Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions green charter : guidelines and examples of good practices.
Date: 2023-10-16
Institutions: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture
Subjects: EU programme, EU research policy, bio-industry, climate change policy, ecological footprint, environmental auditing, environmental impact, environmental standard, higher education, honour, innovation, professional career, recognition of vocational training qualifications, regulatory policy, research and development, sustainable development, sustainable mobility

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions 
Green Charter 

Guidelines and examples of good practices 

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EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture 
Directorate C — Innovation, Digital Education and International Cooperation 
Unit C2 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions 

E-mail:  EAC-MARIE-SKLODOWSKA-CURIE-ACTIONS@ec.europa.eu

European Commission 
B-1049 Brussels

The European Commission is not liable for any consequence stemming from the reuse of this publication. 

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2023. 
© European Union, 2023 

Reuse  is  authorised  provided  the  source  is  acknowledged.  The  reuse  policy  of  European  Commission 
documents is implemented based on Commission Decision 2011/833/EU (OJ L 330, 14.12.2011, p. 39). 

PDF 

ISBN 978-92-68-08218-8 

doi:10.2766/773713  

NC-05-23-376-EN-N 

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions 
Green Charter 

Guidelines and examples of good practices 

This guidance document is aimed at assisting applicants, beneficiaries and researchers supported by the Marie 
Skłodowska-Curie  Actions.  It  is  provided  for  information  purposes  only  and  is  not  intended  to  replace  the 
consultation  of  any  applicable  legal  sources.  The  European  Commission  (or  any  person  acting  on  its  behalf) 
cannot be held responsible for the use made of this guidance document. 

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MSCA Green Charter: Guidelines and examples of good practices 

Table of Contents 

A. 
B. 

   General Guidelines ................................................................................ 5 
   Examples of Good Practices .................................................................... 8 
B.1.    Institutional practices  ............................................................................8 
B.2.  Certifications .........................................................................................9 
B.3.  Travel Guidelines ....................................................................................9 
B.4.  Sustainability Charters .......................................................................... 10 

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MSCA Green Charter: Guidelines and examples of good practices 

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions 
Green Charter1 

Guidelines and Examples of Good Practices  

The  MSCA  Green  Charter  constitutes  a  code  of  good  practice  for  all  recipients  of  Marie 
Skłodowska Curie Actions (MSCA) funding – individuals as well as institutions – aiming at 
promoting  the  mainstreaming  of  environmental  considerations  in  all  aspects  of  project 
implementation.  The  present  document  is  a  revised  version  of  the  MSCA  Green  Charter 
Guidance Material: it aims to complement the MSCA Green Charter by providing updated 
guidelines,  examples  of  good  practices  and  other  resources  for  the  development  of 
greener policies and practices in research and project management.  

To elaborate this document, the European Commission has been largely relying on input 
from experts on greening and sustainability in higher education institutions and systems. 
The  Guidelines and Examples  of Good Practices relating to the  MSCA  Green Charter  are 
provided  for  information  purposes  only,  and  the  European  Commission  (or  any  person 
acting on its behalf) cannot be held responsible for the uses made of them. 

A. General Guidelines 

In  order  to  reduce  the  environmental  impact  of  their  research  projects,  MSCA 
beneficiaries and fellows are encouraged to: 

A1.   Implement 
greener events 

the  European  Commission’s  guidelines 

for 

European Commission’s 7 steps for greener events   

The “7 steps for greener events” guide covers in a clear and fun way all the main points 
an  event  organiser  should  consider  delivering  a  green  event.    It  is  encouraging  and 
empowering to reduce the environmental impact of operations. In the area of conference 
management, it gives, among other things, advice on easy actions to make events more 
sustainable.  

