How academic libraries in Asia support the SDGs through green innovation: a systematic literature review

Libraries as a means of supporting education and providing access to information are now part of the implementation of sustainable development goals set by the United Nations since 2015. This study explores how universities in Asia are implementing sustainable development through the concept of green libraries. This study uses the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method by collecting, analyzing, and reviewing all articles on the topic of green libraries in Asian countries. A total of 32 articles were selected from various databases such as Google Scholar, Emerald, and Scopus with a publication period from 2015 to 2025. The articles were selected based on the credibility of their sources, namely Sinta-accredited journal articles, reputable international journals, and international proceedings. The results of the study show a number of steps that have been taken by university libraries in various countries such as China, Hong Kong, India, Turkey, and several ASEAN countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. The green library concept is not only referring to the physical building in the form of greening, pollution reduction, sanitation and lighting systems, to innovations in waste recycling systems, but also to technological innovations in running libraries that support their information services. All findings show that libraries, through their green innovations, have supported SDG programs 4, 11, 12, and 13, all of which require governance and cooperation as mandated by SDG 17.