Here we present best-practice examples from the field of sustainability.
They show how universities use resources responsibly and promote sustainable practices in teaching, research, and administration. In the survey, you can indicate which measures you find most convincing.
Mythotopia: Revitalizing Mythology in Eastern Macedonia & Thrace
Democritus University of Thrace, Greece
Mythotopia revitalizes the mythological heritage of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace by documenting, mapping, and reactivating local myths through education, digital tools, and sustainable cultural tourism.
Impact:
Preserves and promotes intangible cultural heritage; strengthens regional identity and community participation; integrates education, digital innovation, and sustainable tourism; enhances regional visibility; offers a transferable model for sustainable local development.
Target Audience:
Students and researchers in humanities, archaeology, education, tourism, and digital humanities; teachers and learners across educational levels; cultural professionals, local authorities, tourism stakeholders, and local communities.
How to Replicate:
Document and map regional myths through interdisciplinary research; connect them with contemporary cultural and natural sites; develop a digital platform/app with accessible cultural routes; integrate educational content; engage local communities and ensure collaboration between academia, digital experts, and cultural institutions.
What Was the Benefit?
Long-term digital preservation of regional mythology; strengthened cultural identity and local pride; high-quality educational and tourism resources; sustainable synergy between research, education, and regional development; engagement of young researchers.
What Has It Achieved?
Comprehensive documentation of regional myths; translation and pedagogical reuse of key historical sources; creation of a digital platform (2,500+ cultural points) and mobile application; personalized cultural routes; interdisciplinary collaboration and wide dissemination.
EMERGE Re-branding:
Fully scalable and transferable across alliance regions. Indicative formats: EMERGE Living Cultural Heritage or EMERGE Cultural Routes, supporting sustainable tourism, digital heritage, and stackable micro-credentials aligned with EMERGE sustainability priorities.
Contact Information:
Email: inteligi@hs.duth.gr; chmichal@hs.duth.gr; or amastrog@hs.duth.gr
Visit our website
Visit our educational platform
Earth Hour
Neapolis University Pafos, Cyprus
Organized by the Student Union and in collaboration with the Department of Architecture and Earth & Environmental Sciences, this event is part of the global Earth Hour campaign.
Impact: Sends a strong message in favor of planetary protection and sustainability through inclusive community action.
Target Audience: General public, students, civic community.
How to replicate: Partner with the Student Union and relevant departments, align with the global Earth Hour campaign, organize a symbolic lights-off event, and promote it widely to students and the local community. Low-cost and easily adaptable.
What was the benefit? Raised environmental awareness, strengthened student–faculty collaboration, and reinforced the university’s sustainability profile.
What has it achieved? Engaged the campus and community in collective climate action and enhanced the institution’s visible commitment to sustainability.
The Future Classroom Lab
University of Inland Norway, Norway
The Future Classroom Lab is one of several Future Classroom Labs (FCL) in Norway and around the world. The FCL concept was developed by European Schoolnet, which aims to promote innovation in teaching and learning. The Future Classroom Lab at INN, is a flexible and technology-rich meeting place and inspiring learning environment for co creation and exploration of technology.
Impact: At the Future Classroom Lab visitors are invited to reflect on learning, technology, and classroom design, and where the purpose is experimentation, training, and stimulating innovative practices in schools.
Target Audience: Teachers, students, schools and kindergartens and local businesses and workplaces
How to replicate:
- Adopt the Pedagogical Mindset (Before Buying Technology): Replication is more about pedagogy than technology.
- Implement the 6 Learning Zones: divide the area into zones designed for specific activities.
- Equip the Space (Cost-Effective & Scalable): You do not need to buy all equipment at once. Start with modular, reconfigurable, and affordable options.
- Utilize the Future Classroom Toolkit: The official FCL website provides free resources to guide the design process.
- Start Small: The "Mini-Lab" Approach - If you cannot renovate an entire room:
- Create Zones within a Traditional Classroom: Define a small "creation corner" and a "presentation area" within your current room.
- Use Mobile Furniture: Replace desks with wheels to make your current classroom more flexible.
- Focus on One Zone
What was the benefit?
The use of different technological methods to work with sustainability.
What has it achieved?
The use of different technological methods to work with sustainability, such as:
- the computer game Skabma which focuses on the indigenous perspective of the Sami people (resulted in workshops under Sami Language week, an annually occurring conference),
- VR simulation on parent-teacher conversations in schools (an area proven to be difficult for newly graduated teacher students) and
- a variety of games for sustainability that encourage action for sustainability and strengthens sustainability competencies in young people.
