Since 1987, the Erasmus programme has been enabling students of European universities to go for one term or two terms to study in another European country and financing academic staff exchange. In Poland, since the beginning of its participation in the programme, over 130,000 people have participated in such exchanges. Mobility helps students to develop linguistic competence, interpersonal skills and a sense of European community.
However, it involves international travel. Depending on whether one travels by plane, car or train to study under the Erasmus+ programme, one contributes to a greater or lesser extent to greenhouse gas emissions. Fortunately, by consciously choosing the means of transport, we can minimise our carbon footprint.
That is why five universities: Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines in Paris, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Lapland UAS in Rovaniemi, Finland, Erasmus University in Rotterdam, University of Lodz, together with the European Erasmus Student Network and the network of more than 60 innovative European universities associated in the European University Foundation, have joined forces to find solutions to reduce the transport carbon footprint within the Erasmus+ programme.
To do this, the project will estimate the carbon footprint of Erasmus mobility, with a forecast for the future years, and develop tools to raise environmental awareness among students and university staff (including a digital tool to visualise environmental impact of their transport choices). The ultimate objective is to develop incentives with a view to encouraging students to choose more environmentally friendly modes of transport and give recommendations to policy makers regarding carbon offsetting options to achieve the environmental and climate goals set by the European Union.
The project will last for 26 months, from October 2020 till the end of November 2022. It gives a chance that the next Erasmus+ programme will not only be larger and more ambitious, but also greener.
Contact persons:
Project coordination: Marta Chruściel, International Relations Office, University of Lodz.
Subject matter supervision: Professor Mariusz Sokołowicz, PhD, Faculty of Economics and Sociology, University of Lodz, Department of Regional Economy and Environment
University of Lodz is one of the biggest universities in Poland. Its mission is to educate top-class scientists and specialists in numerous fields of humanities, social sciences, natural and exact sciences as well as health sciences. UniLodz cooperates with business, both at the staff level by providing qualified employees as well as at the scientific level, by offering its know-how to enterprises from various areas of economy. University of Lodz is an academic institution open to the world – the number of its international students is constantly growing, while its Polish students, thanks to Exchange programmes, get to know Europe, Asia and travel overseas. The University is a part of Lodz, it operates for and with the community of Lodz by getting involved in many socio-cultural projects.