System of environmental performance indicators for an educational institution in the context of sustainable development

Abstract

The article substantiates the theoretical and methodological foundations for developing a system of environmental performance indicators for an educational institution within the framework of sustainable development. The study is based on an interdisciplinary approach that integrates economic theory of efficiency, educational management, environmental management principles, and strategic performance measurement concepts. Environmental efficiency is interpreted as the ratio between achieved environmental and educational outcomes and the resources utilized to obtain them, which allows it to be considered not only as the achievement of ecological goals but as an integrated indicator of rational resource use. The paper proposes a multi-level system of indicators covering operational, managerial, strategic, and digital dimensions. The operational level includes specific indicators of energy consumption, water use, and waste generation; the managerial level encompasses environmental policy, monitoring procedures, and internal control mechanisms; the strategic level reflects the achievement of long-term sustainable development goals; and the digital level involves automated resource accounting and digital environmental monitoring tools. Special attention is paid to the development of an integral environmental efficiency index based on the aggregation of normalized partial indicators with assigned weights. Such an index enables dynamic assessment, comparative analysis over time, and identification of priority areas for managerial improvement. The article also substantiates the integration of environmental key performance indicators into the strategic management system of an educational institution through a structured framework of resource, process, educational-resultative, and socio-reputational perspectives. The proposed model ensures transparency, measurability, and comparability of environmental performance indicators and facilitates the transition from declarative environmental initiatives to evidence-based quality management. It is concluded that systematic assessment of environmental efficiency contributes to resource optimization, improvement of educational outcomes, strengthening institutional reputation, and enhancement of long-term strategic sustainability and competitiveness of educational institutions under conditions of ongoing transformation.