Article: Environmental Sustainable Development Goals in Central America
A new peer-reviewed article titled “Environmental Sustainable Development Goals in Central America” by Jesús Mauricio Flórez-Parra, Carlos Araya-Leandro, María Victoria López-Pérez and Antonio Manuel López-Hernández, has just been published in the International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. The study examines how public universities across Central America are engaging with and implementing environmental dimensions of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), drawing on data from the region’s higher education institutions to highlight progress and challenges.
The research underscores the crucial role that universities play in advancing sustainability in the region’s socio-ecological context. The paper examines the perspectives of university rectors and leadership across the region on integrating SDG-related strategies and practices — particularly those with an environmental focus — in governance, research, curricula and institutional culture. It highlights both progress and ongoing challenges in embedding sustainability into academic and administrative frameworks, with insights drawn from institutional responses to regional environmental and development priorities.
Notably, it highlights collaboration with institutions such as the University of Costa Rica (UCR) and the University of Granada, both members of the International Association of Universities (IAU), which are actively engaged in sustainable development research and practice. Their involvement reflects the broader commitment within the global higher education community to support SDG implementation through research, partnerships and policy engagement.