COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT Accompanying the document Proposal for a Council Recommendation on learning for environmental sustainability
Date: 2022-01-14
Institutions: Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture, European Commission
Subjects: EU environmental policy, adaptation to climate change, continuing education, continuing vocational training, educational system, environmental cooperation, environmental education, environmental protection, sustainable development

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 14.1.2022  SWD(2022) 3 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT   Accompanying the document Proposal for a Council Recommendation on learning for environmental sustainability {COM(2022) 11 final}  
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture 

Directorate B — Youth, Education and Erasmus+  

Unit B.2 — Schools and Multilingualism  

E-mail: EAC-UNITE-B2@ec.europa.eu   

European Commission 
B-1049 Brussels 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Contents 
About this Staff Working Document ......................................................................... 5 

1. 

2. 

Learning for the green transition: a challenge and opportunity for Europe ........... 6 

State of play and challenges to further progress ..............................................10 

Key role of education and training in the green transition .......................................11 

Learning, teaching and assessment ......................................................................12 

Educator preparedness for sustainability ...............................................................17 

Challenges and barriers at institutional level .........................................................21 

Policies and approaches at systems level ..............................................................23 

Collaboration and partnerships ............................................................................25 

Monitoring and evaluation ...................................................................................26 

Support at Member States and EU level ................................................................28 

3. Towards sustainability in learning: achieving lasting change ...................................32 

Learning for environmental sustainability starts early .............................................33 

Building on traditions in early childhood education and care .................................33 

Moving forward ...............................................................................................34 

Learning for environmental sustainability is lifelong ................................................37 

Learning for sustainability in formal education ....................................................37 

Non-formal learning and sustainability ...............................................................39 

Informal learning and sustainability ...................................................................41 

Learning for environmental sustainability requires supportive learning 
environments .................................................................................................42 

Mobilising the institution as a whole ..................................................................43 

Investing in green and sustainable infrastructure ................................................46 

Learning for environmental sustainability is engaging and positive ...........................47 

Active and interdisciplinary learning ..................................................................48 

Promoting nature-based and outdoor education ..................................................50 

Curricula and educational programmes ..............................................................51 

Aligning and redesigning student assessment .....................................................53 

Involving students in meaningful ways ..............................................................57 

Potential of digital technologies to support learning for sustainability .....................58 

Learning for environmental sustainability requires capacity building of educators 
and leadership support .......................................................................................60 

Embedding sustainability in initial and continuing professional development ...........61 

Career progression and new roles for educators ..................................................64 

3 

 
Role of leaders and shift to distributed leadership ...............................................65 

Learning for environmental sustainability fosters collaboration and partnerships ........67 

Cross-sector collaboration ................................................................................67 

Community engagement ..................................................................................69 

Learning for environmental sustainability empowers youth ......................................70 

Young people’s concerns ..................................................................................71 

The role of education and training in engaging youth ...........................................73 

Learning for environmental sustainability builds competences and skills ...................75 

Building on key competences ...........................................................................75 

Defining competences for sustainability .............................................................76 

Developing professional skills for the green transition ..........................................76 

Learning for environmental sustainability is founded on strong policies .....................78 

Monitoring and evaluation ................................................................................80 

4. The European sustainability competence framework ..............................................83 

Description of the framework ..............................................................................83 

5. Implementing and monitoring the Recommendation ..............................................99 

Existing and planned EU initiatives .......................................................................99 

Platforms and tools .......................................................................................... 101 

Funding programmes ....................................................................................... 103 

International cooperation on learning for environmental sustainability .................... 105 

Annexes ............................................................................................................ 107 

ANNEX 1: LITERATURE AND SOURCES ............................................................... 107 

ANNEX 2: LITERATURE AND SOURCES – European sustainability competence 
framework – chapter 4 ..................................................................................... 121 

4 

 
 
 
 
About this Staff Working Document  

This  Staff  Working  Document  accompanies  and  supports  the  European  Commission 
proposal  for  a  Council  Recommendation  on  learning  for  environmental  sustainability, 
adopted  in  January  2022.  It  provides  detail  on  the  concepts  and  recommendations  put 
forward in this new initiative and presents research evidence and good practice examples 
from  across  Europe.  It  can  serve  as  a  guide  for  policy  makers,  educators  and  all 
individuals  and  organisations  working  on  environmental  sustainability  in  the  education 
and training sector.  

Chapter  1  provides  an  introduction  to  the  topic,  outlining  the  reasons,  scope  and  wider 
policy context for the Recommendation.  

Chapter 2 gives an overview of key findings from the public survey and consultations. It 
presents  recent  evidence  related  to  EU  Member  States’  approaches  to  learning  for 
environmental  sustainability  and  more  generally  from  the  wider  field  of  research  and 
practice.  

Chapter 3 describes a  vision for achieving lasting change towards sustainability through 
learning and teaching. It builds on key learnings from the consultations and research and 
outlines the action needed with regard to systems, institutions, educators and learners.   

Chapter  4  presents  in  brief  the  new  European  Sustainability  Competence  Framework, 
developed  by  the  European  Commission  to  support  learners,  educators,  policy  makers 
and  other  stakeholders  in  developing  and  fostering  knowledge,  skills  and  attitudes 
related to sustainability. 

Chapter 5 provides details on how the Recommendation will be implemented, monitored 
and supported through various EU instruments, programmes, and platforms. 

5 

 
 
1. Learning for the green transition: a challenge and 

opportunity for Europe 

Through the European Green Deal1 and the goal to become climate-neutral by 2050, the 
European Union (EU) is working to deliver on the transformational changes needed in our 
economy and society. By aligning action across a range of policy areas, including energy, 
environment, mobility and agriculture, the EU aims for a green transition that is just and 
inclusive.  Like  all  sectors,  education  and  training  needs  to  critically  examine  how  it  is 
responding  to  the  climate  and  ecological  crises  –  in  terms  of  its  operations,  processes 
and practices and – crucially – how it is preparing learners for the future.  

Key EU policies, including the Green Deal, the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 20302, the EU 
Skills  Agenda3  and  the  Council  Resolution  on  the  European  Education  Area4  all  point  to 
the role of education and training in empowering and engaging people for environmental 
sustainability and boosting the skills and competences5 needed for the green transition.  

Education and training for environmental sustainability is about the learning and teaching 
we need for personal, societal and environmental well-being now and in the future. It can 
be understood as an umbrella under which all subjects and disciplines have a contribution 
to  make.  Learners  need  to  understand  the  inter-connectedness  of  economic,  social  and 
natural  systems  and  move  from  awareness  to  individual  and  collective  action  and 
empowerment.  Achieving  this  requires  hands-on,  engaging  and  action-based  ways  of 
learning,  which  foster  knowledge,  understanding  and  critical  thinking  (cognitive 
learning);  practical  skills  development  (applied  learning);  and  empathy,  solidarity  and 
caring for nature (socio-emotional learning). 

Many  different  strands  and  movements  in  education  and  training  advocate  for 
environmental  protection,  active  citizenship,  sustainability  and  global  change.  This 
includes  environmental  education,  sustainability  education,  climate  change  education, 
peace education, global education and education for sustainable development. All these 
movements  and  concepts  share  a  vision  of  education  and  learning  which  is 
transformative,  embraces  change  and  promotes  sustainability.  They  also  all 
recognise  the  interconnected  nature  of  environmental,  social,  and  economic  issues.  The 
European Commission’s work on learning for environmental sustainability builds on those 
movements and puts renewed attention on environmental concerns to support the goals 
and ambition of the European Green Deal. 

Seizing the momentum for change  

Europeans rank climate change among the most serious problems facing the world today 
(European  Commission,  2021b).  Protecting  the  environment  is  important  to  94%  of  EU 
citizens personally; 78% consider that environmental issues impact directly on their daily 

1 COM(2019) 640 final 
2 COM(2020) 380 final. 
3 COM(2020) 274 final. 
4 2021/C 66/01 of 26.2.2021. 
5 Following the Council Recommendation on key competences for lifelong learning, competences are defined as 
‘a  combination  of  knowledge,  skills  and  attitudes,  where  knowledge  is  composed  of  the  facts  and  figures, 
concepts, ideas and theories which are already established and support the understanding of a certain area or 
subject; skills are defined as the ability and capacity to carry out processes and use the existing knowledge to 
achieve  results;  and  attitudes  describe  the  disposition  and  mind-sets  to  act  or  react  to  ideas,  persons  or 
situations’ (2018/C 189/01). 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
lives and health and almost all feel that urgent action is needed to tackle biodiversity loss 
(European  Commission,  2020).  People  also  expect  stronger  action  by  national 
governments  and  the  EU  to  tackle  climate  change  and  environmental  degradation 
(European Commission, 2021a).  

Young people have been especially vocal and active in demanding change and calling on 
public  authorities  to  act  urgently  to  tackle  climate  change  and  protect  the  environment 
for  current and future  generations. Many  young people consider that school is failing to 
give  them  an  adequate  understanding  of  climate  change,  the  environment,  and  how  to 
live,  work  and  act  more  sustainably  (European  Commission,  2019).  Despite  being  the 
least responsible, children are already facing the devastating consequences of the climate 
crisis:  half  the  world's  2.2  billion  children  are  now  exposed  to  multiple  climate  and 
environmental  shocks,  figures  which  are  likely  to  worsen  as  the  impacts  of  climate 
change accelerate (UNICEF, 2021). 

