This study mapped how schools across the EU can integrate sustainable design with learning practices that support student health and well-being, positioning schools as hubs for climate resilience and sustainability. Its objectives were to:
- map national approaches to sustainable school learning environments;
- assess how physical spaces influence student outcomes;
- identify challenges and enablers at policy and institutional levels; and
- provide practical guidance for schools and policymakers.
As the first study of its kind at EU level, the research team navigated the challenge of variability in data availability across Member States and the breadth of stakeholder engagement required. To address these challenges, the study employed a multi-method approach, combining:
- literature and policy reviews across all EU Member States;
- comparative analysis of national policies and strategic documents;
- an open call for good practices, coupled with desk research;
- case studies of innovative schools and policy initiatives;
- scoping and validation workshops with a variety of stakeholders to test and refine findings.
The project delivered a final report, a toolkit for schools, a compendium of good practices, case studies, and an animated video. Findings were presented at a final webinar attended by over 220 participants from 37 countries, spanning policymakers, architects, educators, researchers, and parents.
Approximately ten months after its completion, early signs of impact are already visible across multiple levels. At the highest level, the study was directly cited in a formal European Commission Communication (COM(2025) 1026 on the New European Bauhaus, December 2025), placing it at the heart of EU-level green transition policy. The dissemination webinar drew 220+ participants from 37 countries, and the outputs were cross-cited by a Horizon Europe project (NBS EduWORLD), indicating reach well beyond the typical DG EAC policy audience.
At the national level, uptake has been concrete and wide-ranging. In Italy, the study was presented at a Ministry of Education teacher training course and shared with the Ministry of the Environment's National Group for a Culture of Sustainability; a regional government body (Città Metropolitana di Roma) and the national sustainability association (IASS) also publicly recognised the Liceo Keplero di Roma as an EU-validated best practice, amplifying the school's profile domestically. In Portugal, the study has been incorporated into the reference framework of PlanAPP (the national centre for public policy planning and evaluation), where it is expected to inform future work on school infrastructure and sustainability. At the practitioner level, schools have used the Toolkit to pursue green certification, embed sustainability into teacher training and school spaces. At least one educator was inspired to transform their school garden into a living STEM lab, with composting, water conservation, and biodiversity stations now used for outdoor learning activities.