„European Footprints towards future – local responsibilities“ is an environmental and educational project based in three secondary schools in Italy, France and Germany. The main issues of “Europe 2020”, the 10-year-strategy for reviving the European economy and the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training (ET 2020) provide the basis for this current project. Continually changing challenges as far as new technologies and the use of natural recources are concerned are met by commited students who will be able to deal with these challenges. If a sense of responsibility towards society is being implemented in students and, therefore prospective responsible citizens, during school life, only then can intelligent, sustainable and integrative economic growth be achieved in the European Union as stipulated in the strategy “Europe 2020” … and only then can the motto of the EU “United in diversity” be achieved and lived by its people. The project is relevant for all participants involved because of its environmental approach. Basic and transversal skills are encouraged and enhanced by means of innovative (eTwinnig, blog, skype) and creative methods on an ecological, cultural and linguistic level. The three participating schools meet five times. Three transnational meetings are with students (each school sends 15), two meetings are with teachers only in order to coordinate the project. At these meetings the members work on different internal schoolprojects which are concerned with reducing greenhouse gas emission and the ecological footprint. Each school realizes its own individual ideas which are appropriate for its own environmental surroundings. These are: o Conceptional work on a school-kiosk which offers sustainable products and possibly its implementation o A project group which works on sustainable catering in the school canteen o Juxtaposition of used paper and trees needed for this paper o Visualization of production chains for consumer goods on a world map o Development and implementation of a recycling and disposal system o A “Palaver Tree” made out of cans o Notepads made out of scrap paper o A new “bin system” and the implementation of a school composting plant o Implementation of a “no emission day” In addition to an exhibition which is going to show all presentations of the various creative projects of the participating countries, the ecological ideas of the project result in a guide which is written in four languages. This guide comprises the possibilities of reducing greenhouse gas emission for every student. The linguistic and cultural impact is enhanced by the transnational cooperation. The project participants improve their language skills, they learn to tolerate and accept cultural differences, fight prejudices as well as they are enabled to deal with difficulties concerning their actions. In the long run the transversal skills are being backed up through a constantly recurring evaluation of the guide as far as the ecological footprint is concerned. Should new aspects of the subject arise, the guide has got to be updated with different questions. The added value of the project “European footprints towards future – local responsibilities” lies next to the development and progression of the guide mainly in the change of perspective as far as the participants of the project are concerned. Not only students but also the public which is directly or indirectly involved gains an insight view into the behavior, mentality and the dealing with ecological issues eg. the reduction of CO2 emission of their fellow European citizen. They recognize their mutual European responsibility towards a mutual European future.