680
N. H. Cardozo et al.
7 Conclusion
The benchmarking, even though it was not created especially for HEIs, is an adaptable
methodology of great value for the development of HEIs strategies that need to be
economically, educationally, and environmentally efficient.
The HEIs from group 1, stood out for medium- and the long-term return of their
sustainable development actions. Also, the direct participation of students in campaigns, research, interdepartmental partnerships, and competitions, creates a sense of
belonging, and contribution to the HEI sustainable strategies. The last aspect of great
relevance is the monetary funds for applying practices in specific areas such as waste
and water management, infrastructure and environmental research, for example, as
they make the HEI planning steps possible to be carried out.
On the other hand, the HEIs from group 2 have their sustainable development
practices focused on monitoring and management of equipment related to energy,
water, and waste sectors, with a short-term return, but with reduced coverage. There
are also campaigns to raise environmental awareness among students, professors,
and outsourcers, but mostly understood as passive, as they are carried out through
posters, folders, and electronic dissemination, that is, without active stakeholder
participation. Unfortunately, barriers such as the national budget crisis of 2015 have
had a negative impact on the application of strategies of the Brazilian HEIs analyzed,
which may also be a reality faced by other HEIs, especially in developing countries.
Finally, because it is possible to observe and compare benchmarks related to sustainability in HEIs, a topic of extreme relevance, the present study, and its methodology may support other studies with the same goal. Further, the results obtained
and continued in a more detailed way can generate even more clarification regarding
the first paths that can be taken by HEIs also from developing regions that desire to
move towards sustainability, as well as the identification of barriers faced by HEIs
in the integration sustainable development practices.
References
Alghamdi N, den Heijer A (2017) Assessment tools’ indicators for sustainability in universities: an
analytical overview. Int J Sustain High Educ 18(2):84–115
Brundtland G (1987) The Brundtland report: “Our Common Future.” The World Commission of
Environment and Development. Oxford University Press, New York
Bullock G, Wilder N (2016) The comprehensiveness of competing higher education sustainability
assessments. Int J Sustain High Educ 17(3):282–304
Calder W, Clugston RM (2003) International efforts to promote higher education for sustainable
development. Plan High Educ 31(3):34–48
Contreras L (2002) Sustainable universities around the world: a model for fostering sustainable
university program’ effectiveness. Master’s Thesis, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
Corcoran PB, Wals AEJ (2004) The problematics of sustainability in higher education: an introduction. In: Corcoran PB, Wals AEJ (eds) Higher education and the challenge of sustainability:
N. H. Cardozo et al.
7 Conclusion
The benchmarking, even though it was not created especially for HEIs, is an adaptable
methodology of great value for the development of HEIs strategies that need to be
economically, educationally, and environmentally efficient.
The HEIs from group 1, stood out for medium- and the long-term return of their
sustainable development actions. Also, the direct participation of students in campaigns, research, interdepartmental partnerships, and competitions, creates a sense of
belonging, and contribution to the HEI sustainable strategies. The last aspect of great
relevance is the monetary funds for applying practices in specific areas such as waste
and water management, infrastructure and environmental research, for example, as
they make the HEI planning steps possible to be carried out.
On the other hand, the HEIs from group 2 have their sustainable development
practices focused on monitoring and management of equipment related to energy,
water, and waste sectors, with a short-term return, but with reduced coverage. There
are also campaigns to raise environmental awareness among students, professors,
and outsourcers, but mostly understood as passive, as they are carried out through
posters, folders, and electronic dissemination, that is, without active stakeholder
participation. Unfortunately, barriers such as the national budget crisis of 2015 have
had a negative impact on the application of strategies of the Brazilian HEIs analyzed,
which may also be a reality faced by other HEIs, especially in developing countries.
Finally, because it is possible to observe and compare benchmarks related to sustainability in HEIs, a topic of extreme relevance, the present study, and its methodology may support other studies with the same goal. Further, the results obtained
and continued in a more detailed way can generate even more clarification regarding
the first paths that can be taken by HEIs also from developing regions that desire to
move towards sustainability, as well as the identification of barriers faced by HEIs
in the integration sustainable development practices.
References
Alghamdi N, den Heijer A (2017) Assessment tools’ indicators for sustainability in universities: an
analytical overview. Int J Sustain High Educ 18(2):84–115
Brundtland G (1987) The Brundtland report: “Our Common Future.” The World Commission of
Environment and Development. Oxford University Press, New York
Bullock G, Wilder N (2016) The comprehensiveness of competing higher education sustainability
assessments. Int J Sustain High Educ 17(3):282–304
Calder W, Clugston RM (2003) International efforts to promote higher education for sustainable
development. Plan High Educ 31(3):34–48
Contreras L (2002) Sustainable universities around the world: a model for fostering sustainable
university program’ effectiveness. Master’s Thesis, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Massachusetts, USA
Corcoran PB, Wals AEJ (2004) The problematics of sustainability in higher education: an introduction. In: Corcoran PB, Wals AEJ (eds) Higher education and the challenge of sustainability: