Involving young people in caring for the environmental sustainability is really important to Europe’s view on education.

People of all ages should learn how to know more, do better, and care about living in a way that’s good for the Earth.

This includes using resources wisely, being healthy, and working together to make Europe greener and more sustainable.

Discover the actions and initiatives that Europe is taking to spread the importance of environmental education among young Europeans.

The aim of the intiatives

The European Commission aids EU Member States by:

• Providing learners and educators with the necessary knowledge and skills for a more sustainable society.
• Assisting education institutions in integrating sustainability into teaching, learning, and overall operations.
• Promoting a collective understanding of the significant changes required in education and training to support sustainability and the transition to a greener future.

What is the EU doing?

The European Commission is actively involved in developing initiatives to enhance education for a more sustainable future.

Among these initiatives is a proposal for a Council Recommendation on learning for environmental sustainability. The purpose is to encourage and support Member States in incorporating environmental education into their systems and promoting collaboration on this aspect across the European Union.

In conjunction with this Recommendation, the Commission is in the process of creating a European Sustainability Competence Framework.

This framework outlines the essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes that learners should have to address climate change and contribute to sustainable development. The overarching goal is to establish a shared understanding of these competences, ensuring that everyone agrees on what students at all educational levels should learn to promote eco-friendly practices.

The EU actions about environmental education

Among the initiatives promoted by the European Union there are the following:

1. Council Recommendation on learning for the green transition and sustainable development. With this initiative it is possible to actively involve students and staff, local authorities, youth organisations and the research and innovation community in learning for sustainability.
2. Learning for sustainability working group. The European Commission helps put the Recommendation into action through a special group that focuses on sustainability in education. This group has over 40 members, including people from education ministries, social partners, NGOs, and international organizations.
3. European competence framework on sustainability. This framework, available in all official EU languages, can be used in school and training programs, as well as in formal and informal learning environments.
4. Erasmus+ Teacher academies. Erasmus+ Teacher Academies is a key part of the current Erasmus+ program. Its aim is to form partnerships among European teacher education and training providers, enhancing the European and global aspects of teacher education in Europe.

Discover more about the initiative

If you want to know more about the various European initiatives for the environment visit the official website!

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Are you passionate about environmental protection and want to know more about the impact plastic waste has on our world? Learn more and discover the project “Plastic Pirates – Go Europe”!

With this project young people around Europe will take part in the European Research Area (ERA), a science initiative, which aims to monitor and address plastic pollution in rivers, beaches, and the ocean.

Since the initiative’s inception in 2020, over 7,500 youth from over 320 schools and organisations have volunteered to collect and analyse data on plastic pollution in Europe’s waterways and coastal areas.

The initiative

The initiative started in 2020 but in 2022, with funding from the Horizon Europe program, the initiative was growing even more.

In an attempt to identify the causes of the issue and increase environmental awareness, the association wants to initiate a sample program spanning the entirety of Europe.

The campaign will evaluate the sources and routes of plastic pollution.

The goals of the initiative

The Plastic Pirates will assist in achieving the goals of the “Mission Restore our Ocean and waterways”, particularly its goal to prevent and eradicate pollution in European seas and waterways.

In addition to serving as a model for the European Year of Youth 2022.

Important goals of European environmental policy are:

• Under the Directive on Marine Strategy Framework
• The Framework Directive on Water
• the Air, Water, and Soil Zero Pollution Action Plan

What the programme is offering to young people

The program aims to empower students and youth to take action for the preservation and restoration of Europe’s rivers and seas by including them in research projects that spark their interest in scientific activity related to social concerns.

The actual sampling of plastic pollution in rivers, beaches, and oceans will be done by youth and students.

In order to help teachers educate students about plastic pollution in the classroom. The project also gives educators access to specialised didactic materials on the subject.

Discover more about the initiative

If you are interested in finding out more about this project, its results and future objectives visit the official website.

You will find many materials, information and events to deepen the theme of environmental protection.

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Climate change and humanitarian aid are two of the most discussed issues in recent years and requires urgent solutions.

