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Higher education institutions are widely known both for their promotion to education for sustainable development (ESD) and for their contribution as living labs to urban management strategies. As for strategies, smart and learning campuses have recently gained significant attention. This paper aims to report an air quality monitoring experience with focus on the smart and learning campus and discuss its implications for the university context with regard to ESD and sustainable development goal (SDG) integration.

The air quality monitoring was held at the main campus of University of Passo Fundo and focused on three pollutants directly related to vehicle emissions. The air quality index (AQI) was presented on a website, along with information regarding health problems caused by air pollution, main sources of emissions and strategies to reduce it.

The results showed how the decrease in air quality is related to the traffic emissions and the fact that exposing students to a smart and learning environment could teach them about sustainability education.

This case study demonstrated how monitoring air quality in a smart environment could highlight and communicate the impact of urban mobility on air quality and alerted to the need for more sustainable choices, including transports.

This paper contributes to the literature by showing the potential of a smart-learning campus integration and its contribution towards the ESD and the UN SDGs.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to changes in academic routines. These changes have also contributed to an increase in the number of papers submitted to journals, citations and, ultimately, to changes in metrics. This study aims to address a gap between theory and practice, analysing the changes in the impact factor (IF) of a sample of 30 environment/sustainability-related journals, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study used an expert-driven literature analysis and an assessment of a selected sample of 30 environment/sustainability-related journals’ increased trends.

The unprecedented trend observed when analysing the results obtained in the IF of environment/sustainability-related journals contribute to the body of knowledge on this topic, allowing us to understand how specifically the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced scientific publishing, despite the restrictions imposed by lockdowns and access to research knowledge and facilities.

Based on a sample of 30 environment/sustainability-related journals, this study can highlight lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, suggesting specific measures which may be addressed to contribute to upkeep levels of publishing in the environment/sustainability field covered in this study.

This study will contribute to setting the stage for additional research on the influences of the COVID-19 pandemic on scientific publishing’s impact in environment/sustainability areas of knowledge. The implications of this research will allow us to set the basis for more extensive research in other areas of knowledge.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is unique, as it addresses the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic in 30 considered exemplary environment/sustainability-related journals, the main research area of all the authors involved in this publication.

This paper aims to emphasize the significance of integrating sustainable development (SD) content into higher education institutions (HEIs) curricula. The focus is on identifying areas of research demand related to SD in teaching and learning programmes.

This study uses a comprehensive approach, combining bibliometric analysis and an original survey instrument tool. The research involves HEIs staff engaged in both research and teaching roles across 36 countries worldwide.

The findings of the study shed light on the challenges and gaps in incorporating SD into HEIs curricula. Insights reveal that researchers focusing on SD within teaching and learning programmes face a notable obstacle in the form of congested timetables.

While providing valuable insights, this research acknowledges study design and methodology limitations. These limitations should be considered when interpreting the findings and planning future research endeavours in SD in HEIs.

The paper underscores the practical implications of the findings, emphasising the need to address congested timetables as a significant obstacle to sustainability education efforts. The practical insights aim to guide educators and institutions in enhancing the incorporation of SD content in their teaching programmes.

The study’s social implications highlight the broader impact on society, emphasising the role of HEIs in shaping a sustainable future. Addressing the identified challenges can contribute to better preparing students for addressing real-world sustainability issues, thereby fostering positive social change.

This paper concludes by outlining essential measures to address identified challenges and gaps, emphasising the imperative of creating an environment that supports the integration of SD into higher education curricula. The findings provide valuable guidance for educators, policymakers and institutions seeking to enhance sustainability education efforts.