UNITA across borders for M'ILLUMINO DI MENO 2024
16 February 2024, 17:00
On February 16th 2024, for the 20th edition of M'illumino di Meno, the Italian National Day of Energy Saving and Sustainable Lifestyles, the Transilvania University of Brașov symbolically switches off the Rectorate Building ,together with 7 other Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian universities of the Alliance UNITA-Universitas Montium, raising awareness among a transnational university community of more than 200,000 people.
The University of Turin (Italy) has launched the initiative to the partners of UNITA and the University of Brescia (Italy), the Université Savoie Mont Blanc (France), the Universidad de Zaragoza (Spain), the Instituto Politecnico da Guarda and the Universidade da Beira Interior (Portugal), the Transylvania University of Brasov and the West University of Timisoara (Romania) accepted to join: together, the European universities will switch off 65 buildings for one night.
UNITA-Universitas Montium is one of the 50 Alliances funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ European Universities Initiative programme. The University of Turin is coordinating this project which, from November 2023, involves 12 European universities in 7 countries and aims to have a transformative impact on teaching, research and the relationship between university and territory, with the aim of offering excellent education, centred on the student and in a European and transnational perspective.
M’illumino di Meno is the Italian National Day of Energy Saving and Sustainable Lifestyles, which has been promoted by Rai Radio2 (one of the three channels of the national radio) with its popular drive-time afternoon show Caterpillar since 2005. The first edition took place on February 16th 2005, when the Kyoto Protocol came into force. That's when Caterpillar got the idea of asking Rai Radio2 listeners to turn off the lights as a statement of environmental concern.
Year after year, M’illumino di Meno inspired Rai Radio2 listeners to take action to save the planet: practising circular economy, favoring clean mobility, switching to renewables, supporting reforestation.
In 2022 it became law: the Italian Parliament recognized February 16th as the National Day of Energy Saving and Sustainable Lifestyles.
M’illumino di Meno has now reached its 20th edition and with the 2024 edition, named "No Borders", invites participants to extend their participation to their international alliances.