That is why it is extremely important to involve the new generations, because they will have to deal with the serious consequences caused by these phenomenons.

For this reason, on 15 November 2022, the commissioner Janez Lenarčič led a conference attended by 14 young participants from all over Europe.

There were 12 participants between 18 and 28 years old that were selected via their personal interest and global concern towards humanitarian affairs. They were joined by two representatives of the European Youth Forum.

The conference allowed to create a moment of discussion about the impact that climate change has on our lives.

Young people were able to express their views, proposing alternatives and solutions to this problem.

If you missed the event, read on and learn how to watch the conference video.

The aims of the dialogue

This event took place as part of the European Year of Youth, which aimed to engage young people in building a greener, more inclusive and digital future for Europe.

Throughout this conference, the participants engaged focused particularly on humanitarian aid on a global scale, matters related to Ukraine, and the adaptation to climate change to cater to the needs of the younger generation.

Their input and concerns were very useful, as they play a pivotal role in ensuring the ongoing delivery of EU aid, with special emphasis on providing consistent support to those in the greatest need.

The topics of the discussion

The outcome of the event can be summarised as follows:

1. Increase EU humanitarian aid funding to keep up with the consequences of crisis both on the European level and globally. Address food security at global level and the special needs of young people during crisis. Facilitate structural changes to tackle the root causes of crises. In international fora, advocate for an increased cooperation with Member States and other organisations. Tackle refugee needs at the EU level addressing situations in border regions.
2. Prioritize education in emergencies and boost youth participation in societies, with an increase in the allocation of humanitarian funds to education (above the current 10% objective). Recognise the significance of education for the development of countries affected by a crisis. Address the importance of teachers’ resilience in crises with more training, more budget and more healthcare in emergencies.
3. Prepare for the future with relevant solutions of climate change consequences. Learn to better tackle climate change effects with the use of science and innovative technologies. Strengthen prevention, preparedness and emergency response by including climate adaptation measures, compensations for countries at risk, stronger collaboration with EU national authorities.
4. Consider the creation of a permanent youth panel on humanitarian issues

The Video Resume

The event was very useful and allowed to draw some food for thought for future decisions on these issues.

If you want to learn what more about the event you can view the video resume on the official website.

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Are you passionate about sustainability and would like to make the city where you live greener and rich in nature? Discover the EUROplant project, an initiative funded by Eurodesk Poland!

The participants helped make three cities in Poland greener, promoting the importance of sustainability as a collective action.

The EUROplant Project

The project took place in October 2022 in three cities in the southern of Poland (Piekary Śląskie, Częstochowa and Rybnik).

The initiative wanted to improve the quality of life in the cities, renewing green spaces and parks. The association organised some training sessions with the aim of promoting the values of sustainable living and the importance of reducing our environmental impact for the community.

During the project, three tree-planting actions were organised and involved participants of all ages. Older townspeople, children and officials of the city council and the youth city council took part in the action.

The Rethink Foundation

“The Rethink Foundation” collaborated during the organisation of the initiative.

The foundation has the goals of bringing communities together to collaborate and have a good impact on social and environmental projects.

The organisers provided clear guidance to participants on how to properly plant trees within the green areas of cities.

Subsequently the participants registered the trees in the municipal offices, to monitor and cure them in the future.

At the end of the project the participants were extremely satisfied with the positive effects of the initiative and they could enjoy the new green areas of the cities.

The aims of the project

The aims of the project were the following:

• developing gardening skills
• uniting and getting to know residents
• meeting local authorities with residents in a joint action
• expanding knowledge about vegetation in cities
• getting acquainted with the activities of Eurodesk offices
• promoting good civic attitudes
• creating a wooded space that would renew water and reduce the temperature in summer

The conditions of the project

The project had an extremely positive impact on the city and community.

