AASHE Campus Sustainability Hub

Canada's colleges and universities among the greenest in the world

• AASHE (PA)
• Nova Scotia Community College (NS)
• Mohawk College (ON)
• Thompson Rivers University (BC)
• University of Saskatchewan (SK)
• Dalhousie University (NS)

CBC News shares the news that college and university campuses across Canada are some of the greenest schools in the world according to the 2019 Sustainable Campus Index.

• Posted Sept. 30, 2019
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Higher education teachers’ conceptions of sustainable development: implications for interdisciplinary pluralistic teaching

• University of Turku

An interdisciplinary and pluralistic approach to teaching and learning has been proposed as one solution to the lack of a consensus definition of sustainable development (SD). For teachers, such an ...

• Posted Sept. 30, 2019
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Toward critical environmental education: a standpoint analysis of race in the American environmental context

• University of Oregon (OR)

This article advocates for critical environmental education that is responsive to power inequities. Standpoint theory is used to help explain why environmental education has been slow to become race-conscious/responsive ...

• Posted Sept. 24, 2019
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Class of 2023 receives reusable water bottles to reduce plastic waste

• George Washington University (DC)
• AASHE (PA)
• Fill it Forward (ON)

George Washington University explores water savings with "Fill It Forward" campaign from Cupanion.

• Posted Sept. 24, 2019
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Integrated Management: How Sustainability Creates Value for Any Business

• Duquesne University (PA)

Endorsed by the CEO of Unilever Paul Polman, John Elkington, Scholars from Harvard, MIT, Boston College, American University, The Aspen Institute, The Living Futures Institute and industry consultants. No cost ...

• Posted Sept. 10, 2019
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Engineering for One Planet: Launching a Collaborative Effort to Proliferate Principles of Environmentally Responsible Engineering in Higher Education Institutions

• The Lemelson Foundation (OR)

Engineers build our human-made physical and virtual worlds, and many engineers will become the inventors and entrepreneurs that envision and create the future material world we live in. Engineers hold ...

• Posted Sept. 5, 2019
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Managing Trees on Campus: A Survey of North American College and University Tree Care Practices and Operations

• James Madison University (VA)
• APPA: Leadership in Educational Facilities (VA)
• Arbor Day Foundation (NE)

In 2017 and 2018, a study was conducted to better understand the extent to which college and university campuses are treed and how trees are managed. A web-based survey was ...

• Posted Sept. 5, 2019
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Diversity in Higher Education Information Technology: From Today's Workforce to Tomorrow's Leaders

• University of Richmond (VA)

The information technology (IT) workforce serves many vital functions in higher education, supporting campus computing needs ranging from advanced research and business and administrative operations to student learning and technology ...

• Posted Sept. 5, 2019
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Faculty awareness of the economic and environmental benefits of augmented reality for sustainability in Saudi Arabian universities

• Curtin University

In recent decades, smart technology has been one of the major thought-provoking research subjects in the quest to meet the needs of society in ways that do not damage or ...

• Posted Aug. 2, 2019
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Academic air travel has a limited influence on professional success

• University of British Columbia (BC)

Lowering the growth in greenhouse gas emissions from air travel may be critical for avoiding dangerous levels of climate change, and yet some individuals perceive frequent air travel to be ...

• Posted Aug. 2, 2019
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Institutional Emissions and Energy Planning: A Practical Guide for Administrators, Managers and DecisionMakers on the Interactions Between Carbon Accounting, Institutional Goal Setting and Energy Procurement

• Princeton University (NJ)

This report provides a practical guide about institutional emission and energy planning for administrators, managers and decision-makers. A key finding of this report is that institutions require an awareness and ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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A Framework for Leadership for Sustainability Education at Portland State University

• Portland State University (OR)

In response to the hitherto unchallenged assumptions supporting a globalized economy, the Leadership for Sustainability Education (LSE) program, formerly Leadership in Ecology, Culture, and Learning, was developed as part of ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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Climate adaptation planning in the higher education sector

• RMIT University

Purpose There is a growing interest in climate change action in the higher education sector. Higher education institutions (HEIs) play an important role as property owners, employers, education and research ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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Taking stock of sustainability in higher education: a review of the policy literature

• University of Saskatchewan (SK)
• Dalhousie University (NS)

This paper provides a review of the current literature that examines the uptake of sustainability policies in higher education. Articles were retrieved from both ERIC and Scopus databases and then ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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Lessons Learned from Developing a New Distance-Learning Masters Course in the Green Economy

• Bournemouth University (Dorset)

It is widely recognised that for the green economy to develop successfully, new educational curricula will be required to help professionals develop appropriate knowledge and skills. Relatively few university courses ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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Understanding the limits of assessing sustainability at Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Ecuador, while reporting for a North American system

• Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Pichincha)

Purpose Universidad San Francisco de Quito, USFQ, completed an assessment study to understand its performance in sustainability in 2012. This study aims to recognize the limitations of applying a North ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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The state of sustainability reporting in universities

• University of Leeds (West Yorkshire)

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review and assess the state of sustainability reporting in universities.

