International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN)

What International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN) does

The International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN) is a Lausanne, Switzerland-based non-profit membership organization founded in 2007 that serves as an international forum for higher education institutions focused on sustainable campus operations, integration of sustainability into research and teaching, and broader societal impact. The network operates from a small Secretariat of 7 staff hosted at EPFL and serves 80+ member institutions across six continents, with dedicated regional chapters in Latin America (ISCN-LATAM, created 2019) and Southeast Asia (endorsed 2026).

ISCN's core offerings include the Membership Program, seven thematic Communities of Practice (Campus as a Living Lab, Biodiversity, Scope 3 Emissions, Sustainability Governance & Leadership, Sustainability Education, Sustainability Reporting, and Sustainability Communications), the annual ISCN Excellence Awards, a Fellows Program, and the ISCN Resources knowledge library (including the Green Guide for Universities and Net Zero on Campus materials). The underlying platform consists of a public website, member directory, virtual Communities of Practice spaces, and regional chapter websites (notably latam.international-sustainable-campus-network.org). ISCN also convenes flagship annual conferences (Cape Town 2026 upcoming) and co-organizes initiatives such as the Higher Education for Climate Action Pavilion at UN Climate Conferences (COP16, COP30), which featured 58 events, 16 sponsors, and 50+ participating universities at COP30.

ISCN's business model is a recurring institutional membership subscription for universities and colleges, supplemented by partnership and sponsorship contributions tied to events such as the COP pavilion and annual conferences. Membership pricing is not publicly disclosed. The organization has no external investors, no funding rounds, and operates with a Board, Advisory Committee, and Secretariat governance structure. Strategic positioning is anchored in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and formal UNFCCC engagement, reinforcing its role as the primary international peer network dedicated specifically to higher education sustainability.

Name

International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN)

Legal name

International Sustainable Campus Network

Website

https://international-sustainable-campus-network.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN) is a Swiss-based non-profit membership network serving 80+ higher education institutions globally. It facilitates peer exchange on sustainable campus operations through Communities of Practice, annual conferences, regional chapters, and Excellence Awards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Sustainability Network

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Sustainability network
• Higher education sustainability
• Campus best practices
• Sustainability membership
• University collaboration

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Institutional Membership Fees: ISCN operates as a membership-based organization for higher education institutions worldwide. Institutions pay membership fees to join the network and access resources, best practices sharing, and collaborative opportunities for sustainable campus development.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ISCN operates a membership-based international network providing higher education institutions with an international forum to exchange information, ideas, and best practices for sustainable campus operations, integrating sustainability in research and teaching, and making positive societal impact. Its core offerings are an Institutional Membership Program, seven thematic Communities of Practice, the annual ISCN Excellence Awards, annual international conferences, a Resources/Publications library, a Fellows Program, and regional Chapters (ISCN-LATAM, ISCN Southeast Asian Chapter).

Product overview

ISCN is a membership-based network organization offering a platform for higher education institutions to exchange information, ideas, and best practices for sustainable campus operations. The core offerings include the Membership Program, thematic Communities of Practice, ISCN Excellence Awards, annual International Conferences, Resources/Publications, and Fellows Program. The network also operates regional Chapters (ISCN-LATAM Chapter and Southeast Asian Chapter) that provide localized forums for collaboration. ISCN also organizes or co-organizes initiatives such as the Higher Education for Climate Action Pavilion at UN Climate Conferences (COP). The organization serves as an international forum connecting over 100 member universities worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ISCN Membership Program An institutional membership subscription that enables colleges and universities to participate in the ISCN network, access the member directory, engage in Communities of Practice, attend conferences, and contribute to global sustainability collaboration. The membership is targeted at higher education institutions worldwide.
• ISCN Excellence Awards An annual recognition program for ISCN member institutions that honors outstanding achievements in campus sustainability, with award categories spanning campus operations, research, and teaching integration. The awards are open to member institutions.
• ISCN Annual International Conference An annual international conference (upcoming: Cape Town 2026) that convenes higher education institutions to share knowledge, exchange best practices, and network on sustainable campus operations. Targeted at member institutions and prospective members.
• ISCN Resources Library A digital knowledge library of publications, guides, and reference materials for higher education institutions covering sustainable campus topics, including the Green Guide for Universities, Whole-Institution Approach materials, SDG implementation guides, and Net Zero on Campus resources. Available to member institutions and the public.

