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

Promoting language education for sustainable development: a program effects case study in Japanese higher education

  • Konan University

The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of education for sustainable development (ESD) approaches in English as a foreign language (EFL) in Japanese higher education. A content …


Exploring sustainable student travel behaviour in The Netherlands: balancing online and on-campus learning

  • Avans University of Applied Sciences
  • Technische Universiteit Delft
  • Wageningen University

Daily commuting trips of higher education (HE) students account for a large proportion of the carbon footprint of a HE institution. Considerations of students underlying their choice of travel mode …


A Paradigm Shift in International Service-Learning: The Imperative for Reciprocal Learning

  • Appalachian State University (NC)

The US-based authors argue that the practice of what we currently call “international service-learning” does not generally achieve its most important goals in the context of the global South, especially …


Building University Capabilities to Respond to Climate Change Through Participatory Action Research: Towards a Comparative Analytical Framework

  • University of The South Pacific (Central Division)
  • University College London (London)
  • University of Passo Fundo
  • Kenyatta University
  • International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) (England)

This paper aims to explore how the principles of participatory action research (PAR) articulate with questions of climate justice. Drawing on three qualitative case studies in Brazil, Fiji and Kenya, …


Circular economy, cradle to cradle and zero waste frameworks in teacher education for sustainability

  • Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences

Sustainability is a major concern in education policies. This paper aims to describe how alternative economic education including concepts of the circular economy (CE), cradle to cradle (C2C) and zero …


Sustainable geography in theory or in practice? Reflections from a participant at NGM 2019

  • UiT The Arctic University of Norway

Academic conferences have a large carbon footprint due to long-distance travel by participants and contribute to increased consumption in other ways. With reference to Stephen Sterling’s distinction between education about …


What Do Freshmen Know about Sustainability? Analysing the Skill Gap among University Business Administration Students

  • Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
  • Universidad de Murcia (Murcia)

This study aims at creating and validating an instrument to assess the level of mastery in sustainability competencies of freshmen students in business-related studies. To reach this goal, a questionnaire …


Sustainability university rankings: a comparative analysis of UI green metric and the times higher education world university rankings

  • University of São Paulo
  • Universidade Federal do Paraná (PR)

This study aims to answer the research question: How to evaluate the structure of global university sustainability rankings according to the Berlin Principles (BP) framework.


Overcoming barriers to achieving sustainable development at universities in Vietnam

  • Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City

Numerous studies in the business context have identified variables that can promote sustainable development. By contrast, studies of universities have mostly clarified challenges of higher education, with little focus on …


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 …


The adoption of corporate social responsibility active learning methodology with management accounting students

  • University of Jaén

The aim of this paper is to integrate active methodology on corporate social responsibility (CSR)1 learning into management accounting studies. The linkages between sustainable management and management accounting demand those …


Strategies for Energy and Climate Management at the British Columbia Institute of Technology

  • British Columbia Institute of Technology (BC)

The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) is Canada's premier polytechnic. In 2008, BCIT partnered with its local electricity utility to hire a full-time energy manager. The following year, BCIT's …


Factors affecting students’ intentions to use a university bus: importance of travel attitudes and service quality attributes

  • University of Nizwa

This paper aims to assess the student’s perceptions concerning to characteristics of a university bus service and private car. A questionnaire was designed consisting of questions on personal and travel …


Towards an eco-literate tertiary music education: Notes from a South African context

  • University of the Witwatersrand

On 20 September 2019 in Cape Town, as part of the global protests on inaction on climate change, the African Climate Alliance submitted a memorandum of demands to South African …


Metaphorical perceptions of academicians in administrative positions in higher education regarding the concept of sustainability

  • İstanbul 29 Mayıs Üniversitesi

The aim of this study, which was in a qualitative research design, is to reveal the perceptions of education administrators working in higher education institutions about the concept of sustainability …


Custom-made apparel manufacturing micro-enterprise owners’ perspectives on sustainability: how higher education can contribute

  • University of South Africa

The purpose of this paper is to investigate custom-made apparel manufacturing micro-enterprise (CMME) owners’ perspectives of sustainability within their business practices throughout the entire product development process and determine how …


Business models for integration of sustainability in universities: An explorative analysis of Italian state universities

  • Università degli Studi di Sassari

Although the leadership role of higher education in creating a sustainable development has been widely recognized, there is a paucity of studies following a strategic perspective to explain how universities …


Praxis-Poiesis: University–Community Relationship in an Epoch of Uncertainty and Disruption

