Sustainability in Universities: The Triad of Ecological Footprint, Happiness, and Academic Performance Among Brazilian and International Students

Biagio F. Giannetti (), Marcos José Alves-Pinto Junior, Maritza Chirinos-Marroquín, Luis Velazquez, Nora Munguia, Feni Agostinho, Cecília M. V. B. Almeida, Ginevra Lombardi and Gengyuan Liu
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Biagio F. Giannetti: Graduate Program in Production Engineering, Paulista University (UNIP), São Paulo 04026-002, Brazil
Marcos José Alves-Pinto Junior: School of Applied Sciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Limeira 13484-350, Brazil
Maritza Chirinos-Marroquín: Departamento de Ingenierías de la Industria y el Ambiente, Universidad Católica San Pablo (UCSP), Arequipa 04001, Peru
Luis Velazquez: Industrial Engineering, University of Sonora (UNISON), Hermosillo 83000, Mexico
Nora Munguia: Industrial Engineering, University of Sonora (UNISON), Hermosillo 83000, Mexico
Feni Agostinho: Graduate Program in Production Engineering, Paulista University (UNIP), São Paulo 04026-002, Brazil
Cecília M. V. B. Almeida: Graduate Program in Production Engineering, Paulista University (UNIP), São Paulo 04026-002, Brazil
Ginevra Lombardi: Department of Economics and Management, University of Florence (UNIFI), 50127 Florence, Italy
Gengyuan Liu: School of Environment, Beijing Normal University (BNU), Beijing 100875, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 3, 1-24

Abstract: Universities, as hubs for educating future leaders and decision-makers, hold a crucial role in advancing sustainable development. However, the challenge of effectively integrating sustainability into university practices and student behavior remains significant. The Ecological Footprint, subjective well-being, and academic performance are three critical dimensions that, when evaluated together, offer a comprehensive view of sustainability in the educational context. This study aims to apply a university sustainability assessment model called ’Sunshine’ to university students in a diverse sample of five different countries. Additionally, the study provides a critical analysis of the relationships among the indicators of Ecological Footprint, Happiness, and Academic Performance. This application seeks to test the robustness of the model and explore lifestyle differences among students, providing valuable insights for decision-making in the context of university sustainability. Data were collected through specific questionnaires administered to a representative sample of students, and analyses were conducted using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques. The results show that Brazilian, American, and Peruvian students exhibit an unsustainable lifestyle, requiring more than one planet to support their consumption habits. However, they are considered happy and perform well academically. These students were classified as environmentally distracted, highlighting a disconnect between their environmental awareness and practices. Chinese students showed a high ecological footprint, contrasting with the Italian group, which had an ecological footprint below one planet. However, both groups presented similar results, with low happiness indices and high academic performance. On the other hand, the group of Mexican students was the most sustainable, achieving acceptable levels in all three sustainability indicators. The analyses revealed that academic performance is related to happiness in some groups but not happiness in Ecological Footprint. This study significantly contributes by testing and validating the model in a multicultural and diverse sample, offering insights that can guide institutional policies to promote sustainability in the university environment.

Keywords: university sustainability; ecological footprint; happiness; academic performance; university students (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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