Handbook of Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development in Higher

This Handbook approaches sustainable development in higher education from an integrated perspective, addressing the dearth of publications on the subject. It offers a unique overview of what universities around the world are doing to implement sustainable development (i.e. via curriculum innovation, research, activities, or practical projects) and how their efforts relate to education for sustainable development at the university level.


The Handbook gathers a wealth of information, ideas, best practices and lessons learned in the context of executing concrete projects, and assesses methodological approaches to integrating the topic of sustainable development in university curricula. Lastly, it documents and disseminates the veritable treasure trove of practical experience currently available on sustainability in higher education.

Walter Leal Filho (BSc, PhD, DSc, DPhil, DEd, DL, DLitt) is a Senior Professor and Head of the Research and Transfer Centre "Applications of Life Sciences" at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences in Germany, and Chair of Environment and Technology at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK. He is the initiator of the Word Sustainable Development Symposia (WSSD-U) series, and chairs the Inter-University Sustainable Development Research Programme. Professor Leal Filho has written, co-written, edited or co-edited more than 300 publications, including books, book chapters and papers in refereed journals.

Luciana Londero Brandli, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at the University of Passo Fundo, Brazil, where she works in the PhD Program in Engineering, Infrastructure and Environment. Her current research interests include sustainability in higher education and green campuses, environment management, management of urban infrastructure, sustainable cities and green buildings. She has supervised a number of Masters and doctoral students researching engineering, environment and sustainability issues, and has produced more than 150 publications.

Paula Cristina Castro is currently an Invited Auxiliary Professor at the Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra. She began her educational career in 1997, having taught several courses in the fields of Biology, Ecology, Environmental Management, Soil Ecology and Pollution, Environmental Impact Assessment, Integrated Management Systems, and Environmental Education. She is a Senior Researcher at the Centre for Functional Ecology, University of Coimbra and her main research interests include forest and urban ecology, plant functional attributes, environmental education, and the application of GIS as a tool for the analysis and prediction of future scenarios and to support decision making in biodiversity, ecology and ecosystem management.

Julie Newman, PhD is the Director of Sustainability at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she holds a lecturer position at the Department in Urban Studies and Planning. She founded the Office of Sustainability at Yale University and has advised on the development of similar offices nationally and internationally. She sits on the Advisory Committee for the International Sustainable Campus Network and is involved in a variety of local and national networks.