  • Brock University (ON)

This paper presents findings from a critical ethnographic study that spanned 3 years from 2018 to 2021 in a Canadian post-secondary context and engaged transdisciplinary quantum feminisms as a conceptual …


Innovation for environmental sustainability: longitudinal effects of an education for sustainable development intervention on university students’ pro-environmentalism

  • University of Zaragoza

Although education for sustainable development (ESD) is a key tool in the transition to a more sustainable society, its integration in higher education remains scarce. One reason for this is …


Enabling Sustainable Development by Embedding Tongan Knowledge into University Science Curricula

  • University of Auckland

Sustainable development requires the valuing of Indigenous knowledges. The complex and intertwined processes of coloniality and globalisation have contributed to spreading a dominant set of Western knowledge, values, and practices …


Holistic integration of sustainability at universities: Evidences from Colombia

  • Hamburg University of Applied Sciences
  • Universidad EAFIT (Antioquia)
  • Universidad de Medellin

Education for sustainable development in universities provides the university’s community (i.e. students, administrative and academic staff) with the skills and capabilities needed to contribute to the achievement of sustainable development. …


Perspectives of the academic employees on university social responsibility: a survey study

  • University of Lodz

This study aims to investigate differences and similarities in the approach to understanding university social responsibility (USR) among the academic and university administrative staff.


Empowering undergraduate students to take action: an empathetic mindset toward education for sustainable development

  • National Sun Yat-sen University

This study aims to investigate the potential of an empathetic mindset aimed at empowering undergraduate students to work toward sustainable development (SD), addressing both theoretical and practical dimensions.


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 …


Walking the Walk: Democratizing Change in Teacher Education

  • University of Tasmania (TAS)

In this essay, as a group of teacher educators, we discuss our experience of “walking the walk” of teacher education transformation at a time of urgent change. We reflect upon …


Student Teachers' Change Agency in Education for Sustainable Development

  • University of Turku
  • University of Eastern Finland

Previous research shows that teachers are key players in supporting agency in the faceof the biggest global challenges of our time, such as climate change and pollution, asteachers educate societiesí …


How community colleges and other TVET institutions contribute to the united nations sustainable development goals

  • California State University, Northridge (CA)
  • Jiangsu Vocational Institute of Architectural Technology
  • Universidad Autónoma de Chile
  • Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (ON)

Even though the importance of technical and vocational education is acknowledged in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations in 2015, the university sector has dominated the …


Decolonization and Transformation of Higher Education for Sustainability

  • University of Maryland, College Park (MD)

This article argues that institutions of higher education (IHEs) require a fundamental paradigm shift toward an Indigenous Knowledge (IK) model inclusive of Indigenous Peoples, perspectives, and values. This model acknowledges …


Can student managed investment funds (SMIFs) narrow the environmental, social and governance (ESG) skills gap?

  • Queen's University
  • Memorial University of Newfoundland (NL)

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it endeavors to document the current state of environmental, social and governance (ESG) pedagogy within undergraduate finance courses of business schools, and …


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).


Reflections and reflective practice to advance responsible management education for sustainability: the case of an Australian MBA programme

  • Griffith University (Queensland)

This paper aims to explore Master of Business Administration (MBA) students’ “reflections” and/or “reflection on practice” of sustainability into responsible management education using Bain et al.’s (2002) 5Rs (reporting, responding, …


Making Change Visible – An Explorative Case Study of Dealing With Climate Change Deniers in Forest Education

  • School Administration of Lower Saxony

This case study addresses the issue of climate change denial among students in their firstyear of vocational education. It was possible to shake the belief that man-made climatechange was not …


A Positive Impact Rating for Business Schools: Case Study

  • University of St. Gallen
  • The Institute for Business Sustainability
  • LUISS Guido Carli

Business school rankings have been criticized, to blindly “follow the money” with their strong focus on salaries and economic performance, thereby reflecting the values and expectations of the times the …


Enhancing Student Learning of Global Warming Through Reflective Writing

  • Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TX)
  • University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (TX)

The National Academy of Science has published studies showing strong scientific evidence that global warming is caused by human consumption of fossil fuels,1 yet recent surveys have shown young adults …


“We Can’t Wait Anymore”: Young Professionals Engaging in Education for Sustainability

  • University of Memphis (TN)

Sustainability-minded young professionals are needed to facilitate movement toward a sustainable planet. Their development has largely been left to Higher Education Institutions charged with equipping future generations of professionals to …


