From 9 to 13 February 2026, ESPOL is organising its first Green Week, a series of initiatives, debates and lectures focusing on climate and sustainable development issues.
ESPOL Green Week: a week to think and act in response to the climate crisis
The climate crisis: a global challenge with multiple implications
The climate crisis constitutes one of the most profound and complex challenges of our time. It affects ecosystems, economies, political institutions, and social relations across the globe, while exacerbating existing inequalities and vulnerabilities. Scientific evidence leaves little doubt about the scale and severity of the problem, and the window of opportunity to effectively mitigate climate change and adapt to its consequences is rapidly closing. This growing urgency demands not only decisive action by political actors and institutions but also sustained engagement from knowledge institutions that shape public debate, research agendas, and educate future generations.
The role of knowledge institutions in the face of the climate emergency
As a School dedicated to the study of public policies, politics, and governance ESPOL recognizes its responsibility to contribute to the collective effort to address climate change. Within the scope of what is possible in a higher education context, ESPOL is committed to fostering critical reflection, advancing interdisciplinary research, and encouraging informed public engagement on climate-related issues. This commitment is grounded in the understanding that climate change is not only an environmental problem, but a deeply political and societal one.
ESPOL’s Green Week: an academic and student mobilisation
The first ESPOL Green Week embodies this institutional commitment. Conceived as a week-long series of events, and as an initiative within the TransformEU Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, the Green Week involves teaching, research, and student-led initiatives to raise awareness, stimulate debate, and explore diverse strategies available to address climate change challenges. The Green Week follows a climate mainstreaming approach, aiming to integrate climate concerns across all sectors of society, including the domains of education and research.
Programme of the Green Week (9 — 13 February, 2026)
Teaching
Throughout Green Week, many courses will incorporate elements aimed at raising awareness of climate issues, in connection with their respective subject areas. This cross-cutting approach will make it possible to address environmental issues from a variety of perspectives.
Research
ESPOL-Lab invites the academic community and the general public to take part in the panel discussion “From Climate Crisis to Transformation: Rethinking Pathways to Sustainability”, to be held on 12 February 2026, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
With Joost DE MOOR, UCLouvain, Belgium; Joseph EARSOM, ESPOL, Catholic University of Lille; Lisanne GROEN, Open Universiteit, the Netherlands.
Student initiatives
Le Caribou, ESPOL’s environmental student association, is organising several workshops and events during Green Week:
- 11/02: Sale of responsible baskets (homemade laundry detergent, reusable wipes and sponges, Tupperware, etc.) during the student association event Esponoche
- 13/02: Creative workshop — making eco-friendly products (reusable cotton pads, reusable sponges, etc.)
- 14/02: Clean Walk, in partnership with the Ecolaw association (more information to come)
An Invitation to Participate and Engage in Debate
All ESPOL students and staff members are warmly invited to participate, contribute, and take part in discussions throughout the week!
