Journal of Cleaner Production 386 (2023) 135694

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Journal of Cleaner Production

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jclepro

An overview of the engagement of higher education institutions in the

implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals
Walter Leal Filho a, b, Amanda Lange Salvia a, c, *, João Henrique Paulino Pires Eustachio d
a
European School of Sustainability Science and Research (ESSSR), Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Germany
b
Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Chester Street, Manchester, M1 5GD, UK
c
Graduate Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Passo Fundo, Passo Fundo, RS, Brazil
d
School of Economics, Business Administration and Accounting at Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo (USP), Avenida dos Bandeirantes 3900, 14040-905, Ribeirão
Preto, SP, Brazil

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Handling Editor: Dr Sandra Caeiro Higher education institutions provide valuable inputs toward implementing the UN Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs). Yet, it is unclear how this engagement is taking place across the world. This study addresses this
Keywords: problem, by reporting on a survey involving a sample of 209 experts from 65 developing, in transition, and
Higher education institutions developed countries, which sheds light on the involvement of the participants and the overall landscape of
HEIs
implementation of the SDGs in teaching and research. In both contexts, the results indicate the SDGs are rec­
Sustainable development goals
ognised as an opportunity for increased collaboration within the university and between different universities.
Higher education engagement
Sustainability research On the other hand, more attention should be paid to the need for revising teaching curricula and research
Sustainability teaching programmes/projects so that they include the SDGs. Also, students do not seem to be proactive in requesting
more teaching content and research opportunities related to the SDGs. The results support the recommendation
of further actions higher education institutions need to undertake to assist in delivering the SDGs, including
intensified networking efforts and engagement with local partners.

1. Higher education institutions and the sustainable SDG1, hunger - SDG 2, health and well-being - SDG3; and gender
development goals equality - SDG5), economic aspects and infrastructure (such as energy -
SDG 7, decent work and economic growth - SDG 8, industry - SDG 9,
In 2015, the United Nations Member States approved the 2030 sustainable cities – SDG 11, and production and consumption – SDG 12),
Agenda for Sustainable Development and adopted the Sustainable and other urgent matters related to climate change – SDG 13, and peace
Development Goals (SDGs). The Agenda is considered a global action and justice – SDG 16. One particular goal, namely SDG 4, involves
plan to eradiate poverty and promote sustainable development across several strong positive correlations with other goals (Fonseca et al.,
five areas: people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership (United 2020), and aims at promoting equal and fair access to education at the
Nations, 2015). The SDGs comprise a group of 17 goals and 169 targets primary, secondary and tertiary levels, in addition to lifelong learning
that demand transformation on economic, social and environmental opportunities for all. However, to allow the SDGs to be achieved, the
aspects, in both developing and developed contexts (Hák et al., 2016; provision of education at HEIs needs to be equitable in all parts of the
Sachs et al., 2019). world to ensure the progress of the goals.
The goals have gained considerable visibility in recent years. The HEIs assist in the implementation of the SDGs in several ways. One
SDGs also involve improving education, counting on the support of way is using sustainability research, which play a vital role in devel­
higher education institutions (HEIs), which have the ability to engage in opment. Research usually takes place within a single discipline or in
sustainability and promote the achievement of the goals (Chankseliani multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary manners, with researchers from
and McCowan, 2021). different areas working independently on the same project or combining
Higher education assists in the implementation of a wide range of their expertise (Collin, 2009). Sustainability research has the advantage
SDGs. These vary from goals related to social aspects (such as poverty - of being able to focus on problems that threaten the livelihood and

* Corresponding author. European School of Sustainability Science and Research (ESSSR), Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Germany.
E-mail addresses: [email protected] (W. Leal Filho), [email protected] (A.L. Salvia), [email protected] (J.H.P.P. Eustachio).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.135694
Received 18 May 2022; Received in revised form 5 December 2022; Accepted 17 December 2022
Available online 21 December 2022
0959-6526/© 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
W. Leal Filho et al. Journal of Cleaner Production 386 (2023) 135694

