A critical review of sustainability assessment tools for higher education institutions

Bibliographic Data

ID21720548
AuthorsPragya Pragya (Central University of Punjab Department of Education, , Bathinda), Jubilee Padmanabhan (0009-0001-6609-9926, National Council of Educational Research and Training Department of Education in Science and Mathematics, , New Delhi)
Year2026
Volume27
Issue6
Pages1426-1461
Publication date2026-06-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1467-6370 • E-ISSN: 1758-6739
PublisherEmerald (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1108/ijshe-04-2024-0270
OpenAlexW4411308553
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited79

Purpose The purpose of this study is to critically review existing sustainability assessment tools (SATs) for higher education available around the globe, with varied structures and purposes, focus areas, distinct features and weaknesses. Design/methodology/approach A two-phase methodology was used to select the SATs for the study, involving the systematic selection of literature on sustainability assessment in higher education using the PRISMA framework, followed by identifying and selecting SATs from the selected literature. The selected SATs were then reviewed using secondary data. Findings The study identified 31 SATs with varied focus areas falling into social, environmental and economic dimensions of sustainability and institutional dimensions like campus operations, education, research, administration and institutional identities. The paper briefly describes the SATs, then reviews their focus areas, strengths and weaknesses, further classifying them according to their indicators, purpose and applicability. Research limitations/implications The present review can serve as an overview of the significant SATs for researchers and higher education institutions (HEIs) who need a concise and precise framework for research in the field of sustainability assessment in higher education. It can also help researchers and HEIs identify and use SATs according to their needs. Further, it helps in understanding the importance of having these SATs for HEIs and their population. Originality/value Similar studies on reviewing SATs have been done before; however, this is a recent study, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study reviewing 10 recently developed SATs that have not been reviewed before, adding to the growing literature on sustainability assessment in higher education

Engineering ethics · Environmental education · Environmental ethics · Higher education · Pedagogy · Political science · Sociology · Sustainability · Engineering · Higher Education and Sustainability · Sustainability in Higher Education · Sustainable Building Design and Assessment · Ecology

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