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

3968
Total Resources
1910
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.

3968 resources

The nexus between stakeholders’ materiality and sustainable development goals: evidence from higher education institutions

  • Yildiz Technical University

The purpose of this study is to shed light on the association between stakeholders’ materiality and the sustainable development goals (SDGs), highlighting how higher education institutions (HEIs) can pursue sustainable …


Sustainability at Universities as a Determinant of Entrepreneurship for Sustainability

  • Universitatea din București
  • Woosong University

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of universities in promoting sustainability and sustainable development goals among Indian students as future entrepreneurs, supporting the mission of sustainability. …


Universitas: how do students perceive university social responsibility in three European higher education institutions?

  • Universidade do Porto

The social dimension of Higher Education has gained relevance on the political and strategic discourses that urge Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to put University Social Responsibility (USR) into action and …


‘Don’t Say It’s Going to Be Okay’: How International Educators Embrace Transformative Education to Support Their Students Navigating Our Global Climate Emergency

  • San Francisco State University (CA)
  • State University of New York at Cortland (NY)

Many education professionals are looking to Environmental and Sustainability Education as a guide to incorporate curricular lessons and activities into school classrooms and other learning environments. Building upon the framework …


Adopting sustainability competence-based education in academic disciplines: Insights from 13 higher education institutions

  • Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (Madrid)
  • Griffith University (Queensland)
  • University of Helsinki
  • Universidade Aberta
  • Gävle University College
  • University of Zaragoza
  • University of Belgrade
  • Warsaw University of Technology
  • University of A Coruña (a Coruña)
  • Central University of Technology
  • Universidad de Ciencias Aplicadas y Ambientales
  • European University of Lefke
  • University of Nyíregyháza
  • Universidad de las Américas Puebla
  • Università degli Studi di Parma

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have been incorporating sustainability into education and curricula, where recent research has focussed on sustainability competences, pedagogical approaches, and how to connect them, generally on a …


Education for sustainable development with transdisciplinary-oriented courses - experiences and recommendations for future collaborations in higher education teaching

  • Wuppertal Institut

The paper investigates how teacher trainees in higher education geography and external, non-scientific partners perceive and experience collaborations in an active teaching and learning approach. Such formats are recommended in …


Conceptualization of sustainability among students, administrative and teaching staff of a university community: An exploratory study in Italy

  • Università degli Studi di Torino
  • Politecnico di Torino
  • Sapienza Università di Roma

Universities have been widely recognised as unparalleled potential catalysers for sustainability, being both formal learning institutions and places where informal, mutual influences and lay/expert knowledge meet. The 17 Sustainable Development …


Teaching and learning for change: analysis of a post-graduate One Health program

  • Universite Libre de Bruxelles (Brussels Region)
  • Université Dan Dicko Dankoulodo de Maradi
  • Université de Namur
  • Université de Liège
  • Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d'Ivoire
  • Université de Montpellier

As problematized through the One Health concept, global health issues are defeating conventional disciplinary approaches since they unfold across various scientific domains and across all levels of society. Calling for …


Lessons learned from Covid-19: Why sustainability education needs to become political

  • University of Zurich

Research from various disciplines indicates that the human endeavour has shifted the earth into a new geologic epoch: the Anthropocene, in which we are stressing several planetary boundaries. Many political …


Is the global reporting initiative suitable to account for university social responsibility? Evidence from European institutions

  • Loyola Universida Andalucía
  • University of the Basque Country

Recognising the importance of universities in the achievement of social and global objectives, this paper aims to study the relevance of the global reporting initiative (GRI) methodology for reporting University …


Higher education institutions, SDG2 and agri-food sustainability: lessons from Chulalongkorn University and Thailand

  • Chulalongkorn University

This paper examines higher education efforts linking United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) and agri-food system sustainability given reports of stagnant movement for SDG2 in Southeast Asia and lack of …


Education for sustainability in higher education institutions: A multi-perspective proposal with a focus on management education

  • Universidade Feevale
  • UNIFOR University of Fortaleza

It is crucial to understand which conditions or elements are relevant to the development of more holistic and integrative models for implementing sustainability into Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). It is …


Can Higher Education Institutions’ Stakeholders Drive Regional Sustainable Development? Yes, They Can?!

  • University of Beira Interior

Although Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) develop and announce actions related to sustainable development (SD), these actions and the results achieved are often not perceived by their stakeholders. This article aims …


The patterns of curriculum change processes that embed sustainability in higher education institutions

  • Leuphana University of Lüneburg

Implementing education for sustainable development (ESD) in higher education institutions (HEIs) is critical to facilitating a transition toward sustainable development. However, little is known about the specific implementation processes that …


Understanding students' intention and actual eco-friendly behavior: A qualitative research in University

  • National Penghu University of Science and Technology

Universities can be considered a community because of their large population, large size and participation in many activities on campus. The behavior of these individuals has a direct or indirect …


Applying SDGs as a systematic approach for incorporating sustainability in higher education

  • University of Melbourne (Victoria)

The achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) for all communities and jurisdictions require a comprehensive roadmap that encompasses all dimensions of data infrastructure, social, economic, environmental and governance ecosystems. …


Developing a sustainability competences paradigm in Higher Education or a White Elephant?