integrity of various groups (Miller et al., 2014). It is also key in doc­ students to develop innovative renewable energy systems that may be
umenting experiences, supporting solutions, and integrating different used on campuses (Wang and Guo, 2021). Moreover, campuses are also
types of knowledge – from academic to indigenous, from policy devel­ encouraged to optimise their solid waste management, as this is often
opment to practice (Smith et al., 2018) and in revisiting priorities in the neglected and hinders sustainability (Rimantho et al., 2019).
wake of local or global crises (e.g., the Coronavirus pandemic, Ranjbari Additionally, campuses could attempt to decarbonise themselves by
et al., 2021). As investigated by Salvia et al. (2019), the use of the SDGs optimising transportation systems with the institution. This includes
in academic research is supporting experts in addressing global and local inter-campus and intra-campus travel and comprise of usage of buses
challenges, with general priority in areas related to education, sustain­ and other means of public transport. In order to reduce their carbon
able cities and climate change (SDGs 4, 11 and 13). By means of a focus emissions and contribute to SDGs such as SDG13 (Climate Action), HEIs
on areas such as the study of human-natural systems, it provides could also encourage carpooling and clean energy transportation
much-needed insights and draw attention to problems that require methods e.g., cycling and walking (Logan et al., 2020).
sustainable solutions (Miller et al., 2014). In general, HEIs are well placed to support the implementation of the
The second way via which HEIs help in the implementation of the SDGs and no matter if they are in a developed, or a developing country.
SDGs is through teaching. Amongst the strategies to incorporate the One important aspect is identifying the means via which current efforts
SDGs in the curriculum are the development of new courses or modules are being implemented, a matter dealt with in the next sections of this
that target sustainable development, or the revision of existing curricula paper.
to include sustainability-related topics (Pallant et al., 2020; Weiss et al.,
2021). SDGs are usually integrated into Education for Sustainable 2. Methods
Development (ESD), which is extensively explored in the literature
(Ferrer-Estévez and Chalmeta, 2021; Fonseca et al., 2018; Lozano et al., To understand the landscape of the teaching and research opportu­
2015; Zguir et al., 2021) and a specific target within SDG 4. nities and approaches universities and academics have regarding SDGs
Students are prompted to engage in sustainability through learning implementation, a world survey was conducted to gather information
and, by doing so, their competencies in the process of problem-solving in from experts from different countries. The questionnaire was built on
their regions and work area are developed (Álvarez et al., 2021). The previous work that analysed how HEIs implement the SDGs in teaching
SDGs also represent an opportunity for managers, teaching staff, course and research (Chankseliani and McCowan, 2021; Salvia et al., 2019;
coordinators and students to reflect on the competencies needed for Sanches et al., 2021), as these authors agree on the importance of further
teaching and learning about sustainable development (Baena-Morales exploration.
et al., 2022; Brundiers et al., 2021; Dlouhá et al., 2019). In analysing Fig. 1 summarises the data collection stages as well as the main
opportunities to address the SDGs, HEIs can assess their curricula and methods and techniques used to analyse data, which are also explored in
check opportunities for collaboration within and outside the university the following two subsections.
(Chang and Lien, 2020; Kioupi and Voulvoulis, 2020; Willats et al.,
2018). 2.1. Data collection and sample description
In other instances, HEIs engage in lifelong learning, which is among
the actions areas of SDG 4 (Ferguson and Roofe, 2020) and allows In order to collect data, the authors developed the questionnaire
universities to create programmes that promote learning out of formal based on the SDGs and HEIs literature. The questionnaire was built into
education (Ouane, 2011; Taşçı and Titrek, 2020). Ordinary citizens and three blocks of questions. The first intended to explain to the partici­
community members are encouraged to learn about sustainability pants the research purpose and ask them to read the informed consent
through day-to-day practices including knowledge dissemination form before answering the questions. If they agree, they move to the
through ad hoc courses, and also by simply talking with friends. This second section, which aims to understand the demographic character­
practice does not have age barriers and includes the exchange of inter­ istics of the participants and then the third, containing questions related
generational knowledge (Nicolau et al., 2018; Simándi, 2018). Simi­ to the participant’s level of agreement according to statements in two
larly, the approach of HEIs as living labs also increases learning dimensions: teaching and research. The possible answers for the state­
opportunities for different groups, promotes open communication and ments were based on a five-point Likert scale, varying from 1 (strongly
engages stakeholders from several areas (Leal Filho et al., 2022). disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The statements are available in Table A1
Furthermore, HEIs promote the creation of regenerative societies. (Appendix).
Firstly, they bring about changes in scholarly behavior through trans­ Data collection took place through an online survey. The initial
disciplinary work – when experiences from different areas are combined contact with the participants was established through the Inter-
and used as an overarching conceptual framework towards addressing a University Sustainable Development Research Programme network
specific challenge (Collin, 2009). Secondly, they promote sustainability (IUSDRP, 2022), as experts were invited by e-mail to answer the survey.
on a global scale by influencing ideologies and perspectives regarding In the second moment, the snowball sampling technique was also
environmental problems. Lastly, education for sustainable development adopted since the respondents were encouraged to contribute by sharing
allows academics to advance the integrative dimensions that promotes the survey with colleagues engaged in teaching and research.
sustainability in society (Sonetti et al., 2019), also encouraging other The online survey remained open for responses from 19 October to
positive types of changes. On the other hand, reaching these outcomes is 23 December 2021 and received a total of 209 complete answers from
not without challenges. The SDGs are not a package that can be simply experts who hold research and teaching positions at universities from
applied to higher education settings, and sustainability-related decisions developed and developing or transition countries. Table 1 presents the
involve balancing political, moral and epistemic priorities (Chankseliani description of the sample respondents and the HEIs they belong.
and McCowan, 2021). As presented by these authors, there is a need to Once the survey was closed, the authors exported all the complete
further document the several approaches universities have been using to answers in a single Excel spreadsheet, identified which countries belong
promote sustainable development, in order to understand their impacts to the categories analysed and prepared the answers for the data analysis
and combined effects in the different areas within the university. stage.
HEIs also foster sustainable development through the transformation
of their campus operations. This can be implemented by creating green 2.2. Data analysis strategy
operations and include approaches such as the use of renewable energy,
optimising energy in buildings and encouraging energy conservation The data analysis relied on descriptive statistics and frequency
(Gui et al., 2021). Furthermore, courses have the opportunity to prompt analysis to understand and discuss the answers obtained. In addition,

