Impact of ENLIGHT on Partner Universities
Over the past few years, the Green Network’s supportive structure has enabled the successful implementation of joint sustainability policies across ENLIGHT as well as concrete projects and measures at individual universities. Some of these achievements were built on close cooperations that already existed between the partner universities before ENLIGHT was founded. Below you can explore a selection of these policies and projects.
Joint Policies
Sustainable and Inclusive Event Management Checklist in 2025.
ENLIGHT Sustainable Food Policy in 2025.
ENLIGHT Sustainable Travel Policy in 2024.
ENLIGHT Sustainability Engagement Agreement in 2021.
Policies, projects, and measures at the partner universities
University of the Basque Country click to scroll down for details
For the Sustainable Development Team ot the University of the Basque Country, being part of the ENLIGHT Green Network has been highly valuable. ENLIGHT’s greatest added value lies in the opportunity it provides to learn from peers and exchange best practices on embedding sustainability into all areas of university life. The network provides a trusted space in which we can openly discuss challenges, compare approaches, and draw inspiration from successful initiatives elsewhere. This peer-to-peer learning has encouraged us to reflect more critically on our own practices and identify areas for improvement. At the same time, ENLIGHT offers a platform to explore opportunities for innovation and collaboration. By sharing tools, methodologies, and pilot projects, the network enables us to test ideas that would be challenging to develop independently. Being part of ENLIGHT strengthens our confidence to advance new initiatives, accelerate our internal processes, and connect us with a wider European community that multiplies the impact of our sustainability efforts.
University of Bern click to scroll down for details
Being part of the ENLIGHT Green Network has a very positive impact on the work of the University of Bern‘s Office for Sustainable Development. The exchange within the network was particularly inspiring for integrating sustainability in the organisation of events. Valuable ideas for sustainability in laboratories were also gathered and are being incorporated into ongoing considerations. In general, cooperation within the network significantly enriches the further development of sustainable development at the University of Bern, as regular exchanges provide practical ideas, best practices, and new perspectives that strengthen and accelerate the work on site.
University of Bordeaux click to scroll down for details
Being part of the Green Network has enabled us to introduce new innovative measures within our own institution: we have been able to get our sustainable travel policy accepted, which prohibits air travel for journeys that can be made in less than 6 hours by train. We were inspired by the universities of Groningen and Ghent. It is also thanks to discussions within ENLIGHT that we were able to obtain valuable advice for our Transitioning Lab charter. We have been able to incorporate the best practices of our partners into our action sheets for laboratories. Thanks to ENLIGHT+ funding, a project allowed our shared garden leaders to meet other leaders within the programme and to visit the garden of the University of the Basque Country, which was a real source of inspiration to revitalise our Périgueux garden, which was struggling to renew itself.
Comenius University Bratislava click to scroll down for details
The establishment of the Sustainability Team at Comenius University in 2024 was inspired by the ENLIGHT alliance, which significantly strengthened the university’s commitment to sustainability (Udržateľnosť na UK) team serves as a working group dedicated to building an information network for sustainable development across the university, collecting and sharing activities that contribute to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals and advancing ENLIGHT sustainability initiatives. Its mission is to inform, connect, and empower students and staff to actively integrate sustainability into education, research, and everyday university life. With this foundation, the team seeks to establish sustainability as a core value of Comenius University, enhance institutional resilience, and position the university as a strong partner in the broader transformation towards a sustainable society.
University of Galway click to scroll down for details
Through the ENLIGHT Green Network, the University of Galway has engaged in peer-to-peer exchange on topics such as sustainable travel, sustainable food, carbon budget development and integrating the SDGs into teaching and research. Joint ENLIGHT workshops on climate action and sustainable event hosting have introduced innovative approaches now informing our own teaching, engagement, and operational practices. Student leadership exchanges – including the current ENLIGHT GreENLIGHT project – connected University of Galway student leaders with peers across Europe to co-create sustainability events, share cultural perspectives, and inspire collaborative campaigns. These experiences all influenced our sustainability initiatives on campus, ensuring they are informed by an engaged network.
Ghent University click to scroll down for details
The sustainability coordinators of the ENLIGHT partner institutions help, inspire and support each other to accelerate and scale up a socially just ecological transition within their institutions. Good practices and struggles are shared, actions of frontrunners are copied. But the entire consortium is also challenged to adopt far-reaching, frontrunners commitments in ENLIGHT‘s operations, such as a flight policy and guidelines on sustainable food (including for the conference dinner). These commitments at ENLIGHT level can also inspire those lagging behind, and certainly other partnerships.
University of Göttingen click to scroll down for details
The University of Göttingen has been cooperating with the ENLIGHT partners for many years on sustainability in research, teaching, third mission, operations, and governance. Inspired by and with the support of its partners, the University of Göttingen established an innovative Green Office in 2019 – with particular support from the University of Groningen – and set up a Senate Commission for Climate Protection and Sustainability. The Sustainable Travel Policy, as well as the guidelines and checklists for sustainable and inclusive event management developed within ENLIGHT, have been incorporated into the university’s strategic documents and are thus applied at Göttingen beyond ENLIGHT. Through joint projects such as GreENLIGHT, CARBON, and Green Labs, current challenges for the sustainable development of the University of Göttingen and the ENLIGHT partners are being discussed and solutions developed in order to make a valuable contribution to the future.
University of Groningen click to scroll down for details
The Digital CleanUp Week at the University of Groningen (UG) was inspired by the successful initiative of the University of Tartu. With this event, UG – like Tartu – aims to raise awareness about
the digital footprint we leave behind every day. Every email, every file stored in the cloud, and every unnecessary digital storage consumes energy, contributing to the university’s total energy use — around 11 million kWh per year, enough to power 4,500 households.
By organising the Digital CleanUp Week, UG encourages staff and students to clean up their digital storage together, delete unnecessary files, and reduce their digital impact. With workshops, CleanUp Cafés, and a handy guide, UG provides practical support so everyone can easily contribute to a more sustainable digital environment. This initiative aligns seamlessly with UG’s ambition to integrate sustainability into all aspects of the university – from education and research to daily operations.
University of Tartu click to scroll down for details
ENLIGHT has provided significant added value to the University of Tartu by inspiring and accelerating the integration of sustainability into university operations (Sustainable Campus at the University of Tartu). Drawing on the experiences and best practices of other ENLIGHT partner universities, the University of Tartu has strengthened its sustainability efforts, including the establishment of a Green Office in 2024, which initiates and coordinates environmentally responsible practices across the institution. Inspired by ENLIGHT’s collaborative approach, the university has also begun drafting a university-wide climate neutrality roadmap and environmental principles, aiming to set ambitious targets for reducing emissions and resource use.ENLIGHT has encouraged the university to pay greater attention to sustainable mobility and visitor experience, which is reflected in the creation of a dedicated information page on sustainable travel and living in Tartu. Additionally, the exchange of ideas within the ENLIGHT network has supported the launch of new projects focused on sustainable food choices and responsible travel, helping to foster a culture of environmental awareness and action.
Uppsala University click to scroll down for details
The creation of a Sustainability Forum at Uppsala University is partly inspired by cooperation within ENLIGHT and the work of different Green Offices at partner universities. Through ENLIGHT inspiration has also been gathered on how a sustainability forum can function, which topics or types of tasks it should focus on and how student involvement in internal environmental and climate action can increase.