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Purpose: There is a widely held belief that sustainable development (SD) policies are essential for universities to successfully engage in matters related to sustainability, and are an indicator of the extent to which they are active in this field. This paper aims to examine the evidence which currently exists to support this assumption. It surveys a sample of universities in Brazil, Germany, Greece, Portugal, South Africa and the UK and the USA to ascertain the extent to which universities that are active in the field of sustainable development have formal policies on sustainable development, and whether such policies are a pre-condition for successful sustainability efforts. Design/methodology/approach: The study involved 35 universities in seven countries (five universities respectively). A mixed-methods approach has been used, ranging from document analysis, website analysis, questionnaires and interviewing. Findings: Although only 60 per cent of the sampled universities had a policy that specifically addressed SD, this cannot be regarded as an indicator that the remaining 40 per cent are not engaged with substantial actions that address SD. Indeed, all of the universities in the sample, regardless of the existence of a SD formal policy, demonstrated engagement with environmental sustainability policies or procedures in some form or another. This research has been limited by the availability and ability to procure information from the sampled universities. Despite this, it is one of the largest research efforts of this kind ever performed. Research limitations/implications: This research has been limited by the availability and ability to procure information from the sampled universities. Practical implications: The findings provide some valuable insights into the connections between SD policies on the one hand and the practice of sustainable development in higher education institutions on the other. Social implications: Universities with SD policies can contribute to models of economic growth consistent with sustainable development. Originality/value: The study is the one of the largest research efforts of this kind ever performed.

Purpose: Population worldwide has experienced several challenges related to sustainable development, such as scarcity of natural resource, unsustainable consumption, poverty, injustice, violence, social inequality and natural disaster (including floods, tsunami and landslide). These issues interfere in sustainable development and target to achieve societal balance, structuring without compromising economic and environmental resources of future generations. The higher educational institutions are included in this context because they play a role in professional training and in education to promote sustainable practices. The higher educational institutions can assume a prominent position in the 2030 Agenda implementation for sustainable development of the United Nations, especially in the Goals 4 and 10, quality education and reduced inequalities, respectively. The purpose of this research study aims to develop a literature review and analyze the higher educational and sustainable themes, involving the Brazilian scenario. Design/methodology/approach: This research study develops a literature review based on researches that involve higher educational and sustainable themes in the Brazilian scenario. Inclusion criteria are papers in English, with the search equations in their titles, and peer-reviewed papers. Paper publication year was not an exclusion criterion. This research aimed to understand opportunity and challenge processes in the Brazilian higher educational institutions and their actions, so that the Sustainable Development Goals are completely achieved and the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development is fulfilled. For this, a research central question was established: What are the opportunities and the challenges to achieve the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development in the Brazilian higher education? Findings: A total of 636 papers were recovered. The "Higher Education AND Opportunities," "Higher Education AND Challenge," "Higher Education AND Challenges," "Higher Education AND Opportunity," "Brazilian AND Higher Education" and "Brazil AND Higher Education" search equations found, respectively, 165, 146, 131, 74, 62 and 25 papers, involving 94.8% of the total number of the papers found. The papers recovered enabled the vision of five clusters: policy; inclusion; culture; relationship; and environment, society and economy. The paper analyses found that innovation process, sustainable practical implementation and holistic look, involving professors and students, can allow the 2030 Agenda achievement. Originality/value: The authors of this research study presented a framework based on the literature analyzed through five clusters: policy; inclusion; culture; relationship; and environment, society and economy, considered from opportunity and challenge perspectives. The authors introduced and discussed the Brazilian higher educations and their opportunities and challenges. The Brazilian panorama was linked with the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, in specific, with the Goals 4 and 10. Implications of this research study are related to the higher educational opportunities and challenges in policy, inclusive, cultural, sustainable and relationship contexts, involving governmental and nongovernmental sectors, professors and students for the Brazilian educational improvement.

Purpose: Energy consumption and renewable energy sources are included in the goals for the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) agenda, and target buildings are the biggest electricity consumers. In turn, Netzero energy buildings (NZEB) contribute to achieve SDG7 goals. This paper aims to identify which Brazilian higher education institutions (HEIs) practices contribute to developing the NZEB concept. Design/methodology/approach: Case studies were selected to identify which implanted practices applied by HEIs in Brazil, listed in the UI GreenMetric 2020 Ranking, are related to the NZEB concept. The implemented sustainable practices were also analyzed to evaluate the connections and impact between universities and the local community. Findings: Results show the lighting and air conditioning retrofit were among the most common practices related to energy efficiency to reduce consumption. For renewable energy generation, photovoltaic solar energy is the most common practice used by HEIs. Research limitations/implications: Only Brazilian HEIs listed in the UI Green Metric Ranking were analyzed. No standard regulation or formal reports support the wide dissemination of the strategies adopted by HEIs in Brazil. Practical implications The strategies adopted by HEIs related to Netzero buildings can reduce emissions, optimize operating costs and improve building comfort conditions, which connect all SDGs. Social implications: HEIs can promote awareness related to energy use and clean energy generation within the local community. Originality/valu: This paper presents the most common strategies adopted by Brazilian HEIs. However, limitations related to lack of strategies, data transparency and specific Netzero energy regulation were also found. These issues can hinder other HEIs to adopt similar strategies and contribute to the promotion of SDG7 in Brazil.

Purpose: 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 smart practices in a Higher Education Institutions and highlights its connections to the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Design/methodology/approach: The methodology is divided into three steps: first, an international search and assessment of smart practices at universities; second, the identification of smart practices in a university campus in southern Brazil; and third, the presentation of the benefits of smart practices and their relationship with the SDGs. Findings: The results showed that globally, the area most covered by smart practices in universities is the environment and, specifically, focused on waste reduction. in the context of this case study, the benefits of implementing smart practices mainly reach SDGs 4 and SDG 9, especially due to aspects of teaching technologies for the new classroom models and the optimization of campus infrastructure management. Practical implications: The study encourages other universities to implement smart practices in their campuses, to becoming smart campuses while they also collaborate in achieving the SDGs while raising the discussion on the importance of committed actions taken on a university campus with the UN SDGs, to leverage synergies on campus operations at universities. Originality/value: This paper presents a set of smart practices that universities are applying both globally and locally (in southern Brazil). In addition, it contributes to sustainability research by showing how smart practices have the potential to promote SDGs in universities, especially through campus operations.

