Green transition

The higher education sector is well placed to address the environmental challenges facing the planet, to support the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the green transition as well as the European Union’s Green Deal initiative. Many higher education institutions in the EHEA are actively involved in a range of forward-thinking activities in the area of environmental sustainability, both to green their own footprint, and to contribute to their surrounding communities as responsible societal actors. Their experience in this field makes them key in the transition towards carbon neutrality and sustainable societies.

Environmental sustainability and the green transition are central goals of European societies and economies, a key aspect of the SDGs, and therefore an important call for Europe’s universities. EUA has reiterated its commitment to the 2030 Agenda in its Strategic Plan (Priority 1), and its 2030 vision “Universities without Walls”.

EUA engages in initiatives to promote the contribution of the European higher education sector towards carbon neutrality and towards more sustainable European societies and economies. It also works to foster collaboration and peer learning between members and partners in the development of sustainable higher education institutions, with a view to enhance the wider societal impact through education and research, and engagement with society, at local and global levels. Drawing on a university vision for the European Green Deal, EUA is pursuing these objectives with the support of a dedicated task-and-finish group of university experts.

EUA contributes to making the work of members more visible through data collection and events. It also contributes to European greening policy and instruments, for example by supporting the development of the MSCA Green Charter and by gathering and sharing information on institutions’ approaches and activities in the field of greening.

These efforts are linked to EUA’s work in promoting the role of universities in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the Association’s role in shaping EU research and innovation programmes.

Keywords

Positions

  • View more 06 Jul 2022

    EUA response to the European Commission’s New European Innovation Agenda

    The European University Association welcomes the European Commission’s Communication on A New European Innovation Agenda, notably as an overarching innovation agenda is needed to tackle specific bottlenecks which stunt Europe’s innovation performance, and to achieve consistency and effective implementation of the various tools available for this purpose.

  • View more 15 Mar 2022

    A university vision for the European Green Deal

    A European Green Deal that achieves its purpose must be science-driven, with suitable mechanisms for the provision of scientific advice and the boosting of scientific literacy among citizens and policy makers.

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Resources

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Expert voices

Projects

  • UNI-SET

    Mobilising the research, innovation and educational capacities of Europe's universities in the SET-Plan The UNI-SET (UNIversities in the SET-Plan) project aims to mobilise European universities to...

Events

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