The  COVID-19  public  health  crisis  has  put  renewed  attention  on  the  interconnections 
between  global  societies,  human  systems  and  the  environment.  It  has  brought  greater 
public  and  political  awareness  to  the  essential  role  that  education  and  training  has  in 
society. The pandemic has highlighted specific issues in education such as wellbeing and 
mental  health,  the  benefits  of  outdoors  and  nature,  social  inequalities  and  the  role  of 
local  and  wider  communities  (Finlayson  et  al,  2021).  The  crisis  has  also  exposed 
weaknesses  in  the  resilience  of  education  and  training  systems,  including  disparities  in 
accessing digital technologies for remote learning. The education and training sector will 
need  to  learn  from  the  lessons  of  the  crisis  and  continue  to  adapt  and  build  resilience. 
Preparing  for  future  disruptions  and  negative  impacts  on  learning  related  to  climate 
change, including extreme weather, flooding and heat, is also vital.  

Beyond  the  immediate  and  longer-term  crisis  response,  the  pandemic  has  raised 
questions  not  only  on  the  what  but  also  the  how,  where  and  when  of  learning  and 
teaching.  And  it  has  triggered  reflections  on  the  fundamental  purpose  of  education  and 
how  learners  can  live,  thrive  and  be  active  and  engaged  citizens  in  a  changing  world 
(ibid.).  COVID-19  has  been  and  continues  to  be  a  major  challenge  for  education  and 
training (Carretero Gomez et al, 2021), but it can also be an accelerator for the changes 
needed in education and training to empower and engage people for the green transition. 

Towards deeper, systemic change  

Since  the  early  days  of  environmental  education  in  the  1960s,  learning  for  the 
environment and sustainability has visibly progressed all over the world. Across Europe, 
a great number of initiatives, programmes and policy measures have been put in place to 
advance sustainability at all levels of education and training. Despite clear progress and 
growing public and policy attention, learning for environmental sustainability is not 
yet a systemic feature of education and training policy in the EU. Challenges exist 
at various levels:  

 

the  interdisciplinary  nature  of  learning  for  environmental  sustainability;  the  need 
for  learner-centred  pedagogies,  new  approaches  to  assessment,  organisational 
change and community partnerships often run counter to established cultures and 
norms in education policy and practice.  

  whole  institution  approaches  where  sustainability  is  embedded  in  all  processes 
and  operations  (e.g.  teaching  and  learning,  research,  campus  and  buildings 
management)  are  not  yet  widespread  due  in  part  to  insufficient  funding  and 
institutional support.  

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

institutions are often lacking data and tools on how to monitor the effectiveness of 
sustainability  initiatives  and  efforts  and  there  is  further  scope  to  adapt  curricula 
for sustainability at all levels of education and training. 

teachers  and  trainers  across  Europe  are  already  actively  teaching 
for 
sustainability,  often  driven  by  their  sense  of  responsibility  to  prepare  future 
generations. At the same time, many educators say they lack training and support 
in  sustainability  education  and  training,  in  particular,  regarding  interdisciplinary 
approaches, active pedagogies and the challenging subject matter.  

Urgent  efforts  are  therefore  needed  to  redirect  education  and  training  as  a  whole 
towards the deep and transformative changes needed  for the green transition and 
prepare learners for a rapidly changing society, economy and future.  

As will be detailed in this handbook, effective learning for sustainability:   

  Starts from early childhood education and care, 
  Takes a life-long learning approach,  
  Requires  supportive  learning  environments  where  the  institution  as  a  whole  is 

active on sustainability,  
Is learner-centred, hands-on and based on real-life experiences,  

 
  Supports  educators, 

including 

leadership 

teams, 

to 

teach  and  act 

for 

sustainability, 

  Fosters collaboration and partnerships in local and wider communities,  
  Empowers youth, 
  Builds sustainability competences,  
Is founded on strong policies. 
 

Re-visioning  education  and  training  and  putting  sustainability  at  the  heart  of  its  design 
will offer learners of all ages and at all stages of education and training a wide range of 
opportunities to learn about, in and for environmental sustainability in different settings 
and  contexts,  within  and  beyond  formal  education.  Schools,  universities  and  other 
education  and  training  institutions  will  become  places  where  sustainability  is  not  only 
taught,  but  also  actively  practised.  If  this  happens,  then  education  and  training  for 
environmental sustainability can make all learning more relevant; motivate students and 
educators  towards  greater  societal  engagement  and  help  develop  competences  for 
sustainability increasingly needed for life and work.  

Putting sustainability at the heart of education and training is, therefore, a tremendous 
opportunity  to  deliver  future-oriented,  relevant,  engaging  and 
inclusive 
education  and  training,  which  is  closely  linked  to  and  supports  other  education 
agendas  of  inclusion,  quality,  innovation,  internationalisation  and  student-centred 
learning. 

Purpose and context of the Council Recommendation  

The  Commission  proposal  for  a  Council  Recommendation  on  learning  for  environmental 
sustainability is  a  response  to  the  challenges  set  out  above.  The  Recommendation  aims 
to foster greater cooperation at EU level on the deep and transformative changes needed 
in education and training for the green transition. It can serve as a reference to Member 
States  and  aims  to  support  and  facilitate  policy  development  and  whole-system 

8 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
approaches to learning for environmental sustainability in national settings, including by 
sharing  expertise  and  best  practices  at  system  and  institution  level.  Through  the  new 
European  competence  framework  on  sustainability  (see  chapter  4),  a  further  goal  is  to 
develop  a  shared  understanding  of  the  competences  and  skills  that  people  need  to  act, 
live and work in a sustainable manner.  

The  proposal  aims  to  contribute  to  the  initiatives  at  global  level  to  strengthen  climate, 
environmental  and  sustainability  education  and  training.  Sustainable  development  is  a 
core principle of the EU, and delivering on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals is a 
priority  objective  for  the  Union’s  internal  and  external  policies.  The  Recommendation 
therefore  builds  on  the  extensive  work  by  UNESCO,  the  United  Nations  Educational, 
Scientific and Cultural Organization, to make education a more central and visible part of 
the  international  response  to  the  climate  crisis  through  its  Education  for  Sustainable 
Development programme, including the 2030 Roadmap6.  

Key points  

The vision for learning for environmental sustainability is aligned to Europe’s vision of a 
green transition that is just and inclusive.  

Despite progress and growing attention, learning for environmental sustainability is not 
yet a systemic feature of education and training policy in the EU.  

The  purpose,  policies,  provision  and  practices  of  learning  and  teaching  need  to  be 
fundamentally re-examined to integrate sustainability at all levels.  

Putting  environmental  sustainability  at  the  heart  of  education  and  training  means 
responding  to  the  realities  of  the  21st  century  and  equipping  learners  with  the 
competences they need to contribute positively to a sustainable society and economy.  

The  Commission’s  proposal  for  a  Council  Recommendation  aims  to  foster  greater 
cooperation  at  EU  level  on  the  deep  and  transformative  changes  needed  in  education 
and training for the green transition.  

6 https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000374802.locale=en 

9 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
2. State of play and challenges to further progress 

To prepare the proposal, the European Commission consulted widely on the current state 
of  play  regarding  learning  for  environmental  sustainability  in  the  EU.  This  consultation 
was  an  opportunity  to  collect  good  practice  and  to  identify  difficulties  and  barriers  in 
in  schools,  higher  education, 
effectively  embedding  environmental  sustainability 
vocational educational and training and other education sectors.  

A  public  survey,  which  consisted  of  10  questions  and  the  option  to  submit  a  position 
paper ran from 18 June to 24 September 2021. A total of 1369 responses were received 
from individuals (49%) and organisations (43%)7 as well as 95 position papers. 

From  April  to  September  2021,  online  workshops  were  held  with  the  aim  of  identifying 
existing challenges, guiding principles and good practice. This included:  

  Four  workshops  with  policy  makers  and  other  representatives  from  EU  Member 
States and partner countries focused on (i) early childhood education and care for 
sustainability;  (ii)  pedagogies  and  support  for  teachers;  (iii)  whole-institution 
approaches  to  environmental  sustainability;  and  (iv)  barriers  and  enablers  for 
system level change.  

  Four  online  workshops  with  stakeholders  from  education  and  training,  research, 
environment  and  youth  sectors  on  (i)  policy  levers  and  measuring  impact  and 
effectiveness  of  learning  for  environmental  sustainability;  (ii)  cross-sector 
collaboration  and  partnerships;  (iii)  building  capacity  of  educators;  and  (iv) 
lessons from Erasmus+ projects related to the environment and sustainability. 
  A  series  of  online  meetings  was  organised  in  April  and  June  2021  with  teachers 
from  the  European  Commission’s  eTwinning  community  who  are  active  on 
sustainability and environmental issues in their schools.   

7 ‘Other’: 8%. 

10 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
This  chapter  presents  findings  from  the  consultation  workshops  and  the  public  survey, 
and  includes  illustrative  quotes  (in  italics)  from  respondents  and  participants.  Further 
evidence presented includes findings from a number of dedicated studies carried out for 
the  European  Commission  to  inform  the  proposal.  This  included  a  mapping  of  curricula, 
policies and other measures in EU Member States related to education for environmental 
sustainability;  a  review  of  relevant  Erasmus+  projects  and  a  study  on  education  for 
sustainable  development  in  the  context  of  COVID-19  and  the  green  and  digital 
transitions. Wider academic research has also been taken into account as well as findings 
from large-scale surveys, including the Programme for International Student Assessment 
(PISA)  from  the  Organisation  for  Economic  Co-operation  and  Development  (OECD)  and 
evidence  gathered  by  other  organisations  active  in  the  field,  including  UNESCO,  the 
United  Nations  Economic  Commission  for  Europe  (UNECE)  and  the  European  Centre  for 
the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop). 

While the evidence provided  in this chapter is extensive, it is nonetheless a snapshot of 
the current state-of-play; it should be acknowledged that new research and perspectives 
are constantly emerging. 

Key role of education and training in the green transition  

Respondents to the public survey to inform the Recommendation pointed to the  crucial 
role of education and training  in helping people understand  and take  action on 
environmental  sustainability.  Education  and  training  was  ranked  as  the  most 
important  sector  by  71%  of  respondents,  ahead  of  public  bodies  and  governments 
(56%), and media (34%). A number of position papers stressed that as ecological impact 
comes  largely  from  industry,  the  burden  of  ‘solving’  these  challenges  should  not  be 
placed solely on young people or the education system. 

To  encourage  action  on  sustainability,  respondents  opted  most  often  for  guidance  on 
how to change behaviour and take action in everyday life (75%), followed by more 
opportunities  to  take  part  in  decision-making  related  to  environmental  sustainability 
(64%) and more information on environmental issues and challenges (48%)8.  

8 Participants could select more than one response.  

11 

 
 
 
  
 
                                           
'If children are to live with the climate crisis, the curriculum needs to be fit for this 
purpose’ 

‘Education and training at the earliest age is needed to create awareness’ 

‘We should aim to raise our students as world citizens’  

Learning, teaching and assessment 

Respondents  were  asked  to  identify  what  is  needed  most  urgently  when  it  comes  to 
learning  for  the  environment  and  sustainability.  The  main  areas  highlighted  were  more 
practical  hands-on  ways  to  learn,  including  learning  outdoors  (53%),  and  more 
opportunities for learners to identify a problem which is of concern to them and 
work together on  solutions (52%). A  further priority area  was to  connect different 
issues  and  topics  related  to  sustainability,  considering  multiple  perspectives  and 
acknowledging uncertainty (48%).  

Position papers highlighted the need to  recognise the value and opportunities of natural 
environments and outdoors settings for learning. Active engagement and connection with 
nature was seen as crucial for raising awareness of climate change and biodiversity loss, 
and  fostering  environmental  citizenship.  To  achieve  this,  respondents  called  for  new 
approaches  and  additional  funding  to  actively  engage  citizens,  in  particular  younger 
people,  in  monitoring  nature  and  biodiversity,  including  in  urban  settings  and  for  field 
work  to  be  a  priority  for  schools,  for  both  curricular  and  extracurricular  activities.  An 
active  role  for  community  organisations  in  sustainability  education  was  also  seen  as 
necessary. A number of position papers stressed that people in all sectors of employment 
should develop knowledge and skills related to environmental sustainability.  

12 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
‘The acquisition of green skills in the workplace will increase resilience and adaptability 
while contributing to green growth’  

‘We need to enable and invite families and grandparents to share expertise and joint 
actions to support intergenerational learning’ 

Position papers also  called for  education  and training  for environmental sustainability to 
be  open  and  accessible  to  all  learners,  irrespective  of  gender,  age  and  socio-economic 
background.  All  programmes  and  initiatives  related  to  learning  for  sustainability  should 
take  into  account  the  needs  and  context  of  people  from  disadvantaged  backgrounds, 
including access to digital tools and technologies.  

Need for action-oriented and socio-emotional learning 

A  global  review  of  national  curricula  and  policy  documents  by  UNESCO  in  2021  shows 
that  crucial  environmental  themes  are  not  yet  sufficiently  covered  (UNESCO,  2021). 
Globally,  ‘the  environment’  is  largely  present  in  policy  documents  (83%  of  documents 
analysed);  however,  climate  change  and  biodiversity  are  much  less  represented  (47% 
and 19% respectively). This is of concern given the increasing relevance and urgency of 
those  issues  and  the  need  to  develop  understanding  and  related  competences  in  these 
fields. Across the board, cognitive learning, i.e., learning about the environment, prevails 
over socio-emotional and action-oriented learning. The latter are especially important for 
developing  learners’  engagement  with  the  environment  and  climate  change  and 
developing their sense of agency. 

‘We need to place emotional skills into focus and encourage a sense of hope’ 

‘The educational offer for our students and researchers must not only teach them a set of 
sustainability themes, but enable them to live and behave in a sustainable way’  

‘When they actually plant a tree or when they actually touch a solar panel it stays with 
them and it motivates them to want to continue doing such activities’  

The  discrepancy  between  cognitive  and  socio-emotional  learning  for  environmental 
sustainability  is  also  reflected  in  learning  outcomes.  The  OECD’s  2018  Programme  for 
International  Student  Assessment  (PISA)  showed  that  most  15-year-olds  know  about 
climate  change  and  global  warming  (79%  of  students  across  the  37  OECD  countries). 
However, on average, only 57% feel that they could  do something about problems such 
as  climate  change.  While  students  are  aware  of  environmental  and  other  global 
challenges,  they  do  not  feel  ‘a  sense  of  empowerment  and  agency  to  make  a  real 
difference’ (Schleicher, 2021). 

The findings on the need for more action-oriented learning are in line with teachers’ 
own  beliefs.  A  qualitative  survey  (Mulvik  et  al,  2021)  of  140  teachers  in  32  European 
countries  showed  that  most  teachers  thought  their  students  would  benefit  from  more 
hands-on, experiential learning on the environment and sustainability.  

13 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Source: Mulvik et al, 2021. 

In  the  same  survey,  only  29%  of  teachers  report  cross-curricular  integration  of 
sustainability to be present in their schools. Some 83% responded that sustainability was 
part of natural sciences, while 58% said it was included in extracurricular activities (ibid). 
Teachers  also  listed  a  variety  of  approaches,  pedagogies  and  resources  that  they  use 
(see figure 1 below). 

Figure 1. Pedagogies and practices commonly used  

Source: Mulvik et al, 2021. 
Research and feedback at the consultation workshops show that the switch to emergency 
remote  teaching  during  the  COVID-19  pandemic  has  negatively  impacted  action-based, 
hands-on  learning,  including  in  the  field  of  vocational  education  and  training.  Face-to-
face learning and gaining practical experience in VET schools and workplaces is crucial for 

14 

 
 
 
 
 
 
providing  quality  education  to  apprentices  and  graduates,  and  to  prevent  early  school 
leaving9  and  encourage  lifelong  learning.  However,  in  the  context  of  COVID-19,  VET 
students  ‘have  seen  their  opportunities  diminish  in  terms  of  the  experience  acquired  in 
the  workplace,  the  relational  capital  gained,  and  the  personal  maturity  achieved’ 
(Finlayson et al, 2021). 

Integration of environmental sustainability in curricula and study programmes 

Regarding  curricula  and  courses10,  the  majority  of  respondents  favoured  a  cross-
curricular  and  interdisciplinary  approach  to  environmental  sustainability,  rather 
than adding it as a topic or module in a single subject (81%). A  majority also favoured 
the redesign of curricula and courses to fully embed sustainability (68%).  

'Sustainability must not be taught as a subject per se. It should encompass all activities 
and subjects. Everything should be read with sustainability eyes’.  

A  mapping  of  curricula  to  prepare  the  Council  Recommendation  (Mulvik  et  al,  2021) 
showed that over half of EU Member States have defined, at least partially, competences 
frequently 
for  environmental  sustainability.  Environmental  sustainability 
integrated in primary and secondary education. Some countries refer to specific teaching 

is  most 

9  See  Cedefop’s  VET  toolkit  for  tackling  early  leaving  https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/tools/vet-toolkit-
tackling-early-leaving 

10 Respondents could select more than one option. 

15 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
methods  in  the  curricula,  the  majority  of  which  promote  learner-centred  approaches 
(e.g.,  Finland,  the  Netherlands,  Hungary,  Latvia,  Romania,  Estonia,  Slovenia).  Austria, 
Cyprus and Czechia have national curricula specifically on sustainability education.  

Information  on  early  childhood  education  and  care  (ECEC)  curricula  and  programmes 
across  the  EU  is  fragmented  as  responsibility  for  this  sector  may  be  under  different 
ministries  and/or  falls  under  regional  or  local  governance  competence.  Finland  has 
established  a  national  core  curriculum  for  ECEC,  based  on  respect  for  life,  sustainable 
living, and human rights, and the inviolability of human dignity.   

