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A Comparative Report of partner research carried out in Italy, Denmark, UK, Spain and Lithuania
Environmental Sustainability in the VET System – a Powerful tool for the Future
July 2017
,
Contents
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Introduction
3
Context
3
Methodology
6
SDG Impacts
7
Economic Impact
10
Mitigating Negative impact
12
Social Impact
14
Conclusions
20
This publication has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication is the sole responsibility of the publisher and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein
Introduction The information provided below is a collation of the research reports Page | 3 submitted by partner organisations as part of the Erasmus plus Project “ENVET: Environment in the VET System – A powerful tool for the Future”, a programme that aims to develop a didactic accredited environmental sustainability provision for Vocational Education and Training (VET) providers.
The partner organisations that submitted reports are:
•
CLEAN - Innovating Green Solutions, Denmark
•
IMC-CNR Istituto di Metodologie Chimiche, Italy
•
Kaunas Science & Technology Park, Lithuania
•
TIME Associates, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
•
Universidad de Salamanca, Spain
Context On the 25th September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly formally adopted a universal, integrated and transformative 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. According to this document, 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) should be achieved by 2030 to boost a successful transition towards a sustainable society and a resource-efficient economy. The European Union has accepted the SDGs and committed itself to implement them in its internal and external policies.
By considering the targets established at European Policy level for the year 2030, EN-VET will be designed around the eight SDGs that are the most representative of the environmental aspects of sustainability in the member states.
The eight specific SDGs in question are:
SDG 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture; SDG 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all; SDG 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all; SDG 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable; SDG 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns; SDG 13: Take urgent action to climate change and its impacts; SDG 14: Conserve and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development; SDG 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainability, manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt bio-diversity loss.
It was further thought that in order to achieve real sustainable benefit these SDGs need to be integrated and balanced across economic, social and environmental dimensions.
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Methodology With this in mind, and as part of the EN-VET project, each partner agreed to produce a research report that will identify the most pertinent issues in relation Page | 5 to sustainability across economic, social and environmental dimensions in their own country and use the findings to identify and develop didactic topics for teaching and learning activities. This will ensure that the VET materials developed are grounded in practice and are relevant to the end user.
The partners carried out their research by following the format below:
•
Identifying how topics related to key SDGs impact on their country (highlighting strengths and weaknesses in relation to achieving SDG goals by 2030);
•
Determining
how the
economy
in
each
country
impacts
on
environmental sustainability; •
Strategies in place by enterprise to mitigate negative impact;
•
Highlighting the social impact of environmental sustainability and how it influences their national policies, research sector, education and public awareness.
Information was collected by partners at a European Union (EU) level through certified bodies such as European Commission Directorate-General for Communication, the European Environment Agency and the Joint Research Centre as well as national level to reflect priorities and issues within their own boundaries. This approach ensured that a common benchmark of knowledge is shared by all partners, which is regarded as a fundamental tool for the production of a reliable and robust comparative sustainability report.
It should be noted that CLEAN, the Danish partner sought the opinions of experts inside their own organisation and also selected five enterprises who they perceived as the lead players in the key areas of sustainability including transport, food, housing and heating, waste and water.
Although this may termed subjective, each respondent has a lot of relevant experience in the field of sustainability.
There are also very few State of the Environment Reports covering the whole of the United Kingdom, and while the key responsibility for the environment is coordinated through Westminster, obligations in this area are devolved through the four separate administrations of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The UK partner, TIME Associates therefore provide a summary of the key issues on a UK scale and focused the research on Northern Ireland where appropriate.
Finally it is crucial to state at this stage that it is virtually impossible to cover all facets of sustainability, so the reports presented are by no means exhaustive or claim to be a complete picture of issues either at either European level or in each partner country.
Identifying how topics related to key SDGs impact on their country (Highlighting strengths and weaknesses in relation to achieving SDG goals by 2030)
It is immediately apparent that no partner country have a consistent or balanced record in the pursuit of SDGs across economic, social and environmental dimensions. This is practically reflected in the fact that all reports show that countries are strong in particular areas while weak in others. Therefore, some SDGs will be met before 2030 while other targets have a minimal to little chance of being met.
