e-ISSN 2518-1181
DOI 10.33146/2518-1181
Online Media ID R40-06293
← Back Published: 30.12.2025

Education for Sustainable Development: Prospects for Ukraine

Authors

Svitlana Korol State University of Trade and Economics, Kyiv, Ukraine ORCID 0000-0003-0958-8720
Olena Fomina State University of Trade and Economics, Kyiv, Ukraine ORCID 0000-0002-4962-3298

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33146/2518-1181-2025-4(110)-111-120

Abstract

Modern global challenges determine the growing role of education as a key factor in the sustainable development of society. For Ukraine, which is undergoing deep transformations and reconstruction, the development of education for sustainable development is a crucial prerequisite for integration into the European space and ensuring long-term, sustainable progress. This article aims to analyse the practice of supporting education for sustainable development by international, regional (particularly European), and national organisations, as a prerequisite for its dissemination in Ukraine. The research methodology encompasses various methods, including content analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, modelling, tabular methods, a systems approach, as well as methods of generalisation and forecasting. The article provides an overview of international, regional, and national organisations that offer methodical and organisational support to universities, as well as access to relevant information resources for enhancing educational programs, improving the educational process, and developing approaches to assessing progress. The results of the study show that individual national platforms have gained wide recognition (in the regions/world). The number and diversity of organisations that unite and support universities in their pursuit of sustainable development have led to the emergence of a significant number of relevant assessment/self-assessment systems. Approaches to supporting sustainable development by national organisations differ in their priorities; in particular, they may be limited to the environmental component of education for sustainable development or only to ensuring access to quality education. Ukraine should focus on training leaders for sustainable development at all levels of education. Universities should not only implement sustainable practices, but also report on them to all stakeholders. A prerequisite for such reporting is the use of a self-assessment tool for all institutional units and levels of government.