The mapping study suggests that only one third of EU countries include multidisciplinary 
approaches  in  curricula.  Given  the  interconnected  nature  of  learning  for  sustainability, 
the  structuring  of  curricula  around  single  subjects  appears  to  be  a  barrier  to  further 
embedding  environmental  sustainability.  Cross-cutting  themes  on  the  environment  and 
sustainable  development  are  either  integrated  into  certain  subjects  or  delivered  as 
separate  subjects  (e.g.  environmental  studies).  Most  often,  sustainability  features  in 
natural  science  subjects  across  the  EU,  but  in  a  growing  number  of  countries  it  is 
integrated  into  citizenship  education.  Citizenship  education  in  general  is  part  of  
secondary  education  in  all  EU  countries  and  taught  at  primary  level  in  16  EU  countries. 
Austria  has  a  particularly  comprehensive  approach  to  interdisciplinarity  in  its  curricula 
frameworks  and  interdisciplinary  competences  are  included  as  a  quality  criterion  at 
various levels of education. 

Sustainability is being progressively integrated  in  higher education study programmes 
(Lozano et al, 2019), albeit often limited to discipline-based courses. In some knowledge 
areas  (e.g.,  social  sciences  or  environmental  sciences  and  engineering),  environmental 
sustainability is more frequently integrated. Research conducted on the integration of the 
SDGs  into  higher  education  study  programmes  globally  found  that  43%  of  the  polled 
universities  have  integrated  or  will  integrate,  the  SDGs.  However,  many  reported 
embedding single goals rather than all SDGs, the most popular being climate action (SDG 
13),  followed  by  sustainable  cities  and  communities  (SDG  11)  and  education  (SDG  4) 
(Leal Filho et al 2019). 

The  existence  of  disciplinary  silos  within  HEIs  is  a  major  barrier  to  fully  embedding 
sustainability  across  study  programmes  (Kurland  et  al,  2010).  Lack  of  leadership  and 
management support with regard to fostering sustainability are further obstacles. Where 
courses  and  modules  on  environmental  sustainability  exist,  these  are  often  not 
interdisciplinary,  and  more  learner-centred  and  collaborative  pedagogies  are  not  yet 
widespread.  Moreover,  environmental  aspects  of  sustainability  usually  receive  more 
attention  in  the  literature  and  in  the  practice  of  HEIs  over  the  social  and  economic 
dimensions (Rey-Garcia et al, 2020). 

Lack  of  suitable  teaching  materials  and  guidance  was  also  identified  as  an  issue 
during the consultations. Whereas knowledge-based material is generally available, more 
guidance  is  needed  for  educators  on  suitable  pedagogies,  competences  linked  to 
sustainability,  multidisciplinary  approaches  and  outdoors  learning.  Access  restrictions  - 
for  example  where  subscription  is  necessary  -  can  be  frustrating  for  teachers  who  are 
self-motivated  to  promote  sustainability  but  who  have  limited  financial  resources  for 
support  materials.  Teaching  materials  are  also  often  too  broad  and  general.  Clear 
classification of resources by theme, education levels, target users and type of resource 
can render the search for resources more interactive and dynamic and save valuable time 
for educators. 

16 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Assessment of learning for environmental sustainability 

Assessment  frameworks  related  to  environmental  sustainability  are  lacking  in  many 
Member  States,  even  where  relevant  knowledge  and  competences  are  included  in  the 
national  curriculum  or  education  policy  documents.  Without  defined  learning  outcomes 
and  accompanying  assessment  frameworks,  schools  may  have  difficulties  delivering  on 
curricula. In  some  cases, assessment  of  knowledge and skills related  to sustainability is 
part of a general assessment framework. In Estonia, for example, state examinations in 
upper  secondary  schools  can  cover  cross-curricular  topics  and  topics  related  to 
environmental sustainability.  

In  some  countries,  schools  and  teachers  can  find  tools  and  guidance  in  assessment 
frameworks  developed  by  other  partners,  such  as  the  Curricular  Framework  for 
Advancing  Circular  Economy  by  eco-schools.  While  filling  a  gap  with  regard  to 
assessment, depending solely on outside partners for assessment practices, can create a 
disproportionate  burden  for  individual  schools  and  teachers  to  implement  and  assess 
learning  and  teaching  for  environmental  sustainability.  It  may  also  lead  to  disparities 
between schools and assessment practices. 

In  higher  education,  several  reviews  of  assessment  tools  for  sustainability  found  that 
most tend to focus on one dimension of sustainability only, while a few use an integrated 
approach (Tumbas et al, 2015). Often the focus is on environmental performance of the 
institution,  while  teaching,  research  and  outreach  are  underrepresented  (Yarime  and 
Tanaka, 2012).  

'It is challenging to design learning interventions focused on behaviour change and 
evaluate their success.’  

‘We need a holistic approach to learning outcomes that go beyond knowledge and skills 
and focus on the social and emotional aspects of learning, creativity, inspiration and 
changes in values, attitudes and behaviour.’  

Educator preparedness for sustainability 

Evidence  from  studies  and  consultations  confirms  that  many  teachers,  trainers, 
academics  and  youth  leaders  across  Europe  are  already  actively  teaching  for 
sustainability,  often  driven  by  a  sense  of  responsibility  and  duty  to  prepare  learners  to 
live, work and thrive in a highly complex and rapidly changing society and economy. At 
the  same  time,  many  educators  are  seeking  support  and  training  in  sustainability 
education,  in  particular,  regarding  interdisciplinary  approaches,  active  pedagogies  and 
how to deal with the challenging subject matter of the climate and biodiversity crises.  

Regarding the support that educators need on environmental sustainability, respondents 
to  the  consultation  survey  selected11:  professional  development  opportunities,  e.g. 
workshops,  guidance  and  mentoring,  opportunities  to  work  with  local  projects  and  on-
the-job training (61 %), opportunities to collaborate with organisations working on 
sustainability activities in the local and wider community (44%) and opportunities 
to take learners into the field for hands-on learning and activities (42%).  

11 Respondents could select more than one answer.  

17 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
Position papers and  replies in the open  fields also pointed to the general need for  more 
investment  in  teacher  capacity  building;  to  boost  the  status  and  attractiveness  of  the 
teaching profession; improve career pathways for teachers and provide more and better 
teacher  training  opportunities.  All  employees  in  education  and  training  should  have 
opportunities to learn about sustainability, not only those with teaching responsibilities.  

To  inform  the  proposal,  the  Commission  also  organised  a  series  of  online  workshops  in 
April and June 2021 with over 100 teachers from the e-Twinning network who are active 
on  sustainability  and  environmental  issues  within  their  schools.  The  teachers  are 
members  of  the  SENSE  (Sustainability  Education  Network  Service  eTwinning )  group 
within  the  e-Twinning  community.  The  workshops  consisted  of  keynote  talks, 
presentations  of  classroom  and  school-wide  projects  by  the  teachers,  a  survey  on  their 
experiences  in  teaching  and  sustainability  and  collaborative  work.  They  highlighted  the 
following challenges and barriers: 

  Primary  and  secondary  pupils  and  students  were  highly  motivated  and 
enthusiastic  to  work  on  topics  related  to  the  environment.  Collaborating  on 
environmental  and  sustainability  projects  with  students  in  different  countries  is 
also a highly motivating factor.  

  The  curriculum  does  not  always  allow  for  working  across  disciplines.  Teachers 
often  do  not  have  the  time,  space  or  resources  they  need,  even  where  the 
curriculum has been redesigned to include sustainability. 

  Working with organisations beyond the  school is highly beneficial. The COVID-19 
crisis has disrupted these connections and has reduced opportunities for students 
to go on field trips and in general, enjoy the benefits of learning outdoors and in 
nature.  

18 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  The shift to remote teaching had improved both staff and student digital skills and 
opened  up  new  ways  of  cooperating  online.  Teachers  were  more  aware  of 
opportunities for their own professional development through online platforms.    

  More  quality  professional  development  opportunities,  and  more  opportunities  to 
network with peers is needed. Peer learning from other teachers would be highly 
beneficial  as  teachers  are  often  on  their  own  or  working  with  a  small  number  of 
teachers on sustainability issues.  

Initial teacher education and continuing professional development  

In  most  EU  countries,  environment  and  sustainability  is  present  in  some  form  in  initial 
teacher education (ITE). In some Member States it is obligatory, while in the majority, it 
is  offered  as  an  elective  topic  or  module  (see  table  1).  Disciplinary  silos  and  subject-
specific  timetables  in  ITE  represent  key  challenges  for  further  embedding  sustainability, 
in  particular  through  interdisciplinary  approaches  (Bolscho  et  al,  2006  and  Stevenson, 
2007).  In  addition,  where  there  is  insufficient  emphasis  on  learning  for  environmental 
sustainability during initial teacher training, teachers may be less inclined to take part in 
sustainability-related  continuing  professional  development  (CPD)  during  their  career.  At 
the same time, many countries report shortages of teacher educators or a lack of teacher 
educator competences with regard to environmental sustainability. 

'It is important to make professional development on sustainability as attractive as 
possible for teachers’  
‘Initial teacher education needs to work with associations and other actors in the field’ 

Some countries have created guidelines on the integration of environmental sustainability 
in  ITE  for  teacher  educators,  trainers,  institutions  and  future  teachers  alike.  Several 
countries have introduced the concept of whole-institution approaches to sustainability in 
ITE.  This  is  often  done  by  focusing  on  the  competences  needed  for  change  towards 
sustainability,  rather  than  theoretical  knowledge  about  sustainability.  In  Spain,  for 
example, pre-service ECEC and primary teachers should acquire competences relating to 
environmental  sustainability,  such  as  the  ability  to  foster  student  learning  on  the 
interactions between science, technology, society and sustainable development.  

