CONTEXT
Across Europe, the fight against climate change has become a shared responsibility. Through the European Green Deal, the EU committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and building a climate-neutral economy by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement, the European Council’s Strategic Agenda 2019–2024 and the European Climate Law. This transition aims to create a fairer, more sustainable and resilient society for all.
However, the impacts of climate change are not felt equally. Vulnerable groups, including people in detention, are often more exposed to overcrowding, resource shortages and extreme weather events, while having fewer means to respond. This reality highlights the importance of integrating sustainability into prison systems – not only to reduce their environmental footprint, but also to contribute to social justice and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), particularly SDG 13 and SDG 16.

At the same time, Europe’s green transition is facing a growing skills gap. While green employment has steadily increased, labour shortages in key environmental sectors have risen sharply. This challenge also represents an opportunity: to embed green skills training within prison rehabilitation and reintegration pathways, supporting employability and reducing reoffending. Strengthening sustainable management practices in prisons can further amplify this impact, delivering environmental benefits while saving public resources that can be reinvested in people and communities.
It is at the intersection of these challenges that GreenPP was created. Building on the legacy of the European Sustainable Energy Award for Prisons (E-SeaP) programme, GreenPP responds to today’s sustainability priorities by supporting prisons, staff and people in detention to become active contributors to the green transition.

GreenPP aims to promote practical solutions to sustainability challenges in prison settings, while opening pathways to green employment in sectors where skills are urgently needed. At its core, GreenPP is about turning climate action into an opportunity for inclusion, rehabilitation and long-term social impact.

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This project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. This website has been created within the framework of the GreenPP – “Establishing Green Prison Pathways Through Staff Training, Reinsertion Green Skill Building & Community GreenLinks” project, implemented under the Erasmus+ Programme (KA220-ADU-C5C0AEEB – Cooperation Partnerships in Adult Education). The views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the European Commission can be held responsible for them.