The drafting of the Standard on the Sustainability Report of Italian Universities is the result of collaboration between the Network of Universities for Sustainable Development (RUS) and the Gruppo Bilanci e Sostenibilità (GBS).

RUS and GBS agree that:

• it is relevant the role that universities can play as agents of change to promote and support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs);
  education, research and third mission key elements to disseminate knowledge, promote innovation and change in achieving the SDGs;
• sustainability and the achievement of the SDGs pillars of building responsible university models;
• university sustainability reporting is a primary element of stakeholder communication policies, commitment and proactive vision for achieving a more sustainable future.

On the basis of these assumptions, RUS and GBS have set up a Working Group that, drawing on the experience and commitment of RUS in spreading the culture of sustainability in Italian universities and on the technical and scientific expertise of GBS on social reporting issues, has worked on the drafting of a Standard and an Implementation Manual for the drafting of the Sustainability Report of Universities.