Youth Leading Climate Action for Sustainable Cities

This year’s World Cities Day focuses on the theme “Youth Leading Climate and Local Action for Cities.” Young people are stepping up, advocating for bolder actions to tackle the climate crisis in our urban environments. Their voices and actions are crucial in shaping a sustainable future.

The Role of Education in Climate Action

Climate action can start in schools and universities. Education plays a vital role in helping students understand the climate challenges we face and how we can transform our cities into resilient and liveable spaces. With buildings being the single largest energy consumer inEurope, responsible for over one-third of the EU’s energy-related green house gas emissions, the need for action is urgent.

According to the European Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, all new buildings must be nearly zero-energy buildings (NZEB) as of 2021. This is part of Europe's ambitious goal to decarbonise the built environment by 2050.

Empowering Young People

So, how can young people contribute to this collective effort? Higher education institutions must offer programs that align with the needs of the building and energy sectors. Upskilling students and professionals in new practices, content, and tools is essential to achieving these ambitious goals.

This is where the nZEBRA course comes in! The nZEBRA course is designed to empower learners to develop innovative solutions for implementing NZEB and Zero Energy Building (ZEB) concepts in the built environment. This intensive, blended course on climate-neutral buildings is built on micro-credentials and can be accredited as either an elective or mandatory component of Master’s programs, offering specific ECTS credits.

Course Highlights

Students will become familiar with a range of critical concepts, including:

1. Circular economy: Resource efficient energy and materials for reduced carbon footprint: Understanding its basics and importance for climate     neutrality, focusing on resource efficiency and sustainable practices in construction.
2. Climate resilience: Adapting buildings to climate change: Studying climate change adaptation, and topics such as climate variation, multiscale climate modelling, extreme weather events, and their impact on building performance.
3. Energy buildings: Advance Energy Management and Production: Exploring renewable energy systems, energy efficiency, storage, and demand response     in the context of smart buildings and NZEB.
4. Smart buildings: Modern technologies and systems integration: Gaining practical knowledge on building “smartness”, entailing the building’s ability to sense, interpret, communicate and actively respond to changing internal and external conditions as well as building occupants’ behaviour.     
5. Green construction: Life Circle Analysis of Buildings: Promoting an in-depth understanding of the environmental impacts associated with building materials in different     construction processes and learning how to assess building materials in construction process for sustainability and whether they meet carbon neutral standards. 
6. Indoor climate: basics on heating, cooling and ventilation

Conclusion

As we celebrate World Cities Day, it's essential to recognise the role of youth in leading climate action. Through educational initiatives like the nZEBRA course, we are equipping the next generation with the knowledge and skills they need to address climate challenges effectively. By fostering innovative thinking and practical skills, we can empower young leaders to create sustainable, resilient urban environments that will benefit future generations. Together, we can make a significant impact on the future of our built environment and our planet.

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