Towards the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals at the University of Guadalajara, Mexico

The focus of this article is to examine how higher education institutions in Mexico are preparing for implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. Specifically, we have developed a case study of the University of Guadalajara (UdG), the second largest higher education institution in Mexico, by identifying its institutional sustainability programs as preconditions toward the achievement of SDGs. For this purpose, we first analyze the evolution of UdG ́s sustainability programs and their preliminary results, including participation in nationwide higher education sustainable development partnerships and consortiums. We then explore how these institutional programs might harmonize with the sustainable development goals and targets. Finally, and based on the main environmental issues faced by each region of the state of Jalisco, we propose a statewide SDG preliminary agenda that links UdG ́s outreach and research programs with sustainable development policies of local governments.


Introduction
As catalyzers, public universities are key stakeholders. Public universities mobilize human, technological and research-based resources at the national and regional levels. In the past 20 years, Mexican higher education institutions have made some initial efforts to build up regional and national networks in order to coordinate policies towards sustainable development. The balance of these actions is difficult to define due to fragmentation and incomplete information. Overall, results have been modest regarding full implementation of harmonized and systematized green actions within university campuses. Another venue for coordinating sustainable development goals in the higher education context in Mexico is through the social responsibility framework. Recently, the Mexican Social Responsibility University Organization (OMERSU) has combined the social responsibility paradigm with sustainability guidelines through a workable platform for national universities. However, the integration of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) within the sustainable development paradigm could be potentially problematic. Blowfield & Frynas [1]; Behringer & Szegedi [2].
Prior to 2015, Mexican public universities were at an impasse with respect to the implementation of sustainable development policies on campus. This deadlock is now starting to break in the context of the sustainable development goals initiative. So the question is, how well prepared are public universities in Mexico to transition to embrace the Sustainable Development Goals and, accordingly, to put in place a robust monitoring and evaluation framework.
Public Universities are complex organizations characterized by unclear technology, problematic preferences and fluid participation. Cohen et al. [3]. Within this context, external initiatives such as the implementation of SDGs in the public university realm bring difficulties and challenges, among these: to set out a consensus-based, inclusive and comprehensive framework arena where stakeholders (researchers, university officials, students and teachers) embrace the sustainable development goals initiative. Nonetheless, high-caliber external and global initiatives such as SDG´s are frequently welcomed by the governing structures of public universities and are implemented on a top-down basis.
The National Association for Universities and Higher Education Institutions (ANUIES) recently launched a national-scale survey that gathers data from research bodies within universities to find out whether their research line directly contributes to a specific SDG and target. It is a first step towards reporting what Mexican Higher education institutions are doing in terms of SDGs. However, it lacks two fundamental issues that should be taken into account in order to develop better evaluation frameworks that lead to the empowerment of universities 118 Towards the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals at the University of Guadalajara, Mexico and higher education institutions as real means of implementation. First, it assumes that the research community is familiarized with the SDGs before evaluating the SDG literacy among the research community, which is a crucial predictor of SDG success at the implementation level Higher Education Sustainability Initiative [4]. Secondly, it lacks an additionality component. In other words, the survey fails to raise two important questions: how, when and how much are professors at Mexican Higher Education institutions adapting or reframing their research lines and topics due to the Sustainable Development Goals, and whether their studies contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals anyway.

