"The world today is facing serious environmental problems caused by multiple factors, but with clear and proven components motivated by human-induced activities and consumption patterns. Greenhouse gas emissions are causing and accelerating climate change and its impact around the world. As VET providers we understand our responsibility to train responsible citizens and future professionals committed to the strategy of the EU Environmental Action Programmes, to make the European Union a competitive economy, through inclusive and sustainable economic growth, promoting resource efficiency, encouraging eco-innovation, waste prevention, re-use of products and a strong low-carbon economy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. CFTrain in VET (Carbon Footprint Training in VET schools) aims to raise awareness and prepare our students so that, as future professionals, they can be competent to actively promote sustainability management models in the companies and have more cohesive and more sustainable lifestyles.Taking this context into account, the main objective of this project is to train future professionals in sustainable skills based on the concept of Carbon Footprint calculation and reduction. This is the starting point to:-Develop a methodology for calculating and reducing the environmental impact of partner institutions in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and waste management-Encourage vocational schools to implement or improve their Environmental Policy within their Management Systems and Social Corporate Responsibility, transferable to other organisations.-Encourage curricula updates regarding low-carbon economic growth.-Provide companies with well-qualified professionals in the field of sustainable development (including social inclusion awareness) and ""green skills""Students and staff from 5 VET schools providing different studies and an Environmental Consultancy will take part in this project. Other target groups will be other VET providers, partner companies and educational bodies. The participants are future technicians of Transport and Logistics, Commerce and Marketing, Intern. Trade, IT, Administration, Industry, Automation, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering and Mechatronics. One of the school partners is a National Reference Centre on Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency that together with the Environmental Consultancy will give us support and guidance to achieve the objectives. We will also promote social inclusion patterns working on Gender Equality and integrating special needs students in the activities. This partnership brings together very diverse VET specialities and promotes cooperation, peer learning and exchange of experiences at a European level. Main activities:-CF calculation-CF reduction proposals-involving companies-environmental policy designAbout the methodology used, starting from a common challenge consisting of ""reducing the schools´ environmental impact to mitigate the effects of climate change"", we will take the different learning outcomes of the different degrees and will present challenges and suggest activities to research and come out with ideas to reduce the CF at schools. Some participating schools are immersed in the PBCL methodology and this project is perfect to develop it: setting a real problem (Carbon Emissions), working on information gathering and sharing, looking for solutions, presenting a final product and evaluating performance. We will also work on Learning and Service Methodology and will have students from the expert school carrying out an energy efficiency study in the applicant school and supporting the other schools in their analysis. We are promoting the use of free-learning tools:Expected results:- development of a common methodology to calculate and reduce the CF of vocational training centres and their associated companies- promote integral systems of environmental management in our organizations - transferability of this project to other schools- cooperation between VET and enterprises resulting in better training of future employees in terms of sustainable development- curriculum updates in terms of ""green skills"": Integration of concepts such as responsible consumption, sustainable development, circular economy, corporate social responsibility, green economy, eco-innovation..., -the expertise of students and staff in the process of calculating, reducing and offsetting the CF schools and other companies, as a result of this first-hand experience-improvement of energy efficiency in education and vocational training centres.- promotion of social entrepreneurship and active citizenshipIn the long-term, we aim to achieve:-Reinforcement of internationalisation strategies of the VET schools which can lead to future projects-Curricula updates for future VET students ( green skills)-Availability of products: CF calculation methodology, CF calculator, toolkit, Carpool, Environmental Policy model and SCR assessment."

SIMPLA responds to topic EE 7 ‘Enhancing the capacity of public authorities to plan and implement sustainable energy policies and measures’ and its ultimate goal is empowering public authorities to develop, implement and finance sustainable energy policies and actions by creating the conditions for a smart integration between SEAPs (Sustainable Energy Action Plans) and SUMPs (Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans) - or similar plans - in cities, towns and their aggregations with a population between 50.000 and 350.000 inhabitants. SIMPLA’s work-plan focuses on the establishment of a network of National Focal Points (NFPs) in 6 countries (expanding to further 12 through replication actions) merging technical expertise, methodological know-how and institutional capacity of technical partners and public authorities. The NFPs realize an ambitious, innovative work-plan, encompassing capacity building and coaching (on-site and via the web), enhancement of multi-level governance looking for synergies and economies of scale, extensive involvement of public authorities and stakeholders, promotion of mutual learning and best practices. EU added value (involving countries and areas with different levels of tradition in integrated mutli-sector planning) and capitalization of previous EU-funded initiatives are among the project's guiding principles. SIMPLA thus contributes to the EU’s energy and climate targets for 2020 and beyond, reducing GHG emissions, increasing the share from RES and improving energy efficiency, focusing upon sectors with high energy-saving potential (primarily buildings, renewables for electricity production, urban freight transport and passengers’ mobility). The intensive exploitation of existing networks to promote and support the implementation of project activities in the framework of a sound and comprehensive promotion and dissemination plan helps guarantee a consistent and significant impact on a wide, relevant and varied audience.

United Circles project will demonstrate, with 46 partners across 14 countries + 1 international body, three Industrial-Urban Symbiosis value chains, to upcycle of urban Food Waste, urban Wastewater Solids, and urban Construction & Demolition Waste (C&DW). To close urban and industrial water loops to reduce freshwater use in drought prone regions, and integrate energy co-generation technology in upcycling pathways. Made possible by advancing innovative technologies from TRL5 to TRL7 in combined integrated value chains, to enable zero waste cities and a decarbonised Process Industry. The value chains cover collection, sorting, upcycling and production of new upcycled products. To demonstrate how: 1) a demolish building’s C&DW can be transformed into a new 2 storey 3D printed building with upcycled low-carbon cement, cement bonded particle boards, and insulation foam; 2) a waste-water treatment plant can become a resource recovery centre for all materials, water and energy, in an integrated manner. By supplying high quality gas to the local gas grid, by providing upcycled cellulose as industrial feedstock to pulp & paper industries, and by providing clean water and fertilizer for agriculture; 3) food waste in the form of used cooking oil can be upcycled in a first application of 2nd generation biorefinery to create novel fully biodegradable and food waste origin bioplastic products for complete replacement of fossil fuels. The United Circles 3 value chain demonstrators will each be integrated in a Hub 4 Circularity, that will underpin their Industrial-Urban networks governance and evolution, using advanced governance frameworks, feasibility towards financing methodologies, digital tools, social and environmental innovations, and a material and products observatory. The H4C in the proposal will enable business to territory plans, with their regional stakeholder network, that seek to expand the demonstrator integrated technologies to higher TRL levels.