Publications

Introduction

AASHE’s publications library is the leading repository of reports, journal articles, books, and student research on sustainability in higher education. Certain publication types are entered in the annual AASHE Awards Program.

At a Glance

3958
Total Resources
1908
Organizations
99
Countries
58
U.S. States & Territories
12
Canadian Provinces

Bars in graphs can be clicked to view resources that align with a particular category. Because a resource may be listed under multiple topics and disciplines, graph data may include higher total counts than what is indicated in total resources above.

3958 resources

Education for Sustainable Development Goals: Learning Objectives

  • UNESCO

This publication is designed as a guide for education professionals on the use of ESD in learning for the SDGs, and consequently to contribute to achieving the SDGs. The guide …

  • Posted July 13, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

The Mixed Political Blessing of Campus Sustainability

  • University of Minnesota, Morris (MN)

The rise of sustainability rhetoric, curriculum, infrastructure, and marketing on college campuses is a mixed blessing. On the one hand, college presidents are pledging to eliminate their campuses' global warming …

  • Posted June 29, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Quantitative analysis of factors affecting greenhouse gas emissions at institutions of higher education

  • University of Illinois Chicago (IL)

Increasingly, institutions are reporting greenhouse gas emissions as a means to measure sustainability. One way higher education is taking a leadership role is through the American College and University Presidents …

  • Posted June 29, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Propagating Collective Hope in the Midst of Environmental Doom and Gloom

  • Royal Roads University (BC)

Environmental educators recognize the importance of empowering children and adults, yet environmental education operates within a grand narrative of environmental gloom and doom. Growing evidence exists that children feel hopeless …

  • Posted June 29, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Planetary Opportunities: A Social Contract for Global Change Science to Contribute to a Sustainable Future

  • University of Oxford

The global change research community needs to renew its social contract with society by moving beyond a focus on biophysical limits and toward solution-oriented research to provide realistic, context-specific pathways …

  • Posted June 29, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Metaphors of nature and development: reflection on critical course of sustainable business

  • Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences

This article examines the role of metaphors of nature, sustainable development, and neoliberalism in business education. The research underpinning this article focused on a shift in the language business students …

  • Posted June 29, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Measuring carbon performance in a UK University through a consumption-based carbon footprint: De Montfort University case study

  • Arup (NY)
  • De Montfort University

This paper presents a consumption-based carbon footprint study for a UK university including scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions under the classification of the WRI/WBCSD Greenhouse Gas Protocol Corporate Standard. …

  • Posted June 29, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Longitudinal Study of the Impacts of a Climate Change Curriculum on Undergraduate Student Learning: Initial Results

  • Stonehill College (MA)

The present study assesses the efficacy of a semester-long undergraduate sustainability curriculum designed from a systems approach. The three-course curriculum, which incorporated environmental science and ethics courses along with an …

  • Posted June 29, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

How an entry-level, interdisciplinary sustainability course revealed the benefits and challenges of a university-wide initiative for sustainability education

  • University of British Columbia (BC)

Delivery of sustainability-related curriculum to undergraduate students can be problematic due to the traditional “siloing” of curriculum by faculties along disciplinary lines. In addition, while there is often a ready …

  • Posted June 29, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Exploring the role and value of creativity in education for sustainability

  • RMIT University

Creativity, innovation and divergent thinking are routinely expected to help people envision and implement alternative practices to the status quo. However, these do not feature strongly in the literature on …

  • Posted June 29, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Exploring the applications of carbon footprinting towards sustainability at a UK university: reporting and decision making

  • University of Leeds (West Yorkshire)

Campus greening is often the first step universities take towards sustainability. In order to infer the current level of environmental performance and the progress being made it is imperative that …

  • Posted June 29, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Electricity and Water Conservation on College and University Campuses in Response to National Competitions among Dormitories: Quantifying Relationships between Behavior, Conservation Strategies and Psychological Metrics

  • New York University (NY)
  • Oberlin College (OH)

“Campus Conservation Nationals” (CCN) is a recurring, nation-wide electricity and water-use reduction competition among dormitories on college campuses. We conducted a two year empirical study of the competition’s effects on …

  • Posted June 29, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Comparing Faculty and Student Sustainability Literacy: Are We Fit to Lead?