Background The Latin American Context of Education for Sustainable Development and the Measurement of Sustainability Efforts
According to Bravo [5] [7]. This Committee created the Inter-institutional Strategic Action Plan for Achieving Sustainable Development in Higher Education Institutions, in which the University of Guadalajara also took part. In the same year 2000, the University of Guadalajara was one of the HEI founders of the Mexican Consortium of University Environmental Programs for Sustainable Development known as "COMPLEXUS". The mission of this organization is to "promote the improvement and quality of academic processes regarding environment and sustainable development through the concurrence and collaboration of the environmental programs or entities of HEIs…." Universidad Autónoma de Coahuila 2013 [8]. Clearly, the vision was very general and overall it was meant to promote sustainable development. At that time, the seventh millennium development goal focused on environmental sustainability, but the vision of Mexican HEIs for the most part translated into new programs, or on introducing content into the curriculum.
In Even though all of these efforts have given visibility and importance to the mainstreaming of sustainable development in education, with every change of federal or state administration, it is necessary to refresh and retrain the new authorities in order to be able to continue.
The University of Guadalajara was one of the HEI pioneers in Mexico making an effort to introduce sustainability into its curriculum and its social responsibility. The University´s ability to collaborate with other institutions and the achievement of relevant social impacts has long been recognized.

University of Guadalajara's Experience as Pioneer on Sustainable Development Higher Education Initiatives
It has been recognized that HEIs play a critical role in humanity´s progression towards sustainability. There is a great road to travel ahead in the definition of which fields or strategies should be used in order to holistically and systematically orient and assess HEIs guaranteeing that all students become sustainability literates as well as facilitators. So far, several comprehensive attempts have been performed in order to assess a "cross cutting" or "whole school approach" [9] for achieving sustainability. Nevertheless, even though there is substantial literature, clearly there is a great difficulty in the assessment of a whole school approach applied to the University of Guadalajara given its magnitude, spread locations in Jalisco, and the great variety of programs that it offers. So far, no tool has been consistently and systematically applied to public universities in Latin American in order to evidence any given approach to sustainability. The debate of what to observe and what to do still remains to be done in Latin America, particularly in Mexico since many stakeholders are still unaware of the role that education for sustainable development plays towards sustainability. The University of Guadalajara has followed in the last five years a "whole school approach" regarding its facilities and operations, also there has been a great history of local sustainability oriented research as well as intense exploration of sustainability in its programs, but no systematic approach nor assessment had yet taken place over neither until.
Curiel Ballesteros, cited by Bravo [9] identifies at least five prior stages of institutional environmental experience at the University of Guadalajara. The first stage according to Curiel occurred between 1989 and 1990 when within the context of a profound academic reform in 1990 the Committee of Ecology and Environmental Education was created. Several members of the academic community collaborated through research, environmental education and the first proposal of an institutional environmental policy for promoting sustainable development and environmental culture. This Committee was the first at a national level with these characteristics and objectives. Since 1990, significant evidence of the University's success, with the creation of transdisciplinary programs for the advancement on the knowledge and application of sustainability solutions in Jalisco, includes, for example:  The creation of the Masters in Environmental Health and the second Environmental Education Master's program in Mexico,  The establishment of the first Environmental Management and Economy program in Mexico,  The creation of an intermunicipal management committee model based on basins known as JIMA (Junta Intermunicipal de Medio Ambiente), originally created for the Intermunicipal Management Committee of the Ayuquila River lower basin (known as "JIRA" in Spanish) now used in all of Jalisco for intermunicipal environmental management,  Scientific studies and proposals focused on several natural protected areas, now declared in Jalisco (Sierra de Manantlán, Bosque La Primavera and Piedras Bola), among others),  For two decades the University has led a turtle conservation program (Tortugario "La Gloria") at Tomatlán, Jalisco and a crocodile conservation program (Reptilario "Cipactli") at Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, with the involvement of researchers and students,  For decades the University has attended to poor urban areas, indigenous communities and slums to provide medical and legal orientation services with the attention of professionals and researchers as well as early involvement of students in research opportunities,  As of 2015 the University provides intercultural education for indigenous populations in five university centers (north, south coast, Jalisco wetland, coast, and south centers), including tutoring for admission exams, academic tutoring, and intercultural training for professors,  -As of 2015 the University provides inclusive education through grants for students with disabilities (deaf, mobility, or visual disabilities), grants for indigenous students,  -In 2013 the University became one of the very few in Mexico to promote day care centers for students who are parents (applies to female or male students who are parents).
In short, the University of Guadalajara has been an innovative and constant contributor for decades toward the solution of sustainability problems in Jalisco with meaningful research, critical opinions and clear actions.

