At CIS Abroad, sustainability isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a value that shapes how we travel, partner, and plan. As we plan our 25th anniversary celebration in Barcelona, we’re making intentional choices to minimize our environmental impact and highlight the sustainability efforts of our hosts. From selecting a city that supports low-carbon travel and waste reduction, to partnering with accommodations and universities that prioritize green practices, we’re committed to making this celebration as eco-friendly as it is memorable. Read on to see what our partners are doing and the decisions we’ve made to reduce our footprint.
Why Barcelona and what are our partners doing?
- Barcelona is a large city with many direct flights and easy access to Europe via train travel. Less connecting flights with multiple takeoffs means less carbon emissions!
- Barcelona has an extensive waste and recycling system designed to reduce environmental footprint
- Public transport – This includes an extensive public bike fleet, electric buses, and frequent trains.
- Barcelona ha green spaces, public parks and superblocks “superilles” which are intersections converted into public and green space to prioritize people and nature.
- The culinary scene increasingly focuses on locally sourced ingredients which is as relevant to cultural preservation as environmental. The city has a 2030 Healthy and Sustainable Food Strategy.
- Buildings with designs that prioritize energy consumption and efficiency, waste reduction, and water saving.
- Has a clear Climate Action Plan for 2030 with plans such as reducing emissions by 45% compared to 2005, increasing solar generation and green spaces, and reducing private motor travel and domestic water consumption.
Our Barcelona Housing
- We're staying in the same housing our students use during their program, which uses 100% Green Electricity.
- The building has a LEED Platinum certification and the management practices respectful use of air conditioning and heating.
- Housing staff send out an awareness communication to guests, educating them on how to properly separate waste.
University Partners
All three of our university partners have varying sustainability strategies and commitments.
Universitat de Barcelona
The UNI-ECO initiative is a collaboration between the Erasmus student network and the European Union and is a challenge issued to campus users to develop solutions that will improve sustainability at their University campus, working toward the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The objective of the “Green Challenges campaign” is to encourage campus users to get involved in the community by proposing projects as part of UNI-ECO that promote good practices within the institution, and the exchange of ideas between the partner universities.
Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
The Healthy and Sustainable Campus (SIS Campus) is a project that encompasses two plans, the Healthy Campus and the Sustainable Campus. Both are aimed at all people who study and work at the University. They include 70 actions with a high degree of transversality, whose mission is to improve the health of the university community by promoting environments and habits for a healthy lifestyle, and to achieve a more sustainable and environmentally friendly University.
LCI Barcelona
LCI's brand new campus has been designed completely with sustainability in mind. The new facilities will be BREEAM® New Construction certified (Excellent level), which certifies the sustainability of a building according to a series of criteria: management, health and well-being, energy, transport, materials, etc. Students are also encouraged to mirror LCI's sustainable campus when working on projects in architecture and fashion for example.
What are we doing? What choices are we making?
Travel Logistics
We have strategically planned and encouraged group and personal site visits and staff travel to make use of our big overseas flight more worthwhile.
Public Transport
Accommodations, events, and activities are convenient to the city and airport via public transport.
Accommodations & Meeting Spaces
We will have additional signage for waste receptacles, helping attendees to understand how to separate for city collection. Our housing is providing reusable thermoses and bottles and we will be using the compostable cutlery provided by catering.
Food
- Honest Greens – providing compostable supplies that will actually be composted in industrial compost sites!
- Volta, our welcome dinner restaurant, has a partnership with Catalan community of small organic producers, cheesemakers, and winegrowers who produce ingredients using sustainable and traditional methods.
- Alta Allea, the farewell dinner restaurant and winery, has an extensive commitment to sustainability.
- Lunches on our own – we will recommend options that are KMO, which means their products are locally sourced.