Table 1. Teacher education on environmental sustainability, EU-27 

Teacher 
training on 
environmental 
sustainability  

Compulsory in 
ITE/CPD 

Member States 

T
A

E
B

G
B

Y
C

Z
C

E
D

K
D

E
E

L
E

S
E

I
F

R
F

R
H

U
H

E
I

T
I

T
L

U
L

V
L

T
M

L
N

L
P

T
P

O
R

E
S

I
S

K
S

○  ◌  ◌  ○  ◌  ◌  ◌  ○  ●  ◌  ◌  ◌  ◌  ○  ◌  ◌  ◌  ◌  ◌  ○  ◌  ◌  ◌  ◌  ○  ◌  ○ 

Present in ITE  ●  ○  ○  ○  ○  ○  ○  ○  ●  ○  ○  ○  ●  ●  ○  ○  ○  ◌  ●  ●  ○  ○  ○  ◌  ○  ○  ○ 

Present 
CPD 

in 

● 

  ●  ●  ●  ◌  ◌  ●  ●  ○  ●  ◌  ●  ● 

  ●  ●  ●  ○  ● 

  ●  ●  ◌ 

  ●  ● 

Note: ● – Present in the country ○ – partially present ◌ - not present. Blank cell indicates N/A 

In  most  Member  States,  CPD  is  a  professional  responsibility  (European  Commission, 
2021c), and often involves sustainability at least as an optional component. CPD related 

19 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
to  sustainability  can  be  offered  as  a  separate  topic  or  integrated  systematically  across 
courses. In Germany, efforts have been made to integrate environmental sustainability in 
a  structured  way  in  existing  teacher  training  programmes  rather  than  offering  it 
additionally  (ibid.).  Cyprus  also  takes  an  integrated  approach  with  all  professional 
development  courses  on  sustainability  education  being  developed  around 
the 
competences for systems-thinking, future literacy, participation, attentiveness, empathy, 
engagement,  interdisciplinarity,  action,  based  on  the  UNECE  ESD  competences  (UNECE, 
2012)  and  the  Rounder  Sense  of  Purpose  competences  model12.  In  several  countries, 
CPD  on  sustainability  issues  in  education  is  offered  only  in  the  context  of  natural 
sciences.  This  makes  it  difficult  for  teachers  and  educators  to  understand  and  treat 
learning  for  sustainability  in  a  holistic  way  and  to  help  all  teachers  to  embed 
sustainability in their teaching practice.  

‘Time is a problem. Sustainability doesn’t fit into my everyday teaching life’ 

‘Teacher training needs to be supported by substantial public funding so that it is free 
and accessible to all teachers and available in their working time’  

Lack  of  funding  and  time  constraints  remain  major  challenges  in  many  Member  States, 
preventing  teachers  from  attending  CPD,  including  on  environmental  sustainability. 
Making  sustainability-related  CPD  more  visible,  accessible  and  attractive  for  teachers, 
e.g.  by  creating  links  to  innovative  pedagogies,  could  strengthen  preparedness  and 
competences  of  teachers  (UNECEC,  2020).  Linking  CPD  to  career  development  can  also 
motivate  teachers  to  participate.  In  Croatia  and  Portugal,  completing  CPD  on 
environmental  sustainability  allows  teachers  to  gain  points  needed 
for  career 
progression. 

In the field of higher education, the University Educators for Sustainable Development 
(UE4SD) initiative, funded by the European Commission and running from 2013 to 2016, 
brought  together  53  HEIs  from  33  European  countries  with  the  aim  of  improving 
professional  development  opportunities  for  academic  staff  in  order  to  reorient  higher 
education  towards  ESD  (Mulà,  I.  et  al,  2017).  The  study  revealed  the  following  trends 
(Mader, M. et al 2013): 

  education  for  Sustainable  Development  (ESD)  is  gaining  importance  in  higher 
education  and  there  is  a  growing  recognition  that  university  educators  need  to 
acquire ESD competences; 

  university  educators  address  sustainability  issues,  but  do  not  always  reflect  on 

 

their pedagogical approaches;  
in  many  countries,  university  educators  lack  ESD  professional  development 
opportunities.  

Only  a  few  countries  and  institutions  participating  in  the  UE4SD  project  had  ‘significant 
staff  development  initiatives  to  enhance  ESD  in  both  the  academic  practice  and 
leadership  capabilities  of  university  educators’  (Mulà,  I.  et  al,  2017).  The  strategies  of 
nine  countries13  emphasised  university  educators’  professional  development  for  ESD 
competences whereas in 23 countries, no such need was acknowledged in either national 
ESD strategies, policies or legislative documents (Mader, M. et al 2013).  

In  many  instances,  institutional  progress  in  sustainability  depended  on  individual 
academics and their interest in building expertise and competences in ESD. Research and 

12 A Rounder Sense of Purpose (n.d.). RSP EU project, Available at: https://aroundersenseofpurpose.eu/ 
13 Cyprus, Greece, Spain, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Ireland, United Kingdom, Belgium. 

20 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
specialist  topics  in  sustainability  were  usually  drivers  for  activities  rather  than  ‘critically 
reflective and innovative pedagogies that extend capabilities of staff as well as students’ 
(UE4SD,  2014).  Among  the  participating  countries,  only  Slovakia  and  Latvia  reported 
having many HEIs that support ESD competence development of academics, while in six 
countries this was the case for ‘several’ HEIs (Mader, M. et al 2013). 

In  many  countries,  academic  teaching  has  traditionally  received  less  attention  than 
research,  a  trend  that  is  often  reinforced  by  the  focus  on  research  in  higher  education 
rankings and funding. While it is still rare for university educators to have or be required 
to have formal teaching qualifications, countries are generally placing more emphasis on 
developing  the  teaching  competences  of  academic  staff.  However,  this  does  not  usually 
involve  a  reorientation  of  the  academic  system  and  its  purpose  as  a  whole,  whereas 
learning  and  teaching  for  sustainability  ‘invites  university  educators  not  just  to  embed 
new elements into the existing system, but to alter that system’ (Mulà, I. et al, 2017). 

While  academic  educators  generally  acknowledge  the  importance  of  sustainability 
competences  (Leal  Filho,  2021c),  and  possibly  even  cover  sustainable  development  in 
their research, teaching or in both, they rarely critically reflect on their own teaching or 
competences  for  sustainability  (Mader,  M.  et  al  2013).  Yet,  to  help  students  develop 
those  competences,  it  is  vital  for  HEI  educators  to  address  both  content  and  pedagogy 
for  environmental  sustainability  and  to  have  access  to  professional  development  that 
links both aspects.  

Professional development for leadership 

leadership 

A  key  point  from  the  consultation  workshops  was  the  need  for  training  and  support  for 
the  mainstreaming  of  environmental 
educational 
sustainability in  education.  This,  however,  has  been  overlooked  significantly  in  practice. 
Training  the  principals,  rectors  and  other  leaders  of  institutions  matters,  because  they 
can  further  support  staff  and  generate  a  positive  organisational  culture  in  relation  to 
sustainability.  

to  support 

teams 

‘Teaching environmental sustainability has to be accompanied by leadership and 
examples shown by institutions teaching it’  

‘Management has an important role to play in developing a culture of sustainability’ 

Challenges and barriers at institutional level 

Regarding  specific  actions  that  education  and  training institutions  should take  regarding 
sustainability,  respondents  to  the  public  survey  called  for  more  environmental  and 
climate change focused projects (57%), new learning opportunities for students 
(57%) and reviewing operations such as management of buildings and grounds, 
recycling,  transport,  procurement,  etc.  (55%).  Position  papers  highlighted  the  need 
for  sustainable  schools  and  campuses  in  terms  of  teaching  and  learning  and 
operations  of  grounds  and  buildings.  For  this  to  be  effective,  all  members  of  the 
educational  community  should  be 
in  decision-making.  Appointing  a 
involved 
‘sustainability  coordinator’  could  help  in  overseeing  sustainability-related  activities, 
including the pedagogical approaches to sustainability. A number of papers also called for 
the  EU  to  support  higher  education  institutions  in  developing  sustainability  and  green 
campus  strategies.  Here,  interdisciplinary  approaches  as  well  as  innovative  and 
sustainable  educational  materials  were  called  for.  Further  points  raised  in  consultation 
workshops were the overloaded curricula and the general workload of leaders, educators 

21 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
and  students.  This  was  seen  as  major  barriers  to  additional,  let  alone  more  integrate,  
sustainability activities at institutional level. 

‘For impact we need to shift from events, day-based actions and short-term projects that 
are awareness-focused to behaviour-focused long-term programmes’ 

'The culture of the school has a significant impact on the type of sustainability education 
that is delivered’  

The  ‘whole-school’  or  ‘whole-institution’  approach  (hereafter  WIA)  is  a  key 
transformative strategy to support learning for sustainability. WIA encompasses teaching 
and 
learner  and  staff  participation, 
management of buildings and resources (e.g. energy, waste and water reduction) as well 
as partnerships with local and wider communities.  

learning,  planning  and  governance,  active 

In  many  EU  countries,  WIA  to  sustainability  take  place  through  the  global  eco-schools 
programme  of  the  Foundation  for  Environmental  Education  (see  chapter  3).  Schools 
taking  part  in  the  programme  follow  a  seven  step  change  process,  with  pupils  and 
students  playing  an  active  role.  How  the  programme  is  applied  differs  considerably, 
however, from country  to country and from  school to school, particularly with regard to 
the pedagogical approaches chosen (Boeve-de Pauw et al, 2017).  