  • Gävle University College

Higher education institutions (HEIs) have been at the forefront in creating and breaking paradigms, and educating the future decision-makers, entrepreneurs, and leaders. In the last decade, there have been many …


Advancing SDG competencies in higher education: exploring an interdisciplinary pedagogical approach

  • Kristianstad University

This study aims to explore an interdisciplinary pedagogical approach for advancing knowledge and understanding of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) at higher education institutions (HEIs).


Scalable pathways to net zero carbon in the UK higher education sector: A systematic review of smart energy systems in university campuses

  • Buro Happold (NY)
  • University College London (London)

The following literature review sets out the state-of-the-art research relating to smart building principles and smart energy systems in UK higher education university campuses. The paper begins by discussing the …


Exploring personal definitions of sustainability and their impact on perceptions of sustainability culture

  • James Madison University (VA)
  • Inflexion

The purpose of this paper is to present an exploratory analysis of campus community member (i.e. students, faculty, staff) definitions of sustainability, their perceptions of select elements of sustainability culture …


Developing an Integrated Sustainability Management Approach for Higher Education Institutions

  • University of the West of England, Bristol

The Higher Education Institutions' (HEIs) around the world have to pay the main role in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals for that HEIs need to be sustainable first. This …


The Planetary Wellbeing Initiative: Pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals in Higher Education

  • University of Washington, Seattle (WA)
  • UNESCO
  • Pompeu Fabra University
  • University of Essex
  • Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA)
  • Barcelona Graduate School of Economics
  • École d'économie de Paris
  • Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals

We live in a time of pressing planetary challenges, many of which threaten catastrophic change to the natural environment and require massive and novel coordinated scientific and societal efforts on …


Sustainability Governance at Higher Education Institutions: Equipped to Transform?

  • University of Vechta
  • Freie Universität Berlin

In this opinion paper, we reflect on selected literature as well as on specific research we have conducted into sustainability governance at German HEIs. We then provide answers to the …


Students’ learning sustainability – implicit, explicit or non-existent: a case study approach on students’ key competencies addressing the SDGs in HEI program

  • Kristianstad University

This study aims to understand better the student awareness and knowledge on how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are used in higher education institutions (HEIs) to motivate students’ learning on …


Educating for the Environment: The Role of the Host Destination in Education Travel Programs

  • Franklin University Switzerland (Ticino)

The benefits from educational travel programs (ETPs) for students have been well-documented in the literature, particularly for programs looking at sustainability and environmental issues. However, the impacts the ETPs have …


Exploring the usage of social media in extant campus sustainability assessment frameworks for sustainable campus development

  • University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)
  • The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

As one of the buzzwords in the present age with considerable impacts in tertiary institutions, social media use in online teaching, learning and information dissemination have been extensively discussed in …


Engaging Students in the Development of an Atmospheric Science Course: A Discourse Analysis

  • Beijing Normal University

Aims:

With increasing emphasis on learners-centered approach in teaching and learning, engaging students in course development and refinement is crucial. This study aims to foster a participatory approach in course …


Embracing higher education leadership in sustainability: A systematic review

  • Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha

Education has long been praised for its economic benefits, which stem from the developed technical skills and improved health conditions it promotes. Nonetheless, improving the quality of education, including sustainability, …


Sustainable development goals and the scientific community: a systematic review of the literature and the research agenda

  • University of Campinas

The aim of this paper is to discuss the process of the constitution of the Sustainable Development Goals and, by extension, present how the scientific community has been collaborating with …


Differentiated Impact of Politics- and Science-Oriented Education on Pro-Environmental Behavior: A Case Study of Chinese University Students

  • China University of Geosciences

The purpose of this study is to understand the differentiated impact of politics- and science-oriented education on pro-environmental behavior among university students. A questionnaire was designed and sent to more …


Social Learning of Sustainability in a Pandemic—Changes to Sustainability Understandings, Attitudes, and Behaviors during the Global Pandemic in a Higher Education Setting

  • University of Queensland (QLD)
  • University of Klagenfurt

When people learn from each other and change their behavior accordingly, this is called social learning. COVID-19 not only taught us new habits to limit contagion, imposed restrictions also limited …


The three enablers of sustainability intelligence

  • Breda University of Applied Sciences
  • University of Antwerp

Sustainability intelligence is critical for the prosperity of societies worldwide, for conservation of the natural world, for achieving future business success and for the credibility of the concept of sustainability …


Identifying Assessment Opportunities in Postgraduate Learning for Sustainability

  • London South Bank University
  • University of the West Indies (Kingston 7)
  • University of Gloucestershire (Gloucestershire)

