University sustainability reporting: A review of the literature and development of a model

Many universities have made a commitment to improving the sustainability of their campuses. However, only a small number report to stakeholders on their sustainability performance to allow accountability, and the quality of the reports issued varies widely. This chapter reviews studies of sustainability reporting by universities and identifies the factors that have been associated with the decision to report on sustainability and the quality of those reports. Most of the existing empirical work on sustainability reporting by universities is case-based. We critique this literature and identify areas in need of conceptual and empirical clarification. We provide a model, hypotheses, constructs, and proxies to support large-sample research on sustainability reporting by universities.