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“Erasmus + green mobility + green schools” A European Conference on Climate protection and Sustainability in School Education

Part of a Long-term activity

Main Info

Sector:
SE
Priority:
Environment and fight against climate change (2021-27)
Scope:
Transnational
Type of presence:
Face-to-Face
Venue country:
Germany
Venue city:
Potsdam
Working language:
English
Key Action:
KA1
TCA documents:
Postponed:
No
E+ Academy:
No
Start date:
04.05.2022
End date:
06.05.2022
Subtopic:
newcomersmobilitydisseminationsustainabilitynetworkinginteractiveproject management21st centuryraising awareness

TCA Description

Themes and goals:

Climate change and environmental degradation are an existential threat to Europe and the world. To overcome these challenges, all 27 EU Member States have committed themselves to the Green Deal, to turn the EU into the first climate neutral continent by 2050. To get there, they have promised to reduce emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.

The second generation of the Erasmus+ programme (2021-2027) is an important instrument to support the implementation of the Green Deal. Thus, environmental protection and sustainability are even more in the focus of the new programme and are already addressed in many exchange projects in the school sector.

On the one hand, Green Erasmus aims to improve the ecological footprint of the programme itself. On the other hand, Erasmus+ projects want to contribute to a climate-neutral Europe. Traveling with more environmentally friendly means of transport, teaching skills for living in a sustainable and resource-efficient society, as well as promoting projects on green issues and the use of digitalization can make a significant contribution to this goal. 

Expected results:

·        The conference will highlight projects which show how diverse and creative environmental protection and sustainability projects can be.

·        Participants will develop ways to carry out sustainability projects, reflecting means of transport and ways to recompensate CO2 emissions. It will address the concept of blended mobility combining virtual and real mobility through the eTwinning platform.

·        With the support of experts from the field, the participants of the conference will reflect how environmental and climate protection can be addressed in projects and also in everyday school life.

·        The conference will offer networking opportunities for school representatives to find partners and to discuss project proposals for mobility projects and activities related to climate protection and sustainability.

Additional information:
All participants will be asked to provide proof of their full vaccination against Covid-19.

The current situation is:

  • Full vaccination protection is given if the second vaccination is more than 14 days and less than 90 days ago, this also refers to recovery after a Corona infection. In addition a negative antigen test (not older than 24 hours) is required.
  • No deadlines apply to participants who have received a booster vaccination (the 3rd vaccination) and they do not need to show a negative antigen test.
The conference programme at the Congress Hotel and the cultural programme will be carried out in accordance with the current safety and hygiene regulations.

Partners and participants

Organiser NA:
DE03 - Nationale Agentur für EU-Programme im Schulbereich im Pädagogischen Austauschdienst der Kultusministerkonferenz
Number of participants:
200
Participants per country:
5 - Any
Target group:
Erasmus+ Programme experience level:
Profile of participants:
Legend

Pending booked places

Accepted places

Sending partner(s):
AT01 - 3 BE01 - 2 BE02 - 5 CY01 - 2 CZ01 - 4 DE02 - 3 DE03 - 86 DK01 - 5 EL01 - 6 FI01 - 4 FR01 - 6 HR01 - 6 HU01 - 6 IS01 - 3 IT02 - 4 LT01 - 4 LU01 - 5 LV01 - 4 MT01 - 4 NL01 - 4 NO01 - 6 PL01 - 5 RO01 - 4 SI01 - 3 BE03 - 3 BG01 - 2 LI01 - 3 PT01 - 5 SE01 - 3
Pending booked places:
0
Accepted places:
197

TCA Participant Application

Start date of TCA Participant Application:
16.12.2021
Application deadline:
15.02.2022
Confirmation deadline for Sending NAs:
22.02.2022
Confirmation deadline for Organiser NAs:
28.02.2022

Long-term Activity Info

Title:
LTA Sustainability and Greening
Coordinator:
DE02 - Nationale Agentur Bildung für Europa beim Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung
Priority:
Environment and fight against climate change (2021-27)
Subtopic:
sustainability
Sector:
SEVETHEAE
Country:
Belgium Denmark Finland France Germany Iceland Italy Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Romania Slovakia Spain Sweden
Working language:
English
Start date:
10.2021
End date:
12.2024

Rationale and background:

The new programme generation Erasmus+ starts off in a challenging time. Covid-19 is still dominating discussions on education, mobility and European cooperation as well as accelerating the demand for smart digital solutions throughout the European Union and its programmes.

Even though these issues still capture the attention (and time) of most NAs, we are all finding our paths towards the so-called “new normal”. Part of this new normality is to recollect and revive long-term goals as well as introduce new ways to thrive in the upcoming future.