Decentralization and the Fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals
Due to a major administrative reformation of the University of Guadalajara in 1994, the education centers of the city of Guadalajara were grouped into disciplinary areas while the education centers located outside of the city continued to be multidisciplinary in nature. These university centers, as well as the university high schools, have evolved in different degrees of depth and sophistication in sustainability mainstreaming and the pursuit of sustainability goals. The fact that the university operates in different locations scattered through Jalisco, at three different levels of higher education (ranging from high school to graduate school), poses a tremendous challenge for the harmonization of institutional sustainability efforts. Many actions have not survived through time or have transferred into other facilities because the effort tended to be voluntary and therefore disarticulate. As a result of a lack of an articulated and mandatory sustainability policy for the whole institution in the past, a university center could develop a unique approach to its particular sustainability problems.
In reality, in the past there was not an integrated strategy for the fulfillment of specific institutional sustainability goals at the University of Guadalajara, but rather scattered efforts instead. From its beginning in 2015 the Sustainable University Program was intended to document and articulate the abundant and diverse sustainability practices within the 15 university centers and 67 high schools located throughout all the state of Jalisco. Clearly, these activities evidenced that in addition to the underlying objective of providing higher education of a greater quality, there was a clear interest on the part of the university community in the achievement of sustainability goals. 120 Towards the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals at the University of Guadalajara, Mexico Social responsibility has also become a clear issue in the latter years considering the great pressure upon HEIs to promote progress and quality of life. The alignment of education goals with social goals and aspirations has always been a clear priority for the university. Nonetheless, social responsibility has also made it evident that the planning and management strategy also reflects the university´s compliance and fulfillment of its own mission. Given the size of our university, the impact of our operations and the degree of penetration that the university´s actions have in the population of Jalisco, planning, management, and administration, are truly transcendental for the fulfillment of both institutional and planetary sustainability goals, given that they are an extension of our education goals. Informal education through institutional practice evidences our social responsibility and is an undeniable tool for massive sustainability education, even outside campus. Nonetheless, it has been proved that even though it is part of education´s social mission, international university rakings fail to measure the HEIs success in developing third mission activities, thus being scarcely significant for being a formal part of the organizational structure or the academic environment [13].

Findings Evolution and Institutionalization of the Sustainable University Program and Institutional Sustainability Strategy
As of 2015 the Sustainable University Program of the University of Guadalajara has prioritized "collecting" and documenting these efforts, evidencing a rich array of sustainability practices. Of these, some are oriented to a cross-cut approach to sustainability in the curricula of the participating programs, and others are oriented toward a more efficient management of facilities, observing that many of these also enhanced a higher quality education with a sustainability approach. The program also introduced several other institutional exercises as a means of diagnosing the state of sustainability practices in the institution. From 2015 to 2016 this program made a thorough study of the introduction of sustainability literacy into the curriculum, as well as the state of management practices as related to sustainable practices. As a result of the exercise, the University of Guadalajara developed several instruments which allow not only a great array of management practices, but also the more accurate accountability of institutional sustainability indicators. Among others, these instruments were developed and are currently being institutionally piloted:  A tree inventory of all adult trees on university land,  A greenhouse gas inventory for all the university centers in Guadalajara in order to plan responsible carbon reduction goals,  An oversight of the environmental compliance of management practices,  A training course on Sustainable Procurement for all the personnel involved in procurement in order to develop both a policy and an inventory of sustainable providers in every region,  Piloting of an introductory course of Education for Sustainable Development approach as applied to Mexico and Latin America for professors,  Development of the pilot application of a sustainable management system in two of our largest university centers (based on environmental impact and population),  Experimental application of a water footprint measurement model in two university centers which are located in an area of high climate change vulnerability.
Additionally, in 2016 the University of Guadalajara also initiated the University Integral Program of Energy Transition (PUITE in Spanish), which is the greatest and most powerful energy strategy for the adaptation to climate change. This program has several dimensions. The most significant ones for the effects of this paper:  Transition to clean energy through solar farms, two of which are already being built in Jalisco,  Transition from fuel based to electric or hybrid vehicles throughout the institution,  Verification of energy efficiency through constant monitoring of electricity consumption in university facilities.
Also in 2016, the Inclusive University Program was created in an effort to articulate diverse social actions such as intercultural programs in communities with a high indigenous student population, actions for the integration of students with disabilities, and day care centers for promoting the greater integration of young parents who study at the university. These actions together with the long-established programs of social intervention through medical and legal services, evidence a profound commitment to the fulfillment of social needs.

