Introduction
Sustainable development is a concept defined in the Brundtland report as a development that pays attention to the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (World Commission on Environment and Development 1987). Since it established, became common in scientific and political contexts, the development of guidelines, frameworks, and tools to assess the sustainability of technologies, processes, and systems (Rösch et al. 2017; Mukherjee 2017). To Sikdar (2012), if we can define what is sustainable, it must be possible to describe the characteristics (e.g., indicators) of a dynamic system that remains the same through the variations of the attributes that define (system variables).
In an analysis that considers the three traditional dimensions – environment, society, and economy – it is useful to be able to compare sustainability between types of products or services, as well as for managers of urban and...
References
Brandão MS, Ometto AR, Leme PCS (2015) Sustainability assessment in higher education institutions: perspectives and global experiences. In: 5th international workshop – advances in cleaner. São Paulo
Cole L (2003) Assessing sustainability on Canadian university campuses: development of a campus sustainability assessment framework. Dissertation (Masters Environment and Management), Royal Roads University, Victoria
Disterheft A, Caeiro S, Leal Filho W, Azeiteiro UM (2016) The INDICARE-model – measuring and caring about participation in higher education’s sustainability assessment. Ecol Indic 63:172–186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.11.057
Drahein AD (2016) Proposta de avaliação de práticas sustentáveis nas operações de serviço em instituições de ensino superior da rede federal de educação profissional, científica e tecnológica (Proposal for evaluation of sustainable practices in service operations in higher education institutions of the federal network of professional, scientific and technological education). Dissertation, Technological Federal University of Paraná
Fouto ARF (2002) O papel das universidades rumo ao desenvolvimento sustentável: das relações internacionais às práticas locais (The role of universities towards sustainable development: international relations local practices). Dissertation, New University of Lisbon
Freitas CL (2013) Sustainability assessment in Federal public institutions of higher education (IFES): proposition of a model based on management systems of evaluation and social and environmental disclosure. Dissertation. (Master’s degree in accounting), Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis
Global Reporting Initiative – GRI (2013) G4 sustainability reporting guidelines – G4 sustainability reporting guidelines – implementation Manual – GRI. http://www.respect.international/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/G4-Sustainability-Reporting-Guidelines-Implementation-Manual-GRI-2013.pdf. Accessed 30 Oct 2018
Karvonen J, Halder P, Kangas J et al (2017) Indicators and tools for assessing sustainability impacts of the forest bioeconomy. For Ecosyst., Springer 4:2. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40663-017-0089-8
Madeira A, Carravilla M, Oliveira J et al (2011) A methodology for sustainability evaluation and reporting in higher education institutions. High Educ Policy 24:459. https://doi.org/10.1057/hep.2011.18
Moreno-Pires S (2014) Indicators of sustainability. In: Michalos AC (ed) Encyclopedia of quality of life and well-being research. Springer, Dordrecht
Mukherjee R (2017) Selection of sustainable process and essential indicators for decision making using machine learning algorithms. Process Integr Optim Sustain., Springer 1:153. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41660-017-0011-4
Pavlovskaia E (2014) Sustainability criteria: their indicators, control, and monitoring (with examples from the biofuel sector). Environ Sci Eur., Springer 26:17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-014-0017-2
Phillips R (2014) Urban sustainability indicators. In: Michalos AC (ed) Encyclopedia of quality of life and well-being research. Springer, Dordrecht
Rösch C, Bräutigam KR, Kopfmüller J et al (2017) Indicator system for the sustainability assessment of the German energy system and its transition. Energy Sustain Soc., Springer 7:1. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13705-016-0103-y
Shriberg M (2002) Institutional assessment tools for sustainability in higher education: Strengths, weaknesses, and implications for practice and theory. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Vol. 3 Issue: 3, pp. 254–270, https://doi.org/10.1108/14676370210434714
Sikdar SK (2012) Measuring sustainability. Clean Techn Environ Policy., Springer 14:153. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-012-0479-0
Tauchen J, Brandli LL (2006) A gestão Ambiental em Instituições de Ensino Superior: Modelo para Implantação em Campus Universitário (Environmental management in institutions of higher learning: model for deployment in University Campus). Gestão & Produção, São Carlos, v. 13, n.3, p. 503–515
UN Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) (2001) Indicators of sustainable development: framework and methodologies. http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/natlinfo/indicators/indisd/indisd-mg2001.pdf. Access 30 May 2018
UN Commission on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) (2007) Indicators of sustainable development: guidelines and methodologies. http://www.un.org/esa/sustdev/natlinfo/indicators/guidelines.pdf. Access 30 May 2018
United Nations (1996) Indicators of sustainable development framework and methodologies. United Nations Sales Publication No. E.96.II.A.16, New York
United Nations (2017) A/RES/71/313: resolution adopted by the general assembly on 6 July 2017. https://undocs.org/A/RES/71/313. Accessed 30 May 2018
United Nations (2018) A/RES/71/313 – E/CN.3/2018/2: global indicator framework for the Sustainable Development Goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/indicators/Global%20Indicator%20Framework%20after%20refinement_Eng.pdf. Accessed 30 May 2018
Velazquez L, Munguia N, Platt A, Taddei J (2006) Sustainable university: what can be the matter? J Clean Prod 14:810–819
Wong C (2014) Sustainable development indicators. In: Michalos AC (ed) Encyclopedia of quality of life and well-being research. Springer, Dordrecht
World Commission on Environment and Development – WCED (1987) Our common future. Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development. G. H. Brundtland, (Ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Section Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this entry
Cite this entry
Hoshino Neta, C.S., da Cal Seixas, S.R. (2019). Sustainability Indicators. In: Leal Filho, W. (eds) Encyclopedia of Sustainability in Higher Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63951-2_527-1
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63951-2_527-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-63951-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-63951-2
eBook Packages: Springer Reference EducationReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Education