Design/methodology/approach – Analysis of the performance level of 12 universities sustainability ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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Building an Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge Initiative at a Research University: Decolonization Notes from the Field

• University of Oregon (OR)

In this article, we discuss the importance of Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge as the foundation of sustainability education, and we describe the need for, and successful efforts to, begin building ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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The role of green and Sustainability Offices in fostering sustainability efforts at higher education institutions

• Leuphana University of Lüneburg
• Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
• University of Passo Fundo
• University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz

Green and Sustainability Offices are special settings which assist initiatives within higher education institutions to coordinate their efforts and work in the field of sustainable development. The set-up of such ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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Sustainable Development Goals and sustainability teaching at universities: Falling behind or getting ahead of the pack?

• Nottingham Trent University
• University of Beira Interior
• University of Passo Fundo
• Bournemouth University (Dorset)
• University of Aveiro
• Manchester Metropolitan University
• Universidade federal de Santa Maria
• Universidade Aberta
• University of Malta (Northern Harbor District)
• Hamburg University of Applied Sciences

The fact that the world community is engaged in pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) means that an unrivalled opportunity is provided to universities, both in respect of teaching and ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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Introduction to Systems Thinking for the Chemistry Education Community

• University of Nevada Las Vegas (NV)
• American Chemical Society (DC)

Within recent history, both science research and science education have been largely reductionist in perspective. While the reductionist approach has resulted in a significant increase in our knowledge of the ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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Interacting Pedagogies: A Review and Framework for Sustainability Education

• Arizona State University (AZ)

Although the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005–2014) was a period of rapid pedagogical revitalization and innovation, much sustainability education today is still delivered using transmissive and instrumental ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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Sustainability assessment tools for higher education: An empirical comparative analysis

• European University of Madrid

Sustainability assessment tools are currently influencing sustainability strategies and activities in higher educational institutions. Thus, in this paper a short overview of sustainability in universities will be provided, which will ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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The future of sustainability science: a solutions-oriented research agenda

• Lund University
• University of British Columbia (BC)
• Arizona State University (AZ)
• Portland State University (OR)
• Erasmus University Rotterdam
• University of Massachusetts Lowell (MA)

Over the last decade, sustainability science has been at the leading edge of widespread efforts from the social and natural sciences to produce use-inspired research. Yet, how knowledge generated by ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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Humanities for the Environment—A Manifesto for Research and Action

• Trinity College Dublin (The University of Dublin)
• Arizona State University (AZ)
• National Sun Yat-sen University
• National Taiwan University
• University of Oxford
• University of Sydney (NSW)

Human preferences, practices and actions are the main drivers of global environmental change in the 21st century. It is crucial, therefore, to promote pro-environmental behavior. In order to accomplish this ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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How to Assess Transformative Performance towards Sustainable Development in Higher Education Institutions

• University of Graz

This article highlights the role of sustainability appraisal for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Traditional HEI appraisal systems lack a way to assess the integration of sustainability principles reflecting societal needs ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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Sustainability Reporting in State Universities: An Investigation of Italian Pioneering Practices

• Università di Bologna

Recent years have witnessed an increasing interest towards sustainability reporting from scholars all over the world, especially focusing on large corporations. Research has only recently been carried out regarding sustainability ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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Making the hidden curriculum visible: sustainability literacy in higher education

• University of Plymouth (Devon)

Despite strong political support for the development of sustainability literacy amongst the UK graduates, embedding sustainability in the higher education curriculum has met with widespread indifference, and in some cases ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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Knowledge, agency and collective action as barriers to energy-saving behaviour

• University of Plymouth (Devon)

Energy saving is becoming a rising priority as a response to climate change and fossil fuel depletion in recent years. However, despite energy-related behaviour change being an important part of ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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Online disclosure of university social responsibility: a comparative study of public and private US universities

• Universidad de Granada

Public and private universities tasked with incorporating principles of social responsibility (SR) into their activities face the multiple challenges of addressing expectations of diverse stakeholders, establishing mechanisms for dialogue, and ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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Learning Economics and Attitudes to Market Solutions to Environmental Problems

• Stockholm University
• University of Gothenburg
• University of Birmingham

Climate change challenges governments to reduce emissions, and to gain support for such actions from their citizens. This can be in the form of taxation or legislation, or other forms ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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Designing low carbon higher education systems: Environmental impacts of campus and distance learning systems

• Open University

Purpose – This paper aims to summarise the methods and main findings of a study of the environmental impacts of providing higher education (HE) courses by campus‐based and distance/open ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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Distributed leadership: Building capacity for interdisciplinary climate change teaching at four universities

• University of New South Wales (NSW)
• University of Wollongong (New South Wales)
• Murdoch University (Western Australia)
• University of Tasmania

