Today, as we celebrate World Earth Day, CAVA reaffirms our commitment to fostering environmental awareness and sustainability through education. Since its start in 1970, World Earth Day has served as a global platform to address the impact of pollution, industrial development, and other environmental concerns. This year, the focus is on reducing plastic production by 60% by 2040, underscoring the urgency of environmental conservation. Learn more about this initiative on earthday.org.

CAVA's Commitment to Sustainability

CAVA recognises the global challenge with regard to our changing environment, and the impact that our actions have upon it. For this reason CAVA is committed to operate according to strong ethical values, in a way that we achieve excellent results today, without compromising the needs of tomorrow.

Through our Net Zero strategy, we operate as a lean organisation, limiting our consumption and waste. Each year, CAVA offsets any essential emissions through investments in Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) certified carbon reduction programmes across the world. These programmes include carbon avoidance, clean and renewable energy generation. Many are within developing countries, where they also provide additional social benefits.

Mapping UN SDGs to Access to HE Diplomas

We believe education plays a pivotal role in climate action and we are dedicated to advancing education for sustainable development. As detailed in our previous blog, we believe the Access to HE Diploma contributes to global progress through its alignment with United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our review has shown the qualification as a whole aligns with Quality Education (SDG 4), Gender Equality (SDG 5), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), and Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10).

Recognising the importance of empowering students to actively contribute to sustainable practices in their respective fields, we believe it is crucial for all students to understand the principles of sustainability. By incorporating sustainability into their areas of study, students can play a vital role in fostering positive change during and after their education.

This academic year we have mapped the content of each CAVA Access to HE Diploma against the SDGs, using the UNESCO Education for Sustainable Development framework. This involved systematically reviewing each unit within our 25 Diploma frameworks to identify the implicit and explicit SDG related content. This comprehensive exercise has revealed the existing diverse range of SDG coverage within our Diplomas and identified areas for future development.

Moving forward, we aim to increase the number of SDGs covered by each Diploma framework. We have embedded sustainability into our validation and provider approval processes, to ensure it becomes an integral aspect of course creation and development.

Sustainability Resources for Educators

To support our dedicated course tutors in delivering impactful lessons on sustainability, CAVA has collected a rich library of resources. These resources, including articles, podcasts, videos, and more, are tailored to each Diploma and their relevance to the UN SDGs. Accessible through our Diploma sites, these resources aim to enrich the learning experience and promote a deeper understanding of sustainability.

If you are a member of the CAVA community, these resources are available through the Resources section of the CAVA Members Area. By providing these tools, we aim to empower our course teams to inspire our students’ commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable practices.

Last week many people around the country celebrated Green Careers Week, a noteworthy event spanning from 6 to 11 November 2023. This initiative sheds light on emerging technologies and careers with the potential to positively transform our world.

At CAVA, we are passionate about enabling adults to achieve their aspirations through education. We recognise the importance of education for sustainable development and the vital role education has to play in the successful achievement for the 17 United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The Access to HE Diploma aligns with several key SDGs, contributing to global progress in tangible ways:

Quality Education (SDG 4)

The Access to HE Diploma serves as a pathway for lifelong learning, designed for adults and to fit around adult’s other commitments. The qualification is regulated by the QAA to ensure it is high quality and provides opportunities for adults to progress to higher education. Through CAVA's collaborative work with subject experts, we ensure the quality and enhancement of Diplomas via rigorous validation and moderation processes.

Gender Equality (SDG 5)

Gender equality and empowerment through education is exemplified by the Access to HE Diplomas. More than 68% of our CAVA students identify as women, who progress to impactful careers and foster positive societal change.

Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8)

Designed to align with career pathways, Access to HE Diplomas encompass diverse sectors, such as Creative Industries; Engineering; Health and Social Care; Land-based Studies; Maritime; and Science. In 2022-23, 90% of our students progressed to employment or further education after completing their studies.

Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10)

The Access to HE Diploma is aimed at breaking down barriers and reducing inequality in education access. In 2022-23, 15% of our students reported living with a learning difficulty and/or disability; 17% were from ethnic minority backgrounds; and 16% were from an area of disadvantage.

Embedding SDGs in Access to HE Diplomas

At CAVA we have been exploring how to best integrate sustainability and green skills into all of our Access to HE Diplomas. In the previous academic year, we consulted with our providers to understand the status of each of their sustainability journeys and how we can best support their efforts. Based on their feedback, this academic year we will be mapping all of our Diplomas and subject areas against the UN SDGs, following the UNESCO Education for Sustainable Development framework. We will also provide enriching resources relevant to each subject area for our course teams to integrate discussions about sustainability and green skills development in their lessons. We will share an update about our progress in early 2024, so watch this space.