Educational institutions may not be bound by mandatory reporting, but they are showing what authentic climate leadership looks like. By embedding sustainability into learning, reporting voluntarily, and involving students as change agents, they are creating a model the private sector can learn from.
by Pelt8
While many European companies remain hesitant, uncertain about how new regulations, such as the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), will affect their sustainability reporting, another sector is stepping up: educational institutions. At the Swiss Climate Reporting Forum 2025, Pelt8 will host a panel discussion titled “The Role of Educational Institutions in Sustainability and Climate Reporting” to spotlight this often- overlooked but critical player.
Featuring representatives from ETH Zürich, ZHAW, and the International School of Zug and Luzern, the panel will explore how schools and universities are choosing to disclose their climate impact, even in the absence of legal obligations, and why their leadership matters.
Many schools integrate climate change into academic programs but are only beginning to take operational action. Institutions are increasingly measuring and voluntarily reporting their greenhouse gas emissions, setting sustainability targets, and publishing progress reports.
As of now, these efforts are still often driven by motivated individuals rather than embedded structures. According to the Education and Training Monitor 2024 (European Commission), sustainability learning remains inconsistent across Europe, often dependent on individual teachers or pilot programs rather than systemic integration.
So, what motivates schools to act without regulatory pressure? Stakeholder expectations are a key driver. Students are not just learners, they are active stakeholders. Students, parents, donors, faculty, and local communities increasingly demand transparency and meaningful engagement.
While 84 percent of young people care about sustainability, fewer than one-third take action (Education and Training Monitor 2024). This disconnect reveals a need for more impactful and hands-on learning experiences.
Only 42 percent of youth say they have meaningful sustainability learning opportunities (Education and Training Monitor 2024), which underscores the challenge. Strategies to close this gap include, integrating sustainability into non-STEM fields, designing interdisciplinary courses, and involving students in real-world projects.
Students want their schools to walk the talk on sustainability, and they’re watching closely. As the near-future workforce, they expect employers to lead on climate. According to Indeed, 96% of Gen Z and millennials want to push their companies to do more, and EIB data shows over 75% consider sustainability a key factor when choosing jobs.
By involving students in sustainability charters, reporting processes, and campus initiatives, schools not only drive deeper impact, they also prepare students to raise the bar in every workplace they join.
But embedding change starts earlier, within the classroom itself.
Beyond campus operations and reporting, one of the most impactful ways educational institutions can lead is by fully integrating sustainability into their curricula. Embedding climate literacy across all disciplines, not just environmental sciences, equips students with the mindset and skills needed to address complex global challenges in any career path.
A curriculum that prioritizes sustainability helps normalize systems thinking, fosters responsible decision-making, and cultivates a generation of professionals who are both climate-aware and solutions-oriented. This academic integration ensures that sustainability is not treated as an optional add-on, but as a foundational competency for the future.
Initiatives such as internships, joint research projects, and shared platforms for climate data are instrumental in scaling sustainability efforts and equipping students with essential real-world competencies.
One such collaboration is the EcoLink project, a partnership between ZHAW, FHV, Go For Impact, Blumer Lehmann, and Pelt8, funded by the EU. This initiative aims to develop an interoperable, open-source ESG data standard that simplifies sustainability reporting, enhances data quality, and facilitates compliance with ESG guidelines (EcoLink). Another of many examples is the WISER project (The WISER project).
Through these collaborative efforts, public-private partnerships are not only advancing sustainability reporting, they are also fostering innovation and resilience within organizations, preparing them for the evolving demands of a sustainable economy.
Educational institutions may not be bound by mandatory reporting, but they are showing what authentic climate leadership looks like. By embedding sustainability into learning, reporting voluntarily, and involving students as change agents, they are creating a model the private sector can learn from.
At a time when compliance often drives sustainability efforts, these schools remind us that purpose can be just as powerful.
Join us at the Swiss Climate Reporting Forum 2025 to explore how educational leadership can shape a more sustainable future, starting not with mandates, but with purpose.