Cyberfootprint Solutions: Strategies for a Lighter Digital Impact

Cyberfootprint Solutions: Strategies for a Lighter Digital Impact (Project No. 2025-1-TR01-KA220-SCH-000356003) is an Erasmus+ cooperation project in the school sector that combines the digital transformation of educational institutions with the guiding principle of sustainability. The consortium project addresses an increasingly relevant challenge facing modern education systems: the environmental impact of digitalization. As part of the project, partner organizations from several European countries collaborate—Gaziantep University (Turkey), Balikesir University (Turkey), Denizli MEM (Turkey), Goethe University (Germany), Transylvania University (Romania), and Lusófona University (Portugal)—to develop strategies and tools that help schools sustainably reduce their digital carbon footprint. At Goethe University, the project is led by Dr. K. Valerie Carl.

The project’s overarching goal is to raise awareness of the environmental consequences of digital technologies while providing concrete solutions for a resource-efficient digital school environment. In doing so, Cyberfootprint Solutions focuses on three key areas of action: raising awareness among students and teachers about digital footprints, developing educational concepts and teaching materials to reduce digital environmental impacts, and promoting sustainable and energy-efficient practices.

As part of the project, the digital usage habits and needs of the target groups will first be examined. Building on this analysis, educational resources, methods, and criteria will be developed to help schools integrate sustainable digital practices into their daily routines. The goal is to empower students and teachers to use digital technologies more consciously and in a resource-efficient manner, thereby actively contributing to reducing their digital ecological footprint.

In addition, the project offers schools concrete support in designing environmentally friendly digital infrastructures. By developing Green Web criteria and sustainable web design approaches, the project aims to help schools become more energy-efficient and reduce their resource consumption. At the same time, the project results will be prepared in such a way that they can be used and further developed in various educational contexts over the long term.

The project is implemented through four interconnected work packages. The first work package (Project Management and Implementation) forms the organizational foundation of the project and ensures coordinated collaboration among all partners. The second work package (Digital Footprint and User Needs Assessment – DFUNA) analyzes digital usage and behavioral patterns to identify the needs of the target groups. Building on this, the third work package (Digital Greenprint) develops a comprehensive sustainability framework as well as innovative educational resources and tools for schools. The fourth work package (Digital Greenwave) focuses on the dissemination, implementation, and long-term embedding of the project results to ensure a sustainable impact beyond the project’s duration.

Link to the project website: https://www.digifootprinteu.com/#partners

Link to Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digifootprinteu/