Impact days

European Mobility Week 2025, from 16 to 22 September, includes "Car-Free Day". The Mobility Week campaign, run by the European Commission since 2002, aims to promote the use of sustainable transport and raise awareness of the negative impacts of unnecessary car use in the city, both for public health and for the environment. This year, the campaign motto is “Mobility for all”.

Objectives:

• Reduce dependence on private cars.
• Improve air quality and reduce polluting emissions.
• Promote social equality by ensuring that public transport and active mobility (walking, cycling, etc.) are viable and fair options for everyone.

Are you in? Leave the car parked on the 22nd!

And, the rest of the year, use your car thoughtfully. Whenever you can, choose:

• Public transport: Pick your best combination to get to Esade in our Sustainable Mobility PDF.
• Bicycle: There are free, secure bicycle parking spaces on our campuses.
• Walking: The healthiest option.
• Electric mobility: Our campuses all have charging points!

Esade and Sustainable Mobility

Did you know that we have our own Mobility Plan? It includes different lines of action, including:

• Increasing the parking spaces for bicycles and non-motorized vehicles.
• Installing a bicycle repair point on the Sant Cugat Campus.
• Increasing the parking spaces that have electric vehicle charging points.
• A campaign promoting sustainable travel to our campuses.
• A survey to calculate our carbon footprint as a community, which you can participate in by filling out this form.
• Reducing the environmental impact on work journeys by using the train for long journeys and travel from Barcelona to Madrid, and avoiding plane journeys (for administrative, service staff and teaching staff).
• Offsetting emissions: Emissions neutrality in scopes 1 and 2.

Want to get to Esade while reducing your impact?

Download the brochure and be part of Smart & Green mobility! 

For a diet that’s sustainable, inclusive, safe and resilient 

Created by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Food Day raises awareness about global food challenges, promotes food security, and drives the transformation of agri-food systems.

This year’s theme, ‘Hand in hand for better food and a better future,’ calls for action to ensure that everyone has access to a healthy, nutritious diet that respects the planet. This edition also celebrates the work of our #FoodHeroes.

Global goals:

• Eradicate hunger by 2030
• Reduce all forms of malnutrition
• Fight poverty and inequality
• Transform agri-food systems to make them more sustainable, resilient, and effective
• Improve smallholder productivity and income
• Promote responsible consumption and reduce waste
• Encourage people to choose healthy and sustainable diets

Are you in?

We can all take part in this initiative by adopting responsible and healthy eating habits in our daily lives. The collective action of the entire Esade community can have a positive impact on our environment.

Whenever you can:

• Choose a healthy and varied diet: Read labels and choose nutritious, healthy options.
• Buy fresh, local, and seasonal produce: Learn where your food comes from and make local your first choice.
• Support fair trade: And whenever possible, support producers who care for natural resources and biodiversity.
• Avoid food waste: And support those in need through food drives and awareness campaigns.

Raising awareness about World Food Day is another way to act. Help us share the message! Together, we can have a bigger impact.

For a more inclusive and tolerant society

In 1996, the United Nations General Assembly created the International Day for Tolerance, and UNESCO member states adopted the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance. Since then, every November 16, the need to promote mutual understanding and respect in an increasingly diverse world is highlighted.

According to UNESCO’s Declaration of Principles, tolerance is not indulgence or indifference. Tolerance is respect, acceptance, and appreciation of the extraordinary diversity that characterizes the cultures of our world and is essential for peaceful coexistence and universal human rights.

Global Objectives:

• Reaffirm that tolerance is a principle of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
• Promote respect and acceptance of cultural, religious, ethnic, gender, and opinion diversity.
• Prevent discrimination and hate speech, and condemn any incitement to violence.
• Promote education as the main tool to learn dialogue, resolve conflicts nonviolently, and dismantle prejudices.
• Encourage pluralism and participation in social, academic, and professional life without exclusions.
• Mobilize institutions and governments to adopt policies and legal frameworks against intolerance.
• Celebrate and highlight best practices that create safe and inclusive environments.

Join Us

At Esade, we are a diverse community, with students and faculty from over 100 nationalities, and we share the goal of creating a more tolerant and inclusive society. Join us! We can all play our part in promoting tolerance. With the entire Esade community working together, we can make a positive difference.

Help us create spaces of tolerance where:

• We listen
  Every point of view deserves to be heard. All voices are welcome, as long as they do not harm the dignity of others.
• We share
  Ideas and opinions can be freely expressed within a framework of respect without personal attacks, disparagement, or discriminatory language.
• We respect and include
  Everyone’s differences, identities, cultures, and lifestyles deserve respect and consideration, without bias, discrimination, or racism.
• We accept and celebrate
  Differences and diversity.

Promoting the International Day for Tolerance among the Esade community is another example of our commitment. Will you help us make it even stronger? Together we can have a greater impact.

International Volunteer Day, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1985, highlights the vital contribution of millions of people who devote their time, talent, and energy to creating fairer, more supportive, and more sustainable communities.

Volunteering drives economic and social development, strengthens community cohesion, and helps advance progress toward the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

At Esade, we take part in this global initiative by recognizing those who already volunteer and by encouraging the entire community to get involved.

Global Objectives:

• Recognize and appreciate the work of volunteers and the organizations that support them.
• Highlight the impact of volunteering in key areas such as social inclusion, education, health, equal opportunity, and environmental protection.
• Promote civic participation by inspiring more people to contribute their time and skills to social and environmental causes
• Connect volunteering to the UN’s SDGs, reinforcing its role as a driver of change in the 2030 Agenda.
• Strengthen partnerships between universities, social organizations, the public sector, and companies to amplify volunteering’s impact.

Want to join in?

Volunteering takes many forms: Ongoing collaboration with social organizations, one-off contributions, mentoring, professional pro bono support, or helping raise awareness for causes that need visibility. Every action counts.

How you can contribute:

• Choose a cause that aligns with your values: Such as poverty, education, health, equality, environment, migration, or social isolation.
• Collaborate with social organizations: Near you or through Esade-connected initiatives.
• Offer your knowledge and skills: As a professional or pro bono volunteer to strengthen social projects and organizations.
• Launch initiatives from campus: And encourage others to join by sharing inspiring stories and projects.

Make the most of Esade’s volunteering platforms

• Esade SUD Volunteering
  Offers local and international volunteering opportunities of different durations. It is a coordinated and supported program with established requirements and processes.
  more info
• Student Associations
  Esade has many associations that organize volunteering initiatives throughout the year. Choose yours and get involved!
  More info
• Esade Alumni Social
  Every year, nonprofit organizations look for committed volunteers within the Esade Alumni community, with more than 19 active projects and more than 140 alumni volunteers taking part.
  More info
• Jesuits Social Network
  Jesuits Social has more than 2,500 volunteers who collaborate with 23 organizations around the world.
  More info
• Programa Vuela
  A university volunteering program with projects in 11 countries across Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
  More info

Already volunteering? It might be a great time to expand your involvement. Not involved yet? Use International Volunteer Day as the moment to start contributing. It’s in (y)our hands!

The International Day of Education, established by the United Nations in 2018, highlights education as a fundamental human right and one of the most powerful tools for promoting equal opportunities, social cohesion, and sustainable development in economic, social, and environmental terms.

At Esade, we celebrate this occasion by reaffirming our commitment to education that is transformative, inclusive, and purpose-driven, opening up opportunities and helping to build a more just, sustainable, and equal world.

Global Goals:

•  
  • Champion education as a universal right and a key driver of personal, social, and economic development.
  • Promote inclusive, equitable, and high-quality education aligned with SDG 4, ensuring access to lifelong learning.
  • Reduce inequalities of origin by contributing to SDG 10 through equal educational opportunities.
  • Mobilize the education community to move together toward a more just, accessible, and sustainable education model.

Want to get involved?

You can help promote the kind of education we believe in at Esade: learning as a tool for social transformation that creates positive impact. Will you help us open doors and create opportunities?

How you can contribute:

• Discover the Esade Scholarship Program
  As you almost certainly know already, this program helps talented students with limited financial resources achieve their goal of studying at Esade and becoming committed, values-driven leaders.
• Collaborate with organizations and NGOs that support education
  Support initiatives that Esade works with to help ensure access to education, including Entreculturas, The Exit Foundation and Associació Àgora.
• Share and amplify the commitment
  Help raise awareness of the value of inclusive education and the impact of the Esade Scholarship Program, inspiring others to get involved.
• Join in as an education community
  Students, faculty, staff, and alumni all form part of an educational project that fosters impactful leadership and the reduction of inequalities.