Purpose: This paper aims to report on the status and the development of education for sustainable development (ESD) and sustainability literacy (SL) in three Latin American (LA) higher education institutions (HEIs) business programs in Peru, Brazil and Colombia. The paper examines institutional efforts to both introduce and implement ESD curricula and provide SL. Design/methodology/approach: The methods used in this paper included reviews of university Web pages and course materials. Structured interviews were also conducted with program leaders, to examine the level of ESD, as input affecting the business programs curricula of the universities concerned. Findings: Initial findings suggest that, in the three HEIs surveyed, there is still a tendency to talk about issues related to ESD but actions that confirm this interest are not sufficiently advanced. The authors surveys a sample of business programs curricula and interviewed its leaders and a mixed and dated picture emerged. When compared to other regions particularly the USA and Europe, the findings show that the HEIs surveyed still have not developed enough work to distinguish conceptually between sustainable development, ESD and SL making the embedment of these concepts in the curriculum not fully developed. Originality/value: In LA HEIs, the ESD message seems to be slowly taking ground, equipping HEIs to respond to SL concerns. Implementation and practice in some HEIs are still at an embryonic and conceptually confused stage with regard to LA HEIs SL. This paper sheds light to help ESD delivery. It offers some strategies for moving on from this inception phase to a more structured SL provision and ESD outlook.

Purpose: 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. Design/methodology/approach: The bibliometric method has been employed to review prior empirical research on higher education social responsibility topics. Findings: These synthesis results confirmed that USR initiatives as an excellent tool to attain sustainability and enhance university performance worldwide. Universities in developed nations underline paying more attention to the core values in the long-term; meanwhile, their counterparts in transitional countries to pay more attention to short-term activities by focusing on stakeholders. Research limitations/implications: The notable limitation is that in terms of the number of empirical papers employed as the data to analyze in this manuscript. Practical implications: This paper's findings have described the USR implementations and how well to define USR adoption from the empirical studies globally. Thus, it has theoretical implications in enriching the USR knowledge and providing useful guidance for universities, then recommend new research directions in the future for other scholars. Originality/value: This research is an initial attempt to systematize studies on USR implementation in universities between developed countries and developing nations.

Purpose: This paper aims to discuss how educators can teach sustainability-oriented capabilities (SOCs) using an active learning approach. Design/methodology/approach: Using a case study methodology centered on a Brazilian business school, this research combines qualitative analysis of content, such as teacher notes and student work, with quantitative analysis of student grades. The authors used variance analysis and Bonferroni tests to establish whether the means of three test groups were significantly different. The authors also tested for normality, using the Skewness Kurtosis test, and for homoscedasticity, using Levene. Findings: The authors' findings suggest that the active learning (AL) method may be useful in developing SOCs related to the capabilities of "to know," "to do," "to interact" and "to be" because it improved student engagement in the program. In addition, this improved engagement was shown to have a positive influence on grades. Research limitations/implications: Using convenience sampling, the authors studied a limited number of the mandatory management courses offered by Insper. There is a need to check for nonlinear positive effects over a more extended period of time and considering more courses. Practical implications: This paper offers a practical and replicable technique for teaching SOCs in a business school context using AL. Originality/value: The existing literature on education and sustainability discusses the role of business schools in the development of SOCs, especially with respect to curricular changes that integrate content and frameworks related to the conceptualization of sustainable development for business (Cebrián and Junyent, 2015; Cortese, 2003; Fairfield, 2018; Aleixo "et al.," 2020; Leal Filho, 2020; Arruda Filho "et al.," 2019). However, some studies suggest that the learning process at many business schools fails to explore the complexity of real life by not using a teaching approach that favors the development of SOCs (Leal Filho "et al.," 2015). Thus, prior studies have pointed to the need for further research on the impact of the active learning approach in teaching about sustainability (Leal Filho "et al.," 2015; Fisher and Bonn, 2011; Hesselbarth and Schaltegger, 2014). The aim of this research is to contribute to this discussion.

Purpose: Universities are an example of institutions that aggregate people around work/study who consume water, energy and produce waste daily in their activities, generating an impact on the environment. The purpose of this study is to determine the quantity, composition and recycling potential of waste generated at the Faculdade UnB Planaltina (FUP) campus, of the University of Brasilia in the Federal District, Brazil, to develop a waste management strategy compatible with national legislation and sustainable global practices. Design/methodology/approach: This study was based on conducting on-site visits to identify the sources of generation, hazardousness, management and gravimetric characteristics of residual waste from 2015 to 2016. In 2016, a selective collection was implemented on the FUP campus, and since then, actions to raise awareness for the selective disposal and monitoring of waste were conducted with the academic community. Findings: The results showed that the campus generates 148 kg of waste/day, whereas the per capita generation is 92 g/day. The production of hazardous waste is related to campus laboratories which manage it under a specific program. The campus restaurant is the place that generates the most waste, of which organic waste is the most representative. When categorizing the waste generated on campus, the authors found that the majority are recyclables at 67% of the total. This category includes material composed of cardboard, paper and plastic, all able to be recycled in the Federal District. Practical implications: The recyclable waste generated at the FUP campus is being diverted from the city's landfill because they are donated to a recycling cooperative. These actions promote income generation, social inclusion of waste pickers and a circular economy, all in compliance with the National Solid Waste Policy. As a result, the FUP campus is more in line with Brazilian legislation and the global context of adopting sustainable waste management amongst higher education institutions. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the literature on sustainability in higher education by reporting the process of implementation of a waste management strategy in a university campus. Further, it presents tools and methods that can be used to achieve sustainability in waste management. The study also identifies that the crucial factor for the success of such actions is the mobilization and participation of the academic community in the process. It does so by presenting findings demonstrating how the University of Brasilia has been concerned with adopting pro-environmental measures for sustainable development.

