TCA Officers
A TCA is both an amazing tool for training and connecting, and a source of high CO₂ emissions. There’s a lot you can do as a TCA Officer to make your TCA more sustainable. SALTO Green has selected and developped tools to support you and save you time and energy.
TCA CONTENT
TCA TOPICS
Considering a green TCA or LTA? Here are the needs identified by SALTO Green. We’d love to help your NA tackle these projects.
- Union of Skills: green skills, especially in VET and SUP, and for specific fields. Skills learned through sustainable living. Green skills in E+ platforms like Europass, Epale etc.
- Preparedness Strategy: Responding to climate-related disruptions in E&T. Skills necessary to adapt to global warming.
- Synergies and conflicts between the Green priority and one of the other priorities.
- Training assessors.
The topics of climate change preparedness and green skills are rich enough for an LTA.
READY-MADE TCA MODELS
SALTO Green created and selected content to support TCA Officers in their work. You can use these as inspiration, adapt them to your needs or implement them “as is”. They save you time on planning while maintaining a quality experience for participants.
Green my project
Train beneficiaries on the green priority, so they can make their project more impactful and more sustainable. Participants learn about the mechanisms of climate change, share their experience, brainstorm how to make their projects greener, and discover new resources.
The model includes templates for activities, facilitation tools, implementation tips and a mock agenda. It was already tested by NO01, and is in preparation by LU01.
Green Facilitation
A roleplaying workshop, where participants make individual and collective decisions. They aim to reach a carbon footprint of 2 tonnes of CO₂ (the average for Europeans is 11 tonnes).
A method geared toward action and collaboration, to finish a TCA on a positive note.
It requires a trained facilitator.
Off-the-shelf activities
Off-the-shelf content to fill out the agenda of your TCA on any topic
PRESENTATION OF THE GREEN PRIORITY
This presentation template cover the challenges of climate change in Europe, EU’s answer, the green priority in the programme, and what it means for beneficiaries. The template includes the presentation structure, slide content (text and illustrations), an intro quiz, and localisation tips. GCPs have been trained to deliver this presentation.
VERDIR
A well-tested, card-based activity to help beneficiaries implement sustainability throughout the lifecycle of their project. It includes a set of resources, to be adapted to the sector and the profile of participants. It is also a good networking opportunity. GCPs have been trained to facilitate this workshop.
CLIMATE FRESK
This workshop uses collaborative intelligence and active participation to teach the mechanisms of climate change. It is both an effective and engaging training, and an ice-breaker and team-spirit builder. Available in all European languages. The workshop requires a trained facilitator.
2TONNES
A roleplaying workshop, where participants make individual and collective decisions. They aim to reach a carbon footprint of 2 tonnes of CO₂ (the average for Europeans is 11 tonnes). A method geared toward action and collaboration, to finish a TCA on a positive note. It requires a trained facilitator.
YOUR TCA TEAM
Prioritize a facilitator or lecturer in your region. Keeping their travel short limit emissions, and anchors the TCA locally.
You can find facilitators and lecturers on SALTO E&T platform. Check yes in the “Key speaker, lecturer” and “Environment and fight against climate change” columns. Trainers of Youth by the SALTO Network is also a database of facilitators.
For a lecturer, look at the speakers The European School Education Platform‘s webinars. SALTO Green’s youtube channel and our 2023 and 2024 compendiums also offer a selection of best practice projects and experts.
If you include Climate Fresk or 2Tonnes, look for a certified facilitator for your whole event, to limit costs. Some GCP and NA colleagues are Climate Fresk facilitators and/or Verdir facilitators. Their participation costs can be covered in the TCA budget. Discuss with your local GCP or reach out to SALTO Green to get more resources and recommendations.
TCA Event organisation
You can lower the carbon footprint of any TCA, through sustainable choices. Travel represents 70 to 90% of the carbon footprint of a TCA: this is where to focus most of your energy. One participant flying to your TCA emits as much CO₂ as 75 participants coming by train!
Resources for green travel
Rail Europe
Book train tickets throughout Europe.
Trainline
Another platform to book your multi-country train ride in one go.
ChronoTrains
Find out a city well-connected by trains for your TCA.
Lowtrip
Compare itineraries to find the most sustainable option.
Suggest green trips to your participants and encourage them to limit planes as much as possible. It can be as simple as adding this paragraph in the registration confirmation:
We encourage you to travel sustainably. Use Rail Europe and Trainline to book your tickets. The closest train station are: [quote the main train stations around and how to get from them to your TCA location, including night trains and long-distance buses].
If you have to combine with a plane, aim for a direct flight, as short as possible. Around [TCA city], these airports are combined with a train station: [pick the relevant airport from: Paris Charles de Gaulle, Lyon Saint-Exupéry, Frankfurt Airport, Düsseldorf Airport, Leipzig Halle, Berlin Brandenburg, Amsterdam Schiphol, Brussels Airport, Zurich Airport, Geneva Airport, Vienna International, Copenhagen Airport, and add information about the train ride to the TCA location].
You can find more tips in the SALTO Green’s one-pager on green travel for missions.
Sustainable event planning
Simple actions can also make a big difference, such as asking for a menu change. A vegetarian meal emits 14 times less CO₂ than a meal with beef! Picking the right facilities, limiting goodies and managing waste can also be areas to focus on. You can find green tips in the checklist for sustainable events by BE05 or in this Green my NA one-pager. Calculate you TCA’s carbon footprint to highlight the progress made, and remember to involve your participants. Remind them to bring a reusable coffee mug for the break, and to dress warmly.
