Project: ESG Impact Index in Higher Education (Shift)
Shift aims at increasing the capacity of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to contribute to the sustaiable development goals by assessing and implementing ESG strategies and policies through the ESG Impact Index platform. The project will equip students, academics, researchers and staff with the necessary skills and knowledge to implement and monitor ESG practices, and reinforce transnational cooperation by facilitating the sharing of best practices and knowledge among HEIs.
Project information
Project coordinator Miguel Perez Valls, Universidad de Almería Project coordinator at Linnaeus University Carmen Amaddeo Other project members at Linnaeus University Natalia Berg, Jörgen Forss, Brigitte Pircher Participating organizations Linnaeus University Universidad de Almería, Spain Uniwersytet Łódzki, Poland Visokoskolska Ustanova Metropolitanuniverzitet U Beogradu, Serbia Impactsci, Unipessoal, Lda, Portugal HelixConnect Europe S.R.L., Romania ISQ e-Learning, SA, Portugal ACEEU GmbH, Germany Financier EU Erasmus+ Timetable Sept 2023–Febr 2026 Subject - Building technology (Department of Building Technology, Faculty of Technology) - Management accounting (Department of Management, School of Business and Economics) - Sustainable built environment (Department of Built Environment and Energy Technology, Faculty of Technology) - Political science (Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences) Website Shift-esg.eu
More about the project
The aim of the project is to design and implement a strong international approach to Higher Education Institutions' (HEI) ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) dimensions. This will increase the European HEIs' capacity to foster strategies, policies, practices and initiatives that ultimately position them as drivers of change towards the Agenda 2030 goals, leading the implementation of the European Green Deal & the New European Bauhaus Initiative.
Shift also aims to produce results that are complementary to the HEInnovate tool, further contributing to the European Higher Education Area on the topic of sustainability.
Shift general objectives
Objective 1
Increase the capacity of Higher Education Institutions to contribute to SDGs by assessing and implementing ESG strategies and policies through the Shift platform. This will be made by developing and testing the ESG Impact Index (platform), which is a comprehensive tool for higher education institutions to implement and monitor their environmental, social, and governance standards and practices. The ESG Impact Index will measure the university's impact on the environment and its natural resources, assess the governance practices and policies related to decision-making and responsible actions, and evaluate the university's social impact in terms of community engagement and diversity management.
Objective 2
Equip Higher Education Institutions' students, academics, researchers and staff with the necessary skills and knowledge to implement and monitor ESG practices. This will help to advance their integration into operations and activities and promote the development of a culture of sustainability, inclusion, diversity and participation. This objective will be achieved by the development of the asynchronous e-learning training (through a mini-learning approach) and the respective certification, being complemented by the online University ESG Awareness serious game for a wider audience in the HEI ecosystem.
Objective 3
Reinforcing transnational cooperation by facilitating the sharing of best practices and knowledge among HEIs and promoting the development of common approaches to ESG practices. This objective will be achieved by the project activities that involve external participants, with key emphasis on the foundation and moderation of an online community of practice on the topic of ESGs in HE and the development of a sustainability strategy based on the new ESG Maturity service.
The establishment and strengthening of the networks of HEIs (committed to ESG/SDG) will also be achieved through the development of the Stakeholders' Engagement Strategy and the implementation of the project communication and promotion plan. All the objectives identified above are strongly correlated to the selected priorities as they actively contribute to the support of the digital and green transition in the HE sector, and strongly target the fight against climate change while embedding a lens of inclusion and diversity throughout.
Webinars
Webinar 1 – Shift: ESG Impact Index for Higher Education
This webinar outlines an Erasmus+ project Shift – ESG Impact Index in Higher Education, focused on enhancing the capacity of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to implement and monitor Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategies aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The project involves an extensive European partnership led by Universidad de Almeira, encompassing HEIs and enterprises across multiple countries.
Key project outcomes include developing the ESG Impact Index Open-Access Platform for institutional assessment, creating mini-learning Open Educational Resources (OERs) and a serious game for training and awareness, and establishing a Certification on ESG Impact Index in Higher Education.
The project includes six comprehensive work packages covering project management, ESG strategy development, the actions framework, training, platform creation, and a crucial promotion and sustainability plan to ensure long-term impact.
Video overview – Shift: A University Scorecard
A video overview of the Shift project (ESG Impact Index in Higher Education) aims to achieve high-level promotion and awareness objectives, functioning as a succinct introduction to the project’s main goals and intellectual outputs.
Flashcards
Flashcards for the Shift project, which focuses on developing an ESG Impact Index in Higher Education, aim to support the project's educational and awareness objectives, particularly those related to the mini-learning opportunities and the content derived from the comprehensive ESG Impact Index Matrix. The flashcards are a high-impact learning tool focused on key terms, actionable steps, and performance metrics derived directly from the ESG Impact Index Matrix and the Mini Learning OERs, assisting students, staff, and faculty in adopting and monitoring sustainable and responsible practices within their institutions.
Webinar 2 – ESG Principles and Materiality in Higher Education
The webinar outlines Erasmus+ project Shift – ESG Impact Index in Higher Education, specifically Work package 2 focusing on Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy within Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The work package functions as a comprehensive guidebook and framework, outlining the aims, objectives, and practical implementation of ESG strategies in academic settings, particularly concerning materiality assessment and stakeholder engagement.
Furthermore, the work package maps out European Union policy frameworks relevant to ESG, provides case studies from various European universities (including Belgrade Metropolitan, Linnaeus, Almeria, and Lodz) showcasing best practices across the three ESG dimensions, and establishes metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for monitoring and reporting ESG performance in alignment with specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This project, funded by the European Union, aims to provide a systematic template for HEIs to set and achieve their sustainability goals.
Video overview – Universities and ESG Strategy
The video focuses on how universities engage with ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) strategy. It discusses the role higher education institutions play in promoting sustainability, ethics, and responsible governance in academic and societal contexts.
Webinar 3 – Sustainable Campus Operations and ESG Impact
The webinar outlines a module on Campus Operations, focusing on the ESG Impact Index in Higher Education. This educational content addresses how university activities affect sustainability, introducing key areas like Energy Consumption, Transportation, Waste Generation, and Water Use.
Furthermore, the webinar details various sustainability strategies for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) across six main themes: Energy management and use of renewable energy, Water conservation through stewardship, Waste reduction via circular economy principles, Sustainable land use and biodiversity preservation, and ultimately, Emission reduction to mitigate climate change impacts. The overall goal is to provide practical examples and policies for HEIs to reduce their environmental footprint and serve as models for sustainable practices.
Video overview – The Hidden Footprint of High Education
The video outlines the impact of campus operations on sustainability in higher education, focusing on the ESG Impact Index. It introduces key topics such as energy consumption, transportation, waste generation, and water use, showing how university activities relate to sustainable development goals.
Flashcards
The flashcards aim to educate future leaders, serve as a model for sustainable practices, and equip HEIs with the knowledge and practical examples necessary to measure, report, and reduce their carbon and environmental footprint.
