{"id":139695,"date":"2025-01-08T11:53:50","date_gmt":"2025-01-08T10:53:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cesie.org\/?p=139695"},"modified":"2025-01-08T11:57:23","modified_gmt":"2025-01-08T10:57:23","slug":"abcinenergy-sustainable-energy-consumption","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cesie.org\/en\/higher-education-and-research\/abcinenergy-sustainable-energy-consumption\/","title":{"rendered":"ABCinEnergy: towards sustainable energy consumption in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How can European Higher Education Institutions overcome the difficulties of implementing sustainable practices and measuring progress through effective KPIs?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In recent years, sustainability and environmental protection have become central to European policies. However, translating these goals into concrete actions is still a significant challenge for many institutions, mainly due to a lack of adequate tools and competences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ABCinEnergy<\/a><\/strong> promotes sustainable energy consumption in European universities, encouraging behavioural changes.<\/strong> This project addresses the growing urgency for sustainability in light of the European Green Deal and the REPowerEU Plan, which has set ambitious targets for energy efficiency, increasing the EU-wide goal from 9% to 13% by 2030.<\/strong> While many higher education institutions (HEIs) have embraced sustainability strategies, they often struggle to implement practical measures due to a lack of tools and clear performance metrics. ABCinEnergy aims to bridge this gap by developing innovative tools that educate university communities\u2014students, staff, and management\u2014on how to adopt more sustainable energy consumption behaviours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project, which runs from October 2024 to March 2027, is funded by Erasmus+ and involves a consortium of partners from Austria, Serbia, Spain, Italy, France, and Lithuania. Its core innovation is the Habit Tracker Platform, a digital tool that will allow users to monitor and adjust their energy consumption habits. <\/strong>This tool will be developed and tested through collaboration with HEIs and their respective communities, which will also receive training on effective energy monitoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The kick-off meeting (KOM) of the project, held in Vilnius, Lithuania, set the foundation for its progress. The meeting outlined the framework and objectives, focusing on empowering universities to lead by example in sustainable energy practices. The team emphasized the importance of not only tracking energy consumption but also instilling these sustainable behaviours in students, staff, and their families. <\/strong>The meeting also addressed the structure of the project\u2019s various work packages, starting with the establishment of a steering committee and a quality assurance system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the key discussions was around the first project activity, the creation of a sustainability roadmap for universities, ensuring that both those with established strategies and those without can benefit. Afterwards, the next step will be the development of the Habit Tracker Platform<\/strong>, integrated into the project website to allow easy access and user engagement. Piloting of this platform will take place with staff and students from the partner universities in two rounds, from September to December 2025 and March to June 2026, testing its effectiveness and gathering user feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next steps outlined at the KOM include the preparation of national reports on the sustainability strategies in the different partner HEIs, the finalization of the project management and quality assurance plans, and the initial development of the Habit Tracker Platform by early 2025. Thus, the project is well-positioned to make a significant impact on energy consumption behaviours within European HEIs, helping them become leaders in sustainability and setting a model for broader societal change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interested in finding out more or finding out about upcoming ABCinEnergy news? Contact Paula Goltzsche: paula.goltzsche@cesie.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the project<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

ABCinEnergy \u2013 Advanced tools for Behavioural Change in energy consumption for Higher Education Stakeholders<\/a> is a project funded by Erasmus+ KA220-HED \u2013 Cooperation partnerships in higher education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Partners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n