GreenMinds main objectives were: • To promote the significant importance of environmental awareness and practices and the adaptation of relevant Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by SMEs. •To develop an open and accessible online “Green Social Network” platform for VET organisations to network, communicate and enhance their environmental CSR activities. • To address and map the current needs and requirements of SMEs, concerning their environmental CSR activities. • To provide SMEs with insight into critical CSR tools and information to support their work. • To create a CSR Green “Bible”, a detailed step-by-step guide providing insight on the best environmental CSR strategies, targeted for SMEs. • To assist our target groups, by providing an appropriate framework and communication methodology for CSR adaptation practices. • To assist VET org.s in examining issues in a new perspective and support initiative-taking. • To enhance green business opportunities among SMEs through the networking element provided by the online platform. • To facilitate knowledge exchange and environmental awareness. • To nurture and strengthen team morale by developing an online community of users for interacting, changing ideas.
Climate change, environmental issues and sustainability are topics of significant importance in the modern world. By halting global warming and mitigating its impact, Europe hopes to become the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. With Europe's latest development policy, namely the Green Deal, there is a great expectation and movement towards circular economy and bioeconomy. At the same time, companies' actions have a major impact on citizens' lives in the EU and EU citizens expect from businesses to be aware of their positive and negative effects on society and the environment. Consequently, companies are obliged to handle and minimize any negative consequences they may cause, and this obligation is commonly known as Corporate social responsibility' (CSR). In the last years, public attention and government actions to promote CSR have begun to concentrate on the majority group of VETs. In VETs there is a large need to confront with broadly understood Corporate Social Responsibility and educate learners, managers and employees in this respect. GreenMinds aimed to address these issues by providing training and educational content to assist VETs stakeholders and employees develop robust environmental CSR strategies.