Project Implementation and contents

TRIGGER was implemented between November 2022 and April 2026 by the Estonian University of Life Sciences as an Erasmus+ Jean Monnet Module dedicated to the European Green Deal (EGD). The project combined curriculum development, teaching, research, and dissemination activities to strengthen understanding of EU environmental policies and their implementation.

The project was organised around four mutually reinforcing activity streams: development of university courses, creation of open-access learning resources, research on environmental innovation and policy implementation, and dissemination to academic, stakeholder, and international audiences.

Curriculum Development and Teaching

A central objective of TRIGGER was to strengthen educational provision on the European Green Deal within graduate programmes. To achieve this, two MSc-level courses were developed, revised, and integrated into the curricula of the Estonian University of Life Sciences:

Environmental Management in the EU and Green Deal (PK.1771) – focusing on EU environmental governance, policy instruments, institutions, and implementation mechanisms;

Ecological Agriculture: From Farm to Fork (PK.1837) – focusing on sustainable agriculture, food systems, and the implementation of the EU Farm to Fork Strategy.

The courses were developed through a phased process involving pilot implementation, curriculum revision, and full integration into academic programmes. Together they provided students with both governance-oriented and sector-specific perspectives on the implementation of the European Green Deal.

Over the course of the project, the teaching activities reached 199 students. The developed content has subsequently been incorporated into additional university courses, continuous education programmes, and microcredential provision.

Open-Access Learning Resources

To extend the reach of the project beyond formal university education, TRIGGER developed a package of open-access educational resources.

The learning package consists of six online modules organised around three video lectures. Each module includes:

• explanatory learning materials,
• self-control questions,
• recommended literature,
• and links to additional resources.

The modules address:

• Evolution of EU Environmental Law;
• Member States and Environmental Policy Integration;
• EU Institutions and Environmental Governance;
• EU Legislative Processes and Environmental Decision-Making;
• Implementation and Enforcement of EU Environmental Law;
• The European Green Deal and Sustainability Transitions.

The materials are available through the project learning platform and can be used independently by students, professionals, and other interested audiences.

Research Activities

The research component of TRIGGER focused on understanding how environmental innovations contribute to sustainability transitions and how they can be transferred across different governance and geographical contexts.

Particular attention was devoted to the implementation of green and blue infrastructure solutions and the role of governance arrangements in enabling innovation. The research combined conceptual analysis, case-study work, stakeholder consultations, and dissemination through academic and professional forums.

The main research output was the peer-reviewed publication:

Shkaruba, A., Sepp, K., et al. (2026). Transferring and scaling innovation in urban green-blue infrastructure: beyond one-size-fits-all solutions and preconceptions. Sustainable Futures. DOI: 10.1016/j.sftr.2025.101619.

The publication explores how environmental innovations can be adapted and transferred between contexts and provides insights relevant to the implementation of the European Green Deal.

Dissemination and Stakeholder Engagement

Dissemination activities aimed to connect academic knowledge with policy and practice and to reach audiences beyond university classrooms.

The project organised:

• two science-policy workshops bringing together researchers and stakeholders;
• a citizen science research seminar;
• contributions to the ENGAGE! summer school on resilient and liveable cities;
• and an international dissemination programme implemented through teaching activities in Europe, Asia, and South America.

A particular emphasis was placed on demonstrating practical applications of European Green Deal objectives in areas such as environmental governance, sustainability indicators, ecosystem services, climate action, and green and blue infrastructure development.

International Dimension

While TRIGGER was implemented in Estonia, the project also addressed the international relevance of EU environmental policies. Teaching and dissemination activities were carried out in universities and training programmes in Argentina, Brazil, India, Malaysia, Mongolia, and Vietnam.

These activities explored how EU environmental policy approaches can contribute to sustainability transitions in different institutional and geographical contexts and supported the broader dissemination of European environmental policy experience beyond the European Union.

Long-Term Legacy

The outputs developed under TRIGGER remain available after the end of the project. The courses continue to be offered within university curricula, the learning materials remain accessible online, and the research outputs continue to inform teaching, academic work, and stakeholder discussions.

Together, these activities have established a lasting platform for education, research, and dialogue on the implementation of the European Green Deal.