Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 80.84
Liaison Alex Davis
Submission Date Feb. 27, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Arizona State University
IN-24: Innovation A

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Corey Hawkey
Assistant Director
University Sustainability Practices
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
Global Consortium for Sustainability Outcomes

A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:

A new model of university collaboration to achieve sustainability outcomes

The mission of the Global Consortium for Sustainability Outcomes (GCSO) is—

"Develop practical solutions to sustainability problems and help build the capacity of individuals, communities and cities to take actions that will avoid, mitigate or solve them."

There is a growing urgency to develop and apply solutions to sustainability problems. Globally recognized challenges to sustainability are growing faster than their solutions are being developed, tested, implemented and, ultimately, brought to scale.

Universities and research institutes can play a unique role in addressing these challenges. These institutions have the research, development, innovation and capacity-building talent to develop timely, affordable and scalable solutions that could result in desirable sustainability outcomes.

Working together, our member institutions will deliver solutions that overcome the pace at which sustainability challenges are jeopardizing human well-being and the ecosystems on which the world depends.

Basics:
GCSO is a global, non-profit network of universities established under the ASU Research Collaboratory (ASU Foundation). It is operationally supported and staffed by Arizona State University. ASU is also a dues-paying member.

Timeline:
GCSO was launched at the request of the Board of Directors for the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Institute of Sustainability. Recruitment of the founding institutions (listed below) occurred January-June of 2016 and the Consortium officially launched on July 1, 2016. Representatives from GCSO’s founding member institutions held their first meeting in Tempe, AZ in October 2016.

Founding members:
o University of Toronto (Canada)
o Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (China)
o Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Germany)
o Leuphana University of Lüneburg (Germany)
o Dublin City University (Ireland)
o Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (Mexico)
o Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico)
o National University of Political Studies and Public Administration / Babes Bolyai University (Romania)
o King’s College London (United Kingdom)
o Portland State University (USA)
o Arizona State University (USA)

Impact areas (top three):

○ Research (applied) – While universities are important sources of discovery and teaching, they typically undervalue what is described in academic circles as “applied research”. As a result, universities often fall short when it comes to developing and transferring to urban practitioners evidence-based ways of creating and scaling desired social, economic and environmental outcomes that would help make cities more resilient, for instance. Because GCSO is focused on scaling sustainability outcomes, collaborative research projects are applied and involve co-development of solutions with implementation agents (cities, industry, non-profits/NGOs, etc.).
○ Campus Engagement – GCSO’s membership views university campuses as “living laboratories,” spaces where students can “learn while doing.” The Consortium engages students, staff and faculty at member institutions in project-based learning.
○ Public Engagement – Scaling sustainability solutions and interventions requires engagement of stakeholders beyond the university setting. GCSO projects are co-developed with implementation agents. Projects may involve public participatory dialogues, workshops with city staff, training seminars with K-12 teachers, work with industry partners, and more.

Article:

o Members of new consortium unite around global sustainability outcomes

Website:

o https://sustainabilityoutcomes.org/


Which of the following impact areas does the innovation most closely relate to? (select up to three):
Curriculum
Research
Public Engagement

A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise or a press release or publication featuring the innovation :
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The website URL where information about the innovation is available :
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

This innovation submission corresponds with the one Arizona State University submitted for its February 28, 2014 AASHE STARS rating. A new innovation credit will be included when the University re-submits for its February 2017 AASHE STARS rating.


This innovation submission corresponds with the one Arizona State University submitted for its February 28, 2014 AASHE STARS rating. A new innovation credit will be included when the University re-submits for its February 2017 AASHE STARS rating.

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.