Green Campus Initiatives as sustainable development dissemination at higher education institutions: Students’ perceptions

Students are future leaders who will be expected to make decisions aimed at achieving sustainability as they take up key roles in education in the area of sustainable development. In this context, Green Campus Initiatives were set up at four Brazilian universities to promote student engagement in finding ways to incorporate sustainability in the way the university operates. This article aims to identify whether the Green Campus Initiatives is a viable strategy for disseminating sustainable development concepts in higher education institutions, enhancing the students’ knowledge and proactivity regarding sustainable development. This quantitative-descriptive study was based on data collected in a survey involving students from four Brazilian universities, with a sample of 1013 respondents. The data were analyzed using multivariate statistical techniques. The results show that sustainable development dissemination strategies in higher education institutions explain around 18% of the students' level of proactivity and 27.7% of their knowledge and awareness regarding sustainable development. The findings of this study could aid planning in higher education institutions aimed at implementing environmentally sustainable practices at universities based on student perceptions.