THE ROLE OF ESG IN ADVANCING UNIVERSITY RANKINGS AND INSTITUTIONAL REPUTATION: A CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS

Ektaben Mistri; Gurudutta Japee

doi:10.55955/430005

Authors

Ms. Ektaben Ashokkumar Mistri Gujarat University https://orcid.org/0009-0006-3800-9598
Dr. Gurudutta P. Japee Gujarat University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0341-6015

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55955/430005

Keywords:

ESG, Higher Education, university rankings, sustainability reporting, India

Abstract

The objective of this study is to examine how Environmental, Social, and Governance integration can enhance the reputation and ranking performance of higher education institutions , with a focus on the Indian context. The research adopts a conceptual analysis methodology, drawing on secondary data from global and national ESG reporting frameworks such as the Global Initiative, UN Sustainable Development Goals , Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System , ISO 26000, and Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting in India. The study also evaluates their alignment with university ranking systems, including the Times Higher Education THE Impact Rankings, QS Sustainability Rankings, UI Green Metric, and the National Institutional Ranking Framework. Findings indicate that adopting recognized ESG frameworks improves transparency, accountability, and sustainability performance, leading to stronger stakeholder trust, enhanced institutional credibility, and improved ranking outcomes. The paper concludes that ESG should be viewed as a strategic imperative rather than a compliance measure. Recommendations include embedding ESG into governance and operations, adopting relevant frameworks, and leveraging ESG performance to achieve long-term competitiveness and societal impact.

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