This paper offers a rationale for how ESD related learning at postgraduate level can beassessed. It proposes a framework for evaluating whether assessments in Masterís levelprogrammes align with the pedagogical …


Learning towards environmental sustainability practices: insights from a values-based participatory research approach

  • University of the Free State
  • Fudan University

Transformative Learning Theory is instrumental in fostering sustained positive change in adult learners as it explains how critical reflection in crystallization processes results in emancipatory learning. Despite its relevance, there …


Smart practices in HEIs and the contribution to the SDGs: implementation in Brazilian university

  • University of Passo Fundo

Smart campuses can be seen as the future of higher education efforts, especially for their contributions to sustainability and to encourage innovation. This paper aims to present the benefits of …


Architectural Education in the Current of Deep Ecology and Sustainability

  • Wrocław University of Science and Technology

As a result of the experience and scientific research of the authors on the deep ecology and sustainability process, academic courses were created that are run at two stages of …


Training of communities of sustainability practice through science and art

  • Universidad de Guanajuato

This paper aims to analyse the university experience of a social laboratory that mixes science and art to instruct communities of sustainability practice in heterogeneous contexts through interpretive audio-visual ethnography …


Determinants of recycling behavior in higher education institution

  • Universiti Putra Malaysia
  • Universiti Teknologi Malaysia

This study aims to investigate the impact of theory of planned behavior (namely, attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control) on recycling intention, as well as the relationship between recycling …


How management education is engaging students in the sustainable development goals

This paper aims to explore if, and how, business schools globally have been engaging their students in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), both inside and outside the classroom, since the …


Promoting recycling, reducing and reusing in the School of Design: a step toward improving sustainability literacy

  • Syracuse University (NY)

This paper aims to explore systematic strategies implemented at the School of Design, X University, to use materials more sustainably and responsibly in the design studios.


Higher education and the sustainable tourism pedagogy: Are tourism students ready to lead change in the post pandemic era?

  • Universidad Complutense de Madrid

The present context of COVID19 pandemics has highlighted the vulnerability of tourism. Sustainable tourism needs to be thoroughly implemented to confront this and other crises; and sustainable tourism pedagogies must …


Environmental sustainability in higher education: Mapping the field

  • University of Magdalena
  • University of Barcelona

A considerable amount of literature has been published on environmental sustainability in the context of higher education. However, no previous studies have investigated how environmental sustainability has evolved in the …


Sustainable Development Goals as a Framework for Postgraduate Future Research Following COVID-19 Pandemic: A New Norm for Developing Countries

  • Northwest University (WA)

Education is regarded as the key to economic development, and COVID-19 has provided all universities the unique opportunity to urgently address their fitness for purpose. Universities can play a significant …


The role of community-based learning in teaching about industrial ecology and sustainability in the context of engineering education: A case study from the field

  • University of Wisconsin-Madison (WI)

Industrial ecology and sustainability education have evolved over time, as this relatively new discipline has emerged and has been refined. Courses engaging with these topics are often found in engineering …


Sustainable Product Design Education: Current Practice

  • UNSW Sydney (NSW)
  • Technische Universiteit Delft
  • Nottingham Trent University
  • University of Sheffield
  • Technical University of Denmark
  • 3Drivers

Current production and consumption patterns are unsustainable, causing irreversible damage to the environment and human health and well-being. Designers play a vital role in resolving this problem—their decisions affect product …


Evaluating and improving the contributions of university research to social innovation

  • Royal Roads University (BC)

The purpose of this study is to assess the contributions of graduate research to social innovation and change for learning and improved transdisciplinary practice. Universities, as centers of teaching and …


A cost-minimizing approach to eliminating the primary sources of greenhouse gas emissions at institutions of higher education

  • University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)
  • University of Massachusetts Boston (MA)

Many institutions of higher education have committed to carbon neutrality. Given this goal, the main economic issue is minimizing cost. As for society as a whole, dominant decarbonization strategies are …


Toward a Sustainable University: Babes-Bolyai University Goes Green

  • Universitatea Babeș-Bolyai

The present research aims to investigate the roadmap followed by a Romanian University implementing sustainability practices and thus contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Informed by the stakeholder …


An Integrated Methodology of Subjective Investigation for a Sustainable Indoor Built Environment. The Case Study of a University Campus in Italy

  • University of Salerno
  • Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II

Indoor built environments’ design and management require a holistic approach inspired by ergonomic principles and sustainability criteria. This is especially in case of renovation of existing buildings where any kind …


The University at the Crossroads of Eco-Social Challenges: Pedagogy of Care and the Community of Life for a Transformative Learning

  • Universidad de Granada

What kind of responsibility do universities have with regard to the current emergency created by ecological and socio-economic collapse? This work begins by considering the colonization of universities by neoliberal …