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W. Leal Filho et al. Journal of Cleaner Production 386 (2023) 135694

Fig. 1. Research setting.

Test was performed since data of variables are not normally distributed
Table 1
(p < 0.05). Table A2 (Appendix) shows the results of the normality test
Sample description.
(Kolmogorov–Smirnov). The authors used IBM SPSS Statistics 26© to
Categories Responses Percentage conduct the analysis and obtain the results (IBM SPSS Statistics 26,
Country Category Developed 101 48% 2019), which are presented though tables and graphs with the signifi­
Developing or In Transition 108 52% cance levels of 0.05 and 0.01 identified.
Gender Female 88 42%
Male 119 57%
Other 2 1% 3. The world study on the SDGs in higher education
Knowledge area Education 124 59%
(multiple choice) Arts and humanities 20 10% A total of 209 complete answers were received from experts who
Social sciences, journalism 44 21%
and information
hold research and teaching positions at universities. Out of the 209, 26
Business, administration and 33 16% experts are from North America, 31 from Latin America/Caribbean, 25
law from Africa, 41 from Asia, 74 from Europe, and 12 from Oceania. The
Natural sciences, 38 18% sample is also well distributed among developed countries (48%) and in
mathematics and statistics
transition and developing countries (52%), considering the UN’s current
Information and 13 6%
communication technologies classification criteria (United Nations, 2021). The country distribution
Engineering, manufacturing 38 18% and the number of responses per country are presented in Fig. 2.
and construction Table 2 summarises the results of the Independent-samples Man­
Agriculture, forestry, fisheries 27 13% n–Whitney U tests. Among the 13 hypotheses, two of them indicate that
and veterinary
Health and welfare 15 7%
the categories of countries are statistically different at a significance
Services 3 1% level of 0.05 and four of them at a significance level of 0.01. Fig. 3
Other 32 15% complements Table 2 and reports on the opinions of respondents
Institution Category Private Higher Education 54 26% regarding the extent to which they believe the SDGs are relevant to be
Institution
incorporated into strategies and practices related to teaching and
Public Higher Education 155 74%
Institution research. The descriptive statistics of each question of the questionnaire
HEIs’ number of more than 40.000 29 14% is presented in Table A1 (Appendix).
students up to 40.000 30 14% From the teaching perspective, the respondents indicate that the
up to 20.000 40 19% SDGs are an opportunity for increased teaching collaboration between
up to 10.000 43 21%
up to 5.000 67 32%
different universities, stakeholders (e.g., communities and businesses),
and units/programmes inside their universities; however, when asked
Note: 209 respondents. about the students’ perspective, the respondents suggest that students
are not proactive in requesting more teaching content related to the
because this study also aimed to understand the extent to which there SDGs on their classes. In addition, when it comes to the formal curricula
are differences between developed and developing/in transition coun­ of programmes, the respondents indicate that they have, to some extent,
tries, hypothesis testing was adopted to check whether the distribution voluntarily revised the content of their classes to add more issues con­
of answers was significantly different between the categories of coun­ nected to the SDGs. In contrast, when asked about the formal perspective
tries. The hypothesis adopted to test each one of the questions was: There of curricula revision of the courses they teach, the average of answers
is a statistical difference between the two categories of countries. The idea was considerably lower.
behind comparing developed and in transition/developing countries These results are aligned Zamora-Polo and Sánchez-Martín (2019),
was based on previous studies which suggest the differences in the SDGs who refer to the occasional lack of recognition to the work of professors
implementation in these two categories of countries as well as the bar­ in implementing the SDGs in their teaching, and the need for assistance
riers and potential of adoption (Ferguson and Roofe, 2020; Halog and from managers and politicians so that guidelines and institutional sup­
Anieke, 2021). port can be offered. Authors also highlight the power of collaboration
In this sense, non-parametric independent-samples Mann–Whitney U among the academic and local communities in implementing

