporate Knights.