Table 3 Operationalising the (E)ESG... | Emerald Publishing

Table 3

Operationalising the (E)ESG dimensions for systemic sustainability in higher education institutions

(E)ESG dimension	Sub-dimension	Operational/Key indicators	Possible data sources
Economic	Financial accessibility; value creation	Registration costs relative to income levels Sponsorship and redistribution mechanisms ROI for institutions vs. inclusivity	Conference budgets, participant surveys, institutional funding reports
Environmental	Carbon emissions; resource use	Carbon footprint per participant (travel, accommodation, food) Use of digital vs. in-person formats Waste and energy management	Carbon calculators, travel surveys, venue sustainability reports
Social	Equity, diversity, and inclusion (DE&I)	Geographic distribution of attendees (countries, clusters) Accessibility (disability, childcare, visas) Gender and career-stage representation	Registration data, visa request and approval stats, DE&I self-reporting, accessibility audits
Governance	Transparency, accountability, decision-making	Clarity of sustainability commitments Digital sobriety Transparency in offsets/funding Representation in organising committees Conference bidding processes Mobility expectations	Conference governance charters, reporting systems, program committee data

(E)ESG dimension	Sub-dimension	Operational/Key indicators	Possible data sources
Economic	Financial accessibility; value creation	Registration costs relative to income levels Sponsorship and redistribution mechanisms ROI for institutions vs. inclusivity	Conference budgets, participant surveys, institutional funding reports
Environmental	Carbon emissions; resource use	Carbon footprint per participant (travel, accommodation, food) Use of digital vs. in-person formats Waste and energy management	Carbon calculators, travel surveys, venue sustainability reports
Social	Equity, diversity, and inclusion (DE&I)	Geographic distribution of attendees (countries, clusters) Accessibility (disability, childcare, visas) Gender and career-stage representation	Registration data, visa request and approval stats, DE&I self-reporting, accessibility audits
Governance	Transparency, accountability, decision-making	Clarity of sustainability commitments Digital sobriety Transparency in offsets/funding Representation in organising committees Conference bidding processes Mobility expectations	Conference governance charters, reporting systems, program committee data

(E)ESG dimension	Link to the environmental – organisational paradox	Examples in academic conferences as part of institutional policies and reporting frameworks
Economic	High fees or uneven funding streams reinforce inequalities between institutions and regions	Tiered registration fees; travel grants for underrepresented groups; shared funding pools across hubs
Environmental	Travel-intensive models maximise networking but increase emissions; digital formats reduce emissions but risk “Zoom fatigue” and loss of perceived quality. Prestige-driven mobility norms institutionalise high-carbon practices	Air vs. rail travel patterns; hotel eco-certifications; hybrid participation metrics
Social	Inclusion goals clash with logistical/economic priorities; multi-hub models may reduce travel barriers but risk unequal quality across hubs	Regional hubs enabling Global South access; visa-free participation through hybrid sessions; childcare support at venues
Governance	Governance structures often privilege established institutions, reinforcing existing hierarchies; offsetting practices may be symbolic	Public sustainability reports; diverse program committees; transparent carbon tracking dashboards

(E)ESG dimension	Link to the environmental – organisational paradox	Examples in academic conferences as part of institutional policies and reporting frameworks
Economic	High fees or uneven funding streams reinforce inequalities between institutions and regions	Tiered registration fees; travel grants for underrepresented groups; shared funding pools across hubs
Environmental	Travel-intensive models maximise networking but increase emissions; digital formats reduce emissions but risk “Zoom fatigue” and loss of perceived quality. Prestige-driven mobility norms institutionalise high-carbon practices	Air vs. rail travel patterns; hotel eco-certifications; hybrid participation metrics
Social	Inclusion goals clash with logistical/economic priorities; multi-hub models may reduce travel barriers but risk unequal quality across hubs	Regional hubs enabling Global South access; visa-free participation through hybrid sessions; childcare support at venues
Governance	Governance structures often privilege established institutions, reinforcing existing hierarchies; offsetting practices may be symbolic	Public sustainability reports; diverse program committees; transparent carbon tracking dashboards

Source(s): Authors' own work adapted from Kranz et al. (2022)