Platforms that help drive education

• Esade Scholarship Program: A commitment to talent, diversity, and equal opportunity. Last academic year, the program had a €5M budget, enabling an average tuition coverage of 87% for Bachelor’s and Double-Degree programs and supporting a total of 266 scholarship students.
  more info
• Entreculturas: An NGO that works to ensure everyone’s right to quality education, with a particular focus on girls and women, students with disabilities, families with limited financial resources, and people affected by migration, displacement, conflict, or natural disasters.
  more info
• The Exit Foundation: An organization working to reduce early school dropout among young people in situations of social vulnerability. It provides the tools they need to unlock their potential and build their own future.
  more info
• Associació Àgora: An NGO active in the La Verneda–Sant Martí neighborhood of Barcelona, offering free training to people who haven’t had access to education or who want to continue learning through educational, cultural, community, and social activities.
  more info

Making education a driver of transformation

For more information, see commitments 1 and 2 in our Sustainability and Impact Report.

February 20 marks the World Day of Social Justice, established by the United Nations to raise awareness and promote action to eradicate poverty, foster full employment and decent work, advance gender equality, and ensure access to social wellbeing and justice for all.

On this occasion, the United Nations invites us to reflect on the close connection between social justice and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There can be no sustainable development without fairer and more inclusive societies.

Global Objectives

• Affirm social justice as a fundamental pillar of sustainable development.
• Promote equal opportunities, fairness, and inclusion, helping reduce social, economic, and gender inequalities, in line with SDGs 10 (Reduced Inequalities), 5 (Gender Equality), and 1 (No Poverty).
• Promote full employment and decent work as drivers of social cohesion, aligned with SDG 8, placing people’s dignity and fair access to job opportunities at the center.
• Mobilize the education community to reflect, engage, and take action in response to inequalities, fostering responsible, impact-driven leadership.

Educating for equality promotes social justice

At Esade, we mark this day by reaffirming our commitment to diversity, fairness, and inclusion. We are a community committed to social justice and to an approach that promotes equal opportunities and develops responsible leaders who can address inequalities and generate positive social impact.

Want to get involved?

At Esade, we believe every member of our community can help reduce inequalities and promote more just and inclusive societies by putting their knowledge, talent, and leadership at the service of the common good. Will you commit to this with us?

How you can contribute:

• Promote social justice through your role
  Social justice starts with everyday actions. Foster equal opportunities, inclusion, and respect in the educational, professional, and social settings you are part of. Every decision, project, and leadership choice makes a difference.
• Get involved in social impact initiatives
  Through platforms such as Alumni Social, our community shares professional knowledge and experience with social organizations, helping reduce inequalities through pro bono consulting, mentoring, and skills-based volunteering.
• Engage in transformative learning and service experiences
  Initiatives such as FLY program and Esade SUD offer opportunities to take part in social and cooperation projects, locally and internationally, combining learning, reflection, and action to advance social justice.
• Share and amplify the commitment
  Raising the visibility of these initiatives and Esade’s commitment to social justice helps build awareness, inspire others, and expand our collective impact.

Plataforms that help achieve social justice

Alumni Social

Promotes active participation by the alumni and student community in building a more just society and a more sustainable world through professional engagement.
More info

FLY Program

A university volunteer program with projects focused on promoting social justice in 11 countries across Latin America, Europe, Africa, and Asia.
More info

Esade SUD

Esade’s university service that fosters community engagement and the promotion of social and global justice.
More info

Let’s drive social justice from our community. It’s in (y)our hands!

For more information about our commitment to social justice, see Impact Area 5 of our Sustainability and Impact Report (People: diversity, equity, and inclusion).

March 26 marks World Climate Day, established within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992) to highlight the urgency of addressing global warming and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

This occasion aligns with SDG 13 (Climate Action) and the 2030 Agenda, which place climate action at the center of sustainable development.

Objetivos globales

• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit the rise in global temperatures.
• Accelerate the transition to renewable energy and more efficient energy systems.
• Transform mobility systems toward lower-emission alternatives.
• Drive the decarbonization of the economy and promote more sustainable production and consumption models.

What is Esade doing to address climate change?

At Esade, we‘ve been taking action for years as part of our commitment to the planet, driving concrete initiatives to reduce our carbon footprint, accelerate the transition to a more efficient and low-emission model, and promote responsible consumption.

Green energy and decarbonization

• Net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions since 2019.
• 84% reduction in our direct emissions since 2019.
• 100% of the electricity we consume has been green energy since 2020.
• 319 kWp of solar capacity installed across our campuses through photovoltaic panels.
• Awarded the MITERD “Reduce and Compensate” seal.
• Measurement and reporting of Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions to ensure rigorous climate management.

