Institutions

Successful participation in the first edition of this initiative, aimed at mobility students and organised by the Vice-Rectorate for International Projection, in collaboration with the Vice-Rectorate for Sustainability, Health and Sports, and the UNIgreen Alliance. The awards consisted of vouchers redeemable for UAL services and were presented during the ‘Orientation Days.’

Rebecca Essikman, an Erasmus student from Universität Potsdam, Germany, found her journey to the UAL an enriching experience from the moment she left her hometown. She expressed this sentiment after receiving the UAL-UNIgreen Travel Award, a new initiative created by the European Alliance in collaboration with University of Almería’s Vice-Rectorates for Sustainability, Health and Sports, and International Projection. This award aims to raise awareness of the climate crisis and encourage actions to mitigate climate change caused by human activity, particularly in the area of mobility.

Transportation contributes significantly to the ecological footprint, both directly and indirectly. To reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from travel, it is crucial to opt for low-emission transportation and reduce the use of private vehicles. This aligns with the European Commission’s ERASMUS+ Program guidelines. The large number of mobility students traveling to UAL’s campus was seen as an opportunity to promote sustainable practices, resulting in a contest designed to encourage such behaviour and promote it widely on social media.

The contest’s goal was to reward students who made an eco-friendly journey, promoting sustainable mobility that enhances environmental protection, fosters community, and encourages alternatives to high-emission transport. It also sought to raise awareness of the skills needed to meet global challenges. Rebecca Essikman, who stood out the most, urged others “not to be afraid of hitchhiking or carpooling, because in addition to helping the planet, it’s a way to socialise and have an enriching experience”. She travelled 3,037 kilometres while minimising her environmental impact.

The prize, 300 euros in vouchers redeemable for sports, cultural activities, or language courses at UAL, was presented by the Vice-Rector for Sustainability, Health and Sports, Gabriel Aguilera, alongside the Director of the UNIgreen European University Secretariat, Irene Martínez. This took place to the applause of the 400 mobility students gathered in UAL’s auditorium. Additional prizes of 200 and 100 euros in vouchers were awarded to Nele Schnars from the Technische Universität Braunschweig for traveling 2,879 kilometres by train, and to Leonie Hlerding and Agnieszka Obermajer, who both travelled to Almería by bus, from Berlin and Brzeg, Poland, respectively.

Gabriel Aguilera praised the collaboration between the three parties in achieving the common goal of “introducing sustainability in all UAL activities.” He highlighted the significant impact that student travel has on the carbon footprint and noted that “public transport, carpooling, and even cycling in some cases” were among the methods used by the students. He expressed the university’s intention to promote cycling within the campus. Aguilera also emphasised that “Europe mandates that sustainability be integrated into all activities,” noting that it was pleasing to see students so aware of this issue.

Irene Martínez acknowledged the limited time available to announce the contest but was pleased with the strong participation. She explained that the contest was part of the ‘Green Travel’ initiative, supported by a ‘Guide for Sustainable Travel to UAL,’ available on the university’s website. This initiative encourages students to use sustainable transport for their Erasmus journeys, in line with EU practices. The event also served as an opportunity to present UNIgreen, which Martínez described as “a cross-cutting project for the entire UAL”.

The participating students were required to document their ‘green trip’ by sharing their experiences on Instagram, posting at least three photos or videos (from the start, midpoint, and end of the journey), and submitting their transportation tickets to the organisers. They used the hashtag #UNIgreenTravelAward, tagging @unigreenalliance and @unialmeria. The evaluation committee, consisting of the two vice-rectors, the Rector’s delegate for UNIgreen, the head of International Students, and alliance technical staff, assessed submissions based on transportation methods, distance, and creativity of the posts.