A globalized world asks for renewed sustainable development objectives in terms of environmental, economic and social targets. This reiterates the relevance of geoethics since the latter highlights and debates the value and the utility of sustainability. As stated by many researchers, numerous societal issues concerning the planet are not related to their scientific understanding but rather to ethical dilemmas. In this sense, geoethics covers a continuum of concerns, from establishing clear professional codes of practice to developing global legal frameworks and good governance processes for planet Earth. Project GOAL (Geoethics Outcomes and Awareness Learning), is an international partnership that leverages synergies so as to achieve its main objective: to develop a transnational syllabus, and corresponding educational resources, directed at the awareness and learning of geoethics in higher education, a syllabus that will enhance students’ knowledge, skills and competencies and will be suitable for application in universities and other educational establishments. The project will follow an educationally contextualized approach centred in ICT resources, andbook (Ebook) and an online platform that will be ensued by an international network formed by 24 researchers, from Portugal (coordinator country), Italy, Spain, Austria, Lithuania and Israel. The operational capabilities of this network, that connects knowledge from overlapping areas, such as geohazards, geoscience education, environmental sciences, geoparks and informatics in education will benefit both the conceptual development and the overall framework of geoethics at EU level and in relation to a specific target group of Higher Education. The project will reach beyond the active project partners through the distribution of a handbook of good practices in geoethics that will help early-stage professional geoscientists to address ethical challenges. The network of contacts of this international partnership will reach potential stakeholders and NGOs that deal with education. Achieving the objectives of GOAL will allow international partners, as well as the scientific community, to set new objectives and seek new horizons in the field of geoethics.
The Earth system is dramatically changing. This fact is evidenced by the effects of climate change, having an impact, such as water availability and quality, the increasing number of natural disasters, and the artificialization of natural landscapes, among other aspects. In this scenario, human behavior towards planet Earth has particular relevance. A globalized world asks for renewed sustainable development objectives regarding environmental, economic, and social targets. It is necessary to change behaviors in a contextualized and holistic direction, supported by ethical values in favour of planetary sustainability. This reiterates the relevance of geoethics since the latter highlights and debates the value and the utility of sustainability. As stated by many researchers, numerous societal issues concerning the planet are not related to their scientific understanding but rather to ethical dilemmas. In this sense, geoethics covers a continuum of concerns, from establishing clear professional codes of practice to developing global legal frameworks and good governance processes for planet Earth. Recognizing the power of education to reach and transform the society, Project GOAL (Geoethics Outcomes and Awareness Learning) was an international partnership that leveraged synergies to achieve its main objective: to develop a transnational syllabus and related educational resources directed at the awareness and learning of geoethics in higher education. The GOAL syllabus may enhance students' knowledge, skills, and competencies and is suitable to be used in universities and other educational establishments. The project followed an educationally contextualized approach and delivered a handbook (eBook), and an online platform (https://goal-erasmus.eu). Grounded on the belief that improvement of future citizens' training is essential, experts of six countries developed Erasmus+ project GOAL outcomes. It was possible to combine knowledge from multiple areas, mobilized for creating the geoethical syllabus and more than a dozen educational resources within the scope of compiled it in an eBook "Teaching Geoethics: Resources for Higher Education" (available in https://goal-erasmus.eu/ehandbook/). Towards its chapters, this eBook presents the theoretical support for the entire syllabus and its educational resources application on higher education context worldwide in a clear but also profound manner. By covering a range of topics (such as the theoretical aspects of geoethics, geological resources exploitation, geoheritage, water and georisks management), these educational tools provide the possibility to teach and learn geoethics in an interdisciplinary and meaningful way, Geoscientists endowed with an ethical understanding of their actions on the planet are professionals more conscious about the Earth's importance for the human species prosperity and survival. Achieving GOAL's objectives allow international partners and the scientific community to set new goals and seek new horizons in geoethics.