Strategic Partnerships with Public, Private and Social Sectors for the Fulfillment of SDGs
As mentioned above, the actions currently being developed through the Sustainable, Inclusive and Energy Transition University programs evidence the integral approach of the University of Guadalajara to contributing to the sustainable development goals. Currently the university is clearly focused on the approach of the following SDGs:  SDG4, quality education, particularly goal 7, through the introduction of education toward a sustainable development approach through professor training and in the production of electronic materials which introduce content and practice for students,  SDG5, particularly 5.4, mainstreaming gender equality through the day care centers program,  SDG6, water access and sanitation, particularly 6.3 and 6.4, with policies directed to the reduction of the water footprint, and establishment of drinking water stations in all education centers,  SDG7, clean energy, particularly 7.1 and 7.2, through all the actions of the energy transition program,  SDG12, sustainable consumption and production, through the actions of the sustainable university program, training of administrative personnel for the life cycle and sustainable procurement approach, preventive verification of compliance of environmental norms for adequate disposal of solid waste and water discharges, and the promotion of a sustainable lifestyle through bicycle safety, as well as a non-smoking campus strategy,  SDG13, climate action, particularly 13.1 and 13.3, both through the sustainable university program and energy transition strategy, through the introduction of measures of adaptation, also through upgrades of equipment such as vehicles and lighting fixtures, and through the consideration of specific actions of adaptation in education centers of high vulnerability (centers most vulnerable to water shortages are developing rainwater catchment as well as reuse of treated water),  SDG14, marine life in several of its specific goals is thoroughly attended through research on species, coastal life, and consciousness over the effects of human activities. Also the sustainable university program collaborates with sustainable infrastructure for the turtle and the reptiles programs,  SDG15, land ecosystems, the sustainable university program is contributing to this objective through its tree inventory. The actions for classifying and mapping the more than 15000 adult trees in university property promote consciousness and evidences action. Our inventory also evidenced the need to introduce more and native species for the renovation of our vegetation, contributing to the strengthening of local biodiversity and its corridors,  SDG16, peace, justice and solid institutions is an important commitment for our institution. Sustainability, inclusiveness and energy strategy are committed to transparency, the rule of law, and the protection of human rights.

