Purpose In recognition of the potential for Buddhism to advance sustainability, this paper aims to investigate whether Buddhism appears to be informing the sustainability practices of corporations within a particular national context. Corporate sustainability reports are used as a site of analysis. Design/methodology/approach Sixteen corporate sustainability reports from a set of sustainability award-winning corporations in Sri Lanka, a country with a strong Buddhist presence, are analysed. Evidence of Buddhist principles and values related to sustainability is sought to ascertain the extent to which Buddhism is evident in disclosures within the reports. The influence of global institutions is also considered. Findings Analysis reveals surprisingly little evidence of Buddhist principles and values in the corporate sustainability reports of these award-winning corporations. Sustainability reporting practices are revealed to be highly institutionalised by global influences, with the majority of the reports examined explicitly embracing global standardisation. The standardisation of corporate sustainability reporting through the pursuit of globally accepted reporting frameworks is argued to have caused a disconnect between Buddhism as a prevalent institutional force in the local culture and context and the corporate representations evident in such reporting. Potential consequences of this disconnect in relation to the ability for Buddhism to inform sustainability practices at the organisational level are considered. Originality/value The paper contributes to the literature on corporate sustainability reporting through considering whether local cultural context is represented within such reports and possible reasons and consequences.

This review article explores how teaching and learning approaches to sustainability in higher education need to be transformed to suit the Business and Management Studies context in Sri Lanka. This is imperative in light of the unprecedented demands of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite a recent proliferation of programs on sustainability in higher education, current teaching and learning approaches do not adequately address the scale of sustainability issues, especially during and beyond the pandemic. The article draws on a semi-systematic literature review on teaching and learning sustainability in Business and Management Studies. It highlights five broad themes that emerged:(1) the necessity for a broader understanding of sustainability, (2) sustainability in the Sri Lankan context, (3) current teaching and learning approaches to sustainability, (4) the need for a transformation, and (5) challenges posed by the pandemic. It argues that a critical skill set amongst students incorporating reflexivity, critique, problemsolving, and social action/engagement, and an attitudinal change that incorporates a holistic/integrated and multi-level approach to teaching and learning sustainability are prerequisites.

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