The  guide  is  designed  as  a  practical  tool  to  help  event  planners  maximise  the  positive 
environmental  impacts  and  minimise  the  potential  negative  ones  in  the  course  of 
planning  and  delivering  meetings  and  events.  It  has  been  produced  for  European 
Commission  staff,  but  many  of  the  ideas  and  approaches  are  equally  relevant  for  any 
event planner. The guide provide easy to use checklists to help assess the sustainability 
of  venues,  promotional  material  and  catering,  as  well  the  environmental  friendliness  of 
accommodation  and 
to 
reduce/reuse/recycle or share environmental awareness. 

transport,  and  provides  practical  advice  on  ways 

A.2.  Choose  Ecolabel/EMAS  hotels  while  organising  professional 

trips/conferences/events 

The EU Ecolabel for Tourist Accommodation Catalogue 

1 https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/about-msca/msca-green-charter    

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MSCA Green Charter: Guidelines and examples of good practices 

Surf  the  EU  Ecolabel  Tourist  Accommodation  Catalogue  to  find  out  more  information 
about  environmentally  friendly  services  and  to  locate  an  accommodation.  Established  in 
1992  and  recognised  across  Europe  and  worldwide,  the  EU  Ecolabel  offers  a  range  of 
tourist  accommodation,  from  campsites  to  hotels,  which  are  guaranteed  to  be 
sustainable.  

A.3. Register for the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) 

Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) Register 

Environmental  management  systems  are  one  of  the  possible  tools  for  companies  and 
other  organisations  to  improve  their  environmental  performance  whilst  saving  energy 
and other resources. The EU EMAS is a premium management instrument developed by 
the European Commission for companies and other organisations to evaluate, report, and 
improve  their  environmental  performance.  The  EMAS  register  is  an  online  database 
hosted  by  the  European  Commission  which  lists  all  EMAS  registered  organisations  and 
sites. Only those organisations and sites that have achieved EMAS registration are listed 
in the register, so you can feel confident that organisations found there are committed to 
improving their environmental performance. 

Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) User’s Guide 

The  EMAS  User’s  Guide,  which  was  developed  in  2013  and  updated  in  2017,  is  a  user-
oriented  tool  which  translates  the  EMAS  Regulation  into  practical  steps.  The  Guide 
provides clear and concrete advice for organisations interested in EMAS to facilitate and 
encourage their registration and make participation in EMAS as simple as possible. 

EMAS – Toolkit instruction manual (EMAS Implementation Tools)  

The  EMAS  implementation  tools  are  part  of  a  pilot  project  aiming  to  support  all 
organisations,  but  especially  small  and  medium-sized  organisations  (SMEs),  in  their 
implementation  of  EMAS.  The  tools  aim  to  help  find  out  what  environmental  aspects 
organisations have, decide which persons in organisations are responsible for which tasks 
related  to  the  environmental  management  system  (EMS),  and  to  collect  and  analyse 
environmental data.   

A.4. Implement the European Commission’s Green Public  

Procurement Guidelines and Toolboxes 

Buying Green Handbook  

This  Handbook  is  the  European  Commission's  main  guidance  document  to  help  public 
authorities buy goods and services with a lower environmental impact. It is also a useful 
reference for policy makers and companies responding to green tenders.  

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Guidance for bio-based products in procurement  

The guidance is developed for anyone implementing bio-based products in organisations 
or procurement – why they should be used, how to implement them in organisations and 
what  product  groups  to  focus  on.  The  guidance  aims  to  be  practical  and  contains  case 
studies providing examples of, and ideas on the uptake of innovative bio-based products 
in procurement.  

A.5. Use the Green Deal Going Local Handbook  

Green Deal Going Local Handbook 

This Handbook produced by the European Committee of the Regions  aims at supporting 
the implementation of the Green Deal at the local and regional levels. It provides a step-
by-step  guidance  and  is  adapted  to  each  local  context  (from  urban  to  rural,  mountain 
and  coastal  areas,  among  others).  It  provides  information  on  targeted  financial  and 
technical  instruments  based  on  geographical  and  institutional  assets  and  vulnerabilities. 
It  also  provides  best  practices  that  illustrate  how  the  adaptation  objectives  of  the  EU 
Green Deal can be implemented by local and regional policymakers. 

A.6. Use Carbon Footprint Calculators 

Erasmus Goes Green  

The Erasmus+ Goes Green (EGG) project aims to find solutions to reduce the transport-
related  carbon  footprint  of  higher  education  students  taking  part  in  mobility  within 
Europe and that of staff participating in transnational project cooperation activities. 

