Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a framework proposed by UNESCO to develop knowledge, skills, values, and behaviors in youth for sustainable development. As part of the global development agenda, higher educational institutions are expected to integrate ESD into their curricula. Service-Learning is a type of experiential learning in which students combine academic coursework with community service which is aligned with the learning objectives of their academic program. In light of the global trend, our paper investigates how universities are responding to this call through the introduction of Service-Learning programs. First, a comprehensive review of UN documents presents the background and structure of ESD. Second, a systematic review of the academic literature analyses how Service-Learning is being introduced in higher educational institutes. Key findings are that Service-Learning programs align with most of the UNESCO framework components, but higher education institutions are finding it challenging to implement them. Educators play a pivotal role in implementation, and unless they are trained and incentivized and this is systematized, not only Service-Learning but also ESD may fail to transform learning environments. Furthermore, there is a need for impact evaluation, particularly in terms of key sustainability competences. The three major challenges are insufficient educator capacity, funding, and educator attitudes. These challenges can be addressed through university-based projects addressing local problems that have a visible impact, as well as collaboration with local communities, other institutions and, social enterprises.

Purpose: Service-learning (SL) shows potential to respond to the global policy agenda of education for sustainable development (ESD) by increasing pro-sustainability competences through direct involvement of students in projects that satisfy identified community needs. Nevertheless, there is a scarcity of studies that attempt to measure the impact of SL on students’ sustainability competences, especially the action competence. This study aims to address this gap by examining the experiences of higher education students. Design/methodology/approach: A pre-post survey design based on the Self-Perceived Action Competence for Sustainability Questionnaire was conducted on an interdisciplinary group of 219 students of two courses (Sustainable Development and Ecology) in Medellin, Colombia, half of which (109) participated in SL projects. Findings: Sufficient empirical evidence was found to suggest that SL boosts the impact of academic courses regarding action competences in students (specially their willingness to act). Research limitations/implications: The statistical analysis shows some contradictions that should be addressed in further research. Practical implications: These results can encourage more educators and universities to implement strategies such as SL to move forward with ESD and thus help overcome the current socioecological crisis. Originality/value: This paper not only discusses the theoretical potential of SL but also contrasts theory with empirical observations of 13 SL projects assessed in terms of self-perceived action competence for sustainability.

Through support and guidance in fostering competences in ESD, educators can help students to evolve into engaged citizens capable of addressing the current ecological crisis. However, in order to provide effective guidance, educators need to become proficient in sustainability. In this line, this study investigates (i) the depth of knowledge about sustainability (including teaching for sustainability), (ii) stances toward the Sustainable Development Goals, and (iii) competences that Latin American university educators perceive they possess. A survey was designed, including elements from previously validated instruments and using the competences framework A Rounder Sense of Purpose. It was answered by educators from Latin America (N = 197), mainly Colombia and Ecuador. Through a statistical analysis, ranks were developed, and further analyses were made. Although this research is based on the self-perception of respondents, findings suggest that educators have some knowledge about ESD. However, there is room for improvement, particularly in terms of action. Additionally, there are inconsistencies between the competences they aim to develop in their students and the ones they currently possess. Such an assessment had not been done specifically for the Latin American context, and the A Rounder Sense of Purpose framework of competences had yet to be explored with a large sample of educators. The results of this research will allow for the offering of a more adequate and pertinent capacity-building program for university educators.

Since the end of the 20th century, the role of private multinational enterprises (MNEs) has been recognized as critical in implementing increased sustainable production and consumption atterns. Particularly after the creation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Agenda 2030, this role has increased. In this sense, this paper aims to analyze the measures and actions taken by companies in their contribution to the achievement of the SDG 12. Through the identification of more than 52 metrics in sustainability reports of 854 firms, findings suggest that direct greenhouse gas emissions and indirect greenhouse gas emissions are the most often reported corporate metrics to measure their impact on specific SDGs. This reveals the importance of sustainability actions in emerging market firms as a mechanism to gain legitimacy when operating in foreign markets and as an opportunity to create more sustainable production models.

In the face of escalating sustainability challenges globally, such as climate change, poverty, inequality, and injustices, the need for a systematic approach to tackle them through the infusion of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in higher education has become increasingly critical. This article explores the crucial issue of professionalizing academic teaching, emphasizing the readiness of academic teachers to cope with sustainability and SDGs in higher education. Using the Stages of Concern Theory and the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) to professionalize academic teaching to address SDGs in teaching, learning, and the curriculum, a sample of 1566 academic teachers in nine Latin American universities responded to the survey. This study aimed to answer two key questions, as follows: (1) How do the years of teaching experience affect academic staff’s stages of concern? (2) How do different academic teaching areas influence the academic staff’s stages of concern? The trend reveals that faculty members with fewer than four years of service scored higher than those with twenty or more years. Similarly, academic teaching staff from the Education Sciences have a significantly higher mean score and effect size than faculty members from the Humanities, Engineering, Social Sciences, Sciences, and Health Sciences across all stages of concern. However, despite these differences, professional development initiatives should be designed to match all teaching staff regardless of years of service and subject area by encouraging teamwork and increasing understanding of the critical importance of transformative teaching and learning.