Status of Sustainability Reports by Brazilian Higher Education Institutions
Keywords:
Divulgação Socioambiental, Universidades, Sustentabilidade, BrasilAbstract
The purpose of this research is to analyze the status of the publications of sustainability reports by Brazilian Higher Education Institutions (HEI). In order to meet this objective, a process of identification of institutions that are preparing sustainability reports was carried out, looking at the characteristics of these reports, what they communicate, as well as comparing the level of disclosure found in Brazilian HEIs with the results of studies developed in other countries. The findings show a small number of higher education institutions that publish sustainability reports, most of which are non-profit, privately-held institutions located in the southern region of Brazil. As for the content, it is worth highlighting the limited disclosure of indicators related to environmental dimension for Brazilians HEI´s and diversity of distribution and disclosure of the dimensions found on studies done on other countries. The findings of the research can be useful for the elaboration of public policies that leverage the preparation of sustainability reports, besides offering information for managers of HEIs, which would allow them to plan or improve social-environmental practices within these institutions.
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