Green Algorithms 

The  Green  Algorithms  project  aims  at  promoting  more  environmentally  sustainable 
computational  science.  It  regroups  calculators  that  researchers  can  use  to  estimate  the 
carbon  footprint  of  their  projects,  tips  on  how  to  be  more  environmentally  friendly, 
training material, and past talks. 

Consumer Footprint Calculator 

The  Consumer  Footprint  Calculator  allows  EU  citizens  to  calculate  the  environmental 
impacts of their consumption patterns and to evaluate how changes in their lifestyle may 
affect their personal footprint. 

A.7. Make a Pledge and Get Involved in the European Climate Pact 

Climate Pact Pledge 

The  European  Climate  Pact  is  bringing  people  together  to  build  a  more  sustainable 
Europe for all. People,  organisations, businesses, and cities can get involved in the Pact 
by making a pledge to take a real action. As an individual, one can, for example, pledge 
to  take  fewer  flights,  or  move  money  to  a  bank  that  does  not  invest  in  fossil  fuels. 
Businesses,  organisations,  and  cities  can  make  one  of  two  types  of  pledges:  a  Pathway 
pledge,  which  represents  a  range  of  different  climate-friendly  actions,  or  the  more 
ambitious  North  Star  pledge,  which  involves  significant  and  measurable  actions  that 
contribute  to  greatly  reducing  greenhouse  gas  emissions.  The  North  Star  pledge  is 
exactly what the European Commission has committed to do.   

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B. Examples of Good Practices  

B.1. Institutional practices 

UN Environment Programme 

the  coherent 
The  United  Nations  Environment  Programme  (UNEP)  promotes 
implementation  of  the  environmental  dimension  of  sustainable  development  within  the 
UN  system  and  serves  as  an  authoritative  advocate  for  the  global  environment.  Some 
relevant UNEP initiatives for higher education and research institutions are:  

-  UNEP Sustainable University Framework  
-  UNEP Greening Universities Toolkit V2.0 
-  Global Opportunities for Sustainable Development Goals (Go for SDGs) 

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Actions Platform  

The UN SDG Actions Platform is a global registry of voluntary policies, commitments, 
multi-stakeholder partnerships and other initiatives made by governments, the UN  
system, and a broad range of stakeholders to support acceleration of the UN Sustainable  
Development Goals (SDGs).  

Sustainable European Laboratories Network (SELs) 

The  Sustainable  European  Laboratories  (SELs)  Network  was  launched  in  2022  with  a 
clear  vision  of  creating  a  collective  identity  that  advocates  for  sustainable  research 
practices in Europe. It  is organised as a network of local sustainability teams as  well as 
independent  ‘green  labs’  networks,  SELs  aim  to  transform  the  way  science  is  done  so 
that it better responds to the environmental  challenges of our era. Through high-quality 
reporting and the establishment of common standards and goals, SELs aims to increase 
the support and demand for sustainable actions in research. 

Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development (HESD) Portal  

This  global  portal  is  a  tool  developed  by  the  International  Association  of  Universities 
(IAU) for its members, partners, and the public. It provides access to university actions 
and  more  initiatives  developed  around  the  world  to  promote  sustainability.  The  portal 
lists numerous news items, events, and a great number of actions from more than 1000 
universities and several organisations globally. https://www.iau-hesd.net/  

International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN) 

The  International  Sustainable  Campus  Network  (ISCN)  is  a  global  forum  that  supports 
leading  colleges,  universities,  and  corporate  campuses  in  the  exchange  of  information, 
ideas,  and  best  practices  for  achieving  sustainable  campus  operations  and  integrating 
sustainability in research and teaching.   

Green  Guide  for  Universities  by  the  International  Alliance  of  Research 
Universities (IARU) 

The  IARU  Green  Guide  for  Universities  presents  key  issues,  recommendations,  and 
lessons  learned  by  the  International  Alliance  of  Research  Universities  (IARU).  It 
addresses  the  challenges  and  opportunities  of  campus  sustainability,  with  a  particular 

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focus  on  environmental  aspects.  The  guide  includes  inspiring  cases  that  have  made  a 
difference at the IARU universities.  

