National Impact of the RESIES Evaluation Assessment on Chilean Higher Education

Abstract

The Sustainability Reporting and Assessment for Higher Education Institutions (RESIES) is a policy-support instrument designed to integrate sustainability into the governance and management of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). Since 2018, it has become the primary reference for sustainability diagnostics and benchmarking in Chile and Latin America. The 2024 results reveal a heterogeneous landscape: while Governance (73%) and Community Engagement (64%) show the highest performance due to institutional prioritization, domains such as Academia, Sustainable Culture, and Campus Management remain below 20% due to structural and financial barriers. Despite these gaps, recent national regulations have catalyzed progress, moving the majority of HEIs toward intermediate stages of transformation. Case-based evidence from Universidad de La Frontera suggests that RESIES can support effective institutionalization through verifiable policies, monitoring systems, and measurable outcomes. Furthermore, RESIES has fostered collective action by strengthening collaboration networks and aligning HEI goals with national sustainability challenges. Through its voluntary and cooperative approach, the framework has consolidated a sustainable campus movement in Chile, with growing influence across the Latin American region. Ultimately, the RESIES experience suggests that structured assessment is essential for driving systemic progress and bridging the gap between institutional policy and operational sustainability in higher education.