Mapping Higher Education’s Path to Sustainability: Widely used Key SDG Reporting Standards for HEIs

Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) widely use the following SDG reporting standards to demonstrate their alignment and contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

1. The Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings:
  • Focuses on HEIs’ performance against the SDGs based on research, stewardship, outreach, and teaching.
  • Encourages transparent reporting of contributions to global sustainability.
2. The UN’s Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI):
  • A platform for sharing best practices in sustainability and SDG-related initiatives by HEIs.
  • Encourages institutions to submit annual reports on their SDG contributions.
3. The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI):
  • Provides guidelines for reporting an institution’s impact on economic, environmental, and social aspects.
  • Adapted by HEIs to align their operations and research with SDG indicators.
4. The Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME):
  • A UN initiative focused on embedding SDG principles into education, research, and institutional operations.
  • Particularly popular with business schools and management institutes.
5. The SDG Accord Reporting:
  • A framework specifically designed for universities, colleges, and other education institutions to align their efforts with the SDGs.
  • Encourages annual reporting of achievements and goals.
6. ISO Standards (ISO 26000, ISO 14001):
  • ISO 26000: Focuses on social responsibility, aligning closely with SDG principles.
  • ISO 14001: Relevant for HEIs addressing environmental sustainability and SDG 13 (Climate Action).
7. Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS):
  • A self-reporting framework for HEIs to track and share their sustainability performance.
  • Widely used in North America and increasingly recognized globally.
8. The Green Metric Rankings:
  • Ranks universities globally based on sustainability practices in infrastructure, energy use, waste management, and more.

By adopting these standards, HEIs can effectively map, monitor, and showcase their contributions to achieving the SDGs while strengthening their commitment to sustainability.

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