Discussion
Currently, one of the main challenges with respect to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals at the University of Guadalajara is not the lack of initiatives and actions towards sustainability, but rather the issue of how to trickle down the SDGs from the macro to the lower levels of the organization, so that students, teachers, researchers and administrative workers alike embrace the SDGs and the translation to specific sustainability actions on a daily basis. Moreover, given the thematic scale and regional scope of the University of Guadalajara, the issue at hand is how to identify and construct sustainability indicators at the level of the regional campuses. In doing so, we propose a dual strategic planning approach, first by running the Living Laboratory framework as a tool for introducing the sustainable development goals into the public university system, particularly at the University of Guadalajara. The Living Laboratory framework implies the "development of new products, systems, services, and processes, employing working methods to integrate people into the entire development process as users and co-creators, to explore, examine, experiment, test, and evaluate new ideas, scenarios, processes, systems, concepts and creative solutions in complex and real contexts" Evans et al. [10]. All of this relates to context-based sustainable development solutions.
The second strategic intervention to accelerate SDG implementation processes is to harness the University of Guadalajara as a partnership-builder at the local level. Given UdG´s geographically decentralized model, the second interaction arena of University of Guadalajara in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals is through intervention in local and state-level sustainable development issues. In order to propel the SDG initiative into the outreach off-campus level, it is necessary to align applied research and outreach activities with local environmental sustainability agendas based on local sustainable development issues.
In this regard, we also propose a two-fold differentiated and complementary strategy that first addresses Guadalajara´s Metropolitan Area environmental quality issues that have degraded in recent years: for example, air quality, land use, biodiversity and natural protected areas, and then to align them accordingly with the corresponding SDG. On the other hand, the eight regional campuses of the University of Guadalajara provide a unique and diverse platform to address local sustainability issues through applied research, outreach and capacity-building. With a view toward effectiveness, we propose then that, in principle, each regional campus should adopt the most suitable SDG bundle, including targets and indicators, either already existing or constructed, that addresses the most significant sustainable development issues at the regional level. Table 1 depicts the main environmental issues at Guadalajara Metropolitan Area and the Metropolitan University Center, those that can be relied on to lead in a specific SDG, target and set of indicators, according to the nature of the issue and the available expertise for each campus. Due to the complexity that each goal implies, it is necessary to take an interdisciplinary approach that can apply across the specific campuses. That being said, it is important that each campus takes the lead and responsibility for at least one Sustainable Development Goal. In a complementary way, Table 2 depicts the main environmental issues at the regional level of the western state of Jalisco, Mexico thereby suggesting which SDG, target and set of indicators should be taken at the regional campus level, seen as a node or cluster.

11.Responsible
Consumption and Production 11.A Support positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, per-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning 11.A.1 Proportion of population living in cities that implement urban and regional development plans integrating population projections and resource needs, by size of city

Biological and Life Sciences University Campus (CUCBA)
Overfishing and overharvesting 14. Life below water 14.4 Effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics 14.4.1 Proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels.
Source. Own adaptation from UdG´s Institutional Development Plans, State of Jalisco and Municipal Development Plans Even though possibilities are clear, the greatest challenge in this aspect is being able to support local research agendas which contribute to global solutions. Stakeholders both within and outside the university are not always keen, much less aware of the potential in local efforts. Capacity-building both within the university as well as with stakeholders and grass-root organizations is still a challenge to be faced by University of Guadalajara. A strategic approach is vital for the road ahead.
Universities represent means of transformation in this global effort. As catalyzers, public universities generate, transfer and mobilize human and technological resources to speed up sustainable development goals achievement. Moreover, at a micro level, universities play a role at how they are doing in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals themselves. Therefore, in this section we assess through SDG indicators framework so far what are the gaps and achievements of UdG towards the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG´s). Tables 1 & 2 summarized the 8 Goals which directly involve UdG performance due to its nature, mission and strategic planning. But how well does UdG performs in each one of them? Currently, the Sustainable Campus Program hosted at UdG is working to define preliminary baselines, thresholds and indicators towards the implementation and achievements of Sustainable Development Goals on campus.
In this regard, SDG 13, Climate Action is the one goal with enough data to establish appropriate baselines and feasible goals towards 2030, and even an estimate of monetary investments throughout this period. Carbon sequestration and Co2 emission reductions are fundamental mainstream indicators to achieve effectiveness for climate change mitigation. In this sense, given current and projected student enrollment populations at UdG, it is possible to estimate expected and net CO 2 emissions scenarios for 2030 (Table 3). Furthermore, as shown in Table 4, setting carbon neutrality as a campus-level Sustainable Development Goal implies significant shifts towards green budgeting and green project investments. According to several surveys carried out at diverse UdG campuses, there are significant opportunity areas to abate greenhouse gas emissions within the university network: student population projections rates clearly outpace carbon sequestration rates. Therefore, cost-effective interventions are needed, alongside carbon sequestration certificates since net emissions will remain positive for 2030 scenarios along UdG. Source: Balderas, Arturo. "Diagnosis to achieve carbon neutrality certification". Sustainable University Program-UdG