  • Seattle University (WA)

The importance of teaching sustainability literacy is readily accepted, but relatively little attention has been paid to the adequacy or preparation of faculty to accomplish this task. At Seattle University, …

  • Posted June 29, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Carbon sequestered in the trees on a university campus: a case study

  • University of Waikato

The authors aim to investigate the ability of a New Zealand university to rely on the CO2 sequestered in the trees on campus to mitigate the CO2 emissions caused by …

  • Posted June 29, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Carbon brainprint – An estimate of the intellectual contribution of research institutions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions

  • Cranfield School of Management

Research and innovation have considerable, currently unquantified potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by, for example, increasing energy efficiency. Furthermore, the process of knowledge transfer in itself can have a …

  • Posted June 29, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development: business as usual in the end

  • Cornell University (NY)
  • London South Bank University
  • Wageningen University
  • De Montfort University
  • University of Gothenburg

An analysis of the literature supporting the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development and a sample of its key products suggests that it failed to acknowledge or challenge neoliberalism …

  • Posted June 28, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

University sustainability reporting: taking stock of transparency

  • University of Melbourne (Victoria)

This paper interrogates the case for improved and broadened public sustainability reporting by universities, and explores whether and how global performance measures capture the institutional attitudes and activities pertinent to …

  • Posted June 28, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

An analysis of Canadian STARS-rated higher education sustainability policies

  • Dalhousie University (NS)

Uptake of sustainability into campus administration has been identified as important for establishing and maintaining campus sustainability initiatives because of its ability to institutionalize sustainability on campuses. This paper explores …

  • Posted June 28, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Measuring education for sustainable development: Experiences from the University of Bristol

  • University of Bristol

The purpose of this paper is to explore how education for sustainable development (ESD) was measured in the taught curriculum at the University of Bristol (UoB), providing comparison to other …

  • Posted June 28, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Developing ecological footprint scenarios on university campuses: A case study of the University of Toronto at Mississauga

  • University of Toronto Mississauga (ON)

The ecological footprint represents a simple way to assess the amount of materials consumed and waste produced by a given entity. The approach has been applied to countries, towns, households, …

  • Posted June 28, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Pedagogies of Preparedness: Use of Reflective Journals in the Operationalisation and Development of Anticipatory Competence

  • University of Vechta

In higher education there is a growing demand for graduates with the competence to transform our society toward a sustainable future. Part of this competence in sustainability is anticipatory competence, …

  • Posted June 28, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Is Higher Education Ready for Transformative Learning? A Question Explored in the Study of Sustainability

  • University of British Columbia (BC)

As universities begin to consider sustainability as a core value in education, there is a need to contemplate the role of transformative learning in higher education. Are current models of …

  • Posted June 28, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

The Issues and Methodologies in Sustainability Assessment Tools for Higher Education Institutions

  • University of Tokyo

Assessment tools influence incentives to higher education institutions by encouraging them to move towards sustainability. A review of 16 sustainability assessment tools was conducted to examine the recent trends in …

  • Posted June 28, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Sustainability leadership programs in higher education: alumni outcomes and impacts

  • University of Michigan (MI)
  • National Wildlife Federation (VA)
  • North Cascades Institute (WA)

The diverse set of college and university sustainability leadership programs, which represent a growing trend in higher education, share a common goal: building skills and knowledge for aspiring environmental and …

  • Posted June 28, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

“Sustainability” in higher education: From doublethink and newspeak to critical thinking and meaningful learning