- Additionally, they hold workshops and courses on the interdisciplinary themes from the Norwegain curricula (Sustainability; Democracy and Citizenship; Public Health and Lifeskills) which include games to increase sustainability competences in young people.
EMERGE re-branding: Yes, by highlighting the different games and VR-simulations that INN has available. Potential to translate these to other languages and make them country specific. Show how they work together with students, teachers, school classes and competence development.
Contact information: Visit our website
The Transition Agreement
Université Bretagne Sud, France
A participatory initiative, launched in November 2024, committed to ecological and societal transition. This process aims to develop a master plan for sustainable development and social and environmental responsibility for 2035.
Impact:
The Transition Agreement is based on five main pillars:
- Strategy and governance: Strengthening decision-making structures to integrate transition issues.
- Education and training: Integrate environmental transitions and sustainable development into educational programmes.
- Research and innovation: Promote research projects focused on environmental and societal transition.
- Reducing environmental impact: Implementing concrete decarbonisation measures.
- Social policy and quality of life at work: Improve working conditions and promote social responsibility (job insecurity, inclusiveness, cooperation).
Target audience: Students, employees at the university and people living in the local environment to the university.
How to replicate: This is a training course based on an iterative "Head – Heart – Body" process consisting of six one day sessions. Each day includes a morning of lectures on ecological and societal transition and an afternoon of practical workshops to jointly develop a roadmap consisting of a goal, redirection levers and actions.
What was the benefit? The Transition Convention provided an opportunity to experiment with collective intelligence and systemic thinking within the workshops.
What were the results? More than 100 actions were proposed by the participants of the transition convention. These actions were put to a vote and then incorporated into the DDRS Master Plan.
Senior Volunteering in the University Library
Univerzita Mateja Bela v Banskej Bystrici, Slovakia
The Senior Volunteering Programme at the University Library engages active older adults in structured volunteer roles that support educational, cultural, and community activities. Seniors contribute their experience and time to library services, public events, reading programmes, and knowledge sharing initiatives, strengthening intergenerational dialogue and community cohesion.
Impact:
- Promotes active ageing and social inclusion of older adults.
- Strengthens intergenerational learning and knowledge transfer.
- Enhances community engagement within the university environment.
- Contributes to social sustainability by reducing isolation and supporting civic participation among seniors.
Target Audience:
- Active seniors and retired professionals
- University students and academic staff
- Library users and members of the local community
- Community organisations focused on ageing and lifelong learning
How to replicate:
- Establish a structured volunteer programme within the university library or cultural unit.
- Define clear volunteer roles (reading support, event assistance, mentoring, archival support).
- Provide basic orientation and training for senior volunteers.
- Create opportunities for intergenerational interaction (reading clubs, discussion forums, cultural events).
- Recognise volunteer contributions through certificates, public appreciation, or social events.
- Monitor social impact and participation satisfaction.
What was the benefit?
- Supports sustainable community participation across generations.
- Utilises existing community resources (knowledge, experience, time) without high financial costs.
- Strengthening the universities social responsibility mission.
- Build long-term relationships between the university and local residents.
- Enhances well-being and sense of purpose among older adults.
What has it achieved?
- Active involvement of senior volunteers in university library programmes.
- Increased intergenerational interaction within academic and public events.
- Strengthening ties between the university and the local community.
- Contribution to a more inclusive and socially sustainable campus environment.
GREEN CAMPUS PROGRAMME
Universidade da Coruña, Spain
The Green Campus Programme is an established initiative on environmental commitment. Launched in 2014, it introduces a structured methodology across participating faculties based on active environmental committees, regular eco-audits, action plans, and continuous evaluation.
Impact: Green Campus is a new program that brings together the philosophy, methodology and experience of Eco schools, adapted to the needs and specific problems of the university environment. In Europe, more than 40 universities, including the University of Cork and Trinity College Dublin in Ireland and the Higher School of Health Technology in Lisbon, have been participating in the programme since 2007. Several centres have already obtained the Green Campus Green Flag, recognising the quality and continuity of their environmental work.
Target Audience: Students, academic staff and administrative staff.
How to replicate: The creation of an Environmental Committee, the performance of eco-audits, the elaboration of an Action Plan and a declaration of environmental commitment, together with advice, information, communication and continuous evaluation, are the key elements of the GreenCampus methodology.
What was the benefit?
A key strength of the programme is that it goes beyond technical environmental management: it actively involves students, academic staff and administrative staff, fostering a consolidated culture of sustainability on campus.
What has it achieved?
Its actions span ten strategic areas, including energy and water efficiency, waste reduction, sustainable mobility, responsible consumption, biodiversity, health and well-being, climate action, participation and environmental volunteering.
