Education is a powerful tool for behaviour change, and therefore higher education institutions (HEIs) have a fundamental role to play. This study examines the relationship between the green campus initiatives of a Brazilian public university in Paraná, Brazil, and students’ proactivity towards sustainable development (SD). An online survey, with a quantitative-descriptive approach, was distributed through Google Forms to the students of the university, obtaining a sample of 310 respondents. The survey questions were pre-tested and scored on a 5-point Likert scale. The results of the multiple regression analysis, adjusted R2 25% (p < 0.001), show that the independent constructs are: Extracurricular activities on SD, approach to SD in the classroom and green campus operations have a positive and significant effect on students’ proactivity towards SD. An underlying argument is that students engage in SD by taking the best university initiatives as a precedent, whereby university initiatives can lead people to proactive behaviour towards SD. These findings can be useful for those involved in planning SD-oriented actions in HEIs in any part of the world, such as the Asia-Pacific region. It reinforces the role of HEIs as co-creators of change by promoting the principles of SD among future professionals, seeking ways to expand the dialogue on SD in HEIs, especially when it comes to achieving the SDGs, intertwined with the idea of increasing student participation and engagement, and contributing to prosperity and peace.