  • Yukon University (YT)
  • Wageningen University

It is higher education’s responsibility to continuously challenge and critique value and knowledge claims that have prescriptive tendencies. Part of this responsibility lies in engaging students in socio‐scientific disputes. The …

  • Posted June 28, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Envisioning futures for environmental and sustainability education

  • Wageningen University

This edited collection invites educational practitioners and theorists to speculate on - and craft visions for - the future of environmental and sustainability education. It explores what educational methods and …

  • Posted June 28, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Narratives of Educating for Sustainability in Unsustainable Environments

  • University of North Carolina, Pembroke (NC)

Through pedagogical narratives, literary analyses, reflective essays, and collaborative dialogues, this book explores the professional and intellectual tensions of curricula, pedagogies, and personal practices that honor the relationships of interspecies …

  • Posted June 28, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Integrative Approaches to Sustainable Development at University Level

  • Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
  • University of Beira Interior
  • University of Passo Fundo
  • Manchester Metropolitan University

Integrative Approaches to Sustainable Development at University Level compares various colleges around the world, focusing on sustainable development. This book is intended for those who are either practitioners or researchers …

  • Posted June 28, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Teaching Sustainability / Teaching Sustainably

  • Grand Valley State University (MI)

Over the coming decades, every academic discipline will have to respond to the paradigm of more sustainable life practices because students will be living in a world challenged by competition …

  • Posted June 28, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Intergenerational learning and transformative leadership for sustainable futures

  • Wageningen University

In this book, 82 authors from 26 countries across 6 continents seek answers in 32 essays to the many questions related to the intergenerational collaboration that holds promise for creating …

  • Posted June 28, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Evaluating Changes in Sustainability Culture: A Model for Universities and Other Organizations

  • University of Michigan (MI)

Approaches to evaluating built environments are adaptable to environmentally-related programs. This chapter presents an overview of a multi-year project designed to monitor programs aimed at moving toward a culture of …

  • Posted June 28, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Promoting Participation in a Culture of Sustainability Web Survey

  • University of Michigan (MI)

The Sustainability Cultural Indicators Program (SCIP) at the University of Michigan is designed to measure and track the university’s progress (Callewaert and Marans 2017) in moving the campus community towards …

  • Posted June 28, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Inclusive Sustainability: Environmental Justice in Higher Education

  • University of California, Santa Cruz (CA)

The aim of this paper is to demonstrate why and how efforts at UC Santa Cruz have begun to shift from sustainability as a technical, expert-oriented activity focused on aspects …

  • Posted June 28, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

University Sustainability Reporting: A review of the literature and development of a model

  • University of Windsor (ON)

Many universities have made a commitment to improving the sustainability of their campuses however only a small number report to stakeholders on their sustainability performance to allow accountability and the …

  • Posted June 26, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Researching Higher Education for Sustainable Development: Plan A, Plan B and Moving Beyond Thought-Limiting Clichés

  • University of Otago (Otago)

This paper explores Higher Education for Sustainable Development from a research perspective, and attempts to distinguish progress based on research outcomes, from that based on concerns, commitments, intended outcomes and …

  • Posted June 26, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

A University Wide Approach to Embedding the Sustainable Development Goals in the Curriculum—A Case Study from the Nottingham Trent University’s Green Academy

  • Nottingham Trent University

Since 2015, governments, businesses and civil society, together with the United Nations have been encouraged to work towards seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the 2030 Agenda for …

  • Posted June 26, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Monitoring Progress Towards Implementing Sustainability and Representing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the Curriculum at UWE Bristol

  • University of the West of England, Bristol

This paper will discuss the methods used to identify the baseline status of sustainability in the curriculum of UWE Bristol programmes and to begin to assess the contribution which the …

  • Posted June 26, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Achieving Both Breadth and Depth: How Sustainability Education Is Being Integrated Across All Undergraduate Courses at La Trobe University, Australia

  • La Trobe University (Victoria)