Here is the testimony of Paulina, a participant in the project:

“For me, these towns – Piekary Śląskie, Rybnik and Częstochowa – are part of the industrial region, Silesia, where I come from. Although for several years I have been actively taking care of my immediate environment, the flower beds, lawns and small shrubs around the house, I would never have thought that it would have been so easy to take care of areas belonging to the city and use the space on the estate. I was afraid it would take a lot of time and require a lot of approvals and paperwork. Planting plants together not only helped me get through this, but also proved that the city authorities are willing to get involved in various projects. If there were more of such activities, not only the highly urbanised but also the industrial and heavily polluted areas would probably be redeveloped and greened faster thanks to social initiatives!”

Read more about the project here.

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Are you a youth worker and want to discover new techniques to make youth mobility greener and more environmentally sustainable?

Read on and discover how to participate in the Training course “Greening International Youth Mobilities” organised by the Biodiversa association.

The project will take place from 2 to 8 October 2023 at Valeri, Spain.

The project

This training course is for youth workers and youth project organisers that want to learn how to reduce their negative impact on the environment during projects and make youth mobility greener.

This project will be based on non-formal education methods, such as games, workshops and experiential activities.

The organisations will be combining peer-to-peer learning with training and guidance from experienced trainers and facilitators.

What to expect from the training course

The aims of this training are:

• To decrease the negative environmental impact of youth mobilities
• To promote techniques to have a positive impact on the environment through a youth mobility project
• To support participants in their inner journey of finding personal motivations and commitment to sustainable project implementation
• To provide experiential learning of different methodologies conducting to a deeper understanding of the importance of ecologically conscious projects

Requirements

The requirements to participate in the project are:

• To organise or want to start organising youth mobility projects

• To be over 18 years old at the time of the training course

• To be living in one of these countries: Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Senegal, or Spain

• To be fluent in English

To participate in the project the organisation has set a symbolic participation fee on a sliding scale from 50 to 150€.

Participants will be free to choose their contribution according to their own personal financial possibilities.

How to participate

To participate in this training course you must submit your application through the official portal of Salto-Youth before August 28.

For more information on the project and in case of doubt, you can contact directly with the organisers through the following email: asociacionbiodiversa@gmail.com

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Keep reading to learn more about this project and find out how to apply.

Embrace a more sustainable diet – “Eat4change” Training Course

WWF Finland is organising a training course that will take place in Finland from 18 to 22 September 2023. The “Eat4change” project will cover every cost, including

• accommodation,
• travels,
• learning materials and training costs.

Through this training course you will have the opportunity to acquire important background information on the climate crisis, balanced and sustainable diet, youth empowerment, active citizenship, behaviour change and much more.

The objective of this project is to increase young people’s awareness of the impacts of diets on the environment and of their role as consumers and active citizens.

It will be lasting three days, full of interesting and interactive activities. You will learn loads of methods, tools and activities that you will be easily able to adapt and implement in your projects!

You will also have the opportunity to spend a lot of time in nature and to meet and network with other youth workers that shares the same interests as you.

The requirements to participate are:

• You work directly with youth or you are part of a youth organization
• You are interested in learning about and supporting active citizenship
• You want to improve your knowledge about climate protection and balanced and sustainable diets 
• Want to be part of a dynamic European network of youth workers.

Do not miss this opportunity and join this training course. The dead line of the project is June 25.

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Report on the Outcomes of Erasmus+ Projects

According to the new study, there have been thousands of Erasmus+ projects with focus on environmental sustainability between 2014 and 2020.

Education and training plays a crucial role in helping people understand and act on environmental sustainability. For this reason, the European Commission supports actions which work towards this goal.

The study report summarises the main findings of 15 case studies over 120 projects judged to be best practices projects. They show how transnational teams come together to explore environmental challenges of common European and global concern. The report also highlights how follow-up activities in local communities have emerged from Erasmus+ projects, inspiring communities with small, bottom-up group actions towards longer-term change.

Environmental Sustainability

If you are interested in environmental sustainability and how the sectors of education and training can take action to respond to the climate emergency, you can download here the report and get inspiration!

And if you want to see what else the European Commission is doing on education and environmental sustainability, then don’t hesitate to check out this page!

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