Hi-EduCarbon

a new ERASMUS+ project about carbon footprint caused by a product, building or organisation

During February, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca will sign, as co-beneficiary, the contract for the project entitled “Support of higher education system in a context of climate change mitigation through regional-level of carbon footprint caused by a product, building and organization” with the acronym Hi-EduCarbon, under the ERASMUS+ Programme, Key Action 2 – Cooperation Partnerships.

The coordinator is the Technical University of Kosice, Slovakia, with a team lead by prof. Silvia Vilčeková, and as co-beneficiary: Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, University of Alicante, Spain and the National University of Uzhhorod, Ukraine. This work programme comes under the Agreement number 2021-1-SK01-KA220-HED-000023274 concluded between the Coordinator and SAAIC – Slovak Academic Association for International Cooperation.

This is the first ERASMUS+ contract won by Faculty of Building Services Engineering and will have a duration of 36 months and is coordinated by Assoc. Prof. Dorin Beu, president of Romania Green Building Council Transylvania.

The aim of the project is to improve the quality of education regarding the fight against climate change in universities throughout Eastern, Central and Western Europe. It is well known that CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere are at the highest levels. So, we have an impact not only on human health but the real danger to the environment. Let us take into consideration CO2 emissions per capita in each partner country. In Spain, CO2 emissions per capita are equivalent to 5.4 tons per person, in Romania – 4.0, in Slovakia – 6.5 and in Ukraine – 4.8. Buildings consume an excessive amount of energy and produce too much waste. Their operation is also linked with consumption about 25 % of the world’s water and 40 % of its resources, while creating one-third waste and 40 % of global carbon emissions. Despite these statistics related to buildings unsustainability, buildings have huge untapped potential to become a key part of the solution to urgent sustainability challenges. Promoting energy efficient building is considered as the most successful strategy for CO2 emission reduction and energy saving during the life cycle of the building, while applying for suitable green building products plays an important role in facilitating energy efficient building promotion. New eco-friendly designs of buildings, based on the construction of environmentally friendly materials can give improving human health, safety, comfort, and productivity in the current conditions of climate change.

Hi-EduCarbon will implement the concept through course targeted for universities, state and public administrations and all private organizations and is focused on the current state of “Carbon neutrality” in the world; the concepts of environmental audit at industrial enterprises; GHG emissions reducing in heating systems, ventilation and air conditioning; renewable sources of energy; optimal use of natural resources. One of the objectives of this course is to support all cooperated Universities in their internationalisation process. The educational program will help all participants to take decisions to solve complex and interdisciplinary questions by relying on gained knowledge.

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