Multiple case-study analysis of service-learning as a means to foster sustainability competencies amongst pre-service educators

  • Universidad Autonoma de Madrid (Madrid)
  • Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya
  • Rovira i Virgili University
  • Universitat Internacional de Catalunya

The aim of this multiple case-study analysis was to find out the influence that service-learning methodology has on the development of sustainability competences amongst university students (Preschool, Primary and Social …


Life Cycle Assessment of Compostable Coffee Pods: A US University Based Case Study

  • University of Tennessee at Knoxville (TN)
  • Oak Ridge National Laboratory (TN)

Single-serve machines have proven to be a rapid and convenient mechanism for preparing coffee for consumption. However, disposing the single-use coffee pods accompanying each use creates insurmountable waste in landfills. …


A framework for implementing and reporting United Nations sustainable development goals in Spanish higher education institutions

  • Universidad de Oviedo (Asturias)

This study aims to explore a holistic framework for implementing and reporting sustainable development goals (SDGs) in universities. The aim is to define elements of the content as well as …


University contributions to co-creating sustainable tourism destinations

  • University of Queensland (QLD)
  • University of Gothenburg
  • Universita' di Macerata

A debate is emerging about the evolving functions and roles of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). New functions pivot on value-adding to the social, environmental and economic sustainability of communities – …


Review of empirical research on university social responsibility

  • Chaoyang University of Technology

This paper aims to systematically review the university social responsibility (USR) implementation from the empirical studies, which published during the period from 2004 to 2020. These synthesis results confirmed that …


The Contribution of Higher Education Institutions to the SDGs—An Evaluation of Sustainability Reporting Practices

  • Università del Salento

The introduction of Agenda 2030 has impacted the public and private sectors. Agenda 2030 is a document that aims to promote collaboration and partnership between countries and the population for …


Climate change concern among youth: Examining the role of civics and institutional trust across 22 countries

  • Columbia University (NY)

Although scholars have long documented perceptions of climate change and the public’s evolving response to the perceived risk it poses, only more recently have these analyses begun to examine youth …


Investigating barriers to efficient electricity management practices in government-owned tertiary institutions: a case of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife

  • Obafemi Awolowo University
  • City University of Hong Kong
  • Federal University of Technology Akure

Energy efficiency is a cost-effective way to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions; however, certain barriers have hindered its adoption in public universities. Hence, it is essential to identify and analyze the …


Pathways to eliminate carbon emissions via renewable energy investments at higher education institutions

  • Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Newark Campus (NJ)

Higher education institutions are among the many public and private sector entities that have committed to long-term sustainability goals in response to the threat of climate change. A key challenge …


Community-responsive scholar-activist research: conceptualizing capacity building and sustainability in a Northern California community-university partnership

  • Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick Campus (NJ)
  • University of California, Davis (CA)
  • University of California, Merced (CA)

We critically examine the ongoing development of a collaborative, responsive, activist research process between academics and farmworkers. Drawing upon in-depth interviews with community-based researchers and scholar-activists, we assess our team’s …


Using the theory of planned behavior to understand the students’ pro-environmental behavior: a case-study in a Portuguese HEI

  • Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra (Coimbra)

Through the application of the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study aims to explore the main determinants of higher education students’ pro-environmental behavior.


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, …


The six dimensions of collective leadership that advance sustainability objectives: rethinking what it means to be an academic leader

  • Colorado State University (CO)
  • Iowa State University (IA)
  • Northeastern University (MA)
  • Northern Arizona University (AZ)
  • Salisbury University (MD)
  • Stanford University (CA)
  • University of Maryland, College Park (MD)
  • McGill University (QC)
  • University of British Columbia Okanagan (BC)
  • National Geographic Society (DC)
  • TREE Foundation (FL)

Solutions to our most pressing environmental problems demand the development and application of leadership skills that are not typically fostered in traditional academic programs: skills that advance new transdisciplinary approaches …


Engaging students in education for sustainable development: The benefits of active learning, reflective practices and flipped classroom pedagogies

  • University of Edinburgh

Effective Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) requires appropriate pedagogies that engage learners in transformative learning. These pedagogies include reflective and active learning, involving experiential, collaborative and learner-centred activities. This paper …


Sustainability challenges in architectural education: assessment of an architectural technology course on the bioclimatic redesign of existing buildings in Greece

  • National Technical University of Athens

During the last decades, the sustainable redesign of existing buildings has been gaining importance in both architectural practice and education. While based on the knowledge of the basic principles of …