The key areas of concern in relation to the achievement of SDGs from an Italian perspective are protecting the environment, promoting more efficient management of natural resources and the mitigation of climate change. According to recent estimates Italy is ranked 19th amongst the top 20 countries in the world on producing greenhouse gas and is the second major
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emitter in the European Union after Germany, being responsible for approximately 10% of the total CO2 in the European Union. Italy is also ranked as the second European country most susceptible to desertification, with 20% of the territory at high risk. This mainly down to its weather system and natural terrain which is typified by intense rainfall followed by long droughts on its steep slopes. The percentage of urban land cover is also very high leading to loss of cultivated areas meaning a huge loss of arable soil.
In contrast, they has an excellent record utilising the penetration of renewable energy sources, with 39% of total electricity coming from renewable energy. This includes the highest penetration of solar energy (8.9% of electricity in 2015), the ninth highest wind power generator in the world and hydro-power maintaining 15% of electricity generation. Furthermore, there is a lot of potential still to be exploited in this area. Although a very high producer of waste in comparison with other countries, through the adoption of new technologies and good practices in recycling processes, at 76% Italy, currently have the 2nd highest recycling rate in Europe only behind Slovenia.
The boom experienced by the Spanish economy from the early 1990s through to 2008, produced a significant increase in CO2 emissions and increased deforestation. Characterised by residential investment and an unprecedented rise in construction particularly in big cities and along the coast which greatly enhanced the key sector of tourism, this was further exacerbated by cereal growth and fires with some areas now having over 100km without trees or plantation. Like Italy, Spain have a very high penetration of renewable energy sources, particularly wind and solar power and has a very high recycling rate of special waste.
In Lithuania, the status of the environment especially the quality of air and water is very good and their forest conservation efforts top the 2012
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Environmental Performance Index in the areas of forest cover, growing stock and forest loss. On the other hand, resource and energy intensity remains well above the EU average and recycling rates of waste management remains a big challenge. With 94% of countries municipal waste going to landfill the likelihood that they will not achieve EU SDG waste targets set for 2030 is very strong.
Again, the Danish experience highlights examples of particular strength while alternatively showing a poor track record in other matters, with challenges in the sectors associated with housing and heating, waste, water, transport and food. The government of Denmark have a key concern relating to Greenhouse Gas discharge, with emissions per capita around the 6th highest in EU member states according to the Baseline Emission Inventory, caused mainly from cars and flights. They will also need to more than double their re-cycling of household waste to meet their 2022 goal of recycling 50% and must take urgent action with their waste water infrastructure in light of climate change and population growth. As a country, they do have a very high number of electric cars, (with 10.000 out of a total of 75.000 being sold in 2016) which should lead to lower emissions. They have a long track record in developing waste machinery and logistics for industrial waste, and a huge potential for utilising biogas, where home owners can utilise waste such as manure, slurry, and food waste to produce heat. Around 30.000 homes per year are currently heated using this method.
In the UK, all measurable impacts show that on average the air temperature is rising with an increases also recorded in seal levels and sea-surface temperatures. This is thought to be as a result of world-wide climate change and the effect of glaciers in places like the Arctic Circle melting as a result of rising temperatures. There has been a decline in relation to the field of bio-diversity (condition and variety of plant and animal life) specifically breeding of farmland birds, priority
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species and habitats of European importance. This is highlighted by the fact that between 1970-2012 populations of breeding and farmland birds in the UK declined by 50% and 17% respectively. However, to counter this, there has been a steady over-all decline in CO2 emissions (20% fall) and other Greenhouse Gas emissions (26% fall) generated in the UK over the past 20 years, while total energy consumption has also fallen by 7% in the period 1990-2012, the lowest level since 1985. This figure is thought to be heavily influenced by the large drop in emissions coming from industry, which declined from 40% in 1970 to 17% in 2012, although others have linked the fall to economic performance and the impact of the global financial crisis. Increased rates of reuse, recycling and energy recovery have resulted in a lower proportion of waste being disposed in a way that causes environmental damage. In 2013 the amount of household waste recycled, composted and reused in the UK was almost four times what is was in 2000. Furthermore in 2012 bio gradable municipal waste to landfill had been reduced to under 35% of the level in 1995. An additional knock-on benefit was that there is now a 17.6% energy recovery rate from municipal waste, rising from 0.4% in 2011.