This article maps the scientific production and the contents associated with the sustainable development goals and their integration with universities during the past 21 years. Although many of the topics related to sustainable development goals (SDGs) have been addressed in different studies for decades, it is since 2015 onwards that they gained greater prominence due to the inclusion of higher education as an important actor in the fulfillment of the 2030 agenda and the United Nations SDGs. For the purpose of this paper, a bibliometric analysis of 871 papers, 535 documents in Scopus, and 336 in Web of Science (WoS) from 1998 to 2019 was performed, and the Bibliometrix analysis tool was used. The objective of this mapping is to answer the following research question: Is the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals and Universities a field of study? An analysis of the network of collaborators and trend topics in Scopus and WoS allows us to identify the concurrence and relationships of some keywords, such as sustainable development, sustainability and planning, and some background words, such as humans and global health. In another analysis, the word "higher education" is related to change. This article suggests that the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals in Universities is becoming a field of study under exploration, with a peak of production in 2016 and that has remained stable in the last three years, but thanks to the leading role assigned to Universities, intellectual production should increase in the following years.

Purpose: Junior enterprises have been gaining increasing attention in the Brazilian Higher Education Institutions. In addition, these companies are contributing to enhance the training of future professionals. Improvements in future professionals' training must consider education for sustainability. In this context, this paper aims to critically analyze the role of junior enterprises in the training of undergraduate students in line with the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Design/methodology/approach: To discuss the ways for junior enterprises to contribute to students' training with a higher alignment with sustainable development, it is necessary to know the routine of their activities well. Therefore, the strategy used in this research was to use the Delphi process with students who participated/participate in this kind of extracurricular activity in their institutions and are familiar with the SDGs disseminated by the United Nations. Findings: From the rounds of Delphi method debates, eight items were listed and presented an agreement greater than 50% of the participants. Illustratively, three of them are cited here: most participants understand that some current metrics used by junior enterprises require greater alignment with the SDGs; most participants agree that junior enterprises need to better monitor the results of their post-execution projects because in general beneficial impacts on sustainability are observed in the long term; and most of the participants understand that the actions developed by junior enterprises are aligned with corporate sustainability and conscious capitalism. Originality/value: The contribution of junior enterprises to the promotion of sustainability education is practically not addressed in the literature. The findings presented here, resulting from the Delphi process, can greatly contribute for junior enterprises to rethink their actions to better prepare future professionals to act toward sustainable development.

Purpose: This paper aims to assist higher education institutions (HEIs) in their decision-making process to define initiatives and foster research projects contributing to sustainable development (SD) and minimizing the deficits found in the municipalities. Design/methodology/approach: A documental analysis was performed to select HEIs and Brazilian regional development indicators. Then, the assessment of the sustainable and institutional performance of Brazilian municipalities that have HEIs consisted of three parts: clustering with an unsupervised machine learning model, ranking with a hybrid multi-criteria decision making method and visualization of sustainability performance with the dashboard. Findings: The critical analysis of institutional and sustainability indicators contributes to a more active role of HEIs in matters of social responsibility, with a more holistic view of the performance and quality of municipal education. Furthermore, this critical analysis creates a scenario where HEIs can develop public policy proposals in partnership with the government to mitigate the main issues identified. Social implications: With this study, HEIs will be able to direct their actions to minimize the deficits found in the municipalities, consolidating their social responsibility. Originality/value: This study proposes a new decision-support tool with a dashboard of indicators so that HEIs can foster research projects with a focus on regional SD.

Purpose: This paper aims to explore whether formal, non-formal, and informal learning experiences contribute to developing sustainable development competencies (SDCs) among students in a Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) signatory business school. Design/methodology/approach: An online survey based on the students' learning experiences and a questionnaire on sustainability competencies already validated in the literature were given to a sample of 274 bachelor students at a PRME signatory business school. Nominal variables representing students' categories were created to test a set of hypotheses developed according to the literature. Because the data was not normally distributed, non-parametric independent-samples Mann-Whitney U test was conducted, and descriptive statistics was used to help the analysis. Findings: The results suggest that a hybrid format with a combination of formal, non-formal and informal learning experiences is essential to maximising the development of SDCs and raising students' sustainability literacy. Research limitations/implications: This study is one of the first attempts to understand the importance of a hybrid approach in developing sustainable competencies (SDCs). Future studies could adopt longitudinal analysis to check the development of these competencies over time, assess students from different PRME signatory schools or comparing students to those in non-signatory business schools. Practical implications: This study provides insight into how business schools could address challenges in developing sustainable competencies through redirecting their educational systems by balancing formal, informal and non-formal learning approaches to educate future responsible leaders. Originality/value: This research provides evidence on how a hybrid learning approach could maximise the development of sustainable development competencies and, therefore, generating insights for educational policies.

Purpose: This paper aims to discuss how the theory of complex thinking can be considered an interesting element in engineering education, especially in the context in which challenges toward sustainable development are multidisciplinary. Design/methodology/approach: This viewpoint synthesizes the main reflections and discussions generated during a process of debate, research and creation of a proposal for an undergraduate engineering course at a higher education institution in Brazil. The literature on engineering education, sustainability and complexity was considered in an integrated way. Debates were conducted considering the authors' knowledge and experience as professors of engineering courses and researchers in the field of sustainability. A qualitative and reflexive approach was used to organize the main discussions. Findings: The prevailing classical engineering paradigm trains professionals to think from a Cartesian, reductionist perspective, appropriate for solving well-structured problems with known solution paths and convergent answers. However, addressing sustainability challenges requires a different kind of thinking capable of dealing with situations characterized by uncertainty, emergence and incompleteness of knowledge. Complexity thinking can be useful for this purpose as it provides a broad system approach to deal with ill-defined, ill-structured and unpredictable problems. This study can be understood as a call to researchers and professionals to consider the value and importance of complexity thinking to advance engineering education for sustainability. Originality/value: The need to overcome the limits of the classical engineering paradigm is emphasized in the context of sustainability. Complex thinking is considered as a path toward a paradigm shift in engineering education for sustainability. It can contribute to the training of professionals to face pressing challenges now and in the future. This viewpoint provides some insights to enhance debates on education engineering.

Aim/Purpose: A proposal for a pedagogical model that integrates digital technologies in teaching Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in K-12 Education. Background: The research is developed within project InTecEdu (Integration of Technology in Education), developed by the research group since 2008, and focusing on social inclusion for highly socially vulnerable K-12 students. Methodology: The research was exploratory and qualitative; data was collected through a questionnaire and participant observation, with 253 students and 9 teachers from 5 Brazilian public schools. Contribution: The research contributes by bringing a pedagogical model for integrating SDGs and Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in K-12 education. Findings: All analyzed aspects received a high level of approval, although some opportunities for improvement were identified, such as the duration and frequency of the session. Recommendation for Researchers: We recommend the reuse of the pedagogical model, since our intention is for it to be open-source, and free to use. Impact on Society: The paper is aligned with the fourth SDG: Quality Education. It directly contributes with the education of 253 socially vulnerable students from a south American public school, and indirectly contributes with improvement of education. Future Research: To improve the pedagogical model based on the feedback from the questionnaires and apply it with a more extensive scenario.

Purpose: This paper aim to propose a methodological mapping approach for the evaluation of dissertations and theses of graduate programs in the area of environmental sciences in Brazil in relation to the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs). Design/methodology/approach: The research is characterized as exploratory with qualitative/quantitative approach. The proposed model was developed as a computational algorithm with a pilot being adopted as a professional master in national network for teaching in environmental sciences (ProfCiAmb) comprising associated courses from nine Brazilian public universities. 230 dissertations completed between 2018 and 2020 were analyzed. Findings: A total of 266 correlations were identified between the texts and descriptors of each SDG. Correlation values between 0.100 (minimum value -- Vmin) and 0.464 (maximum value -- Vmax) were observed. SDG 4 -- Quality Education (Vmax = 0.399) and SDG 6 -- Drinking Water and Sanitation (Vmax = 0.464) were those with the highest correlation values, followed by SDG 3 -- Health and Well-Being (Vmax = 0.299) and SDG 17 -- Partnerships and Means of Implementation (Vmax = 0.249). Practical implications: The construction of the computational algorithm provided consistent quantitative analyses with potential to contribute to the improvement of the multidimensional evaluation of graduate studies, as well as to support public policies related to teaching and research and strategic planning of the programs. Originality/value: The relevance of this study lies in the creation of a model that involves the creation of metrics and tools regarding the impact of graduate studies on society.

Free and compulsory primary education remains a priority area in the international policy perspective, starting from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 to the formulation of Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. Under the impact of globalization, an impressive expansion in the access to primary education has been observed in recent decades and the global trends in enrolment rates across the developing world have attested this fact. However, many developing countries, such as India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA), are still struggling with the goal of quality primary education for all. The IBSA countries are emerging economies and very proactive in addressing past inequalities prevalent in their countries. With the cooperation of international organizations, national policy planning and other initiatives, these countries have performed quite well in the educational attainment. But even today, these countries have not achieved the goal of quality primary education for all. This paper reviews the attainment of free and compulsory primary education in these countries, along with the challenges faced in the achievement of universal primary education. These challenges may hinder the progress of these countries towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal.

Purpose: Higher education institutions are widely known both for their promotion to education for sustainable development (ESD) and for their contribution as living labs to urban management strategies. As for strategies, smart and learning campuses have recently gained significant attention. This paper aims to report an air quality monitoring experience with focus on the smart and learning campus and discuss its implications for the university context with regard to ESD and sustainable development goal (SDG) integration. Design/methodology/approach: The air quality monitoring was held at the main campus of University of Passo Fundo and focused on three pollutants directly related to vehicle emissions. The air quality index (AQI) was presented on a website, along with information regarding health problems caused by air pollution, main sources of emissions and strategies to reduce it. Findings: The results showed how the decrease in air quality is related to the traffic emissions and the fact that exposing students to a smart and learning environment could teach them about sustainability education. Practical implications: This case study demonstrated how monitoring air quality in a smart environment could highlight and communicate the impact of urban mobility on air quality and alerted to the need for more sustainable choices, including transports. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the literature by showing the potential of a smart-learning campus integration and its contribution towards the ESD and the UN SDGs.

Fashion has a varied and explosive history. Our responsibility as educators preparing students and therefore careers for this context places us in a very difficult and complex position. Do we prepare students to be successful or do we prepare them to 'invest' in their industry? In this paper, we construct our story of developing an ethical, sustainable international master's degree in Fashion Management. It is a journey of development that sees higher education establishments from Belgium and Italy join together with a 'third-party' university from an emerging third-world market in sharing and developing a group of international students willing to 'invest' and become industry transformers. Integral to our approach is context and the importance of narrative and responsibility for the learner; as such, this requires a return to old 'andragogic' versus 'pedagogic' education philosophies. Our account provides a full description of the rationale for aligning the 'pedagogic' with 'andragogic' and this involves learners to actually experience and understand in context. The principal aim of this paper is to explore the experience of introducing narratives between fashion industry and academia in these different locations as a means of 'raising' issues regarding future responsibility and thereby develop critical reflexive skills that will be valuable in other geographical and market contexts for the future.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyse recent actions of energy efficiency implemented by University of Passo Fundo, a higher education institution located in the south of Brazil, and their contributions to Goal 7. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis is based on collected energy data and information of energy efficiency actions applied at the university. Findings: The paper shows the progress related to the energy practices and discusses opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses of applying energy efficiency at universities and its contributions towards sustainable development goal (SDG) 7. Practical implications: The findings of this study can inform readers about University of Passo Fundo's initiatives towards energy efficiency focussed in lightening, photovoltaic solar power generation and free energy market. Readers are able to improve their knowledge with the discussion of internal and external factors related to the initiatives. Originality/value: The originality of this paper is connected to the idea of sharing the experiences from University of Passo Fundo, connecting energy efficiency practices at universities to SDG 7 and also exploring opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses of applying these practices in the context of a higher education institution.

