COPERNICUS Alliance

The Leaders of Learner Empowerment (LoLE) project, funded by The German Federal Environmental Foundation (DBU) and led by Leuphana University Lüneburg, is developing a free training program on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) specifically designed for school leaders. Through hands-on projects, participants will drive systemic change in schools using a Whole School Approach. Running from 2025 to 2026, the programme includes international cohorts and aims to create a global ESD leadership network.

The Sub-Saharan Africa Teacher Leadership for Education for Sustainable Development (SSATL-ESD) project is a transformative initiative aimed at strengthening teacher leadership in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region. This multi-country collaboration between 15 institutions from SSA and Europe, co-ordinated by Leuphana University Lüneburg and funded by the European Commission empowers educators and teacher leaders with competencies to improve the next generation’s knowledge, skills, and values for sustainable development, green economies, and culturally diverse and inclusive societies.

The first edition of this booklet was published in 2023 – now an updated version is available: "Out and about sustainably in Bern" is a sustainable city guide for students of the University of Bern (and other people interested in the topic). The book invites readers to consider what they need for a satisfied and good life and contains facts, ideas and tips in the areas of sustainable development.

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From April to September 2025 oikos International will host another edition of its flagship leadership program LEAP. LEAP is a free, transformative program designed for students and early-career researchers to grow personally and develop responsible leadership skills. For over a decade, LEAP has supported hundreds of changemakers on their leadership journeys. 

University of Zurich (UZH) started a new Strategic Project on climate neutrality called "Decarb UZH Climate Neutrality 2030" in November 2024. The Strategic Projects are an instrument for giving priority to topics of university-wide importance. The project will thus strengthen efforts towards achieving climate neutrality at UZH. Initial focus areas are emissions related to air travel, energy use, food and waste. 

The Leuphana University Lüneburg is leading a transformative initiative to enhance biodiversity education in the Carpathians through the ProBioTIC project. Despite its ecological significance, the Carpathian region struggles to link biodiversity and sustainability science with policy and community action. The project fosters collaboration between young researchers, students, and local stakeholders, emphasizing the integration of traditional knowledge and sustainable consumption practices.

The SDG-iLevel project has launched a Massive Open Online Course designed to equip university staff with the knowledge and tools necessary to actively participate in achieving the SDGs. Six modules cover topics ranging from the basics of sustainable development to integrating the SDGs in teaching, research and university-community engagement. Each module includes theoretical content as well as practical activities and quizzes. Upon successful completion participants can get a certificate. 

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With our webinar series "CA Exchange" we highlight great activities in our network and foster interaction and exchange between colleagues from different member institutions and beyond. On 29 January 2025, Lise Janssens introduced the initiative "CCREDO – Co-creation of teaching and learning materials for education for sustainable development". She explained what a lesson design workshop is and illustrated how to organize lesson design workshops and co-creation initiatives to support education for sustainable development.

The newly published "Facilitator Guide: Addressing Inner Dimensions for Sustainability in Higher Education" supports teaching staff at higher education institutions. The guide leads through an 8.5 hours course and aims at teachers interested in expanding their sustainability knowledge and perspectives, integrating sustainability into their teaching practices, and enhancing their sustainability-related teaching approach by addressing inner dimensions such as individual and collective consciousness, awareness, or mindsets. 

The answer to this question is at the core of the Erasmus+ project "GREENMOBILITY – Lifelong Learning on sustainable urban mobility". The project focuses on raising awareness about sustainable urban mobility. Its goal is to help students and society at large develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to think, plan, and act with empathy, responsibility, and care for both our planet and public health. Project results including a learners handbook, a collaborative platform and self-assessment toolkit are ready to use.

The University of Warsaw and Charles University in Prague have recently developed strategies to integrate sustainable development into all areas of university activities. To reflect on their implementation, the two universities carried out a project in 2024, which was supported by a CA Cooperation Fund. The aim was to raise students' awareness of the sustainability strategies of both universities and to involve them in sustainable development processes in this context.

UNI for LIFE in cooperation with the Wegener Center for Climate and Global Change offers a new university course at the University of Graz addressing sustainability reporting and climate protection. During one semester, it provides the necessary know-how to develop, reflect on, implement and document sustainability strategies in companies or organizations. 

In November, a team from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) visited the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). The visit paved the way for further collaboration between the two universities, which will contribute to the integration of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs at the UBA in general, and the development of a strategic plan at the Faculty of Engineering in particular.

With the new webinar series "CA Exchange" we highlight great activities in our network and foster interaction and exchange between colleagues from different member institutions and beyond. On 26 November 2024, colleagues from the project "ATTUNE – Activate the University for Climate Change" presented project outcomes and outlined how universities can use these to address climate change at their universities.

We are looking back on a successful 2024 Higher Education Summit dedicated to "Co-creating change for sustainability"! From 8-10 September 2024, over 100 participants from 26 countries met at University of Padua to foster dialogue and collaboration among educators and stakeholders in higher education. In its fifth edition, the Higher Education Summit once again brought together old and new friends from around the world. They enjoyed a rich program including workshops, network corners, teaching and learning labs, excursions, social events, and great keynote speakers such as Marco Frey, Enrico Giovannini, Juanita Johnson-Bailey, Isabel Rimanoczy, Umesh Sharma and Arjen Wals. The conference proceedings are available for download. 

In our series "A conversation with..." this time we talked to Barbara Motschiunig, EMAS coordinator at the University of Graz. She outlines the goals and challenges in the field of sustainability at the Austrian university and explains how exchange in networks contributes to their achievement.

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Representing the SDG-iLevel project, Jesús Granados Sánchez hosted a "collective intelligence workshop" at the 2024 Higher Education Summit. He presented already finalized project results such as the Online Visibility Booster and the Self-Nudging Toolkit and engaged participants in a co-creation activity centered around the SDG-iLevel Maps. Participants were invited to evaluate the matrix and format of these maps, designed to showcase real-world examples of individual academics’ contributions to the SDGs.

The project "ATTUNE – Activate the University for Climate Change" is an innovative learning programme that addresses climate change on the university campus. At the final dissemination event, the project partners from Germany, Italy, Poland, Turkey and Spain, including the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), will present the results: a validated methodology that directly addresses climate change on the university campus and promotes as well as encourages action by all members of the university community, now available for any European university to implement. The event takes place on 10 October 2024 in Hildesheim, Germany and will also be streamed online.

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