Determining how the economy in each country impacts on environmental sustainability It is obvious from all research reports that business activities have an impact on the eco-sphere, and that a negative consequence of current practices will be detrimental to the natural environment. Fundamentally economic growth that is based on serious resource exploitation and intensive pollution is environmentally unsustainable. TIME Associates, taking a more general approach, highlights that the past 20 years have seen a radical change in the relationship between businesses and society. Environmental sustainability is increasingly regarded as an important part of the business environment, with increasing regulation underpinning the fact that business and public-sector organisations have environmental responsibilities.
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According to the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) SMEs represent more than 90% of global business, account for an average of 50% of GDP and over 60% of employment, but could contribute to 70% of all industrial pollution. While there is obviously evidence of awareness and good environmental practice among SMEs, this segment of the business community remains notoriously difficult to influence.
These thoughts are reflected in a practical way through the other partner research which show that economic performance and the environmental wellbeing of countries are inextricably linked.
Researches in both Italy and Spain show that fluctuations in CO2 exhibit a positive correlation with economic performance due mainly to the construction industry and the process of cement production required for the building of factories and residences. Furthermore, the Italian findings show that demand for resources for the construction industry (e.g. soil depleted due to urbanization) has negative implications for the desertification of the land making it dry as opposed to arable.
The Lithuanian research points out that while SMES have a huge role to play and are environmentally important, their sustainability performance needs to improve to meet SDGs. According to the research presented the current contribution of SMES towards the environment and sustainability presents a real mixed picture. For example, on the plus side they are above EU average on the production of green products, saving water and taking resource efficient action, while they are below average in saving energy and waste, with the mean number of employees working in “green jobs� also below EU average. Of greater concern is that 56% of SMES are not offering green products/services nor planning to do so as many claim to be hindered by financial obstacles and lack of assistance in identifying suitable customers.
According to the report presented by CLEAN, Denmark is a country that has many companies with specialised knowledge about green solutions and a
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track record for producing green technologies that benefit the environment and climate. When interviewed for the Danish report, CLEVER a sustainable mobility producer, pointed out that electricity used for driving could be further generated by wind or water power which is under half the emissions of diesel or petrol vehicles. But they also state that there needs to be investment in the infrastructure through political buy-in and the price of electric cars are still relatively high in comparison in relation to petrol and diesel models. In general, these findings present a genuine dilemma at government level as production of CO2 closely relates to fluctuations in the economy and rises in GDP. It also highlights the complexity of integration which also highlights that progress in reducing energy penetration and transportation for example is rebalanced by issues like cement production and waste management.
Strategies in place by enterprise to mitigate negative impact
All reports indicate that there is a positive governmental and industrial “will” to mitigate current environmental problems linked with the economy along with a realisation that a huge potential exists for new and established businesses to provide solutions as part of a growing green economy.
For example, the Italian Ministry of Economic Development have made a huge commitment to provide subsidies to encourage the production and use of renewable energy sources as well as stimulating the modernisation of green technologies for electricity production. This has already resulted in a remarkable decline in the use of fossil fuel from 81% in the year 2000, to less than 56% in 2014. The number of SMES specialising in energy efficient solutions is growing rapidly and there is increased evidence of existing industries committing to play their part through the use alternative fuels and volunteering to participate in a Global Reporting Initiative Framework to produce sustainability reports. There is also a greater profile of noteworthy Italian based international events such as “Ecomondo” and “Key Energy” dedicated to energy efficiency and
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renewable energy, which has 1200 exhibitors and over 1000,000 visitors each year.
In Spain the subsequent economic crisis from 2007 have opened up more opportunities for green and sustainable growth with the concept of ecoinnovation and green industry presenting a new model to lead recovery, be that through trough renewable energy sources, waste treatment or re-cycling. There is a similar message coming from the Lithuanian findings where there is great optimism that eco-innovation will find more efficient resource management solutions with particular emphasis on their strength in biotechnology and laser technology.