Purpose: Universities have an important role in articulation of the transformation of society, in the formation of individuals capable of acting in the processes that enable sustainable development goals (SDGs), in theoretical areas and in practical and concrete actions. Within the University of Passo Fundo (UPF), Brazil, some practices are being adopted from this perspective. This paper aims to present the efforts of UPF to achieve SDGs in its activities. Design/methodology/approach: For the development of these research were consulted all administrative instruments of the Foundation University of Passo Fundo, from the proposals and guidelines of its creation in the decade of the 1960s to the most recent of the Institutional Development Plan PDI 2017-2021 and other bibliographic references. From the documentation, the effective results achieved by University Social Responsibility Policy (PRSU) and Institutional Environmental Policy were evaluated. Findings: A process of consolidating the thematic of the SDGs within the university structure is perceived, with a participatory vision of the academic community. Research limitations/implications: Although PRSU the policy has been developed since 2005, the effective results are recent and under construction. Practical implications: The study identified a direction for a change of paradigms, moving from isolated and non-continuity actions to the establishment of normative guidelines. Social implications: In this sense, this paper seeks to contribute to the process of discussion and generation of practices for the implementation of an agenda with its own goals in the areas of university's action at local and regional levels, as well as contributing to a wide level. Originality/value: The paper reports the process of development of the social and environmental policies at UPF to include SDGs in its academic and administrative procedures, which should encourage another similar university to follow suit.

Purpose: This paper aims to contribute to the discussion of the role of education in developing a new mindset for sustainability leadership by analyzing a project of a Brazilian business school that implemented a sustainability training module regarding the UN 2030 Agenda. Considering the purpose of signatory school of the UN Principles for Responsible Management Education, this analysis reflects on the student capacities to become sustainable future value generators for business and society in general. Design/methodology/approach: This study is characterized as a quantitative research whose strategy is the investigation between variables to understand the learning evolution of the study participants in each of the topics addressed in the training module. The research has a positivist approach that explores data using statistical methods to detect possible behavior patterns in the analyzed data volume, based on secondary data sourced from the questionnaire that validated student knowledge at the beginning and end of the class. Findings: The data show a considerable impact of education in developing a new mindset for sustainability leadership as there is a big variation students' average knowledge of the themes that made up the sustainability mindset suggesting that the students' exposure to the content in the school environment helps increase their knowledge. Originality/value: This paper fulfills the need to understand the effectiveness of the creation of specific modules of sustainability for students from different areas of activity.

Purpose: This paper aims to highlight the contribution of ecological fairs to the promotion of sustainability in university campuses, based on a case study carried out at the University of Passo Fundo, located in Southern Brazil. Design/methodology/approach: Producers and consumers of the ecological fairs were interviewed to analyse how the social, economic and environmental spheres of sustainable development are impacted by these fairs. In total, 24 interviews were conducted. Findings: The results showed how fairs positively impact the academic and local community while bringing sustainability into university campuses. Research limitations/implications: The main limitations of this study were the number of interviews and the short period during when the study was conducted. Practical implications This case study demonstrated how the promotion of ecological fairs on a university campus plays an important role in the implementation and practice of sustainability and can serve as an example for other institutions that intend to work on similar projects. Originality/value: This paper contributes to the literature by providing a discussion on how ecological fairs represent a good addition in the process of universities to become more sustainable and which aspects of each sustainability sphere are involved.

Purpose: This paper aims to understand how the FUCAPE 120% Sustainable project promotes sustainable development in higher education. The project was conceived and implemented by FUCAPE Business School, a private higher education institution (HEI) specialised in business, located in Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil. Design/methodology/approach: The approach of the study was qualitative research based on a case study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 stakeholders involved in FUCAPE 120% Sustainable. Findings: The results indicate that FUCAPE 120% Sustainable is a project formed from 18 sustainable actions incorporated on the campus of FUCAPE Business School. Most of the project's actions are connected to the triple bottom line (TBL) and linked to sustainable development goals (SDGs), particularly SDG12 (responsible consumption and production), SDG13 (climate action) and SDG17 (partnerships for the goals). Research limitations/implications: This study contributes to the literature by extending information on sustainability in HEIs, focusing specifically on a business HEI. Practical implications: This is an innovative project that can serve as a model for other HEIs, with due adaptations. As business HEIs do not usually have laboratories, they may be considered to have little effect on the environment. However, this study found that business HEIs can have a relevant impact on the environment, and the adoption of sustainable actions can minimise adverse effects. Originality/value: Various sustainability projects and actions are developed and implemented by HEIs, but studies analysing the projects in business HEIs or studies linking the actions of the project to the TBL theory and SDGs are scarce. Sustainable business HEI-based projects may provide future managers a more inter-disciplinary and sustainable vision focused on the TBL and SDGs.

Purpose: This paper aims to assess the contribution of the UN's Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) in higher education, covering education, research and outreach in Brazilian higher education institutions (HEIs) after becoming signatories. Design/methodology/approach: Teachers representing Brazilian HEI signatories to the PRME were interviewed. The IRAMUTEQ software was used for content analysis, descending hierarchical classification and similarity tree, allowing to quantify the quality variables originating from the professors' beliefs and opinions. Findings: The PRME helps Brazilian HEIs to review or create disciplines related to responsible management education and adopt transdisciplinarity for sustainability. The signatories' PRME-influenced research is interdisciplinary, focusing on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Social responsibility is promoted through local-community projects, while partnerships, initiatives and innovative pedagogies from foreign-signatory HEIs provide international experiences for teachers and students. However, within one initiative, which had 170 signatories in 2008 and over 800 in 2020, indicators should be formulated to analyze and enhance HEIs' sustainability profile. The PRME contributes to educating young people and adults in Brazil via education, research or outreach; however, this contribution needs to be assessed. Originality/value: Prior studies have not collected data through interviews to consider professors' perspectives on the PRME's contribution to signatory HEIs in Brazil. This study interviewed professors involved with the PRME to broaden their understanding beyond bibliometrics and assess the alignment of the PRME and UN SDGs.