Green Office Movement 

The Green Office Movement stands for institutionalising sustainability in higher education 
by  empowering  students  and  staff  as  change-makers.  With  a  Green  Office,  a 
sustainability  office  is  established  to  inform,  connect,  and  support  students  and  staff  to 
act on sustainability. Green Office is funded and approved by university management and 
is jointly led by students and staff.  

Greener Mobility IRO Kit | Movetia 

The  Greener  Mobility  IRO  Kit  aims  to  assist  international  relations  offices  in  higher 
education  institutions  with  handling  mobility  by  increasing  student  and  staff  awareness 
regarding  choosing  a  means  of  transport  that  generates  less  CO2  than  the  plane  when 
travelling  abroad.  Each  institution  is  free  to  use  this  tool  in  accordance  with  their 
sustainable development strategy. 

Climate Action Network for International Educators (CANIE) 

CANIE is a volunteer grassroots initiative formed by international education practitioners 
from  around  the  world  who  see  the  need  for  our  sector  to  step  up  and  act  on  climate. 
CANIE serves as a platform to bring the sector together to act as a catalyst for action.  

B.2.  Certifications 

Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) 

LEAF,  developed  by  UCL,  is  an  independent  standard  which  aims  to  enable  science 
laboratories  to  improve  their  sustainability  and  efficiency.  By  joining  the  LEAF 
programme,  laboratories  reduce  their  carbon  emissions  and  create  an  environment  that 
supports research quality. LEAF programme comprises four elements: framework, online 
calculators, toolkit and resources, and user engagement and training. 

My Green Lab Certification 

Recognised  by  the  UN  Race  to  Zero  campaign  as  a  key  measure  of  progress  towards  a 
zero-carbon  future,  My  Green  Lab  Certification  is  considered  the  gold  standard  for 
laboratory  sustainability  best  practices  around  the  world.  The  programme  provides 
scientists  and  the  teams  that  support  laboratories  with  actionable  ways  to  make 
meaningful change.  

B.3. Travel Guidelines 

University Alliance for Sustainability (UAS) Travel Guidelines  

Within the framework of the University Alliance for Sustainability (UAS), Freie Universität 
Berlin, and its four strategic partner universities focus on sustainability as an overarching 
theme  for  collaboration  in  research,  teaching,  and  campus  management.  These  travel 
guidelines  can  be  used  to  inform  and  inspire  the  wider  academic  sustainability 
community to take appropriate steps of their own. 

Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS) Travel Guidelines  

These travel guidelines apply to all staff and guests associated with LUCSUS, with an eye 
to  creating  a  working  and  learning  environment  in  which  environmental  sustainability  is 

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prioritised.  They  can  be  used  to  inform  LUCSUS  teaching  and  inspire  students  to  take 
corresponding steps of their own. 

Tyndall Centre Travel Strategy 

The  Tyndall  Travel  Strategy  was  developed  by  researchers  at  the  Tyndall  Centre  for 
Climate  Change  Research.  It  aims  to  help  individual  researchers  and  the  Centre  as  a 
whole  to  reduce  their  emissions  through  time.  It  includes  a  code  of  conduct,  and  a 
system to monitor and justify travel emissions and to support individual commitments to 
reducing emissions. It is a code of conduct to support a low-carbon research culture.  

Sustainable Travel Policy by Ghent University 

This  Sustainable  Travel  Policy  summarises  different  measures  implemented  by  multiple 
departments at  Ghent  University in Belgium. It includes measures such as choosing not 
to fly to cities easily reachable without an airplane, by compensating CO2 emissions and 
by adding an extra check-up when it comes to the value of faraway conferences. 

Sustainable Mobility and Transport Policy by Politecnico di Torino (PoliTO) 

PoliTO promotes integration of sustainability principles in its activities including teaching, 
research, third mission and campus management. It is aimed at developing principles of 
sustainability  in  a  shared  and  systematic  strategy,  in  acknowledgement  of  the  SDGs 
adopted with the 2030 Agenda by the UN.   