The important discussion on sustainability and greening Erasmus+ is one that survived Covid-19 and even gained in relevance. Already before Covid-19, it was announced that Erasmus+ will entail a new priority on sustainability. Therefore, we as NAs are at the core when it comes to make sustainability a priority within our organisations and to enable beneficiaries to engage into transnational cooperation among each other to improve qualitative implementation of the programme even further.

Nevertheless, the formal tie of sustainability and greening as a priority in the Erasmus+ program is relatively new. In 2020 the horizontal priority “environmental and climate goals” was introduced. However, other already existing frameworks show that we can tackle the climate topic in a holistic approach, namely sustainability.

The European Commission hopes to link the two topics – coronavirus and the climate. It is proposing a €750 billion recovery package entitled “Next Generation EU”, with funds going towards the ecological transformation of the economy – charging points, the renovation of buildings and the hydrogen economy.

The European Commission also presented its industrial strategy in connection with the Green Deal in March 2020. One of its focal areas is decarbonising energy-intensive industry and establishing a hydrogen economy. The aim is to produce the gas with the aid of renewable energy and use it to make sectors such as steel production or heavy vehicle traffic more climate-friendly. It also comprises a right to repairs, the recycling of batteries, replacing disposable packaging with reusable alternatives, and collecting and recycling more textiles and electrical appliances, or ensuring that they last longer.

In March 2020, the European Commission presented a proposal for a new climate regulation as a central element of its Green Deal. This entails the EU achieving net climate neutrality by 2050, meaning that climate gases may still be emitted, but they must be offset elsewhere.

In April 2021, a deal on the European Climate Law has been reached, making legal obligations of the goals stipulated by the European Green Deal to create a climate-neutral Europe by 2050 and reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030.

During its Presidency of the Council, Germany has taken up the discussion on sustainability in education and research. The German federal government’s website provides details of its work. One of the main developments of Germany’s council presidency is the Osnabrück Declaration, which defines vocational education and training as an enabler of recovery and just transitions to digital and green economies.

Sustainability should be a guiding principle for all Erasmus+ projects

Future projects should be designed in an eco-friendly way and should incorporate green practices in all its facets.

Organisations and participants should have an environmental-friendly approach when designing the project, which will encourage everyone involved in the project to discuss and learn about environmental issues, reflecting about what can be done at different levels and help organisations and participants to come up with alternative, greener ways to implement project activities.

The new programme aims to support, across all sectors, awareness-raising about environmental and climate change challenges. Priority will be given to projects aimed at developing competences in various sustainability-relevant fields, developing green sectorial skills strategies and methodologies, as well as future-oriented curricula that better meet the needs of individuals. The programme supports the use of innovative practices to make learners, staff and youth workers true factors of change (e.g. save resources, reduce energy use and waste, compensate carbon footprint emissions, opt for sustainable food and mobility choices, etc.). 

Challenges:
  • Increase of the (potential) impact of Erasmus projects regarding sustainability practices
  • Development of a strategy to reach beneficiaries and encourage them to engage with sustainability
  • Facilitation of exchange and discussion between beneficiaries to help them develop their own approach to green initiatives
  • Communication of the benefits of working on sustainability at both the European and national levels to the Erasmus community
  • Communication of the significance and urgency to act on climate change in all parts of society
  • Creation of a common understanding of guiding principles in sustainability. (emissions, food produce, less resource use, less waste, more local produce, reproducing crops, less plastic, less use of pesticides..) 
Planned Activities:
  • See connected activities
Expected results:

The LTA sustainability aims at encouraging more potential programme participants to engage in mobility or projects to increase their knowledge on principles and models of sustainability, and to facilitate more national engagement in the long-term perspective. The LTA should create a space for shared insights and experience sharing on green initiatives. The participants of the activities in the framework of the LTA sustainability should also include experienced beneficiaries to share approaches and talk about their motivation to work on green initiatives. The LTA will focus on capacity building and green initiatives, especially in Education for Sustainable Development.

Single Activities Connected to this Long-term Activity

Going green in Erasmus+: Project development and mobilities in the field of ecologic sustainability in adult education
Green Erasmus: pathways to sustainable projects and institutions
Sustainability in Erasmus+: Towards the green transition
Thematic seminar: Education for sustainable development
Sport and Sustainability – a Lifelong Approach
Education for greener future – the role of school in sparking climate awareness and enthusiasm
“Erasmus + green mobility + green schools” A European Conference on Climate protection and Sustainability in School Education
Young Sparks Symposium
Teaching sustainability competences for hope, well-being and systemic understanding
Study Visit on Sustainability in Schools
Green practices in Erasmus+ projects
"Green Accreditation": Greening your Erasmus plan