A  teacher  survey  in  the  context  of  mapping  national  approaches  across  EU  Member 
States  showed  that  52%  of  respondents  perceived  sustainability  as  being  part  of  their 
school culture. However, most teachers listed waste management practices as well as the 
use  of  sustainable  learning  materials  as  proof  of  a  ‘whole-institution’  culture,  which 
indicates a restricted view of WIA. Teachers who identified WIA as lacking referred to the 
absence of a clear institutional vision and concrete actions from the school management 
as  well  as  a  reliance  on  the  motivation  of  individual  teachers  without  sustained  support 
from management.  

Sustainability  initiatives  in  higher  education  institutions  are  driven  by  internal 
initiatives,  through  government  incentives,  or  through  collaborative  networks  of 
universities and other stakeholders. Lack of support from HEI administration is frequently 
reported among the challenges for implementing sustainability in the sector. Where less 
attention  is  paid  to  operational  matters  (Leal  Filho  et  al,  2019)  –  such  as  sustainable 
energy  generation  on  campuses  or  implementing  wider  environmental  training  efforts 
(Leal  Filho  et  al,  2021b),  pedagogical  aspects,  the  teaching  and  learning  of 
environmental sustainability, are likely to also be underdeveloped or lacking.  

There  is  also  growing  interest  in  HEIs  in  adopting  a  sustainable  vision  or  sustainable 
practices.  While  increasing  attention  is  paid  to  nature  in  curricula,  few  overarching 
policies  exist  for  the  WIA  approach.  Therefore,  the  integration  of  environmental 
sustainability  depends  to  a  large  extent  on  the  resources  and  interest  of  the  staff. 
Challenges relate closely to staff capacity, educators’ awareness, resources, support from 
local municipalities and motivation towards the integration of WIA approaches (HUMUSZ 
(2016).  

Lack  of  funding  for  sustainability  in  education  and  training  is  often  associated  with 
insufficient  prioritisation  at  governmental  level.  At  institutional  level,  in  particular  in 
higher  education,  funding  gaps  might  appear  due  to  a  lack  of  national  support  or 
prioritisation  or  inadequate  funding  strategies.  The  survey  on  ‘Greening  in  European 
higher education institutions’ conducted by the European University Association, confirms 
lack  of  funding  as  the  most  common  challenge  for  HEIs  to  promote  environmental 

22 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
sustainability  (EUA,  2021b)14.  Lacking  or  limited  funding  has  many  ramifications.  If 
environmental  sustainability  is  not  prioritised  in  institutional  frameworks,  this  not  only 
weakens  the  possibility  of  accessing  internal  resources,  but  also  often  jeopardises  the 
chances of receiving external funding (Leal Filho, 2021b).  

Funding  might  predominantly  be  used  to  support  core  tasks  rather  than  to  strengthen 
sustainability.  If  sustainability-related  tasks  are  not  assessed,  there  is  little  incentive  in 
pursuing  them  over  well-established  core  tasks.  Performance-based  funding  can  inhibit 
take-up of sustainability, if it is not explicitly integrated in the performance agreement as 
in  such  cases  institutions  can  focus  on  aspects  that  yield  better  funding.  Such  missing 
structural support then often results in highly engaged educators or institutional leaders 
either  finding  other  sources  of  funding,  or  pushing  environmental  sustainability  as  an 
extra-curricular activity without institutional funding. 

Policies and approaches at systems level 

The  majority  of  EU  Member  States  have  put  in  place  strategies,  policy  documents  or 
action plans on learning for environmental sustainability and/or equally viable and related 
concepts  such  as  education  for  sustainable  development  and  global  competence. 
Education  for  environmental  sustainability  is  generally  well  represented  in  other  (non-
sustainability  specific)  education  strategies  and  policy  documents,  particularly  in  those 
related to primary and secondary level. 

Strategic  approaches  targeting  early  childhood  education  and  care  are  rare.  In 
several cases, this is because regulations and frameworks for this sector are the same as 
for pre-primary and primary/secondary education or only universal recommendations are 
provided.  Where  specific  legislation  or  strategies  for  pre-primary  education  exist,  they 
are often broad and not targeting sustainability or environmental issues.  

Recognising the importance of vocational education and training (VET) as an enabler 
for  the  development  of  competences  and  skills  for  the  green  transition,  Member  States 
increasingly  introduce  sustainability-relevant  elements  in  VET  action  plans,  funds  and 
other linked activities. 

Half  of  the  Member  States  have  higher  education  acts  that  address  education  and 
training for sustainability (UE4SD, 2014). Putting them into practice through action plans 
and  other  implementation  measures  needs  to  take  into  account,  however,  the  more 
autonomous governance structures at HE level (UNECEC, 2019).  

14 Followed by lack of staff engagement, proper coordination and defined strategies. 

23 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
Table 2. Strategies and policies on education for environmental sustainability across EU-
27 

EDUCATION 
POLICIES 
RELATING 
TO 
ENVIRONME
NTAL 
SUSTAINABI
LITY  

ECEC 

Specific 
strategy  

Part of other 
education 
strategies 

Member States 

T
A

E
B

G
B

Y
C

Z
C

E
D

K
D

E
E

L
E

S
E

I
F

R
F

R
H

U
H

E
I

T
I

T
L

U
L

V
L

T
M

L
N

L
P

T
P

O
R

E
S

I
S

K
S

●  ●  ◌ 

  ◌ 

  ●  ○ 

  ● 

  ◌ 

  ●  ◌ 

  ◌ 

●  ●  ●  ●  ● 

  ● 

  ○  ●  ● 

  ●  ○ 

  ● 

Part of other 
policy 
documents 

● 

Primary/ 
secondary 

Specific 
strategy  

●  ●  ◌  ●  ●  ●  ◌  ● 

  ◌  ●  ○  ●  ●  ●  ●  ● 

  ● 

  ●  ◌  ◌  ●  ◌ 

●  ●  ●  ● 

  ●  ● 

  ●  ●  ● 

  ○ 

  ● 

  ● 

Part of other 
education 
strategies 

Part of other 
policy 
documents  

● 

● 

Higher 
education 

Specific 
strategy  

Part of other 
education 
strategies 

◌  ●  ◌ 

  ○ 

  ◌  ○ 

  ●  ○ 

  ● 

  ◌ 

  ◌ 

  ◌ 

  ◌  ◌ 

●  ●  ○  ◌ 

  ● 

  ● 

  ◌ 

  ○ 

  ◌ 

  ◌ 

  ● 

  ●  ○  ◌ 

  ○  ●  ◌ 

Part of other 
policy 
documents 

◌ 

  ● 

  ● 

Note: ● – Present in the country ○ – partially present ◌ - not present. Blank cell indicates N/A. 

Having in place dedicated policies at an institutional level is a clear enabler for advancing 
education and training for  environmental sustainability. An exploratory study (Leal Filho 
et  al,  2021b)  based  on  the  views  of  several  universities  worldwide  concluded  that  even 
though  the  relations  between  governance  and  sustainability  (through  policies, 
certification, budget, staff training, and the existence of a sustainability team) are quite 
inconsistent across institutions, the  existence  of formal documents  and commitments at 
national and institutional level is regarded as important and should guide their strategies. 

In  the  first  half  of  2021,  305  higher  education  institutions  from  the  European  Higher 
Education  Area  took  part  in  the  European  University  Association  survey,  ‘Greening  in 
higher  education institutions’ (EUA (2021a). Results show that 61%  of higher education 
institutions  have  a  strategy  in  place  for  sustainability  whilst  27%  indicated  that  such  a 
strategy  is  under  preparation.  The  UN’s  Sustainable  Development  Goals  (69%),  as  well 

24 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
as national policies and initiatives (39%), provided guidance on framing these strategies. 
European  policies  and  initiatives  (16-17%)  do  not  as  yet  strongly  influence  university 
strategies  and  actions  for  environmental  sustainability  (ibid.).  There  is  scope  therefore 
for EU level guidance to steer higher education strategies in contribution to EU goals and 
targets.    The  survey  also  identified  institutional  values  (59%)  and  the  engagement  of 
leadership (56%), students (52%) and staff (51%) as key drivers.  

Systematic  inclusion  of  non-formal  education  is  scarce  in  education  policies  related  to 
environmental  sustainability.  Learning  for  environmental  sustainability  tends  to  be 
integrated  in  non-formal  education  through  specific 
initiatives  and  cross-sector 
collaboration 

Applying  policies  effectively  on  the  ground  is  challenging.  In  over  two  thirds  of  Member 
States  (Mulvik  et  al,  2021)  implementation  needs  to  be  improved  and  better  supported 
by  awareness  and  capacity  building,  including  targeted  professional  development  for 
policy makers at national, regional and local level.  

