The Response of Higher Educational Institutions to Sustainability Challenges in Hungary

Abstract

Higher Educational Institutions can not avoid sustainability issues as related steakholder demands are becoming ever dynamic. Generation Z places greater emphasis on environmental and social sustainability than any previous generations. As a result, during university admissions, green rankings (Green-Metric Ranking of World Universities, Times Higher Education Impact Ranking) are getting increasingly emphasized. In Western Europe, the ESG model (Environment, Social and Governance) has already been included in the curriculum of numerous university programs, acknowledging the importance of the topic, while this endeavor is still in its in-fancy in the universities of Central and Eastern Europe. Even in the medium term, ESG development has a serious positive impact on the financial performance, stakeholder satisfaction and health of institutions, as well as their standing in university rankings. The topics of the GreenMetric world ranking are closely related to the areas to be measured in the ESG processes, so participation in the two processes can develop in an intertwined manner. Our study shows how the effectiveness of the GreenMetric and Times Higher Education world rankings among Hungarian higher educational institutions develops, why institutions choose to be listed, and what results the institutions aim to achieve.