Keywords

sustainable development, education for sustainable development, sustainable universities, sustainability assessment for higher education institutions, international and European experience
References
  1. United Nations. (2005). UNECE Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development. CEP/AC.13/2005/3/Rev.1. 23 March 2005. Retrieved from: https://unece.org/fileadmin/DAM/env/documents/2005/cep/ac.13/cep.ac.13.2005.3.rev.1.e.pdf
  2. CAS-Net JAPAN. (2020). Campus Sustainability Network in JAPAN. Retrieved from: https://www.esho.kyoto-u.ac.jp/wp2/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/cas_net_japan_eng.pdf
  3. THE – Times Higher Education. (2025). Top universities pursuing sustainable development goals in 2024. Retrieved from: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/impactrankings
  4. Buinytska, O., & Smirnova, V. (2024). Increasing the Competitiveness of an Open University in the Context of Sustainable Development. Continuing Professional Education: Theory and Practice, 79(2), 29–53. https://doi.org/10.28925/2412-0774.2024.2.3 [in Ukrainian]
  5. Zapukhliak, I. B., Verbovska, L. S., Malaniuk, N. I., & Boiko M. O. (2023). Social Responsibility of Higher Education Institutions in the Context of Harmonization of Cooperation and Sustainable Development. Scientific Bulletin of Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas Series: Economics and Management in the Oil and Gas Industry, 2(28), 96–106. https://doi.org/10.31471/2409-0948-2023-2(28)-96-107 [in Ukrainian]
  6. Meshchaninov, O. P. (2019). Efficiency and Productivity or Stability and Reliability as Priorities for Sustainable Development of Ukrainian Universities. Naukovi pratsi. Pedahohika, 314(326), 31–35. Retrieved from: https://lib.chmnu.edu.ua/pdf/naukpraci/pedagogika/2019/326-314-4.pdf [in Ukrainian]
  7. Plavan, V., Morhulets, O., Ishchenko, O., & Koliada, M. (2022). The Concept of Sustainable Environmental Development and Climate Neutrality and its Implementation in Educational Activities. Ecological Sciences, 6(45), 66–71. https://doi.org/10.32846/2306-9716/2022.eco.6-45.11 [in Ukrainian]
  8. Kholiavko, N. I., Samoilovych, A. H., & Olyfirenko, I. S. (2023). The Theoretical Foundations and Approaches to the Modernization of Higher Education Institutions on the Basis of the Conception of Sustainable Development. The Problems of Economy, 3(57), 119–127. https://doi.org/10.32983/2222-0712-2023-3-119-127 [in Ukrainian]
  9. Khovrak, I. (2020). Higher education institutions as a driver of sustainable social development: Polish experience for Ukraine. Environmental Economics, 11(1), 1–13. http://dx.doi.org/10.21511/ee.11(1).2020.01
  10. Cook, I. (2020). Future Graduate Skills: A Scoping Study. Change Agents UK & EAUC. Retrieved from: https://www.sustainabilityexchange.ac.uk/files/future_graduate_skills_report_change_agents_uk_eauc_october_2020.pdf
  11. Diaz-Sarachaga, J. M., & Sarachaga, J. L. (2024). Lights and shadows in the operationalization of sustainability through the 2030 Agenda in Spanish universities. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 25(3), 489–513. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-08-2022-0277
  12. Doocy, L. E., Zarmehr, A., & Kider, J. T. Jr. (2021). A critical review of the effectiveness of the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS) framework on campus sustainability. In: Proceedings of Building Simulation 2021: 17th Conference of IBPSA, vol. 17, (pp. 629-635). https://doi.org/10.26868/25222708.2021.31030
  13. Mair, S., & Druckman, A. (2023). Assessing the suitability of sustainability frameworks for embedding sustainability in higher education curricula: pragmatism versus transformation. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 24(9), 318–334. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-08-2020-0315
  14. Probst, L., Bardach, L., Kamusingize, D., Templer, N., Ogwali, H., Owamani, A., Mulumba, L., Onwonga, R., & Adugna, B. T. (2019). A transformative university learning experience contributes to sustainability attitudes, skills and agency. Journal of Cleaner Production, 232, 648–656. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.05.395
  15. Sassen, R., Azizi, L., & Mertins L. (2022). What are the motivations for and obstacles to disclosing voluntary sustainability information by U.S. universities in STARS reports?. Journal of Cleaner Production, 359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.131912
  16. Siegel, J., & Terstriep, J. (2023). Taking Responsibility – HEIs’ Role in Thriving Sustainable Futures. SDS4HEI Project Deliverable of WP2 – Paths to Implementing Sustainable Development. Gelsenkirchen: Westphalian University of Applied Sciences Gelsenkirchen, Institute for Work and Technology. Retrieved from: https://epale.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2024-02/SDS4HEI_Framework_0.pdf
  17. Shi, H., & Lai, E. (2013). An alternative university sustainability rating framework with a structured criteria tree. Journal of Cleaner Production, 61, 59–69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.09.006
  18. Thongplew, N., & Kotlakome, R. (2019). Getting a drink: An experiment for enabling a sustainable practice in Thai university settings. Journal of Cleaner Production, 218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.02.006
  19. Bezverkhy, K. V. (2019). Integrated reporting as a new educational discipline in the educational process. In: Modernization of the economy: current realities, forecast scenarios and prospects for development. Materials of the 1st International Scientific and Practical Conference. Kherson: FOP Vyshemyrsky V.S. (pp. 526–528).
  20. Korol, S. Ya., & Fomina, O. V. (2019). Integrated reporting as an academic discipline. In: Development of integrated reporting of enterprises: abstracts of the speeches of the International Scientific Conference in Zhytomyr, October 4–5, 2019, Zhytomyr: Zhytomyr Polytechnic Institute (pp. 80–82).
  21. Ozeran, A. (2024). ESG Reporting Training in Ukrainian Universities: Status and Prospects. Actual Problems in the System of Education: General Secondary Education Institution – Pre-University Training – Higher Education Institution, 1(4), 358–367. https://doi.org/10.18372/2786-5487.1.18751 [in Ukrainian]
  22. Boiocchi, R., Adami, L., Rada, E. Cr., & Schiavon, M. (2024). Towards context-independent indicators for an unbiased assessment of environmental sustainability in higher education: An application to Italian universities. Journal of Environmental Management, 366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.121658
  23. Pujiningsih, S.  (2021). Exploration of University Sustainability Report Indicators: Evidence from Indonesia. Oblik i finansi, 4(94), 46–54. https://doi.org/10.33146/2307-9878-2021-4(94)-46-54
  24. Sun, Y., Zhao, D., Cao, Y., & Xu, C. (2024). New trends in sustainability reporting: Exploring the online sustainability reporting practices by Irish universities. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 9(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jik.2024.100529
  25. Dawodu, A., Dai, H., Zou, T., Zhou, H., Lian, W., Oladejo, J., & Osebor, F. (2022). Campus sustainability research: indicators and dimensions to consider for the design and assessment of a sustainable campus. Heliyon, 8(12). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11864
  26. Zhu, B., & Dewancker, B. (2021). A case study on the suitability of STARS for green campus in China. Evaluation and Program Planning, 84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2020.101893
  27. Higher Education Sustainability Initiative (HESI). United Nations. Department of Economic and Social Affairs: Sustainable Development. Retrieved from: https://sdgs.un.org/HESI
  28. Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development (HESD). Retrieved from: https://iau-hesd.net/
  29. AASHE. (n. d.). The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System – (STARS) is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. Retrieved from: https://stars.aashe.org/
  30. Annual SDG Accord Report. (2024). A summary of progress towards the Global Goals in the University and College sector. Retrieved from: https://www.sdgaccord.org/files/2024_sdg_accord_progress_report.pdf
  31. National Ecological Center of Ukraine. (n. d.). Education for sustainable development: transferring V4 сountries’ experience for Ukraine’s recovery. Retrieved from: https://necu.org.ua/proyekty/eduv4ua/
  32. SDS4HEI. (n. d.). EU-Project sets out to Assist Higher Education Institutions in Implementing the SDGs. Retrieved from: https://sds4hei.eu/eu-project-sets-out-to-assist-higher-education-institutions-in-implementing-the-sdgs/