Highlights • The applicability of the parameters was tested on the pulp industry, in the south of the state of Bahia, Brazil. • The importance of different worldviews of social groups and cultures in the search for sustainability is emphasized. • Seven parameters for sustainability are provided to guide political decision-making in urban planning. • The applicability of the parameters was tested on the pulp industry, in the south of the state of Bahia, Brazil. • The outcomes show the limitations of certification schemes for sustainability like the Forest Stewardship Council. Abstract The search for sustainability, particularly in an urban context, is in full swing. Based on a review of mainstream environmental management and the critical environmental justice perspective, this analysis proposes that concepts of space, territory, and livelihood which are operating at the interface of the social and physical world, offer possibilities to understand urban and rural metabolisms in a global context. The second part of the paper focuses on the main obstacles to achieve sustainability, arguing that the underlying causes for conflicts between urban and non-urban traditional territorial livelihood metabolisms are not being adequately addressed. The challenges of implementing sustainability often involve dealing with dynamic contradictory processes with unpredictable outcomes. Therefore, sustainability should not be seen as a certain state of the society, but as a kind of structuring structure characterized by the necessity of permanent rearrangement. Finally, to make this finding more applicable, we present seven parameters to evaluate socio-spatial relationships as a dialectical cognitive framework for planning towards more sustainability and environmental justice. The application of these parameters has been tested on the "sustainable" pulp industry in Bahia – Brazil, which is often regarded as sustainable due to certification by the Forest Stewardship Council. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to analyze strategies that promote sustainability in higher education institutions (HEIs), focusing on the case study of a federal institute of higher education in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach: The research was based on a scientific literature review on sustainability in HEIs, to identify the recurrent actions for sustainability in these institutions; and a case study of a federal institute of higher education in Brazil, to illustrate how these actions are being implemented by HEIs. Findings: Concerns about sustainability, prompted by the Brazilian federal legislature, led federal HEI to change its internal processes, infrastructure and organizational culture toward sustainability. Practical implications: The findings presented in this study, more specifically the sustainability plan of the Federal Institute for Education, Science and Technology of Santa Catarina, aligned with the recommendations proposed, can be used and replicated in other HEIs. Originality/value: Scientific literature about organizational changes led by sustainability concerns, in HEIs specifically, still needs more attention in the academia. By addressing the case of a Brazilian public institution of higher education, this paper contributes to the literature on sustainability in higher education by reporting the process of implementation of a sustainability plan.

Purpose: This study aims to determine how sustainable development (SD) demands (according to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe's (UNECE) SD themes from 2005) are connected to the contents of education, research, development and innovation (RDI) in higher education institutions (HEI). Education and the RDI nexus may affect HEI's capability to handle SD-related wicked problems and enhance their societal impact. Design/methodology/approach: This paper examined SD-oriented curricula contents of two universities (Brazil and Finland) and counted the number of SD-related research outcomes. In addition, conceptual modelling was used to analyse the mechanisms that may be directing HEIs' SD work in local innovation. Findings: The data showed a convergence deviation in the RDI of SD-related subjects between the two HEIs. There was no correlation between SD-oriented education and RDI-work in either HEI. Education and RDI processes have different UNECE SD themes at the focal point, and the education-research nexus is lacking. This difference indicates that new SD-related knowledge produced through RDI was not effectively used in education. Modelling revealed that the convergence in RDI outcomes arose from the same kind of local business, industry and societal challenges, implementing effective stakeholder pressures into HEIs. The results may indicate that stakeholder SD needs were not directly transferred into the competence qualification of the curriculum. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first quantitative study to reveal the independence of universities' SD-related RDI subjects on educational curricula.

This paper presents an innovative experience involving students and professors from diverse backgrounds and regions that was designed to integrate corporate sustainability (CS) knowledge into undergraduate programs. An action research approach was adopted, with the course running over one semester. The course involved 146 students with diverse academic backgrounds from universities across Brazil along with eight professors from Brazil, Chile, and South Africa. The proposed approach provides actionable insights into the integration of sustainability concepts in the higher educational setting, thereby contributing to the development of a more environmentally and socially conscious generation of professionals. The learning outcomes are discussed in the light of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Agenda, particularly SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), SDG 9 (industry, innovation, and infrastructure), and SDG 13 (climate action). In addition, it is important to highlight that the dissemination of the course's key features can be useful for universities, professors, and researchers engaged in training future professionals capable of addressing real-world problems of innovation and sustainability. By employing an action research methodology and fostering collaboration among students and professors with diverse academic backgrounds and from different countries, including Brazil, Chile, and South Africa, this paper presents a multiregional and interdisciplinary perspective that sets it apart from conventional practices. The emphasis on providing actionable insights and its potential applicability for universities, professors, and researchers involved in training future professionals further underscore its distinctive contribution to education for sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to analyze the main challenges faced by two business schools and a higher education institution when implementing education for sustainability (EfS). Also, it seeks to identify facilitating elements that contribute to minimizing or eliminating barriers faced by these institutions when implementing EfS. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative research approach is used of a descriptive nature and a multicase study is used as research strategy. Data were collected through interviews with the individuals responsible for EfS process in the institutions studied and were analyzed by the content analysis technique. Findings: The data allowed identifying new challenges, such as those related to the governance of educational institutions, as well as divergent values of higher education institutions (HEIs) and of EfS. Research limitations/implications: The number of cases here analyzed does not allow generalization of the results. Practical implications: The discussion of the empirical data with the literature has provided some insights regarding good practices and recommendations for educational institutions to minimize the challenges faced in EfS process. Originality/value: The identification of facilitating elements to mitigate challenges faced by business schools and HEIs provide insights for other institutions who long for implementing EfS. Also, the lack of actions aimed at mitigating resource-related challenges shows the need to improve educational public policies to help embed EfS in HEIs and business schools.

Existing literatures have discussed both ethical issues in visual research with young people, and the problems associated with applying 'universal' ethical guidelines across varied cultural contexts. There has been little consideration, however, of specific issues raised in projects where visual research is being conducted with young people simultaneously in multiple national contexts. This paper contributes to knowledge in this area. We reflect on our experiences of planning and conducting the International CYCLES project involving photo elicitation with young people in Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK. While some issues such as varying access to technology for taking and sharing photos and diverse cultural sensitivities around the use of photography were anticipated in advance, others were more unexpected. Balancing the need for methods to be appropriate, ethical and feasible within each setting with the desire for sufficient consistency across the project is challenging. We argue that an 'ethics in context' approach and an attitude of 'methodological immaturity' is critical in international visual research projects with young people.

