Education
Sustainability and teaching
The University of Barcelona coordinates CHARM-EU, a European University alliance co-funded under the Erasmus+ programme and established together with Trinity College Dublin, Utrecht University, the University of Montpellier and Eötvös Loránd University Budapest. Through the alliance, the UB seeks to build a sustainable future, implementing innovative, transdisciplinary forms of learning and offering students the master's degree in Global Challenges for Sustainability.
Outside the CHARM-EU framework, the University strives to integrate knowledge of sustainable development and climate change into all of its studies, irrespective of the branch of knowledge. As described in the Sustainability Report for the academic year 2021-2022, the University will design an online subject for bachelor's degree students specifically to foster greater understanding of sustainability issues.
Outside the CHARM-EU framework, the University strives to integrate knowledge of sustainable development and climate change into all of its studies, irrespective of the branch of knowledge. As described in the Sustainability Report for the academic year 2021-2022, the University will design an online subject for bachelor's degree students specifically to foster greater understanding of sustainability issues.
Commitment to the 2030 Agenda
We are committed to the training of teachers to ensure the presence of social responsibility and sustainable development in both teaching and research activities. Through the Institute of Professional Development we have organized several training courses that help promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined in the 2030 Agenda, including the following:
- The 2030 Agenda as a resource for critical education in global citizenship
- Sustainability and the SDGs in our teaching: let's take action!
- Now more than ever, consume energy responsibly! SDGs and the 2030 Agenda
Eyes of the Future competition
At the UB, we not only work to generate activities related to the fight against climate change but also seek to join existing initiatives. On 5 March 2025, nine students from the faculties of Law, Biology, Psychology and Chemistry took part in a competition organized by the Coimbra Group in association with Utrecht University.
During the event, teams of students worked to address challenges related to the Sustainable Development Goals using Utrecht2040, a mobile application developed by the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development. By completing various tasks, the students were able to reflect on the urban environment of Barcelona and propose solutions for designing the cities of the future.
During the event, teams of students worked to address challenges related to the Sustainable Development Goals using Utrecht2040, a mobile application developed by the Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development. By completing various tasks, the students were able to reflect on the urban environment of Barcelona and propose solutions for designing the cities of the future.
Key proposals include installing waste bins with recycling options in public areas, planting native varieties of trees, and replacing asphalted squares with community gardens. Other suggestions included the creation of green spaces to promote biodiversity and mitigage the heat island effect and the installations of beehives on rooftops. The students also placed a particular focus on aspects of the urban landscape that are often overlooked, such as the availability of charging stations for electric vehicles on university sites and the continued presence of hostile architecture around the city.
Climate emergency in the Mediterranean
As part of the Climate Emergency in the Mediterranean event, the UB hosted a university simulation of the United Nations Annual Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP27), organized in collaboration with PRIMA (a European Union scientific innovation programme involving and nineteen Mediterranean countries), the Vives Network of Universities, and Pompeu Fabra University. The event brought together undergraduate, master's and doctoral students, and their proposals and conclusions were presented at the COP27 summit held in Sharm el-Sheikh (Egypt).
