31 Article ECORFAN Journal-Republic of El Salvador June 2018 Vol.4 No.6 31-39 Sustainability actions undertaken by higher education institutions in the Sierra Norte of Puebla, Mexico Acciones de sostenibilidad emprendidas por instituciones de educación superior en la Sierra Norte de Puebla, México VELÁZQUEZ, José Rubén*†, CASTRO, Julia Aidé and CARMONA, Juan Carlos Universidad Tecnológica de Xicotepec de Juárez. Av. Universidad Tecnológica Núm.1000 Col. Tierra Negra, C.P.: 73080, Xicotepec de Juárez, Puebla ID 1st Author: José Rubén, Velázquez / Researcher ID Thomson: X-2948-2018, CVU CONACYT ID: 953306 ID 1st Coauthor: Julia Aidé, Castro ID 2do Coauthor: Juan Carlos, Carmona Received July 7, 2018; Accepted December 4, 2018 Abstract Resumen Undertaken actions sustainability by Higher Education Acciones de Sutentabilidad enprendidas por Instituciones Institutions in the Sierra North of Puebla, Mexico.Taking de Educación Superior en la Sierra Norte de Puebla, the perspective of sustainable development as a México. Teniendo como marco la perspectiva el desarrollo framework, we intend to know the actions That Have sustentable se pretende conocer las acciones que han sido Been Undertaken to date by the Institutions of Higher emprendidas a la fecha por las Instituciones de Educación Education in the Sierra North of Puebla. In order to Superior en la Sierra Norte de Puebla. Con la finalidad de Strengthen the Initiatives That Contribute to the different fortalecer las iniciativas que coadyuven a los distintos levels of government, the productive sector, the economy órdenes de gobierno, al sector productivo que impulsa la That drives, and society in General to Contribute to the economía, y a la sociedad en general para así contribuir a sustainable conservation of the environment. For This la conservación sustentable del medio ambiente. Para tal purpose, a quantitative empirical study was Conducted efecto se realizó un estudio empírico cuantitativo mediante through a field research instrument to Identify different un instrumento de investigación de campo para identificar topics: such as rules or rules That Please beneficial distintas temáticas como las normas o reglas que policies around sustainability, ways of Local addressing favorezcan políticas benéficas entorno a la sustentabilidad, problems, Initiatives to Promote Sustainability, las formas de atender problemáticas locales, iniciativas application concrete sustainable practices and benefits para el fomento de la sustentabilidad, aplicación concreta That Have Been generated inside and outside the de prácticas sustentables y los beneficios que se han Institutions of Higher Education in the Sierra North of generado al interior y al exterior de las IES en la Sierra Puebla. Norte de Puebla. Sustainability, Education, Development, Globalization Sustentabilidad, Educación, Desarrollo, Globalización Citation: VELÁZQUEZ, José Rubén, CASTRO, Julia Aidé and CARMONA, Juan Carlos. Sustainability actions undertaken by higher education institutions in the Sierra Norte of Puebla, Mexico. ECORFAN Journal-Republic of El Salvador 2018, 4- 6: 31-39. * Correspondence to Author (email: [email protected] ) † Researcher contributing first author. © ECORFAN Journal –Republic of El Salvador www.ecorfan.org/republicofelsalvador 32 Article ECORFAN Journal-Republic of El Salvador June 2018 Vol.4 No.6 31-39 Introduction Approach to Sustainability Some economic activities have generated Vertiginous changes interconnected world negative effects on the environment and these through new technologies that indicate patterns have been produced by processes obsolete of progress within the current globalization several companies manufacturing, which has context has been characterized by a steady caused these companies to invest resources to increase of inputs and raw materials to meet prevent environmental accidents and use cleaner market demand regardless of the deterioration of technology; Yet the social demands of the natural resources for obtaining, by developed locality are not enough to make the necessary nations that claim to settle debts that have synergy that achieves a change of pattern of acquired developing countries which has led to different behavior than is currently perceived an environmental imbalance that result is violates environmental and social to generate reflected in the breakdown of potential poverty, to meet specific economic interests development in some countries has increased environment is generated. poverty and natural resources have been degraded, becoming increasingly notorious for They arise voices that shape the the capitalist mode of production,according to sustainability idea and is defined in the the statement made by Keynes (1965) "The main Brundtland Report (1987) "make development drawbacks of the economic