The Danish report shows some real examples of how the companies interviewed have contributed to the sustainability issue and played a role in mitigating against environmental problems related to the economy. One Danish company interviewed, H.J. Hansen Geinindvindingsindustri, who have a market share of 60%-70% of the recycling metals market feel they make a real difference by taking the lead in standardising the industry through governance, accreditation and standardisation and will only work with companies who are also regulated. Another respondent ELDAN Recycling are committed to making machines that have lower energy consumption, bigger capacity and are more robust to heighten the purity of the metal and thus get a better price.
TIME Associates point to a growing acknowledgement of the role of businesses impacting on their communities by polluting or protecting the natural environment and the reinterpretation of environmentalism to business as something that is not only beneficial to society but is also harmonious with the interests of industry in economic performance. The key finding is, while the economy is creating many problems, enterprises can also lead the fight to provide solutions and mitigate against the potential damage. There are numerous examples presented where organisations are showing pragmatism and embracing new economic opportunities as they see the potential and economic benefit of providing solutions to their self-made
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problems and protecting the environment. There is also more and more enterprises promoting sustainability and environmental benefits as a unique selling point and competitive advantage to gain new business. While this is very positive step forward, policy makers at EU and national level need to facilitate a platform for these new enterprises to develop and thrive as highlighted in a number of reports. The process of innovation and implementation in the green economy is not agile enough due to lack of financial support and absence of wide-spread assistance identifying new markets and customers. Furthermore, it was noted that “a slowness with EU acts coming forward� results in customers not committing to the purchase of new machinery as they don’t know how it will impact on new legislation.
Highlighting the social impact of environmental sustainability and how it influences their national policies, research sector, education and public awareness
It is apparent from the reports presented that partner governments see sustainability as a priority and are motivated to tackle the issues facing their environment and embrace the opportunities that the green economy could bring. Below this report will highlight relevant national policies of each government, the role of research specialists, give an overview of public awareness of SDGs and how the topic of sustainability is addressed in education system.
The Italian government introduced principles of sustainability and a specific body of laws relating to the environment into their constitution in 2006 and have already updated these in 2016 with the aim at promoting the development of an integrated environmental policy that is consistent with both European Directives and the most advanced international standards. This has enabled them to introduce suitable indicators to better define and monitor the state of the natural capital of the country, produce annual reports with standards defined by the United Nations and the European Union and present a national strategy aligned with the 2030 agenda.
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The Italian partner highlighted the important role the research bodies and universities have played in investigating desertification, highlighting good practice and mitigating the impact of climate change leading to Italy being one of the leading countries in sustainability research. But there seems to be a “disconnect” between the research community and gaining the attention of policy makers and institutions to form integrated strategies, with the effects and impact of research therefore limited. It is not therefore surprising that the Italian government donate the smallest rate of GDP for public research in Europe, only behind Greece. Furthermore only 36% of Italians are aware of the SDGs defined in the 2030 Agenda, a figure that is declining and only 40% of educational initiatives undertaken in Italy cover environmental sustainability, and only 20% dealing with environmental problems particular relevant to Italy.
The Lithuanian report highlights the difficulty of balancing an integrated approach across different sectors and how hard it is to present a consistent picture across all SDGS. While Lithuanian performance is scored at 7.5 out of 10, (by OECD/EU) meaning the “Environmental policy largely protects and preserves the sustainability of natural resources and quality of the environment” the countries performance varies significantly by sector. On one hand, the government contribute to international efforts to strengthen the global environment, have implemented EU provision into national legislation and strategic documents, and according to a 2011 survey Lithuanian authorities included at least one of the EU core green criteria in 56% of all strategic contracts with 33% including all green criteria. Even allowing for the actions above sustainability is not perceived as a government priority. While the country experiences very high energy intensity and progress to a low carbon economy is limited, there is no credible information available on what compliance actually is. Furthermore, as highlighted previously waste management remains a big challenge in Lithuania with 94% of countries municipal waste going to landfill which is nearing capacity. There is lack of funding for surveillance, restoration and maintenance so while they may have a credible record with compliance breaches, this is hard to measure.
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Another significant factor is the ratio of tax revenues to GDP in Lithuania which is lowest in the European Union (1,7% of GDP as opposed to an EU average of 6,13%) and so remains badly unexploited, with notably no tax on transport and the tax on fuel being the third lowest in Europe. A recent feasibility study showed that an introduction of taxes in this area could bring in nearly 77 million euro annually which in turn could help address and influence carbon and efficiency issues, support the development of a social model shift on energy, encourage the population to rethink on public transport and promote the concept of eco-innovation and the potential of the green economy.