Collaboration and partnerships  

When  asked  in  the  consultation  survey  whether  education  and  training  institutions  are 
working with local and wider communities on environmental sustainability initiatives and 
programmes,  52%  of  the  respondents  said  that  this  was  indeed  the  case.  A  relatively 
high share, however, (16%) indicated that they did not know the answer.  

On  the  extent  and  depth  of  collaboration,  36%  of  respondents  indicated  that  education 
and training institutions collaborate sometimes (at least once per semester) and 35% a 
little  (at  least  once  per  year).  Collaborating  ‘a  lot  (continuously  all  year)’  received  the 
lowest  number  of  responses  (10%).  The  main  challenges  associated  with  collaboration 
relate to ‘lack of funding for projects and partnerships’ (58%), ‘lack of time in an 
already full curriculum’ (56%) and ‘having longer-term cooperation (e.g., tends to 
be limited to once-off events)’ (48%).  

Many  position  papers  also  highlighted  the  crucial  role  of  collaboration  and  partnerships, 
including  with  key  players  in  the  local  community  such  as  youth  associations, 
environmental and science centres, farms, parks, museums, libraries, as well as industry. 
Cooperation with local partners could help facilitate ‘living laboratory experiences’ outside 
of  the  busy  school  curriculum.  Schools  should  also  be  encouraged  to  work  with  higher 
education institutions. Having boards or standing committees on sustainability composed 
of various groups (students, parents, educators, local community groups) was seen as a 
way to more sustained and effective partnerships.   

'Collaboration will be more successful if it is integrated into educational programmes, 
rather than being an add-on’  

‘Providing a fertile ground for coordination and exchange between formal, non-formal 
and informal education will be key’ 

‘Sustainability themes lend themselves perfectly to bringing people together’  

'New technologies make it possible to connect citizens easily and effectively with the 
science community…and monitor biodiversity data on larger scales than ever before’  

25 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Across  Europe  and  across  education  and  training  institutions,  many  different  forms  of 
collaboration  between  education  institutions  and  NGOs  or  non-formal  education 
institutions can be found on sustainability and environmental issues. However, an overall 
lack of coordination and effective management between stakeholders was identified as  a 
challenge in many Member States. Inclusion of different stakeholders in a formalised way 
is  less  common,  which  in  turn  can  affect  the  durability  of  partnerships.  Transitory  and 
constantly  changing  partnerships  can  undermine  the  potential  for  positive  long-term 
impact.  

Research  suggests  that  inter-university  networks  and  intersectoral  initiatives  are  on  the 
rise.  Regional  centres  of  expertise  in  sustainable  development,  led  by  universities 
networking  with  local  stakeholders  on  awareness,  education  and  capacity  building,  now 
number 180 globally (Sterling, 2021). Many universities have established transfer offices 
or  transfer  centres  to  support  multi-stakeholder  collaboration  activities  (Nölting  et  al, 
2020).  Multi-stakeholder,  participatory  and  collaborative  learning  partnerships  create 
opportunities for reflective and inclusive trust-building, which can foster the development 
of solutions and innovations (UNESCO, 2018).  

Partnerships  in  early  childhood  education  and  care  are  often  focused  on  integrating  the 
elements  of nature and sustainability into the play and learning of children. This results 
in an enhanced importance of NGOs and institutions focused on topics such as interaction 
with  nature  and  animals  in  a  playful  manner.  While  businesses,  universities,  or  other 
education  institutions  usually  play  a  smaller  role,  their  contribution  can  be  very 
meaningful.  Collaboration  for  forest  kindergartens  in  Hungary  and  Austria  usually 
involves ECEC institutions and programme providers such as national parks and forestry 
companies or governmental organisations, including local environmental organisations or 
even companies working in the tourism sector. 

Monitoring and evaluation 

Monitoring and evaluation frameworks on environmental sustainability, where they exist, 
are mostly implemented at national level by public authorities. Other organisations, such 
as  NGOs  focusing  on  sustainability  and  environmental  education,  also  tend  to  play  an 
important  role  in  monitoring,  especially  on  programmes  prepared  and  coordinated  by 
NGOs  and  the  non-formal  education  sector.  Cyprus,  Czech  Republic,  Malta  and  Portugal 
have evaluation and monitoring frameworks specifically for sustainability.  

Monitoring  and  evaluating  the  integration  of  environmental  sustainability  can  also  be  a 
part  of  the  quality  monitoring  and  evaluation  mechanisms  of  the  general  education 
system.  The  Luxembourg  National  Education  Report  (‘Bildungsbericht’),  published  every 
three years, offers a unique and diverse insight into the country’s education system. The 
2021  edition  focuses  on  digital  learning  and  education  for  sustainable  development. 
Regional or local rather than national authorities might be responsible for evaluation and 
monitoring. This is the case in Slovakia, where the evaluation of environmental education 
takes place through regional associations. 

At  international  level,  many  EU  Member  States  report  progress  on  education  for 
sustainable  development  (ESD)  and  related  concepts  within  the  framework  of  UNECE15, 
the  United  Nations  Economic  Commission  for  Europe.  In  2018,  national  implementation 
reporting  covered  18  EU  Member  States.  The  self-reported  data  collected  from  the 
participating  countries  refers  to  take-up  of  ESD  in  a  broad  range  of  areas,  including 

15 https://unece.org/environment-policy/education-sustainable-development 

26 

 
 
 
 
 
                                           
policies,  regulatory  and  operational  frameworks,  assessment,  whole-school-approaches 
and educators’ development.  

UNESCO  has  committed  to  monitoring  progress  in  ESD  of  its  members.  Monitoring  and 
evaluation  was  an  integral  part  of  the  UN  Decade  of  Education  for  Sustainable 
Development  (DESD)  during  which  the  DESD  Monitoring  and  Evaluation  Expert  Group 
developed  a  Global  Monitoring  and  Evaluation  Framework,  including  a  set  of  indicators. 
Following  the  DESD,  countries  committed  through  the  Global  Action  Programme  for 
Sustainable Development (GAP) to align monitoring and data collection to SDG targets.  

The 2016 Global Education Monitoring Report, commissioned by UNESCO, was dedicated 
to ‘education for people and planet’ (UNESCO, 2016). While stating progress in a number 
of  areas  related  to  SDG  target  4.716,  including  curricula,  textbooks,  teacher  education, 
activities outside the classroom, it also acknowledged that monitoring ‘the core aspiration 
of target 4.7 – acquisition of knowledge and skills needed for sustainable development – 
is  not  easy’  (ibid.).  The  wide  range  of  ESD-relevant  topics  poses  a  challenge  as  well  as 
developing  relevant  student  assessment  and  surveys  (ibid.).  In  addition,  most 
assessment  has  been  focusing  on  school  students  while  adults  and  learners  in  other 
contexts have been underrepresented in monitoring (ibid.).  

In  general,  monitoring  and  indicators  have  mainly  targeted  inputs  (such  as  changes  in 
curricula  or  the  establishment  of  learning  for  environmental  sustainability  strategies) 
rather than measuring learning outcomes.  

System-wide  assessment  through  large-scale  programmes  like  PISA17,  TIMSS18  or 
PIRLS19 plays an important role in education monitoring across the EU. Such assessment 
has  grown  in in the  last  two  decades,  prompting  many  countries  to  increase  test-based 
accountability to measure learning outcomes. More recently, large-scale assessments are 
addressing learning for sustainability, highlighting, for  example, the correlation between 
awareness  on  environmental  and  climate  challenges  and  pessimism  (Schleicher,  2021). 
According  to  research,  there  is  a  certain  tension  between  what  international large-scale 
assessments  measure  and  socio-emotional,  hands-on  or  place-based  learning  for 
environmental  sustainability  (Pizmony-Levy  et  al.  2021).  A  challenge  will  be  to  address 
potential  shortcomings  in  large-scale  assessment  by  better  addressing  the  social  and 
economic  dimensions  of  sustainability  and  adapting  for  specific  local  contexts  and 
circumstances (ibid.).  

‘Measuring impact should not be limited to indicators like electricity or water usage - the 
changes in attitudes, values and behaviour of pupils and staff should also be measured’  

‘What gets measured, gets done.’   

16  SDG  target  4.7:  By  2030,  ensure  that  all  learners  acquire  the  knowledge  and  skills  needed  to  promote 
sustainable  development,  including,  among  others,  through  education  for  sustainable  development  and 
sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global 
citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.  
17  The  Programme  for International  Student Achievement  by  the  Organisation for  Economic  Co-operation  and 
Development (OECD). 
18 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study by the International Association for the Evaluation of 
Educational Achievement (IEA). 
19 Progress in International Reading Literacy Study by the IEA. 

27 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
Support at Member States and EU level  

The public survey asked how education and training systems in the Member States could 
best  support  education  for  environmental  sustainability’.  Most  respondents  chose  more 
funding to support education and training institutions and the non-formal sector 
to  tackle  environmental  and  sustainability  issues  (62%).  Almost  60%  opted  for 
reviewing  existing  or  developing  new  policies  and  strategies  on  education  for 
environmental  sustainability  (e.g., 
learning  environments,  curricula, 
educator  professional  development  and  assessment,  links  to  the  jobs  market). 
Strengthening  collaboration  between  different  parts  of  the  education  and 
training  system  (for  example  between  formal  and  non-formal  education,  or  between 
schools, vocational education and training and higher education) was chosen by 55%.  

including 

A number of position papers reiterated the need for increased investment in education in 
order  to  develop  the  skills  that  learners  need  for  digital  and  green  transformations  and 
life and work in a globalised society.  