More efficient campuses

• LEED Gold and LEED Platinum certifications that recognize the energy efficiency of our buildings.
• An active energy efficiency plan to continue reducing consumption and emissions.
• Water management plan.
• Green areas with native, low-water-use species and the use of eco-friendly herbicides.
• Use of environmentally friendly cleaning products.
• Waste separation bins.

Lower-carbon mobility

• Sustainable campus commuting plan for Barcelona, Sant Cugat, and Madrid.
• Review of the travel policy to reduce associated emissions.
• Promotion of electric mobility with new parking spaces equipped with charging points and special parking rates.
• Free, monitored bicycle parking on campus.
• Replacement of shuttle services with ECO taxis.

Responsible consumption

• Vegan and vegetarian options included in menus, promoting choices with a lower carbon footprint.
• Priority given to local products to reduce transport-related emissions and support more sustainable supply chains.
• Ban on the sale of plastic bottles and cups since the 2021–22 academic year, as the production, incineration, and degradation of plastic generate large amounts of greenhouse gas emissions.
• Sustainable procurement policy with ESG supplier scoring.
• App to help prevent food waste and track waste levels.

Want to get involved?

Climate action is a shared responsibility. Every decision counts and, as a community, we can accelerate the transition to a lower-emissions model. Small choices, sustained over time, create real impact.

Join the fight against climate change:

• Choose renewable energy
  Whenever possible, choose electricity providers that use renewable sources such as solar or wind. If you can, install photovoltaic panels at home or promote shared energy solutions in your community or organization.
• Prioritize low-emission mobility
  Use public transport, cycle, or share vehicles when possible. If you drive, consider electric or hybrid alternatives and try to avoid unnecessary trips.
• Practice responsible consumption
  Buy local, seasonal food; prioritize options with a lower carbon footprint; and support brands and products committed to sustainability, from food to fashion. Avoid using plastics whenever possible.

Let’s drive climate action in our community. It’s in (y)our hands!

For more information about our initiatives to reduce our climate impact, see Chapter 6 of our Sustainability and Impact Report (Commitment 1: Planet).

Every May 21, the United Nations marks the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, established in 2002 to recognize cultural diversity as a driving force behind social cohesion, innovation, and sustainable development.

The UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, adopted in 2001, laid the groundwork for this day, which highlights the richness of different cultures and the importance of intercultural dialogue, mutual respect, and inclusion in increasingly diverse global societies. It also underscores the need to challenge stereotypes and reduce polarization.

Global goals

• Encourage intercultural dialogue to strengthen understanding, respect, and coexistence across cultures.
• Protect and promote cultural diversity by preserving cultural identities, traditions, and forms of expression.
• Support more inclusive societies by reducing inequalities and ensuring broader participation.
• Recognize culture as a driver of sustainable development, innovation, creativity, and social progress.

Esade, a diverse and multicultural community

Cultural diversity is central to life at Esade and to the way we prepare leaders to drive positive change in an interconnected world.

Our community reflects this cultural diversity every day in the classroom, in projects, and across campus life. The exchange of perspectives encourages mutual learning, and a more open, global outlook.

• 126
  student nationalities
• 53
  faculty and staff nationalities

How does Esade support cultural diversity?

• We foster diverse and inclusive learning environments built on respect, listening, and participation.
• We integrate diversity and social impact into our academic programs preparing students to lead in multicultural settings. 
• We promote the Scholarship Program helping students from a wide range of backgrounds access an Esade education and bringing greater diversity into the classroom.
• We create spaces for dialogue and collaboration where ideas, experiences, and cultures can be shared, enriching campus life.
• We promote a vision of responsible leadership that sees cultural diversity as an opportunity to innovate, create value, and build fairer societies.
• We offer workshops and learning initiatives including the “Ethnicity” Case Workshop and “Towards a Culture of Tolerance” training.

Are you in?

Cultural diversity is something we build every day. As a community, we all have the opportunity to learn from one another, exchange perspectives, and help create a more open and inclusive environment.

Let’s build an environment together based on: 

• Respect and inclusion
  Different identities, cultures, and perspectives are welcomed.
• Dialogue and exchange
  Ideas, experiences, and traditions enrich learning.
• Continuous learning
  Different realities broaden our understanding of the world.
• Celebrating diversity
  As a source of growth, innovation, and positive change.

Let’s strengthen cultural diversity across our community. It’s in (y)our hands!

For more information about our initiatives supporting cultural diversity, see chapters 6 and 7 of our Sustainability and Impact Report (Commitment 5: People).