3
W. Leal Filho et al. Journal of Cleaner Production 386 (2023) 135694

Fig. 2. Country distribution of responses.

sustainable development (Leal Filho et al., 2019, 2021a; Zamora-Polo questions related to the teaching dimension, the ones related to the SDGs
and Sánchez-Martín, 2019). as an opportunity for increased teaching collaboration showed a higher
The respondents also answered about their perceptions of the average score for the participants belonging to developing and in tran­
adoption of the SDGs on research. The questions related to SDGs as an sition countries than those belonging to the developed countries. This
opportunity for increased collaboration in several domains also pre­ scenario is confirmed when the distribution of the answers of developing
sented higher scores as well as the one exploring the participants’ countries showed to be significantly different from the developed ones
willingness to connect the SGDs with their research or creating new (p < 0.01). The last question was also statistically significant between
research based on the goals. On the other hand, the questions about the the categories of countries (p < 0.05), where the experts, on average,
experts’ perception about the research programmes they are involved in indicate the students in developing countries ask for SDG-related
being revised to include the SDGs and the one about their perception of teaching content more than the students in developed countries.
students asking for more research opportunities related to the SDGs For the research dimension, the distribution of answers showed to be
received the lowest scores both from experts in developed and in statistically different for the questions related to the extent to which the
developing/in transitions countries. participants see the SDGs as an opportunity for increased research
In this context, individual initiatives have the potential to strengthen collaboration between universities in their region/country (p < 0.05),
the impact of research around sustainability and the SDGs. These can and whether they can articulate their research performance and impact
include participation in sustainability networks and events (Leal Filho in the context of the SDGs (p < 0.01). In both cases, developing/in
et al., 2021b). Regarding the involvement of students, other studies transition countries have indicated higher scores for these statements.
reported on higher level of interest or engagement (Aleixo et al., 2021; Fig. 4, in turn, is related to the frequency of which the participants
Lee et al., 2022), indicating there are opportunities for further de­ believe to be the best approach to promote research and teaching about
velopments in this area, especially by promoting more practical initia­ the SDGs in the higher education context.
tives and student empowerment. Regarding the teaching perspective, most participants from both the
The two categories of countries (developed and developing/in developed (72%) and developing (60%) countries consider that the best
transition) were also assessed and compared. Considering the set of approach would be the distribution among all courses and subjects.

