ENQA and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) are pleased to publish a report on the activities of quality assurance (QA) agencies in supporting learning for sustainability.
In November 2025, the UNECE Steering Committee on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and ENQA launched a joint survey on quality and learning for sustainability in higher education. The resulting report explores how quality assurance agencies perceive sustainability, the extent to which it is embedded in their external quality assurance activities, and their views on future development in this area.
The survey reveals wide conceptual variation in how QA agencies understand and engage with sustainability and learning for sustainability. While a small number of agencies demonstrate structured and innovative approaches, most respondents reported limited or no direct experience in this area. Common barriers identified include the absence of explicit legal mandates, limited operational guidance, and the lack of agreed conceptual or methodological frameworks for embedding sustainability within QA systems.
Survey respondents highlight the possibility for ENQA to play a coordinating and enabling role in advancing how QA addresses sustainability in the future. Priority areas include establishing a common understanding, developing guidance, and facilitating sharing of practice.
ENQA and UNECE will now explore how the external QA community can further address this important theme for the benefit of the higher education sector and society.
The full report is available here. A recording of the ENQA-UNECE webinar on the topic is available here.