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PERSPECTIVE article

Front. Sustain.
Sec. Quantitative Sustainability Assessment
Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/frsus.2025.1550102

Ecodesign and Environmental Assessment: A Synergy for Higher Education Institutions

Provisionally accepted
Wint Mon Swe Wint Mon Swe 1*Margarida Ribau Teixeira Margarida Ribau Teixeira 1Laura Smuleac Laura Smuleac 2Luís Miguel Nunes Luís Miguel Nunes 1
  • 1 University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal
  • 2 University of Life Sciences King Mihai I Timișoara, Timisoara, Romania

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This article explores how ecodesign can help enhance environmental assessment methods (EAMs) employed by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Current EAMs primarily offer resource management evaluations or sustainability rankings but lack holistic and actionable solutions for institutional improvements. The proposed method integrates ecodesign tools, such as Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), environmental benchmarking, and parametric design tools, with existing EAM frameworks. This synergy allows HEIs to quantitatively assess their environmental and social impacts while identifying targeted strategies for improvement. By embedding ecodesign into institutional practices the approach provides a structured pathway to align HEIs with global sustainability goals, fostering innovation and continuous improvement. The paper emphasizes a multi-tool integration strategy, offering a cohesive solution to advance sustainability comprehensively within HEIs.

    Keywords: Higher education institutions, ecodesign for services, Environmental assessment methods, multi-tool integration strategy, Sustainability in HEIs

    Received: 30 Dec 2024; Accepted: 03 Feb 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Swe, Teixeira, Smuleac and Nunes. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Wint Mon Swe, University of Algarve, Faro, Portugal

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.