4
W. Leal Filho et al. Journal of Cleaner Production 386 (2023) 135694

Table 2 ten percentage points for the option described that a mandatory disci­
Summary of tests – developed vs. developing/in transition countries. pline should be offered to all courses. Interestingly, when asked which
Dimensions Null Hypothesis Sig. seems to be the best approach to promote research about the SDGs in
their higher education context, the frequency of answers remained
Teaching The distribution of I have voluntarily revised the content of 0.106
my classes to add more issues connected to the SDGs is the practically the same compared to the two categories of countries.
same across categories. Other authors are also assessing or reporting on the extent to which
The distribution of The curricula of the courses I teach at my 0.606 ESD and the SDGs are present in the university curricula and research.
university have been revised to include the SDGs is the same The results of Lozano et al. (2015) are somewhat aligned with the ones
across categories.
The distribution of In the courses I teach, students usually 0.012*
presented here, as the implementation of sustainable development in
ask for more teaching content related to the SDGs is the same teaching was reported to happen in combining efforts from different
across categories. faculties and integrating sustainable development courses to existing
The distribution of I see the SDGs as an opportunity for 0.003** programmes. On the other hand, in research, higher preference was seen
increased teaching collaboration between different units/
in having a dedicated sustainability research centre.
programmes at my university is the same across categories.
The distribution of I see the SDGs as an opportunity for 0.002** Fia et al. (2022) indicates the prevailing strategies in teaching
increased teaching collaboration between universities in my include designing specific courses and reorienting overall curricula to
region/country is the same across categories. address the Agenda 2030, particularly SDG 4. Online resources are also
The distribution of I see the SDGs as an opportunity for 0.004** an increasingly used strategy to deliver single courses on the SDGs and
increased teaching collaboration with communities, businesses
and NGOs is the same across categories.
reach wider audiences (Ferguson and Roofe, 2020; Fia et al., 2022;
Research The distribution of I have voluntarily connected the SDGs 0.055 Holmes et al., 2021). In terms of research, macro-levels interventions are
with my research or created new research studies based on the more commonly reported in the literature, as programs focused on the
goals is the same across categories. whole Agenda (Fia et al., 2022), but these larger initiatives tend to be
The distribution of The research programmes/projects I am 0.169
hindered by challenges such as lack of support from the university
involved in at my university have been revised to include the
SDGs is the same across categories. administration and lack of resources (Ávila et al., 2017).
The distribution of I articulate my research performance and 0.007**
impact in the context of the SDGs is the same across 4. Conclusions and further action needed
categories.
The distribution of In the courses I teach, students usually 0.078
ask for more research opportunities related to the SDGs is the
This study offers a broader understanding of the opportunities that
same across categories. teaching and research have been offering in the context of higher edu­
The distribution of I see the SDGs as an opportunity for 0.094 cation, to support the implementation of the SDGs. As the results have
increased research collaboration between different units/ shown, the sample indicated that several opportunities are already being
programmes at my university is the same across categories.
taken – as the voluntary revision of teaching and research materials to
The distribution of I see the SDGs as an opportunity for 0.035*
increased research collaboration between universities in my better cover the goals in higher education. On the other hand, other
region/country is the same across categories. aspects seem to be receiving less attention, such as the need to revise
The distribution of I see the SDGs as an opportunity for 0.217 teaching curricula and research programmes/projects – so that they
increased research collaboration with communities, businesses include the SDGs –, and the demand from students to access more con­
and NGOs is the same across categories.
tent on them. Some questions could arise in terms of the reason for
Notes: Independent-samples Mann–Whitney U test. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01. involving students in teaching-research activities, as a) from the
Categories: 1) developed countries; 2) developing or in transition countries. scientific-educational context, the SDGs may not offer much room for
debate, b) more efforts should be paid to implementing the goals rather
Next, 14% of experts from developed countries and 24% from devel­ than investigation levels of motivation, and c) the different potential
oping countries believe that a compulsory discipline should be offered routes followed by the principles related to the SDGs could imply in
for all courses. The options considering that an optional discipline other sectors being responsible for learning and engagement (e.g.,
should be offered to all courses and other not-identified approaches family, society). Nevertheless, this study considered the higher educa­
were less prevalent in both developing countries (16%) and developed tion sector as a key player in promoting engagement on the SDGs across
countries (14%). Different views were provided in the option ‘Other’, different sectors and in training students to practice sustainability in
including the need for SDGs to be mandatory within courses, the use of their personal and professional lives.
both approaches, the application of case studies, the goals being aligned The study has some limitations. The first one is the fact that the
with each taught course. A couple of responses indicated also the need to empirical part was undertaken over a short period of time. A further
critically teach about the SDGs (instead of positively teaching) and to a limitation is related to the fact that the sample, with 209 respondents,
radical revision rather than their promotion. was not large and comprehensive enough to allow definitive conclusions
The responses when it comes to the best approach to promote to be drawn. Also, the study did not have a significant presence from
research on the SDGs are even more balanced across developed and Gulf States or Arab countries as a whole and this is also a limitation,
developing countries. Most of the respondents of developed (48%) and which offers an opportunity for future studies. The researchers are
developing (46%) countries indicated the option “distributed across all organising a symposium on sustainability in Arab countries, with a
research projects/programmes”, followed by the option of having an strong presence from Gulf and northern Africa and Middle East coun­
institutional centre dedicated to supporting and connecting research on tries, representing the Arab world.
the SDGs (43% and 44%). The remaining 9% (developing) and 10% The study provides nonetheless a welcome contribution to the
(developed) of respondents of both categories answered ‘Other’. Of the literature since it has analysed and documented trends related to the
comments received on this option, one-fourth stated that both ap­ SDGs in HEIs in 65 countries, which makes this study one of the most
proaches are necessary and that they must go hand-in-hand. Additional comprehensive ones on the topic. The geographical distribution of the
responses supported the engagement of SDGs Champions, the promotion sample offers a rough profile of how the SDGs are perceived at univer­
of interdisciplinary work and community engagement, and the need for sities across all continents, hence helping to foster a broader under­
more dedicated funding and making research on the SDGs mandatory. standing of the international implications of this important topic. Future
When comparing the categories, it is also relevant to observe the studies can aim at investigating similarities or differences between this
difference of twelve percentage points on the option related that the international overview and specific regions.
SDGs should be distributed across all programmes and disciplines and Based on the outcomes of the study, there are some actions that could

