Assessment of operations sustainability in federal institutions of higher education using Stars: the experience of the Federal University of Santa Catarina

Objective of the study: Assess the sustainability of the operations of the Federal University of Santa Catarina's campuses using STARS. Methodology / Approach: STARS (Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System) was used since it has been widely employed for the assessment of the sustainability of organizational processes by universities and in scientific research. Originality / Relevance: Since the 1970s, the United Nations has recognized the role of higher education in promoting sustainability. Universities have aimed to promote it in all their dimensions i.e. education, research, planning and operations (i.e., energy and water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, solid waste generation, food purchase, transport among others). Main results: The results indicate that at the time of the study the Institution did not have stable and structured sustainability practices, and the role of the federal government in this context was relevant. Theoretical / methodological contributions: This was the first study to use STARS in a Brazilian university. It presents new data for the discussion on sustainability in universities, besides highlighting the role of the federal government as a promoter of public policies in this area. Conclusion: The Institution needs to be structured to advance in terms of operational sustainability, and the federal government can be a great motivator in this regard.