Universities have a crucial role to play in addressing the climate emergency and creating a more sustainable relationship between human society and the natural environment. This Future UniLab visionary output explores how universities can become leaders in sustainability by integrating environmental responsibility into their educational, research, and institutional missions. It emphasises that sustainability requires more than declarations or isolated initiatives: meaningful transformation depends on coordinated, mutually reinforcing actions across the entire university.

The publication identifies five complementary pathways for institutional transformation. First, universities should mainstream green skills and sustainability education through systematic curriculum assessment, staff development, and institutional Green Skills Action Plans (GSAP). These plans should equip students and graduates with the competencies needed for the transition towards net-zero societies and green careers. Second, universities should employ foresight and future studies to explore alternative scenarios over a 20–30-year horizon, incorporating environmental, demographic, technological, political, and social trends.

The report also advocates participatory co-creation methodologies that involve students, academic communities, and external stakeholders in developing sustainability initiatives. It highlights the importance of multidisciplinary research programmes that bring together different fields of expertise to address complex environmental challenges. Such initiatives should be supported by strong partnerships between universities, local communities, public institutions, and businesses.

Finally, the publication proposes a continuous process of institutional engagement, evaluation, cooperation, adaptation, and refinement. Universities are encouraged to reconsider their administrative structures, strengthen local collaboration, and work towards more resource-efficient and self-sufficient campuses. The overall vision positions universities as proactive agents of societal transformation, combining education, research, strategic foresight, and collective action to advance sustainability.