Sustainable Travel Policy of KU Leuven University 

Sustainable  travel  policy  is  one  of  the  priorities  of  the  strategic  plan  laid  out  by  KU 
Leuven  University  in  Belgium,  and  part  of  its  efforts  in  moving  toward  becoming  truly 
sustainable  and  climate-neutral  by  2050.  To  reduce  CO2  emissions,  the  university 
implements  its  travel  policy  regarding  all  staff  members.  The  travel  policy  focuses  on 
three  action  points:  avoiding  transportation,  taking  the  train  more  often,  and 
compensating for CO2 emissions.   

Guidance 
Researchers 

for  Sustainable  Business  Travel 

for  Staff  and  Postgraduate 

This  guidance  lays  out  recommendations  and  actions  to  reduce  carbon  emissions  from 
the  University  of  Glasgow’s  business  travel.  This  includes  all  travel  associated  with  the 
university’s work, including for research and for recruitment and teaching. 

Bookdifferent.com 

Bookdifferent.com  is  committed  to  making  all  aspects  of  holiday  as  sustainable  as 
possible  while  keeping  things  easy  for  travellers.  It  provides  eco-certified  hotels, 
responsible  destinations,  plastic-free  travel  options  and  information  about  responsible 
transportation methods.     

B.4. Sustainability Charters and Strategies  

Sustainable  Campus  Charter  by  International  Sustainable  Campus  Network 
ISCN 

The  ISCN  Sustainable  Campus  Charter  2018  reflects  the  guiding  principles  of  the  ISCN, 
that is, that organisations for research and higher education have a unique role to play in 

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developing  the  technologies,  strategies,  citizens,  and  leaders  required  for  a  more 
sustainable  future. Signatories to the Charter  commit to  follow and  support five calls to 
action.  These  are:  at  institutional  level  -  embedding  sustainability  in  all  aspects  of  the 
university,  creating  an  environment  that  cultivates  resilient,  empowered,  caring  and 
engaged  students,  staff,  and  faculty  who  will  contribute  to  the  health  of  people  and 
places,  and  engage  with  external  partners,  industry,  government  and  civil  society  to 
disseminate knowledge, research, and best practices to benefit the communities in which 
they  serve;  and  at  network  collaboration  level  –  deepening  and  broadening  the 
collaboration  that  happens  between  members  of  the  network  to  accelerate  collective 
action, and ensuring that the network is significantly inspiring international dialogue and 
debating to contribute to the SDGs.  

Environmental Sustainability Strategy by Further Education Colleges in London  

This  strategy  provides  for  a  whole  college  approach  to  environmental  sustainability, 
which endorses and aligns with the FE Climate Action Roadmap. It has been informed by 
stakeholder engagement events with staff, leaders and Governors and a learner survey. 
The strategy specifies actions starting from 2021 leading to 2025. The College has set a 
target to become net carbon zero by 2030.   

Charter of Commitments to Sustainability by the University of Padua  

The Sustainability Commitments Charter defines the University’s sustainability goals for a 
five-year period (2023-2027), linking scientific-technological innovation and management 
methods,  objectives  and  measures  to  be  implemented,  with  a  focus  on  communication 
and the involvement of all members of the university community.  

Code of Ethics of the University of Oviedo   

As  part  of  the  Code  of  Ethics,  the  university  includes  environmental  and  sustainability 
clauses  in  all  procurement  procedures  that  are  encouraged.  Research  staff  are 
encouraged to run their projects and as far as possible within a context of environmental 
and social sustainability.    

Climate Emergency Declaration of the Freie Universität Berlin  

Freie Universität Berlin declared a state of climate emergency in December 2019.  Some 
of  the  resolutions  in  the  declaration  comprises  are  as  follows:  considering  the  possible 
consequences  for  climate  in  all  decisions  and  plans,  and  making  sustainability  and 
climate protection even more visible in research, teaching, and transfer in the future and 
systematically embedding these in international networks.  

For  more  information:  https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/about-
msca/msca-green-charter  

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