The transition to a low-carbon energy economy is fundamental to achieve the EU2030 climate and energy targets, yet it could bring risks (i.e. carbon physical and financial stranded assets) for the energy sector as well as for financial portfolios invested in energy companies. In order to understand and manage risks, as well as to recognize and exploit opportunities in the low-carbon energy transition, the energy expert of the future needs to dispose of an interdisciplinary background and skills in sustainable energy and finance, rooted on robust metrics and methods for investments’ risk management. Developing and piloting on one hand a Joint Study Programme and on the other hand a Professional Module, the project intends to target both HE students and professional personnel already operating in the energy sector and whose skills gap needs to be covered. The GrEnFIn project develops an innovative educational program that promotes cross-fertilization among research domains. The educational program will be co-designed with a large forum of business stakeholders and practitioners reached by a widespread/diversified Consortium, and will be tested in summer schools and pilot classes. The successful outcome of the project will lead to the development of the first joint EU degree in green energy and finance. The quality and effectiveness of GrEnFIn education will be continuously monitored and evaluated in order to timely address potential critical points, thus maximizing the impact of the project. GrEnFIN’s results will be disseminated and made accessible to academic and non-academic stakeholders via a virtual platform, which will be operating beyond the end of the project to innovate educational programs, interact and create a community of Sustainable Energy experts, to access to several facilities and services for enterprises. Thus, GrEnFin will introduce a breakthrough in building skills in sustainable energy and finance, with a major societal and business impact.
GrEnFIn Project supports the sustainability and resource efficiency of the Energy Sector by training professionals in the energy sector as well as creating, supporting and developing a long-lasting network among energy providers, private companies and universities coherently with action 2.2.23 of EU Green Deal. It aims to provide to the Energy Sector’s stakeholders the figure of the Sustainable Energy Experts, capable to face the changing challenges in the field with an inclusive global logic.
The transition to a low-carbon economy is a keystone in the EU2030 program. To favor it, EU policy on higher education and Transformation Agenda, and the Final Report of the High-Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance (HLEG, January 2018) recognized the need to update academic and professional curricula in order to increase financial literacy on sustainability issues and to update their participation in educational programs to fill in the existent gap.
<< Background >> The transition to a low-carbon economy is a keystone in the EU2030 program. To favor it, EU policy on higher education and Transformation Agenda, and the Final Report of the High-Level Expert Group on Sustainable Finance (HLEG, January 2018) recognized the need to update academic and professional curricula in order to increase financial literacy on sustainability issues and to update their participation in educational programs to fill in the existent gap. << Objectives >> GrEnFIn Project supports the sustainability and resource efficiency of the Energy Sector by training professionals in the energy sector as well as creating, supporting and developing a long-lasting network among energy providers, private companies and universities coherently with action 2.2.23 of EU Green Deal. It aims to provide to the Energy Sector’s stakeholders the figure of the Sustainable Energy Experts, capable to face the changing challenges in the field with an inclusive global logic. << Implementation >> The Project was characterized by: Needs analysis and translation into learning outcomes, Testing and piloting, Validation. They were steered by an inclusive inspiration principle assuring a wide consultation, reviewing and dissemination in terms of numerosity and diversification of the audience per target groups and geographical areas covered. All the phases have been conceived in view of the final goal reached through a joint management and a QA plan, fully compliant to the KA-E+ principles. << Results >> Our main results are the development of an innovative Multiple Master Degree targeting young students, and a Professional Module to train companies’ staff. A piloting/testing phase allowed us to set up Summer Schools and Training where innovative methodologies were proposed to exploit the synergies of academic and professional trainers/trainees in teamwork inspired by real case-studies. The GrEnFIn platform became the center of a new community strengthening our contributions to the EU policies.