Purpose – Interdisciplinary approaches to climate change teaching are well justified and arise from the complexity of climate change challenges and the integrated problem-solving responses they demand. These approaches require academic ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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Design of higher education teaching models and carbon impacts

• Open University

Purpose – This research aims to examine the main findings of the SusTEACH study of the carbon-based environmental impacts of 30 higher education (HE) courses in 15 UK institutions, based on ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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Carbon footprint of a scientific publication: A case study at Dalian University of Technology, China

• Dalian University of Technology

Knowledge of the carbon footprint (CF) of a scientific publication can help to guide changes in behavior for mitigating global warming. A knowledge gap, however, still exists in academic circles ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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Teacher Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship

• Liverpool Hope University

This book examines how educators internationally can better understand the role of education as a public good designed to nurture peace, tolerance, sustainable livelihoods and human fulfillment.

Bringing together empirical ...

• Posted July 19, 2019
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The Circular Economy Beneath Your Feet. Take Ownership of your Plastic Flooring Footprint.

• Interface, Inc (GA)

Colleges and universities around the world are committed to sustainability, climate change action and carbon footprint reduction. However, many of these same colleges and universities overlook two of the largest ...

• Posted July 1, 2019
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The role of higher education institutions in sustainability initiatives at the local level

• University of Passo Fundo
• Allegheny College (PA)
• Università di Verona
• Università di Bologna
• University of Latvia
• Manchester Metropolitan University
• University of Belgrade
• Hamburg University of Applied Sciences

Universities are central players and important economic actors in many regions, and many of them are, in general, nationally and internationally active in respect of matters related to sustainable development ...

• Posted June 25, 2019
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Examining environmental fan engagement initiatives through values and norms with intercollegiate sport fans

• North Carolina State University (NC)
• Seattle University (WA)

The United Nations has asserted that sport organizations and/or allied sponsors can influence fans to engage in more sustainable behaviors intentions at sporting events and at home; however, more ...

• Posted June 13, 2019
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Anchor Collaboratives: Building Bridges With Place-Based Partnerships and Anchor Institutions

• Democracy Collaborative (DC)

The Democracy Collaborative’s new report Anchor Collaboratives: Building Bridges with Place-Based Partnerships and Anchor Institutions discusses the role of anchor institutions and collaboratives in leveraging the power of their ...

• Posted June 4, 2019
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Plug Load Metering Pilot at Swarthmore College

• Swarthmore College (PA)

This report goes over the research and beginning stages of starting a pilot at Swarthmore college aimed to test a new technology, plug load meters. These have the ability to ...

• Posted May 23, 2019
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University halls plastics recycling: a blended intervention study

• The Chinese University of Hong Kong (SAR)
• The Education University of Hong Kong

Purpose – The problem of plastic wastes is serious nowadays worldwide, although plastic wastes recycling is already in practice. To promote sustainability in plastic waste recycling, the quality of wastes collected ...

• Posted May 22, 2019
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Why and how do universities work for sustainability in higher education (HE)?

• Lund University
• Malmö University

The purpose of this paper is to open up a discussion about the roles and responsibilities of universities in society. The vision of the Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) Skane ...

• Posted May 22, 2019
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A Plan for Plastic Waste Reduction

• Otterbein University (OH)

Since April 2018, Otterbein University has made steps to become more sustainable by reduce plastic waste and promoting reusable water bottles. The university added 30 bottle fill stations to campus ...

• Posted May 22, 2019
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U.S. Business Schools Failing on Climate Change

• Loyola University Chicago (IL)

As a researcher and professor of business management, I have found that sustainable business courses across the U.S. do not align with the scientific consensus that we need radical ...

• Posted May 22, 2019
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Addressing Sustainable Apparel Design Challenges With Problem-Based Learning

• Illinois State University (IL)

This publication discusses the complexities of the modern fashion industry and provides an approach to incorporate sustainability education in the subject. The article provides research and case-studies assess the success ...

• Posted May 22, 2019
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A Necessary Partnership: Study Abroad and Sustainability in Higher Education

• Augsburg University (MN)

Over the last two decades, two major trends that have emerged in higher education have been the internalization and increasing sustainability of institutions. Internalization has occurred via two main channels ...

• Posted May 22, 2019
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Informal learning for sustainability in higher education institutions

• University of Melbourne (Victoria)

Purpose Many higher education institutions are committed to developing students as skilled professionals and responsible citizens for a more sustainable future. In addition to the formal curriculum for sustainability education ...

• Posted May 20, 2019
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Those Wooden Shipping Pallets? Not So Innocent After All?

• AASHE (PA)
• Change the Pallet (OR)

Read about how cardboard pallet technology is the way of the future for its proven ability to reduce carbon emissions, waste, and worker injuries

• Posted May 20, 2019
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Diversifying the U.S. Climate Movement: Four Interviews

• Antioch University, New England (NH)

Climate change is having devastating impacts in the United States, and people of color are disproportionately harmed. In this study, I interviewed four experts on diversity, equity, and inclusion in ...

• Posted May 20, 2019
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