Management tools for university sustainable development based on sustainable development goals, green practices, and responsible resource management

Abstract

The managerial toolkit for transforming the university into a sustainable development institution is considered, where parameters of environmental and social responsibility are included in the decision-making loop alongside traditional efficiency indicators. The university is described as a socio-technical system with high inertia, in which formal commitment to sustainable development goals often does not coincide with the everyday practices of students and staff, which forms institutional gaps and reduces the effectiveness of changes. The results of a longitudinal analysis of five regional universities for 2019-2023 are summarized, conducted based on content analysis of strategic and reporting documents of significant volume, representative surveys and in-depth interviews (n = 3450) using correlation and factor analysis, as well as comparison of data on instrumental resource metering and waste generation with parameters of seasonality and infrastructure load. It is shown that the growth of students' awareness of the sustainable development agenda is accompanied by a noticeable lag in behavioral shifts: with an increase in the cognitive index to 71.4 points, regular separate waste collection reaches only 29.2%, and «knowledge-to-action conversion» is recorded at about 0.4. The fastest measurable effect is associated with infrastructure investments and monitoring systems: in 2022-2023, specific electricity consumption decreases by approximately 14.5%, water consumption by 22%, with an increase in carbon footprint reduction to 198.2 t CO₂-eq. Simultaneously, academic integration of sustainability intensifies: the number of modified work programs increases to 518, the share of interdisciplinary projects to 15.7%, graduation projects and publication activity grow. The financial model demonstrates passing the break-even point and transition to a positive balance due to resource savings and grants. The conclusion is drawn about the effectiveness of hybrid management models synchronizing infrastructure regulations, educational changes, and economic incentives, as well as the promise of digital tools (including campus digital twins) while preserving the leading role of pedagogical environmental design.