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Universities and their actions affect the environment directly and significantly. Therefore, the carbon footprint (CF) needs to be implemented in these institutions for mitigating climate change and its potential risks. Based on this understanding, the university consortium quality and environment (QualEnv) stands out by its main objective – to increase the university's contribution to sustainable development (SD) through the deployment of systematic environmental practices and quality processes. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to present the CF of the Latin American universities of the QualEnv consortium.

The study was based on the actions for adopting CF and its implementation at the universities that take part in the QualEnv consortium. The measurement process and report presentation were done properly by the universities and published as institutional documents. Therefore, data were collected and analyzed through a document search, systematic literature review and participant observation.

The results show knowledge deepening and systematization on CF in higher education. In addition, it presents the effort of a group of universities that, through a research network, seek to adopt practices towards a carbon-neutral university, which requires an incremental and systematic change to break out of the traditional system.

This paper discusses the practical implications for universities and the need to implement initiatives for measuring and reducing their CF since it shows how the institutions belonging to QualEnv consortium have created their own strategies to mitigate climate change and contribute to SD.

This study aims to propose an integrated model involving concepts of sustainability and social innovation (SI) in higher education institutions (HEIs).

Based on a literature review, the authors were able to systematize sustainability and SI knowledge, in an integrated manner. Hence, the authors sought to develop a theoretical model that would integrate categories, indicators and sub-indicators, to review initiatives in HEIs in the sustainability and SI domains. The results indicated four major categories: mission, vision and values; curriculum; campus; and healthy environment. The integrated model was applied and validated in a Brazilian educational group, using the main corporate reports as data sources.

For the educational group analyzed in this study, the themes of sustainability and SI are explicitly and implicitly expressed in the mission, vision and values category. In the curriculum category, these themes are presented through the contents of cross-disciplines in all undergraduate courses, and also through outreach activities, integrating sustainability and SI in a theoretical and/or practical way. Regarding the campus category, the mention is explicit and the HEI works with initiatives aimed at achieving a “green” campus. In the healthy environment category, the educational group studied gives priority to the establishment of a safe and healthy work environment, focusing on labor rights and relations with society.

This work contributes to the advancement of research on the promotion of sustainability and SI in HEIs, proposing an innovative integrated model of analysis for the topics covered.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the strategies that allow sowing social entrepreneurship initiatives among young university students in Latin America. This study will also help to understand the different needs and expectations currently treated in higher education in developing its role as a promoter of entrepreneurship in students.

The study uses a multinomial logistic regression method analysis based on data collected through an online survey and applied to a sample of 599 advanced business administration students in five Latin American countries.

The results indicate that three of the independent variables under study are relevant as strategies to instill in university students the initiative for creating social entrepreneurship: establishing links with social communities, providing entrepreneurial education with a social orientation, and offering financial education.

These research findings indicate the role universities should have in promoting social entrepreneurship in university students. Therefore, the proposed strategies are crucial to improving this type of entrepreneurship.

The main contribution of this study is to analyze issues as crucial as social entrepreneurship in Latin American university students and broaden knowledge of the main strategies universities in this region must adopt so that students launch into the social area.

El propósito de este estudio es analizar las estrategias que permitan sembrar iniciativas de emprendimiento social entre jóvenes universitarios de América Latina. Esto permitirá conocer las diferentes necesidades y expectativas que se tienen actualmente en la educación superior en el desarrollo de su papel como promotor del emprendimiento en los estudiantes.

El estudio utiliza un análisis método regresión logística multinomial basado en datos recopilados a través de una encuesta en línea, aplicada a una muestra de 599 estudiantes avanzados de administración de empresas en cinco países latinoamericanos.

Los resultados evidencian que tres de las variables independientes en estudio son relevantes como estrategia para sembrar en los estudiantes universitarios la iniciativa de crear emprendimiento social: el tener vínculos con las comunidades sociales, otorgar educación emprendedora con orientación social y el brindar educación financiera.

Los hallazgos de esta investigación señalan el rol que deben de tener las universidades para fomentar el emprendimiento social en los estudiantes universitarios. Por lo tanto, se proponen estrategias claves para mejorar este tipo de emprendimientos.

La principal contribución de este estudio es analizar temas tan importantes como el emprendimiento social en los estudiantes universitarios de América Latina y ampliar el conocimiento de las principales estrategias que deben adoptar las universidades de esta región para que los estudiantes se lancen en el área social.