5
W. Leal Filho et al. Journal of Cleaner Production 386 (2023) 135694

Fig. 3. SDGs’ Teaching and Research Opportunities

Note: Average of answers
*p < 0.05; **p < 0.01 – Independent-Samples Mann–Whitney U Test
1 = Strongly disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neither agree nor disagree, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly agree.

6
W. Leal Filho et al. Journal of Cleaner Production 386 (2023) 135694

Fig. 4. Teaching and research approaches to promoting the SDGs.

be promoted to accelerate the implementation of the SDGs in teaching reinforcing the engagement of higher education around these topics and
and research programmes. These include: on the SDGs, the whole academic community is expected to be better
prepared for applying the principles of cleaner production.
i. Greater collaboration across university units, so that opportu­
nities for action are shared, including teaching tools and greater CRediT authorship contribution statement
access to research grants to fund SDG-related programmes;
ii. Intensifying networking efforts across universities, using both Walter Leal Filho: Conceptualization, Supervision, Writing-
existing national or international networks, which create or Reviewing. Amanda Lange Salvia: Writing-Reviewing, Methodology,
deepen collaborations and promote shared teaching lectures and Discussions. João Henrique Paulino Pires Eustachio: Writing-
participation in combined research projects; Reviewing, Methodology, Formal analysis.
iii. An increased engagement and greater collaboration among HEIs
with local communities, businesses, and NGOs. These enrich the Declaration of competing interest
training students currently receive on sustainability and connect
teaching and research with outreach opportunities. The authors declare that they have no known competing financial
interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence
Finally, increased opportunities for students to engage on the SDGs – the work reported in this paper.
which include internships, participation in events and students’ move­
ments for sustainability, and better use of campus operations to inform Data availability
about the goals-should be taken advantage of, ensuring that university
students are “SDGs-literate”, meaning they are fully aware of the SDGs, Data will be made available on request.
and of their relevance. These actions and opportunities are aligned with
the concept of ‘cleaner production’ – which covers reduction of energy Acknowledgements
waste, energy consumption and carbon emissions as the implementation
of the SDGs is expected to contribute to a more sustainable world and to This paper is part of the “100 papers to accelerate the implementa­
increased efficiency in economic, environmental and social aspects. By tion of the UN Sustainable Development Goals” initiative.

