Over the last three decades, more than four million Europeans benefited from some kind of mobility under the Erasmus+ programme, an experience that made an impact on their lives and their communities. However, there is one impact of the Erasmus+ programme that has not yet been thoroughly addressed.

The questions of fighting climate change, ensuring sustainability and introducing green approaches are climbing rapidly on the list of EU citizens’ priorities for the future. Preventing climate change is one of the key priorities of the European Union (EU). Against the backdrop of the Paris Agreement, the EU has set the target of cutting its GHGs emissions by 20% by 2020 compared with 1990 levels. That figure is expected to rise to 40% by 2030 and to 90% by 2050. This commitment has been reflected in the main EU policies and programmes, such as the Europe 2020 Strategy, which highlights sustainable growth as one of its priorities.

Erasmus+, one of the EU’s main instruments to support growth, jobs, equity and social inclusion, has been slow to include green action in its own functioning. With two thirds of its 2014-2020 budget allocated to learning mobility of individuals, Erasmus+ currently sends around 400,000 students, trainees and staff abroad every year. The success of the programme over the past three decades has prompted the European Commission to formally propose doubling the budget of the next Erasmus programme (2021-2027) to EUR 30 billion, a position that has found an echo in the European Parliament’s call for a threefold increase of the current budget in the upcoming negotiations with the Council.

However, there have been some steps towards combating the problem in question. Environmental and green goals are now one of the Horizontal priorities in the new Erasmus+ 2020 annual work programme. There have also been some indications of introducing top-ups for participants travelling by train or means of transport other than air travel and other similar incentives for the new Erasmus 21/27 programme.

Join the debate to explore the solutions and answers to these questions at the Erasmus Salon on December 9th 2019 at the Mundo-j, Rue de l'Industrie 10, 1000 Bruxelles.

Three speakers will facilitate the discussions: 

- José Manuel Fernández Arroyo, European Commission (DG EAC)

- Adrian Tot, biologist working on Sustainable Energy & Climate Action Plans

- Wim Gabriels, Erasmus Student Network (ESN)

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/erasmus-salon-9-green-erasmus-from-utopia-to-policy-tickets-84157530439?ref=estw