Conclusions
This quick review makes it evident that University of Guadalajara is taking action towards the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals. Nevertheless, there are enormous challenges ahead.
Internally, the institutionalization of the strategy through a formal policy is necessary as a guarantee of a permanent budget and permanent capacity building in these three areas. Also, it is necessary for education authorities at state and federal levels to observe and consider sustainability actions on HEI as part of the evaluation strategies. The challenge of systematic documentation and approach by the University still lies ahead as well as a capacity building strategy which will enable every campus to act consistently.
A great challenge lies ahead with respect to our interaction with education authorities at state and federal levels. In the past, sustainability actions have been considered voluntary, and even though all HEIs should be committed to promoting either environmental education, education for sustainability or climate change education, it is a fact that there is no indicator in any state or federal education instrument that verifies compliance with the general commitment. Such enforcement is necessary for HEIs to consider sustainability actions seriously, allocate adequate budgets, and assign adequate personnel. Also, based on our university's experience, disarticulation and improvisation also cause great frustration in the community because successful practices and innovative ideas cannot be documented, replicated or continued and the knowledge acquired may be lost. On the other hand, the formal observation and consideration of sustainability actions on HEIs should be part of the evaluation strategies given that these actions provide informal education through life experiences for students, professors and administrative staff multiplying exponentially the effect of education on making societies conscious and resilient. Thus, indirect capacity building within education authorities remains a great challenge ahead in order to create the appropriate conditions to enable sustainability practice beyond a voluntary approach. There is no certification instrument or approach to sustainability learning in the Mexican education system. Also, certification instruments for programs do not assertively assess sustainability issues nor sustainability competences. If education authorities remain ignorant and passive of the necessity of a hands-on approach on sustainability, the road ahead will be even more challenging. The role of the University of Guadalajara as the second largest public university in Mexico poses a great responsibility for documenting, evidencing and enabling this change.
Another opportunity also lies with the environmental authorities (mainly state and federal). Sustainability actions from HEIs should receive more specific and greater support from environmental authorities. Given that large numbers of the population are exposed to good (or bad) sustainability practices and habits, these tend to be replicated elsewhere. Sustainability performance in HEIs is currently certified through policy instruments meant for production facilities which are not appropriate for the needs and operation of educational facilities. If one specific HEI has an exceptionally strong sustainability performance, it will be assertively contributing to SDGs as well as promoting a greater quality of life to all its members. Specific public policy and instruments should be created as incentive and in order to enhance sustainability practices at HEIs and the rewards are obvious, considering the educational effects these good practices have on the population.
There is an extraordinary opportunity for public HEIs such as the University of Guadalajara to make a substantial and integral contribution to society if government agencies could finance the study of real life sustainability problems in order to promote the involvement of researchers and academics applying knowledge in the solution of real life problems. Multidisciplinary research as well as early involvement of students in real-world contexts could give rise to long-sought-after sustainability abilities and competencies. A hands-on approach to real-life sustainability issues in harmony with the living laboratory framework, with government support, could induce a more effective focus on the SDG goal fulfillment, and it could make a powerful contribution to applied education for sustainable development. University of Guadalajara has a great challenge ahead in the cross cutting institutionalization of its sustainability exercise through a whole school approach as well as proposing its own sustainability goals which contribute in turn to regional and planetary challenges. Finally, given the scale and scope of the University of Guadalajara decentralized network, it lends itself to fostering differentiated interventions for SDG achievement alongside local and state governments and civil society partnerships, to establish from-the-ground-up regional sustainable development indicators.