Sustainability has been high on the Danish priority list since the 1980s, with the Environmental Protection Agency leading the way in implementing acts, directives and targets into practically every sector and promoting the development
and use of
eco-innovation to transform environmental
challenges in to economic opportunities. In 2014 the Danish Ministry of Environment and Food introduced “A sustainable Denmark – development in Balance” covering green, economic and social sustainability, each with their own formulated goals and indicators, financial commitments and an integrated approach at regional and municipal level. This was all coordinated in line with European Union and Nordic cooperation. A number of waste organisations and local organisations have also developed education materials around preventing waste, re-cycling, extracting energy and depositing waste.
In 2007 the Spanish government approved a Strategy for Sustainable Development which set out to achieve sustainable growth “to meet economic, social and environmental needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own”. This is thought to have already influenced the increase in the consumption of solar and wind resources, the creation of new industries and the rise of recycling and the reduction of waste. From 2007-
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2014 a range of new laws were also implemented to promote renewable energy creating a favourable environment for its development including subsiding renewable energy to all factories. The key aspects of research in Spain related to the environment are around giving value to waste, optimising renewable energies and the reduction in consumption with several lines of research about the recovery of waste and minimising their impact on the environment. All industries in Spain are obligated to recycle and a social and cultural change has resulted in most homes re-cycling. The Spanish government also employ a “carrot and stick” approach to sustainability, for example giving incentives to people who buy cars with no emissions while there is also a “those who pollute pay” policy. The Spanish report highlights that no subjects related to sustainability are taught in primary or secondary school, with students only introduced to environmental studies at University level.
Responsibility for the UK environment is devolved to the four administrations of the United Kingdom, The Northern Ireland Assembly; the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and from England through the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the Department of Energy and Climate Change. Like other countries involved in the research there has been ongoing progress in each of the UK administrations with key measures introduced in recent years to address sustainability and the environment in general. They include “Leading the Way”, a climate change act establishing the first legally binding climate change target, “Delivering A Shared Agenda”, which works in partnership with EU member states to reform the Common Agriculture and Common Fisheries Policy and “Sustainable Growth”, which combines regulatory controls for emissions, innovative technology and funding to protect and conserve the rural environment. There is also a Public Participation ethos endorsed by all administrations to facilitate the general public accessing information, providing comprehensive insights in to the condition of the UK environment and maximising the opportunities for public engagement.
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They are seeking to create a better natural environment and is putting in place foundations for a change in cultures and behaviours but realise they need a collaborative approach with surveys. For example, in Northern Ireland the Statistics and Research Agency who are responsible for all government surveys including the census have recently addressed the topic of sustainability by asking households a wide range of questions that gain their views on the environment. There has been a vast social change regarding the re-cycling of waste in Northern Ireland, with Local Authority Collections (LACs) declining by 8,9%, with both municipal landfill and landfill waste levels at the lowest ever recorded. This is due in large part to all local councils investing in material recovery facilities as a way of capturing more recyclable material from residual use. The fact that local authorities also benchmark their waste management performances against each other using “Waste Dataflow” portal is expected to lead to further improvements. Also, there was a very high profile re-think waste campaign that has encouraged the Northern Ireland population to reduce, reuse and re-cycle their waste, with for example the charge in single-use carrier bags introduced in Northern Ireland in 2013, resulting in an 80% reduction in consumption of supermarket bags. The growing “commerciality” of waste has in turn opened up numerous opportunities for employment and the development of SMES in the Green Economy. According to the “Towards a Resourceful Belfast: Materials Strategy Proposition Document” commissioned by Belfast City Council in 2016, “Whilst very dependent upon the nature of the activity, it has been estimated that on average 59 jobs are created per 1000 tonnes of reuse activity.” However, by far the biggest impact is the UK’s decision to leave the European Union which will have an enormously negative impact on the UK Environmental Research policy, according to British Scientists, with words like “absolute disaster” being used and the sector experiencing a lot of uncertainty. Since 2006, UK Universities, businesses and Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) have received £67 million for environmental science research, across
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numerous topic areas including management of natural resources, soil and other ecological practices, zoology and forestry sciences. This funding also includes some high profile and heavily resourced projects funded to the tune of £11 million, £12 million and £10 million. Despite the UK government promising to under-write all funded research while it remains a member of the EU, it is not yet clear how such a funding resource would be replaced post-Brexit. Participation in European Science Projects will be up for negotiation which could sink dramatically if EU funds stop. The other problem is that this was not just about financial resources. Key networks and facilities could be lost and concerns about freedom, with Brexit triggering the movement of high calibre staff and researchers thus affecting the quality of research. It is thought that the government will no longer prioritise “blue-sky” research in favour of more theoretical science. It is further thought that if future funding was coordinated through an English based UK Council, they may not favour or prioritise Scottish, Welsh or Northern Irish issues. Professor Kathy Willis, Director of Science at Kew sums up the situation by stating “bio-diversity and the natural world knows no borders with international partnership and collaboration is essential if our globally significant collection are to be used to their full potential”. There is still a possibility that UK may benefit form research funding because evidence exists that associated countries who are members of the European Free Trade Association such as Norway, Switzerland and Israel still apply and gain Horizon 20/20 for example.
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Conclusions
The over-arching conclusion from the collated report findings is that the governments of each partner country are going to meet some SDGs before Page | 19 2030 while other SDGs have a very minimal to little chance of being achieved.
Particular areas of common concern are high CO2 emissions and energy intensity, (experienced by all countries), waste management. (Lithuania), the impact of climate change (the UK) and desertification faced by Italy and Spain due to their similar climate. Also of worry is how sustainability and the quality of a countries environment is inextricably linked to their economic performance. Spain and Italy specifically have issues related to GDP and environmental performance. There are also a lot of positives highlighted particularly the high penetration of renewable energy (Spain/Italy) the high quality of air/water in Lithuania and the potential of bio-gas and increased use of electric cars in Denmark.
There is a willingness and proactive stance being taken by all governments to address sustainability in an integrated way mainly through the introduction of new laws and directives. While it is widely recognised that many of these problems are created by industry, a lot of large enterprises and a growing SME sector are being proactive and motivated to provide solutions through a new green economy. However, many of the governments must catch up with this thinking and provide a platform for these organisations to thrive.
There are also many examples of positive social impact where the habits and behaviours of the wider population have changed for the benefit of the environment, through the rise in domestic re-cycling in Spain, the growing numbers of electric cars being purchased in Denmark and the number of home owners investing in renewable energy in Spain and Italy.
Finally, there are huge implications on the UK environmental research sector of the recent “Brexit� vote, as well as evidence that the research sector have
contributed to new thinking, but a “dis-connect� exists with governments in terms of capitalising on the findings and providing financial support. This has filtered down to the education systems where there is scant evidence of sustainability or environmental studies being available at primary/secondary school level.
However, it is equally clear that an EN-VET programme has huge potential to influence real sustainable benefit across economic, social and environmental dimensions.
By focusing specifically on environmental sustainability ENVET can to fill a gap in the education sector by presenting a unique and balanced approach across economic, social and environmental dimensions and if embedded in the VET system ultimately help to not only develop a deeper and more complete understanding on sustainable development on a national scale but prepare future employees and small business owners to take the green economy forward.
In our opinion, the programme can make a real impact by covering three separate modules with the first two very specific and unique to partners at national level by firstly helping students to see why action is needed and secondly providing a means by which they can learn and how and when to act.
The first module is to help raise awareness of specific environmental problems and areas of greatest concern that must tackle sustainability at national level.
The specific topic areas that must be included and the SDGs they are related to are highlighted below:
Italy
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Tackling Sustainability
SDG
Very high CO2 emissions/unproven
SDG 13: Take urgent action to
strategies
climate change and its impacts
High exposure t
SDG 13: Take urgent action to
o desertification
climate change and its impacts SDG 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture; SDG 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all; SDG 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable; SDG 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainability, manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt bio-diversity loss.
Lithuania Tackling Sustainability
SDG
Resource Energy Intensity
7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Issues with waste management
SDG 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
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Denmark Tackling Sustainability
SDG
Very high CO2 emissions from cars
SDG 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable; SDG 13: Take urgent action to climate change and its impacts
Waste handling logistics and systems
SDG 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Biogas production for reducing waste
7: Ensure access to affordable,
and growing renewable energy
reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all SDG 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Cleaning and controlling waste water
SDG 6: Ensure availability and
in light of climate change
sustainable management of water and sanitation for all; SDG 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable; SDG 13: Take urgent action to climate change and its impacts
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Spain Tackling Sustainability
SDG
Very high Co2 nitrogen emissions
SDG 13: Take urgent action to climate change and its impacts;
High exposure to desertification
SDG 13: Take urgent action to climate change and its impacts; SDG 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture; SDG 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all; SDG 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable; SDG 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainability, manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt bio-diversity loss.
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Northern Ireland (United Kingdom) Tackling Sustainability
SDG
The impact of Climate Change
SDG 13: Take urgent action to climate change and its impacts;
Decline in relation to bio-diversity
SDG 13: Take urgent action to
specifically breeding of farmland
climate change and its impacts;
birds, priority species and habitats of
SDG 2: End hunger, achieve food
European importance.
security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture; SDG 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainability, manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt bio-diversity loss.
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The second module below’ concentrates on identifying and building on areas of strength to further enhance the SDGs in each country.
Italy Building on potential
SDGs
High penetration of renewable energy
7: Ensure access to affordable,
resources
reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Lithuania Building on potential
SDGs
Quality of air & water is good
7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all;
Denmark Building on potential
SDGs
The future of electric cars
7 - Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all;
Transport & storage of liquid
As above
The development of bio-gas
As above
The handling of waste
As Above
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Spain Building on potential
SDGs
High penetration of renewable energy
7: Ensure access to affordable,
sources
reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Very high recycling rate of special
11: Make cities and human
waste
settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable; 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Northern Ireland (United Kingdom) Building on potential
SDGs
Steady decline in CO2 and other
7: Ensure access to affordable,
Greenhouse Gas emissions
reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable; 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Increased rates of reuse, recycling
7: Ensure access to affordable,
and energy recovery
reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable; 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
The impact of “Brexit� and uncertainty
Potential negative impact on all
surrounding the
SDGS
environmental/sustainability research sector
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There is also an important third module that although more general addresses topics and the context of sustainability to give a deeper and more “rounded” Awareness and Understanding of SDGs and add value to a wider curriculum based on numerous common findings across all partner countries. Topic areas put forward for this module are:
SDG Awareness - EN-VET could be an excellent vehicle to inform students on the existence and understanding of all SDGs and policies at EU and national level. In Italy for example there is a very little public awareness on SDGs and along with scarce educational tools characterised in other counties they VET system create awareness, stimulate knowledge and in the long-term feed in to stronger more coherent research strategies.
Integration – While all governments have shown a determination and will to address sustainability in an integrated way, they are presented with a genuine dilemma. For example, the correlation between fluctuations in C02 emissions and a country’s GDP level. While providing solutions may be beyond the capacity of EN-VET the programme, it has a role in showing that SDGs cannot the achieved in isolation and increasing exposure to this through projects presents a greater opportunity of coming up with future solutions.
Career Opportunities in the Green Economy – There is an opportunity to showcase statistics, patterns and trends and the numerous roles that are required to promote careers in a growing green economy. The learning experience could also include attending career conventions, industry site visits and “green” companies giving seminars to students.
Self-Employment in the Green Economy – Similar to above the opportunities and potential of developing businesses to provide green solutions is very obvious. This module could include an overview of the financial and business advice that is available from each national government.
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There is a prospect to link with government speakers, small business development agencies to address “ideation”, present role models from new and growing companies and hold competitions to highlight the best business ideas. Page | 28 Sharing Best Practice – The very essence of an Erasmus Plus programme is to encourage collaboration and learning between organisations from partner countries. ENVET would therefore provide an ideal platform to take advantage of the partnership approach and highlight of best practice from project partners. While some environmental issues are very specific to each nation, there are areas of commonality and best practice particularly around social impact and gaining “buy-in” from the wider population and analysing why CO2 emissions are dropping in the UK, to achieve greater sustainability.