Named customers9 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Research and Independent Non-Governmental Organizations (RINGO) Constituency to UNFCCCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025RINGO served as a core organizing partner for the Higher Education for Climate Action Pavilion at COP30, alongside ISCN and other global partners. The collaboration elevated higher education's role in the UNFCCC process.
• Higher Education Climate Network of Networks (NoN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025NoN collaborated with ISCN, RINGO, and member institutions to organize the Higher Education for Climate Action Pavilion at COP30. The network aims to strengthen higher education engagement in climate action.
• Universidade Estadual de Campinas (Unicamp)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Unicamp served as a key sponsor and coordinating partner for the Higher Education for Climate Action Pavilion at COP30. Their dedication and coordination were instrumental in shaping the Pavilion.
• Tecnológico de MonterreycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Tecnológico de Monterrey was a key sponsor and partner for COP30 Pavilion, with dedicated team members coordinating the initiative. Currently serving as Vice Presidency of ISCN-LATAM Chapter.
• Rede Brasileira de Instituições de Ensino Superior para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável (UniSustentável)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025UniSustentável sponsored the Higher Education for Climate Action Pavilion at COP30, representing Brazilian institutions committed to sustainable development in higher education.
• Red Universitaria de Campus Sostenibles (RUCAS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 October 2024RUCAS led the development of the Cali Charter from Universities for Nature in partnership with ISCN and Nature Positive Universities. The Charter addresses biodiversity conservation and sustainable development through actionable steps for universities.
• Nature Positive Universities (NPU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 October 2024NPU partnered with ISCN and RUCAS to develop the Cali Charter from Universities for Nature, providing a framework for universities to integrate biodiversity and sustainability into operations, governance, and community engagement.
• Cintana AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversidad Internacional del Ecuador (UIDE) joined the Cintana Alliance in 2021, enabling affiliation with Arizona State University and access to a consortium of high-impact universities.
• Arizona State University (ASU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerASU provides world-class affiliation to Universidad Internacional del Ecuador through the Cintana Alliance, enabling students and faculty access to learning and scientific development opportunities.
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISCN has formal engagement with UNFCCC through participation in COP events and organization of the Higher Education for Climate Action Pavilion, elevating higher education's voice in climate negotiations.
• United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISCN aligns its activities and member institutions' sustainability efforts with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, integrating SDG frameworks into campus sustainability practices.
• United Nations Global CompactminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple ISCN member institutions (Universidad Espíritu Santo since 2010, Universidad Hemisferios) have joined the UN Global Compact and its national networks, aligning with sustainability principles.
• UI GreenMetric World University RankingsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversidad Hemisferios participates in UI GreenMetric World University Rankings since 2019, providing global benchmarking for campus sustainability performance.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• UniSustentável: UniSustentável is a Brazilian network of higher education institutions committed to sustainable development, serving as a regional counterpart to ISCN-LATAM in Brazil specifically.
• Red Universitaria de Campus Sostenibles (RUCAS): RUCAS is a Latin American university network for sustainable campuses and led development of the Cali Charter alongside ISCN. It serves the same member institutions as ISCN-LATAM but with a more regional LATAM-only focus.

Direct peers

• Second Nature: Second Nature operates climate commitment and carbon neutrality networks for higher education (e.g., the Presidents' Climate Leadership Commitments), directly overlapping ISCN's scope on climate action and campus sustainability.
• Nature Positive Universities (NPU): NPU is a global coalition of universities committing to nature-positive outcomes. ISCN already partners with NPU on the Cali Charter, and NPU competes for member attention and sustainability commitments within the same higher-ed niche.
• Higher Education Climate Network of Networks (NoN): NoN coordinates climate-focused networks in higher education globally. ISCN is already a collaborator with NoN on COP programming, and both serve as meta-networks connecting university sustainability initiatives.
• Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE): AASHE is the most direct comparable: a membership-based association for colleges and universities focused on campus sustainability, operating the STARS rating program and hosting an annual conference. It competes head-on with ISCN for the same institutional member base, particularly in North America.
• UI GreenMetric World University Rankings: UI GreenMetric is a university sustainability ranking run by Universitas Indonesia that benchmarks global higher-ed institutions on campus sustainability, overlapping closely with ISCN's benchmarking and best-practice exchange mission.

Others

• Global Reporting Initiative (GRI): GRI is a standards body for sustainability reporting whose frameworks many ISCN member institutions use. It is adjacent rather than competitive, supplying tools that ISCN's Sustainability Reporting Community of Practice helps members apply.
• Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN): SDSN is a UN-hosted network mobilizing global scientific and technological expertise for the SDGs, including higher education initiatives. It is adjacent to ISCN's mission around SDG integration in research and teaching.

Broad incumbents

• UN Global Compact: The UN Global Compact is a much broader voluntary initiative for organizations (including universities) aligning with UN principles on sustainability. It overlaps with ISCN's SDG-alignment work but addresses all sectors, not just higher education.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-sustainable-campus-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN)