Universities have the potential, and the responsibility, to take on more ecological and relational approaches to facilitating learning-based change in times of interconnected socioecological crises. Signs for a transition towards these more regenerative approaches of higher education (RHE) that include more place-based, ecological, and relational, ways of educating can already be found in niches across Europe (see for example the proliferation of education-based living labs, field labs, challenge labs). In this paper, the results of a podcast-based inquiry into the design practises and barriers to enacting such forms of RHE are shown. This study revealed seven educational practises that occurred across the innovation niches. It is important to note that these practises are enacted in different ways, or are locally nested in unique expressions; for example, while the ‘practise’ of cultivating personal transformations was represented across the included cases, the way these transformations were cultivated were unique expressions of each context. These RHE-design practises are derived from twenty-seven narrative-based podcasts as interviews recorded in the April through June 2021 period. The resulting podcast (The Regenerative Education Podcast) was published on all major streaming platforms in October 2021 and included 21 participants active in Dutch universities, 1 in Sweden, 1 in Germany, 1 in France, and 3 primarily online. Each episode engages with a leading practitioner, professor, teacher, and/or activist that is trying to connect their educational practice to making the world a more equitable, sustainable, and regenerative place. The episodes ranged from 30 to 70 min in total length and included both English (14) and Dutch (12) interviews. These episodes were analysed through transition mapping a method based on story analysis and transition design. The results include seven design practises such as cultivating personal transformations, nurturing ecosystems of support, and tackling relevant and urgent transition challenges, as well as a preliminary design tool that educational teams can use together with students and local agents in (re)designing their own RHE to connect their educational praxis with transition challenges. van den Berg B, Poldner K, Sjoer E, Wals A. Practises, Drivers and Barriers of an Emerging Regenerative Higher Education in The Netherlands—A Podcast-Based Inquiry. Sustainability. 2022; 14(15):9138. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159138
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This paper explores the relationship between Circular Economy (CE) and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) frameworks—a connection that remains ambiguous in both academic literature and practical application. This lack of clarity hinders corporate accountability and progress toward sustainability goals. To address this, we examine how CE and ESG intersect by integrating relevant theories and practical approaches. We identify key strategic overlaps across diverse CE and ESG indicators and frameworks, demonstrating how each can inform and strengthen the other. We begin by outlining foundational theories and current practices in both CE and ESG, then explore how their integration can enhance organisational alignment and accountability, particularly in the environmental dimension of ESG. To support this synergy, we propose an updated 10-R framework for qualitative reporting, incorporating new dimensions such as Regeneration (e.g., Rewilding and Restoration) to reflect biodiversity considerations. Additionally, we introduce the Circularity Scoring Model (CSM) to assess organisational CE performance concerning ESG objectives quantitatively. Our findings suggest that embedding CE principles into accounting and investment practices can highlight opportunities for improvement, such as transitioning to renewable energy, sourcing alternative materials, extending product lifespans, enhancing repairability, minimising waste, and increasing use of recycled or regenerative resources.
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