Education as an Engine of Sustainability

In the context of the transition to a sustainable, green and smart architecture, The European Union adopted a series of laws that develop and maintain a network of green schools able to be the promoters and the central incubators of a community able to accelerate the process. Also, starting from the European Union Council’s Resolution to have a strategic cooperation in education for its countries, the latest have adopted a series of laws and regulations. For example, Romania conceived The National Recovery and Resilience Program (PNRR), which led in 2022 to changes to The Normative Regarding Design Implementation and Operating School and High School Buildings (NP 010/2022), and become support for a future network of green schools through The Order for The Approval of Former Methodology Regarding the Organization and Operation of Green Schools (ORDIN 4.147/ 29th June 2022). Along the impact on the built environment, there is a need found in ONU’s statements to expand the sustainability aspects to community involvement and equal education rights. Thus, The Green Schools have a managerial, a curricular, a social, an infrastructural component, that include subjects concerning sustainability, teachers and pupils involved in ecological activities as a permanent state etc. and should end in a positive impact towards the environment (greener spaces, reduction of pollution, digital resources, healthy nutrition), results in learning and quality of life. The questions are: Is the infrastructure good enough to implement these? What are the conditions and resources we need in order to achieve what needed by 2025, 2030, years that are mentioned as deadlines for some of the aspects? What can other countries with great results in its educational system teach the countries that still have more to achieve? In conclusion, there is some incertitude, but for sure, to involve the whole community and to use the technology that youth love so much in a sustainable way, to give them the opportunity to digitalize their school, may be a starting point on how to assure this and also, be the starting line for creative children in qualitative architectural spaces.