Addressing Climate Change through Design Thinking for a Green, no Waste Economy Erasmus Project

Project Title

Addressing Climate Change through Design Thinking for a Green, no Waste Economy

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for vocational education and training

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Social/environmental responsibility of educational institutions; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

Circular economy refers to production processes that reduce waste, emissions, and energy leakage through reuse, re-manufacturing, recycling, and up-cycling. In 2014 the EU set ambitions goals on waste management, aiming at a more circular approach to the economy. Circular models divert from traditional production where input resources result, after processing, to discarded waste, emissions, or energy leakage by keeping materials in the production loop. Circular production is related to the concepts of responsible production and consumption. It relies “living” systems that exploit closed loops in economy to, as much as possible, use waste in future production cycles. Well-designed circular processes do not affect consumer satisfaction, business costs, or revenues, but lead to a reduced environmental footprint. In the face of climate change, circular practices can contribute to environmentally friendly business processes that support the long term well being of individuals and communities.
Circular practices span economic sectors. For example, materials used in the tourism sector are recycled in furniture manufacturing, coffee waste can be used in agriculture as fertilizer, food waste can be used for feeding animals, renewable energy and water management models can contribute to reduced emissions, etc.
Circular design is highly relevant in the heavily production- or service-based TVET sector. Qualification needs in TVET are changing to reflect the societal shift and sensitivities towards a green economy (CEDEFOP). Green skills are high in demand in sectors ranging from computers to energy production, construction, waste management, transport, agriculture, and more (OECD). Most jobs require the “greening” of day to day skill sets, work methods, and occupational profiles (the Expert Group on Future Skills Needs). TVET students would be better placed in the job market through circular skills such as:

– Understand the benefits of a circular economy, material reuse, and no waste cycles and strategies for achieving them.
– Understand cross sector synergies towards a circular economy.
– Be able to earn rapidly as technology evolves.
– Have social competencies and collaborate effectively with individuals with diverse backgrounds.
– Have circular mindsets on responsible consumption.
– Practice empathy for understanding societal sensitivities towards climate change and environmental protection.
– Think creatively to identify areas of potential improvement in production processes in terms of reducing emission and waste and reusing waste.
– Be able to work within limited resources and timelines.

Design4Climate aims to empower vocational education students aged 16-21 through effective training to redesign production towards a circular, environmentally sustainable economy. The project targets TVET in general, due to the cross-sector nature of a circular economy (i.e. waste from one sector being used in another). The project aims to build core green economy skills that are broadly applicable in TVET. Learners will be challenged to turn traditional production process to circular through design thinking principles in educational scenarios inspired by real world cases.

The project uses design thinking as a learning methodology. Design thinking aims to best address needs by understanding how a user experiences a service. It is based on principles of empathizing with users, ideating for generating a plethora of ideas on tackling an issue, prototyping, and validating ideas through user engagement. When properly applied, design thinking has the potential of reaching solutions to challenges problems for which none appears to exist at first glance.
Learning will be delivered through digital collaborative services that will support design thinking activities of understanding real rather than perceived needs, defining an accurate problem statement, brainstorming, reviewing, contributing to the enrichment of peer ideas, and validating solutions to ensure that user needs are effectively met. Gamification elements, such as clear objectives, timely feedback, recognition, and more, will promote reinforcement of knowledge and student engagement. Design4Climate will further support the integration of proposed design thinking approaches in learning through good practice guidelines targeting educators.

The project promotes quality vocational education through innovative, digitally enabled learning design that links green educational activities to industry needs and societal demands. It empowers students to become active and civically minded professionals, able to design services better fitted for consumers. It contributes to long-term sustainable development by promoting core skills on environmentally responsible, human centered production. And it promotes responsible practices of TVET providers on social and environmental sustainability through learning activities that help mitigate climate change.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 246707 Eur

Project Coordinator

POLITECHNIKA LODZKA & Country: PL

Project Partners

• УНИВЕРСИТЕТ ПО БИБЛИОТЕКОЗНАНИЕ И ИНФОРМАЦИОННИ ТЕХНОЛОГИИ / UNIVERSITET PO BIBLIOTEKOZNANIE I INFORMACIONNI TEHNOLOGII
• HÄLSINGLANDS UTBILDNINGSFÖRBUND
• Agrupamento de Escolas de Silves
• PANEPISTIMIO THESSALIAS