O objetivo deste estudo é an analisar as estratégias que permitem semear iniciativas de empreendedorismo social entre jovens universitários da América Latina. Permitirá conhecer as diferentes necessidades e expectativas atualmente tratadas no ensino superior no desenvolvimento do seu papel de promotor do empreendedorismo nos alunos.

O estudo utiliza um método de análise de regressão logística multinomial baseado em dados coletados por meio de uma pesquisa on-line, aplicada a uma amostra de 599 estudantes avançados de administração de empresas em cinco países latino-americanos.

Os resultados mostram que três das variáveis independentes em estudo são relevantes como estratégia para incutir nos estudantes universitários a iniciativa de criar empreendedorismo social: ter ligações com comunidades sociais, proporcionar educação empreendedora com orientação social e fornecer educação financeira.

Os resultados desta investigação indicam o papel que as universidades devem ter na promoção do empreendedorismo social nos estudantes universitários. Portanto, as estratégias propostas são fundamentais para melhorar esse tipo de empreendedorismo.

A principal contribuição deste estudo é analisar temas tão importantes quanto o empreendedorismo social nos universitários latino-americanos, e ampliar o conhecimento das principais estratégias que as universidades desta região devem adotar, para que os estudantes se lancem na área social.

This paper aims to identify how the faculties of a Colombian University have understood the concept of sustainability and the way they have embedded it into their training.

Qualitative research was done using documentary and content analysis which allowed researchers to recognize features correlated to sustainability which are needed to promote and act for social equity, ecological care and economic development.

It was found that most faculties at the university do not conceptualize it; ergo, courses are designed neither for promoting sustainability nor sustainable education. Besides this, almost no level of integration was identified among faculties on this topic.

Many people agree education for sustainability is a key action to overcome the complex challenges the planet is facing; nevertheless, the prejudice that training to solve sustainability problems is an exclusive task of certain disciplines is common. This misunderstanding reduces the possibilities of pursuing a sustainable future, considering that these issues affect all humankind and that they can only be solved through interdisciplinary and collaborative work.

The paper also outlines some actions that Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana (UPB) can take to consider sustainability issues, and they are as follows: identification of competencies to include in the curricula; recognition of the potential of integrating education for sustainable development (ESD) into the curricula by strengthening the competencies and capacities; strengthening the competencies and capacities of the academic staff through ESD training processes; articulation of research with the curricula in such a way that the results of research processes permeate the curricula.

This study has some limitations. For instance, regarding the survey, the size of the sample may seem too small, a bigger sample will allow better information for the results. Regarding the case studies, a greater diversity of programs could have provided a wider range of results. Despite these limitations, for UPB, the study shows a snapshot of the literature review and the articulation of sustainable development and climate change education (CCE) in all programs the university has. The implications of this paper and research are the following. First, it reiterates the importance of having within the same institution a common language to talk about sustainability. Second, it recognizes the competencies and skills that should considered when implementing ESD and CCE in curricula.

This idea corresponds to a lack of debate about what the term signifies and means. It is believed that, as sustainability has been highly researched in the past two decades, it is a cross-cutting element in any faculty proposal; however, due to the complexity of the term, it is understood differently by each member of the same academic community, affecting their ability to design a systemic and systematic curriculum that enables to educate for sustainable goals.

The objective of this study is to determine the efficiency of tourist accommodation companies located in the main tourist area of southern Europe as one of the three elements of the local sustainable development triangle.

The analysis, carried out using the data envelopment analysis (DEA) methodology on 130 companies, has obtained that from the CCR perspective (results-oriented method when companies present constant returns on the input variables).

The companies involved are quite inefficient, while which from the BCC perspective (where the input and output variables used in the company respond to a variable and not constant scale) are quite efficient. The efficiency of these companies in the seven provinces of Andalusia has also been analysed to determine if there are patterns that differentiate them and thus be able to propose strategies that improve the sustainability of these territories. The conclusions of the study indicate the need to improve the operational efficiency of rural accommodation companies.

The analysis of efficiency in the hotel sector and even more so in the rural tourism sector is relatively scarce in the literature, especially in Spain. More specifically, Rubio and Román (2006) have demonstrated the existence of scale inefficiencies in hotels, but no evidence has been found in previous studies that this behaviour carries over to accommodation establishments located in the destinations under study.