In 2012 La Trobe University decided that every undergraduate student, across every discipline, would have significant and assessed experience of Sustainability Education (SE). The plan for achieving full coverage of …

  • Posted June 25, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

The Need for the Graduate Attribute Assessment Tool (GAAT)

  • RMIT University

Universities have developed sets of Graduate Attributes (GAs) to be achieved by their graduates across all programs. GAs are often associated with development of ‘sustainability’ capabilities. However, there is little …

  • Posted June 25, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Ecological Footprinting as a Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approach to Complete Campus Engagement and Transformation Towards the One Planet Goal

  • Macquarie University (NSW)

Enabling students to apply well-informed and skill-based understandings to their own decision-making about the dynamic relationships between individuals, societies, environments and economies in a resource constrained world is a central …

  • Posted June 25, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Making Sustainability Part of Every Student’s Curriculum

  • Anglia Ruskin University

Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) has made a corporate commitment to ensure that “sustainability will be a feature of all our students’ experience”. In order to address this goal ARU has …

  • Posted June 25, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

A Living Laboratory: How the University of Dayton Went from Green to Gold

  • University of Dayton (OH)

This spring, the University of Dayton earned a gold rating in the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education sustainability tracking, assessment and rating system (STARS). This is …

  • Posted June 25, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Inside and Out: Universities and Education for Sustainable Development

  • Routledge

Two overarching questions permeate the literature on universities and civic engagement: How does a university restructure its myriad activities, maintain its academic integrity, and have a transformative impact off campus? …

  • Posted June 24, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

An Analysis of the Sustainability of Different Methods of Delivering Higher Education

  • Manchester Metropolitan University

Transforming society and the economy to a more sustainable basis remains one of the most significant challenges of the 21st Century. Higher education institutions are considered key in helping to …

  • Posted June 20, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Interdisciplinary Environmental and Sustainability Education and Research: Institutes and Centers at U.S. Research Universities

  • Tufts University (MA)
  • Global Council Science and the Environment (DC)

Interdisciplinary environmental and sustainability focused institutes and centers (IESICs) serve a crucial role in bridging the knowledge needs of society and the knowledge production capabilities of universities. They facilitate research, …

  • Posted June 20, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

The Sustainable Campus Observatory: A Comprehensive Framework for Benchmarking University Performance Toward Sustainability

  • University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines

This paper aims to address the lack of global assessment approaches for benchmarking the sustainable performance of higher education institutions. Such approaches are critical for universities wishing to analyse and …

  • Posted June 20, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Aiming for Full Coverage—Integrating Sustainability Education into All Undergraduate Courses at La Trobe University, Australia: Achievements, Lessons Learnt and Barriers Addressed

  • La Trobe University (Victoria)

In 2012, La Trobe University committed to ensuring that every undergraduate student, across all disciplines, will have significant and assessed experience of three ‘Essentials’ of learning: Sustainability Thinking; Global Citizenship; …

  • Posted June 20, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Academic Research in the 21st Century: Maintaining Scientific Integrity in a Climate of Perverse Incentives and Hypercompetition

  • Virginia Tech (VA)

Over the last 50 years, we argue that incentives for academic scientists have become increasingly perverse in terms of competition for research funding, development of quantitative metrics to measure performance, …

  • Posted June 20, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Comparing Greenhouse Gas Emissions across Texas Universities

  • St. Edward's University (TX)

This project serves as a study comparing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions between universities in Texas. Over 90 percent of climate scientists believe that increased climate change is due to anthropogenic …

  • Posted June 20, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more

Academic staff development as a catalyst for curriculum change towards education for sustainable development: an output perspective

  • Leuphana University of Lüneburg
  • RMIT University

Implementing education for sustainable development (ESD) in university curricula poses a new challenge to the academic system. In recent years many universities have undertaken activities towards its implementation and numerous …

  • Posted June 20, 2018
  • Publications
  • View more