Appendix
Table A1
Descriptive Statistics

Dimensions Questions Mean Std. Deviation

Teaching I see the SDGs as an opportunity for increased teaching collaboration with communities, businesses and NGOs. 4.15 1.08
I see the SDGs as an opportunity for increased teaching collaboration between universities in my region/country. 4.00 1.13
I see the SDGs as an opportunity for increased teaching collaboration between different units/programmes at my university. 4.00 1.15
(continued on next page)

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W. Leal Filho et al. Journal of Cleaner Production 386 (2023) 135694

Table A1 (continued )
Dimensions Questions Mean Std. Deviation

I have voluntarily revised the content of my classes to add more issues connected to the SDGs. 3.96 1.25
The curricula of the courses I teach at my university have been revised to include the SDGs. 3.24 1.37
In the courses I teach. students usually ask for more teaching content related to the SDGs. 2.73 1.23
Research I see the SDGs as an opportunity for increased research collaboration between universities in my region/country. 4.17 1.02
I see the SDGs as an opportunity for increased research collaboration with communities. businesses and NGOs. 4.18 1.03
I have voluntarily connected the SDGs with my research or created new research studies based on the goals. 4.06 1.19
I see the SDGs as an opportunity for increased research collaboration between different units/programmes at my university. 4.09 1.04
I articulate my research performance and impact in the context of the SDGs 3.69 1.25
The research programmes/projects I am involved at my university have been revised to include the SDGs. 3.44 1.35
In the courses I teach. students usually promote research opportunities related to the SDGs 3.24 1.31
Note: 1 = Strongly disagree, 2 = Disagree, 3 = Neither agree nor disagree, 4 = Agree, 5 = Strongly agree.

Table A2
Normality tests

Categories Questions Country Kolmogorov-Smirnova Shapiro-Wilk

Classification
Statistic df Sig. Statistic df Sig.

Teaching I have voluntarily revised the content of my classes to add more issues Developed 0.231 101 <0.001 0.808 101 <0.001
connected to the SDGs. Developing or In 0.273 108 <0.001 0.753 108 <0.001
Transition
The curricula of the courses I teach at my university have been revised to Developed 0.161 101 <0.001 0.882 101 <0.001
include the SDGs. Developing or In 0.198 108 <0.001 0.889 108 <0.001
Transition
In the courses I teach, students usually ask for more teaching content related to Developed 0.174 101 <0.001 0.890 101 <0.001
the SDGs. Developing or In 0.209 108 <0.001 0.896 108 <0.001
Transition
I see the SDGs as an opportunity for increased teaching collaboration between Developed 0.274 101 <0.001 0.823 101 <0.001
different units/programmes at my university. Developing or In 0.275 108 <0.001 0.731 108 <0.001
Transition
I see the SDGs as an opportunity for increased teaching collaboration between Developed 0.290 101 <0.001 0.820 101 <0.001
universities in my region/country. Developing or In 0.283 108 <0.001 0.752 108 <0.001
Transition
I see the SDGs as an opportunity for increased teaching collaboration with Developed 0.312 101 <0.001 0.761 101 <0.001
communities, businesses, and NGOs. Developing or In 0.324 108 <0.001 0.693 108 <0.001
Transition
Research I have voluntarily connected the SDGs with my research or created new Developed 0.262 101 <0.001 0.787 101 <0.001
research studies based on the goals. Developing or In 0.308 108 <0.001 0.742 108 <0.001
Transition
The research programmes/projects I am involved in at my university have Developed 0.189 101 <0.001 0.882 101 <0.001
been revised to include the SDGs. Developing or In 0.214 108 <0.001 0.868 108 <0.001
Transition
I articulate my research performance and impact in the context of the SDGs Developed 0.199 101 <0.001 0.872 101 <0.001
Developing or In 0.230 108 <0.001 0.830 108 <0.001
Transition
In the courses I teach, students usually promote research opportunities related Developed 0.198 101 <0.001 0.891 101 <0.001
to the SDGs Developing or In 0.177 108 <0.001 0.883 108 <0.001
Transition
I see the SDGs as an opportunity for increased research collaboration between Developed 0.253 101 <0.001 0.804 101 <0.001
different units/programmes at my university. Developing or In 0.284 108 <0.001 0.785 108 <0.001
Transition
I see the SDGs as an opportunity for increased research collaboration between Developed 0.252 101 <0.001 0.791 101 <0.001
universities in my region/country. Developing or In 0.318 108 <0.001 0.754 108 <0.001
Transition
I see the SDGs as an opportunity for increased research collaboration with Developed 0.281 101 <0.001 0.755 101 <0.001
communities, businesses, and NGOs. Developing or In 0.293 108 <0.001 0.751 108 <0.001
Transition
Note: Lilliefors Significance Correction.

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