This document describes a project to develop sustainability indicators and assess sustainability policies in Spanish and Latin American universities. It involved conducting surveys and interviews at 31 Spanish universities to evaluate their performance across areas like leadership, teaching, operations, and social responsibility. The project identified best practices across different fields. It aims to define indicators for evaluating sustainability in Latin American universities and encourage them to develop 3-5 year strategic sustainability plans. The process is intended to foster collaboration rather than competition between universities.

1. Defini&on
of
indicators
and
sustainability
assessment
in
Spanish
and
La&n
American
Universi&es
Javier
Benayas
del
Álamo
Universidad
Autónoma
de
Madrid
(Spain)
javier.benayas@uam.es

2.
The
Spanish
university
system
in
numbers:
78
universi+es:
50
public
and
28
private.
In
1985
there
were
only
35
universi+es.
1,556,377
professors
107,930
students
57,162
administra+ve
staff

3. SUSTAINABILITY
ASSESMENT
31
universi&es
(62%
of
the
public
universi&es)
Assessment
of
Spanish
universi&es
sustainability
policies
(2011-­‐12)

4. AREAS
INDICATORS
FIELD
LEADERSHIP
and
GOVERNANCE
! Poli+cs
and
sustainability
assessment
! Engagement
and
awareness
of
the
university
community
! Social
responsibility,
rela+onships
/
engagement
towards
society
TEACHING
and
RESEARCH
! Teaching
! Research
and
transfer
of
technologies
STATES
and
OPERATION
! Urban
Planning
and
Biodiversity
! Energy
! Water
! Mobility
! Waste
! Green
purchase
! Impact
Assessment
SURVEY
INDICATORS
From 300 to 176 indicators
SUSTAINABILITY
ASSESMENT

5. Examples
of
indicators
indicators
simple
answer:
Yes
/
No
A
-­‐
Poli&cs
and
sustainability
assessment
• 1.
The
governance
of
the
university
has
a
poli+cal
leader
on
environmental
issues.
• 2.
There
is
at
least
one
technician
employed
by
the
university,
exclusively
dedicated
to
environmental
issues.
• 3.
The
unit,
office
or
sustainability
service
has
specific
budget
for
ac+vi+es
or
investments
in
this
area.
• ….
SUSTAINABILITY
ASSESMENT

6. 1.-­‐
Survey:
self.-­‐diagnosis
2.-­‐
Visits
and
interviews
A)
Report
for
each
University
B)
Global
results
about
the
University
System:
SUSTAINABILITY
ASSESMENT
C) Identify Best Practices
Project
Process

7. Global
Results
Outcome1

8. Poli&cs
and
sustainability
assessment
Outcome
1

9. Outcome
2
Contents of the Private
Report for Each University
" Introduction
" Quantitative Study
" Qualitative study
" Best Practices
" Answers to Questionnaire

10. FIELD
Number
good
prac&ces
Poli+cs
and
sustainability
assessment
7
Urban
Planning
and
Biodiversity
9
Teaching
4
Research
and
transfer
of
technologies
3
Energy
8
Water
4
Mobility
3
Waste
6
Green
purchase
2
Social
responsibility
2
Outcome
3:
Best
Practices

11. Work
together
to
progress
together
The
process
of
assessment
of
sustainability
in
universi&es
is
important
but
not
for
compe&&ve
purposes

12. Sustainability
Indicators
for
Universi&es
Systems
SUSTAINABILITY
ASSESMENT

13. Ranking
SUSTAINABILITY
ASSESMENT

14. A Sustainable
Exception:
Failure in excellence,
Distinction on green
policies

15. Spain
ALLIANCE OF IBERO AMERICAN
NETWORKS OF UNIVERSITIES FOR
SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENT

16. PARTNERSHIP

18. Currently
project
(2013-­‐2014):
Defini&on
of
Indicators
for
Evalua&on
of
Sustainability
in
La&n
American
Universi&es
RISU
Network

19. SUSTAINABILITY
ASSESMENT
16
2
7
5
13
7
14
10
8
5

20. 115 indicators

21. SUSTAINABILITY
ASSESMENT
# Use of the indicators as a reference
to develop an Strategic Plan and
commit universities with sustainability
(3-5 years)
# Yes or No for each indicator;
# Is the university able to
accomplish this step/indicator in
the next 3-5 years?
# Final report : Lima, October 2014

22. State
whether
your
university
would
be
willing
or
not
to
develop
concrete
ac&ons
in
order
to
implement
a
strategic
plan,
within
3
to
5
years

23. SUSTAINABILITY
ASSESMENT
Evalua&on
process
for
those
who
are
involved
in
the
process.
.
Objec&ve:
Encourages
universi&es
managers
to
build
a
Strategic
Plan
on
Sustainability
2014-­‐2017

24. To make progress on the path of
sustainability…
It is better to develop collaborative
strategies than competition strategies