ESS CARGO & CIE
Université Rennes 2, France
A non-profit association and third-place community hub located on the Villejean campus. The name “ESS Cargo” reflects its roots in the Social and Solidarity Economy (Économie Sociale et Solidaire, ESS) and its role as a space for exchange and collaboration. ESS Cargo is supported by local authorities: Rennes Métropole (city council), Brittany Region, etc.
Impact: Its core mission is to build community, support social innovation, and foster cooperation, solidarity, and ecological awareness among students, local residents, associations, and project leaders in the Villejean district. Through organising discussions, workshops to raise awareness of environmental and social issues, and project support, ESS Cargo & Cie aim to create links between the University and its neighbourhood: Villejean. It manages and runs ESS Cargo, which includes freely accessible work and relaxation areas, as well as a meeting room and a teaching kitchen available upon reservation for meetings, workshops, events, etc.
Target Audience: Mostly students and inhabitants of the neighbourhood
How to replicate: Start by securing a physical space that can host both informal gatherings and structured activities. Build a partnership between students, local residents, associations, and social-economy actors to ensure the space reflects real community needs. Develop a programme that mixes open access areas (coworking, relaxation, meeting rooms) with regular workshops, discussions, and project-support sessions focused on social innovation and ecological awareness. The key is to create a flexible, welcoming environment run by a non-profit structure, where volunteers and partners co-design activities and where the university and neighbourhood interact naturally.
What was the benefit?
The value of ESS Cargo lies in its ability to strengthen social ties, reduce isolation, and create a shared sense of belonging between students and the local community. It offers a physical and symbolic bridge between the university and its surrounding neighbourhood, making collaboration easier and more natural. By promoting solidarity, ecological awareness, and collective creativity, it provides a supportive environment where people can meet, learn, and experiment.
What has it achieved?
ESS Cargo has become a lively, evolving hub that brings together students, residents, associations, and local project leaders. It has hosted numerous workshops, discussions, and awareness-raising events, helping participants engage with social and environmental issues while developing new skills and connections.
EMERGE re-branding: Transforming a hybrid space into a modular student engagement ecosystem. Rebranding the activity Clarify in three exportable pillars.
- Pillar 1 – Student projects, micro-financing, mentoring European pitches
- Pillar 2 – Circular economy, recycling centre, repair cafés, student bartering
- Pillar 3 – Social innovation, hackathons, inter-campus challenges, joint projects, EMERGE standardisation, shared digital platform, shared micro-grant budget, student badge / certification European Impact Week.
Contact information: Visit our website
Healthy UL 2.0
University of Limerick, Ireland
Healthy UL aims to move beyond focusing solely on individual behaviour change to also influencing the built and natural environments and embedding health, well-being, and sustainability in the University’s culture, operations, and policies. The framework adopts a whole-of-campus and whole of-system approach, aligning with national and international health-promoting campus networks.
Impact: Since its launch in 2019, Healthy UL 1.0 established a strong foundation for creating an environment that enables positive health behaviours for staff, students, and the wider community—enhancing wellbeing, academic success, and campus vibrancy. By shaping built and natural environments and utilising supportive policy approaches, the initiative helped make “the healthier choice the easier choice.” Supported by the national Healthy Campus Charter and Framework, Healthy UL is a member of the national Healthy Campus Network a network of Healthy Campus Coordinators and has aligned UL with global best practice in health-promoting universities.
Target Audience: Environmental/Health/Wellbeing committees within Emerge Alliance partners
How to replicate: The Healthy UL 2.0 Framework—offers a roadmap for other higher education institutions seeking to embed wellbeing and sustainability in institutional culture and practice. It provides adaptable principles and tools that enable campuses to identify, plan, and evaluate effective health-promoting actions.
What was the benefit? Building on the foundations established through Healthy UL 1.0, Healthy UL 2.0 represents a dynamic evolution of UL’s whole-of-campus approach to health, wellbeing, and sustainability. Through collaboration, innovation, and shared learning, Healthy UL 2.0 has strengthened UL’s national and international leadership in the health-promoting universities movement.
What has it achieved? UL played a central role in advancing the Healthy Campus Ireland initiative, partnering with higher education institutions nationwide to co-develop the Healthy Campus Open Course—a professional learning resource supporting staff in embedding health promotion principles across campus activities. As one of the participating higher education institutions on the Healthy Campus Evaluation Tool research team, UL contributed to the design and testing of a nationally aligned tool that enables campuses to assess their progress, impact, and sustainability in advancing health promotion.