The high costs of environmentally responsible and socially just approaches are some of the factors that hinder the implementation of sustainable projects in the industrial sector. However, upstream collaborative integration in the corrugated cardboard industry in southeastern Brazil is a reality. In this context, this study aimed to highlight the structure of a collaborative sustainable project in the context of the corrugated cardboard industry, to analyze ESG risk management in the corrugated cardboard industry in the Southeast Region of Brazil, the relationship between ESG risk management and social responsibility in corrugated cardboard industries, the strengths and weaknesses of risk management models in use by the consulted participants, and to propose innovations regarding risk analysis, applicable in sustainable projects with a collaborative bias. The methodology adopted was the case study, with consultation with managers in professional activity in the industrial sector, corroborated by document analysis and systematic review of the literature. We identified preliminary risk analysis (PRA) and failure mode analysis (FMEA) as key practices used by managers in the corrugated paper industry in the region. These practices are insufficient in the convergence of objectives, engagement with the community, and extension of the lifecycle of products and processes. Our findings show that the sustainability of a project may be an extension of the risk analyses carried out in the initial phase, mainly about strategic decision-making and the operationalization of investments. Without bias to the need for risk analysis, the life cycle analysis is also an effective way of highlighting the critical factors, weaknesses, and strengths of a sustainable project. The study indicates the so-called GUT matrix approach (gravity – urgency – tendency) as the most suitable for innovation in risk analyses oriented towards sustainable projects in the analyzed sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to assess how transculturality can potentiate projects developed between UN Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) signatories' institutions by emphasizing on the advantages for teams with people from different nationalities. Besides, it addresses a well-discussed topic among the signatory schools of PRME as the initiative strongly encouraged integrated research, attributing it value and applicability. Design/methodology/approach: The analysis focuses on three projects developed in partnership between institutions from Brazil and other countries, considering significant cultural differences, number of countries involved and the interaction between the academia and the companies. The discussion seeks to understand the value of projects and what they mean in terms of partnerships and mobilizations between PRME's signatories schools. Findings: The paper provides empirical insights about the necessity of understanding transculturality as a key factor to the development of multicultural projects, especially with regard to projects aligned with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, launched by the UN in 2015. Originality/value: The discussion reinforces that a multifaceted vision has the potential to overlap cultural differences to develop projects with a high degree of replicability.

In this paper, we analyse the status and significance of adopting a Marxist ontological perspective in the field of Brazilian environmental education. We draw on the concept of labour developed by Marx, where labour is used as a category to articulate the relationships humans establish with nature and which, historically, have an impact on their living conditions. Given the ongoing process of destroying the material basis of life under a Capitalist means of production, we argue that environmental educators and researchers require refinements to the theoretical and methodological frameworks they use to understand contradictions between development and sustainability in Brazil. This includes meeting their responsibilities to help others and themselves overcome the current capitalist model governing the social and material production of life.

Purpose: This paper aims to describe, explain and evaluate a graduate education program that provides international project experiences and builds competencies related to collaborative problem-solving, cultural capacity to work globally and sustainable development. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative analysis of survey data from 28 students supplemented by observation and interviews conducted before, during and after a multi-week project and a ten-day trip to China in 2014. Supplemental data and contextual information were provided by a series of related projects and trips led by the authors in other cultural contexts including Brazil, China, India, South Africa and Turkey. Findings: Six pedagogic practices were perceived as effective by students and generate learning outcomes desired by faculty: authentic problems, learning cycles, shared inquiry, transdisciplinarity, exploration and engagement. Practical implications: The pedagogy was effective, especially the engagement pedagogy in which students interviewed peers, professionals, residents and others in China. Originality/value: These learning outcomes and pedagogies have been studied before, but not in this particular combination or as applied to a mix of business, non-governmental organization and government mid-career professionals seeking professional development in leadership for sustainable development.

We look at Brazilian collaboration in Scientific papers based on SciVal and Incites regarding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. Data were collected from InCites® and SciVal® (2012-2021). Groups of Global South countries were formed (ASEAN, Asia, Africa, BRICS, Caribbean, Central and Latin America). Analyses included Cluster (Author position, impact/citations, open access, journal quartil), principal component, path and analysis of variance to see the effect of region and SDGs in Brazilian publishing. Scopus data were analysed in Vosviewer® for creating country networks through publication, citation and bibliographic coupling, as well as keyword analysis. SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) dominates all Brazilian scientific collaborations with the various country groups. While gender equality shows greater importance in ASEAN and African countries, Life Below Water (SDG14), on Land (SDG15), and Climate Action (SDG13), are important in all regions. SDGs 1, 8, 10, 12, and 16 show less importance in this collaboration overall. Brazil is relatively more active in Zero Hunger (SDG2) and Life on Land (SDG15) than worldwide. Brazil South-South collaboration in published documents shows higher impact than North South in some areas. Collaboration priorities vary by region and triangulation with countries is high depending on language and region.

