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This study aimed to identify the main points of control in the efficiency of the productive process in sugarcane mills. Thus, a two-stage DEA approach applied for a sample of 121 mills, distributed among the seasons of 2010/2011 until 2014/2015. The first stage separated the efficient mills in transforming the total recovered sugar (TRS) of the processed sugarcane into sugar and ethanol, and the second stage identified significant production process variables in the efficiency with truncated regression. Besides, with the help of industry experts and statistical analysis, established 13 variables, which could control and increase the efficiency of the sugar and ethanol production processes, contributing to the overall efficiency of sugar and ethanol units.

Purpose Higher education institutions (HEIs) must take on a leadership role in building a sustainable world, given their responsibility for preparing future professionals and leaders worldwide and considering the role they provide to society. To accomplish this goal, HEIs need to holistically embody sustainability in everything they develop. This study aims to help HEIs in this purpose by developing a method to integrate sustainability into the strategic planning process in these institutions. Design/methodology/approach In the first stage, the method was developed based on papers selected through a systematic literature review. The proposed method was then applied in a Brazilian HEI to validate and adjust it. Findings A method that adopts a participatory process to integrate sustainability into HEIs’ strategic planning was proposed. Practical implications This study provides university leaders with a simple and practical method to aid with elaborating on strategic plans for holistic sustainability integration. Originality/value This study uniquely applied a framework called “HEIs sustainability action archetypes” as the foundation for selecting sustainable objectives, goals and actions to be integrated into these institutions’ strategic planning.