society in which we sustainable, durable, ie ensure that present needs live are its failure to ensure full employment and are satisfied without compromising the ability of its arbitrary and inequitable distribution of future generations to meet Own". wealth and income". The importance of achieving a balance Given the obvious drawbacks of between social, economic and environmental capitalism he begins to create awareness of its factors is evident, so that the study an approach importance in the environmental issues currently to sustainability is realized and as contextualized facing, about Diamond (2006) sets out the most concept development today. serious environmental problems that both societies past and present highlighting met: Knowledge are transformed into freedom of thought and are transmitted at universities that a) accelerated destruction of natural habitats. allow cognitive development of individuals, so also sustainability education is integrated and b) Sources of food from the sea are not managed similarly the actions undertaken in the properly. institutions analyzed Higher education in Mexico. c) An important part of wild species, has disappeared. HEIs to become promoters of cultural property to help improve the reality of our d) Erosion by water and wind sweeping floors country and the progress of society, also make farmland. commitments to perform functions that promote action around sustainability, and the main e) The main sources of energy in the world, objective efforts will be analyzed to they have especially in industrial societies, are fossil fuels. been made in the Sierra Norte of Puebla. f) Most of the freshwater rivers and lakes in the world is already being used for irrigation, domestic and industrial uses. g) The chemical industry and many other discharged into air, soil, oceans, lakes and rivers toxic chemicals many products. h) Human activity produces gases escaping into the atmosphere, ozone deterioration. ISSN-On line: 2414-4886 VELÁZQUEZ, José Rubén, CASTRO, Julia Aidé and CARMONA, Juan ECORFAN® All rights reserved. Carlos. Sustainability actions undertaken by higher education institutions in the Sierra Norte of Puebla, Mexico. ECORFAN Journal-Republic of El Salvador 2018 33 Article ECORFAN Journal-Republic of El Salvador June 2018 Vol.4 No.6 31-39 i) The world population is increasing. Which in Date Event turn demands more food, space, water, energy 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights. and other resources. 1972 United Nations Environment Program. j) What matters is not only the number of people Earth program. but their impact on the environment. 1987 Brundtland report Our Common Future. 1989 Children's rights convention. 1990 Jomtien World Declaration on Education Moreover, the awareness of individuals for All. about the impact associated with the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and development in the natural environment to Development. (Agenda 21). obtain resources begin to notice since the 70's 2000 Dakar Framework for Action Fulfill with studies by Meadows, DH; Meadows, DL; common commitments. 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Randers, J; Behrens, W. in 1972 (Zapiain, 2002) Development in Johannesburg. that determined the following: "If 2003 United Nations Decade of Literacy. industrialization, pollution, food production and Ministerial Round Table on Quality resource depletion maintain the present growth Education. trends in world population, this planet will reach 2004 United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. the limits its growth over the next hundred years. 2005 Millennium Project of the United Nations. The most likely outcome would be a sudden and Convention within the framework of the uncontrollable decline in both population and 2009 United Nations on Climate Change industrial capacity. " (UNFCCC). 2015 the Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB) Another action that reinforces the importance of the environment as one of the Table 1 Historical Sustainability term line Source: self made factors allowing development was addressed at the United Nations Conference on the Human In Table 1 it can be noticed in a historical Environment in Stockholm 1972 as the Program line the various documents and agreements that United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) contextualize the development of the concept of presented, strengthening implicitly to the sustainability, and education and human principles of sustainable development, also development strategies at international level. establishing on June 5 as world environment day. Integration of Sustainability to Education Similarly in the early 80's much Sustainable development from the covenant of emphasis was placed on environmental strategies to make education,