The gaps observed in entities' traditional reports and accounts led to the emergence of the integrated report (IR), which includes several content elements, namely the component relating to risks and opportunities. Within this scope, the specific risks that may affect an organization's capacity to create value are disclosed, among others, which is information of interest to the different stakeholders. This paper aims to identify the explanatory factors that influence the disclosure of risks in IRs. For this purpose, the IRs of entities listed on the Brazilian stock exchange for the year 2020 were assessed. The study was based on the explanatory theories of risk disclosure usually found in the literature, namely, the legitimacy, the agency, the signaling, and the upper echelon theories. Linear regression models were used with the disclosure rates of different types of risk as dependent variables. The size, profitability, indebtedness, independence, and gender diversity in the board of directors (BD), audit, and activity sector comprised the selected explanatory factors. Associations were found between some of the types of risks disclosed and the size of the entity, the existence of an audit, the independence of the BD, and the activity sector. The paper contributes to the literature about the explanatory factors of risk disclosure by exploring its analysis with different typologies and attributes, having the IR as a source of information, which is still little explored. The scientific contribution encompasses proposing a new risk analysis model in the IR. The innovative elements also comprise the classification of risks related to sustainable development (SD), including environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The FOS is strategic for companies to fulfill their sustainable development plan. • There is enough legal security in contracts between industries and farmers. • There is a growing trend of expansion of forest Outgrower Scheme. Outgrower schemes are an alternative for supplying companies and can generate benefits for both the farmers and for the community. The main reasons that lead companies to adopt this type of strategy are the reduction of investment in land purchases, lower cost of wood at the factory, to increase the diversification of sources of raw materials, as well as greater integration with landowners close of companies. Of the total of 7.84 million hectares of trees planted in Brazil in 2016, 34% belonged to companies in the pulp and paper industry, 29% were independent operators and participants in outgrower schemes, and the charcoal-fired steel industry represented 14% of the planted area. In 2016, 19,900 people benefited from the outgrower programs adopted by Brazilian Tree Industry (IBÁ) member companies, planting 545,000 ha. For rural producers, the forest development consists of an alternative to traditional income generation to their properties, which may use idle or underused areas with low technical risk due to production inputs and technical assistance provided by the companies. The most frequent outgrower modalities include providing forest species seedlings, revenue anticipation programs and wood purchase guarantee at harvest time. For the community, these include the possibility of creating new wood-based forest business and generating jobs in the region. This program prevents land concentration, makes local activities feasible, creates opportunities of additional income and assists in settling people in the countryside. Also, greatly improves the acceptability of eucalypt plantations in the region and is positive for the certification of forest products. From the environmental standpoint, outgrower scheme mitigates the pressure on native forests, recovers degraded soils and promotes soil conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Waste production and management from residents and collection for sorting are systems heavily dependent on territorial dimensions. Ergonomic research needs to better integrate such territorial determinants to improve work conditions and design sustainable work systems. OBJECTIVE: Through studies in France and Brazil, this paper analyzes the territorial relations that raise work systems' sustainability challenges for materials recovery facilities (MRFs) and waste management in both countries and examines the links between work activity and territory in MRFs. METHODS: Both studies were based on the principles of activity-oriented ergonomics and used analyses of work activity and sociotechnical systems. The French study focused on interventions conducted over a 42-month period in five MRFs. The Brazilian study was based on a 20-month longitudinal qualitative and quantitative study. RESULTS: In this paper, we argue that territory is a key determining factor in waste production and work. Notably, the consumption patterns of residents and the economic flows within a geographic space determine the waste composition; and the territorially specified public policies, which define technical and social dimensions of waste collection and sorting. However, the territorial dimensions of waste are poorly considered in facility design. Workers' health and sorting system performance are thus affected and negatively compromising plant performance. CONCLUSION: The territory appears as a blind spot in the design of work systems. One of the challenges is to create interfaces and devices that could help to integrate better human activity and waste territorialized anchorage, in a multilevel organization, from local communities to the global recycling chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Considering the high impacts caused by manufacturers on sustainability, this research aims to analyse how Brazilian manufacturing companies deal with sustainability issues. To do this, sustainability parameters are analysed to verify possible improvement opportunities. Design/methodology/approach: This research uses Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and grey relational analysis (GRA) to analyse data from a survey with Brazilian professionals regarding aspects of sustainability in Brazilian manufacturers. The average score levels and the ranking of these aspects are evaluated. Findings: Through the analysis performed, it was possible to verify that manufacturers in Brazil still have a long path to travel in the search for sustainability. Comparatively, it was observed that practices related to local communities received the lowest scores, on average. In contrast, on average, practices related to productivity and efficiency, occupational accidents and diseases, and compliance with environmental legislation received the highest scores. Practical implications: The results presented in this paper show that there are several improvement opportunities to be sought by Brazilian manufacturing companies regarding sustainability aspects. Particular attention should be given to local community practices. Besides companies, policymakers can also use this analysis to guide their future actions, encouraging manufacturing companies to better support the local community. Researchers can use the instrument of analysis (TOPSIS and GRA) to analyse other realities and compare them with the findings presented. Originality/value: The analysis of Brazilian manufacturing companies' reality regarding sustainability practices and considering a model based on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Brazilian Institute of Corporate Governance (IBGC) is novel in the literature. The use of TOPSIS and GRA, as well as comparing their findings, generated interesting insights for companies, policymakers and researchers. The analysis presented shows the need for more significant concern for local communities and can be used to support further debates and action plans to minimise this gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evidence of climate change has increased the necessity for actions to avoid severe consequences for future generations. Recognising the benefits of sustainable and energy-efficient buildings has led to the development of several methods to estimate and rate the performance of building. Healthcare buildings are functional and dynamic structures that support their occupants' healing processes and comfort. They have a significant role in society and specific goals in merging their strategic planning requirements (cost reduction, regulatory compliance, social responsibility, and performance improvement) with Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore, this paper addresses critical issues regarding the sustainability of the Brazilian healthcare sector by analysing the suitability of the most common international healthcare building sustainability assessment methods to the specific social, economic, and environmental contexts of the Brazilian healthcare sector. The paper analyses the HBSAtool-PT, a sustainability assessment method developed for this type of building, and identifies the possibilities for adapting to the Brazilian context. As a result, this research proposes a framework to assess the sustainability of healthcare buildings in Brazil. In the framework's definition, a survey was conducted to determine the opinion of building stakeholders regarding the importance of indicators. A weighing system for the proposed sustainability indicators was developed using the AHP method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyse through a systematic literature review the evolution of the theme of environmental social and governance (ESG) in universities, correlating variables and presenting a panorama for Latin American universities. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses a systematic literature review approach. The Web of Science database was used for data collection, and a set of keywords (Environmental, Social and Governance × Universities) and a classification method were used, resulting in 111 articles classified in the Zotero software. After classification, these publications were analysed in the VOSviewer software. Findings: The main evidence about ESG and universities shows that its relevance has been growing worldwide with an emphasis on England, the USA, Spain, followed by Brazil in fourth place regarding the number of papers published worldwide. The most representative areas identified were governance, sustainability, higher education, sustainable campus, environmental science, ecology, science and technology. The journals presenting more published papers under the topic are International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Journal of Cleaner Production and Sustainability. As for the most relevant authors, the Europeans Lozano and Leal Filho, Velasquez from Mexico and Brandli from Brazil were identified. As for institutions, the University Durham, State University System of Florida and State University of Campinas do Brazil stand out. Research limitations/implications: As the main limitation of the study is related to the sample of articles. This study is focused on the analysis of publications from the last decade, presenting only 111 results. However, this restriction in the timeline is justified as it is a new topic; this study was also limited to the use of a single database; in this sense, future research can carry out a more comprehensive review of the sustainability literature covering periods prior to a decade and an analysis in other databases. Originality/value: These results provide a basis for improving sustainability in universities and ESG in Latin America. It also allows to explore and reflect on several indicators, enabling the evaluation and planning of actions to improve competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]