Trends in resource use and energy consumption indicate that current forms of industrial production are not sustainable in the long term. Many industrial production systems continue to be inefficient and wasteful and thereby threaten to overwhelm the assimilative capacity of our planet. In order to reverse these developments, industries need to radically improve their energy efficiency, reduce their resource consumption, and curb the release of harmful by-products.
This calls for the development of new approaches towards industrial development. Building a sustainable economy requires greener industries and enterprises.
Substantial steps in innovation, investment, implementation, and mainstreaming are necessary to improve current systems of industrial production and consumption for them to be able to actively contribute to environmental and socio-economic progress.
The greening of industries and enterprises provides stability and resilience to economic development and improves job and income security, energy reliability, and human well-being. The third international Summer Course “Green Industry: Pathways Towards the Industry of the Future” organized together with the Central European University in Budapest reflects UNIDO’s genuine commitment to seeking innovative solutions and building new capacities in industrial development.
Concept of the course
Now running for its third consecutive year and with some 300 alumni from countries all around the world, the Green Industry summer course provides participants with the opportunity to put the concept of “Green Industry” into practice and help improve the industry’s environmental performance. Participants will
- reflect on the technical requirements of green industrial development as well as on the strategies, policies, laws, and regulations necessary for its successful implementation;
- examine institutional platforms for the promotion and dissemination of resource-efficient and cleaner production methods and economically viable, socially equitable, and environmentally sustainable technologies;
- develop strategies for a Green Industry in line with socio-economic and environmental goals and targets.
The course is targeted at young professionals in the fields of Resource Efficient and Cleaner Production (RECP), members of non-governmental organizations involved in environmental advocacy, and PhD students with a background in technical or policy-related studies in Green Industry. It addresses individuals in industry or in institutions assisting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the implementation of RECP methods, environmental management systems (EMS), low-carbon measures, and eco-designs.
Participants are expected to have an academic background and/or practical knowledge of environmental management systems, Green Industry, resource efficiency as well as of the global and national policy frameworks for green industrial development.
Course design
The course is based on a genuinely interdisciplinary approach. It sets out with a one-month preliminary distance learning component which ensures that all participants share a common knowledge base concerning issues of Green Industry and resource efficiency.
Active engagement in online discussions, an in-depth case study prepared by participants related to the green industry and their company/organization, industry, and/or specific country context and a multiple choice test form the selection process for the face-to-face component of the course.
The two-week residential part of the course offers a dynamic mix of lecture-based and participatory teaching methods. A database of key literature and case studies, a discussion forum, and a shared virtual workspace complement the program. Participants will be encouraged to apply environmental and environment-related management methods and tools in support of the Green Industry.
Seminars and group discussions will foster lively debate on case studies while peer reviews and practical exercises will increase participants’ skills and effectiveness in designing and implementing policies, strategies, and projects related to sustainable industrial development.
For the final assignment, participants will be required to develop a Green Industry strategy or transition plan for a particular region, organization, company, or sector.
More on the course and its previous editions in 2012 and 2013 on UNIDO Institute's website.
Completed CEU Summer University Application Form
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Notes:
- You may apply to a maximum of two summer courses. In case of being admitted, you can only attend both if the two courses do not overlap in time.
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Inquiries
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Notification
The SUN Office will notify applicants about the selection results in April. Please check the 'Dates and deadlines' section on the relevant course websites for notification deadlines planned earlier or later. The final decision is not open to appeal.