‘We need to lift ecological sustainability to be one of the main goals and motives of 

education at the national level’   

‘Investment in environmental education by the EU and its Member States would make 
education systems more effective, building resilience and forward-looking education and 
training systems’ 

On what should be done at European level to support Member States with education for 
environmental  sustainability,  the  following  three  actions  were  seen  as  priority  by 
respondents: 

  more  exchange  of 

for 
environmental sustainability (e.g., sharing examples of successful projects 
and policies) (51%); 

ideas  and  experiences  on  education 

  more  funding  for  education  projects  and  research  (e.g.,  Erasmus+, 

European Social Fund, Horizon Europe) (49%). 

  establish  common  principles  and  a  shared  language  on  education  for 
environmental  sustainability  to  encourage  more  cooperation  and  projects 
(46%). 

28 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Position  papers  called  for  green  approaches  and  green  skills  to  be  promoted  and 
developed  through  existing  EU  programmes  (ESF+,  Erasmus+,  ERDF,  Horizon  Europe, 
Digital Europe, Life, etc.). Further research on green skills and the development of green 
practices  and  mindset  to  inform  policy  making  was  also  identified  as  a  priority.  Position 
papers  also  supported  the  need  to  develop  a  shared  understanding  at  EU  level  on 
education  for  environmental  sustainability,  green  competences  and  whole-institution 
approaches.  The  development  of  the  competence  framework  on  sustainability  was 
welcomed, with support for defining related learning outcomes. 

Supporting youth engagement  

Respondents  were  also  asked  how  the  EU  and  Member  States  could  support  young 
people  to  further  engage  with  environmental  sustainability.  Priority  was  given  by 
respondents to: incentivise and support young people to develop their own ideas, 
solutions  and  projects  on  environmental  sustainability  (61%).  This  was  closely 
followed  by  more  opportunities  to  take  part  in  EU  projects  and  environmental 
initiatives (e.g., Erasmus+; European Solidarity Corps, Education for Climate Coalition; 
eTwinning,  European  Climate  Pact,  European  Alliance  for  Apprenticeships)  (60%).  A 
more  systematic  outreach and engagement of young people in  EU and  national 
actions  on  environmental  sustainability  (e.g.,  dialogue,  consultation,  feedback 
opportunities,  including  through  apps,  games,  challenges)  was  indicated  by  49%  of 
respondents.  

29 

 
 
 
 
 
A  number  of  position  papers  call  for  children  and  young  people  to  participate  more 
actively  in  school  decision-making  and  organisation.  This  was  seen  as  a  way  of 
supporting  active  citizenship  and  engagement  in  sustainability  issues.  Critical  thinking 
skills can also be strengthened as young people can reflect on their own values and listen 
actively to the opinions of others.  Using digital channels and social media networks was 
highlighted as crucial in reaching young people. 

‘The creation of permanent and systematic mechanisms to listen and adopt the views of 
the youth’ 

'The student population is often far more aware of environment issues than the 
population at large’  

Key points from consultation and research  

Respondents  call  for  more  guidance  on  how  to  change  behaviour  and  take  action  in 
everyday  life,  and  more  opportunities  to  take  part  in  decision-making  related  to 
environmental sustainability. 

Environmental  sustainability  should  be  taught  through  a  combination  of  different 
subjects and disciplines, rather than as a topic or module in a single subject.  

Regarding  support  for  educators,  quality  professional  development  opportunities  are 
seen as the main priority for action. 

There  is  a  clear  need  to  strengthen  collaboration  between  education  and  training 
institutions and local and wider communities to make such cooperation more systemic 

30 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
and continuous.  

A  lack  of  funding  for  projects  and  partnerships,  together  with  a  lack  of  time  in  an 
already  full  curriculum  were  highlighted  as  the  two  most  important  barriers  for 
effective partnerships.   

National education and training systems could best support learning for environmental 
sustainability  by  providing  more  funding  and  by  reviewing  existing  or  developing  new 
policies and strategies on learning for environmental sustainability.  

EU level support to Member States should focus on  more peer learning, more funding 
for  projects  and  research  and  on  establishing  common  principles  and  a  shared 
language on learning for environmental sustainability. 

Young  people  need  further  support  to  develop  their  own  ideas,  solutions  and  projects 
on  environmental  sustainability.  They  would  also  benefit  from  more  opportunities  to 
take part in EU projects and initiatives. 

Monitoring  and  indicators  on  learning  for  environmental  sustainability  and  ESD  have 
mainly  targeted  inputs  such  as  strategies  and  changes  in  curricula  rather  than 
measuring learning outcomes. 

31 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
3. Towards sustainability in learning: achieving lasting 
change  

The increasing number of projects and programmes across Europe related to learning for 
environmental  sustainability  shows  a  growing  interest  and  engagement  in  these  issues. 
However,  many  initiatives  remain  limited  in  time  and  scope.  Given  the  urgency  of  the 
climate and biodiversity crises, it is time for a step change and to move beyond isolated 
initiatives  to  deep  and  systemic  change  in  education  and  training.  For  this  to  happen 
environmental  sustainability  should  be  embedded  in  all  education  and  training 
policies,  programmes  and  processes  and  anchored  firmly  in  the  entire  student 
learning  experience.  Action  is  needed  both  vertically,  individual  to  institution  to 
systems  level,  and  also  horizontally,  meaning  all  stakeholders  in  education  and  training 
need to work together in synergy for whole-systems change. 

Short-term  measures  need  to  be  continued  or  developed  to  support  institutions  and 
educators  and  to  help  learners  develop  the  skills  and  mindset  needed  for  the  green 
transition.  In  the  medium  and  longer  term,  all  reform  efforts  in  education  and  training 
should  support  and  align  with  the  changes  needed  for  a  greener  and  more  sustainable 
future.  It  is  important  that  learning  and  teaching  for  environmental  sustainability  is  not 
viewed as an additional task or burden for educators to implement. Neither should it be 
viewed or treated separately to other education agendas of inclusion, quality, innovation, 
internationalisation  and  student-centred  learning.    Learning  for  sustainability  has  rich 
potential  and  is  an  excellent  opportunity  to  make  learning  more  relevant;  to  motivate 
learners  and  educators;  and  to  develop  competences  increasingly  needed  for  life  and 
work.  

The  extensive  consultations  and  the  research  gathered  to  prepare  the  Commission’s 
proposal (see chapter 2) have highlighted a number of key principles and areas of focus. 
To fully embed environmental sustainability into education and training, action is needed 
on a range of different fronts which are detailed below.  

Learning for environmental sustainability:   

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

Starts from early childhood education and care 

Takes a lifelong learning approach  

Creates  supportive  learning  environments  where  the  institution  as  a  whole  is 
active on sustainability  

Is learner-centred, engaging, positive and based on real-life experiences  

Supports  educators, 
sustainability 

including 

leadership  teams,  to  teach  and  act 

for 

Fosters collaboration and partnerships in local and wider communities  

Involves young people in meaningful ways 

Builds sustainability competences  

Is founded on strong policies 

These  nine  interconnected  areas  are  explored  below  with  relevant  examples  provided 
from current policy and practice in Europe and beyond. 

32 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Learning for environmental sustainability starts early 

Early  years  are  formative  years.  They  profoundly  shape  individuals’  intellectual, 
psychological,  emotional,  social  and  physical  interactions  and  relationships  throughout 
their life. According to research, early years are also a crucial time window to develop a 
sustainability mindset and the concept of being an active citizen (Davis, 2015), within the 
family  network  and  in  local  and  wider  communities  (Elliot  and  Davis,  2018).  Everything 
‘deeply lived, practised and felt in the early years of human development remains for the 
rest  of  one’s  life’  (Didonet,  2015).  Learning  for  environmental  sustainability  and 
acknowledging  the  right  of  children  to  participate  in  issues  related  to  the  environment 
and  sustainable  development  (Fenton-Glynn,  2019)  must  therefore  occur  well  before 
children start primary school (Siraj-Blatchford et al, 2010).  

Given the extent of the ecological crisis and the potential for eco-anxiety20, it is tempting 
and indeed well-intentioned to conceive of childhood as a period of carefree play and to 
shelter  children as much as possible from the  realities around them.  However,  research 
indicates  that  even  very  young  children  are  adept  at  sophisticated  thinking  about  social 
and  environmental  problems  (Christensen,  2021),  and  that  the  earlier  learning  for 
environmental  sustainability  starts,  the  greater  its  impact  can  be.  In  fact,  ideas  about 
children and childhood over the past 40 years have significantly changed in terms of how 
we  see  children’s  development  and  their  capabilities  (Corsaro,  2005).  Children  are  now 
perceived as active contributors and interpreters in their worlds, and as social actors as 
recognised in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child21.  

Building on traditions in early childhood education and care  

High-quality  early  childhood  education  and  care  (ECEC)  has  an  enormous  potential  in 
developing pro-environmental values, attitudes and skills. In addition, ECEC can build on 
well-established  traditions  to  integrate  learning  for  environmental  sustainability.  Many 
pedagogies and practices – while not necessarily perceived or named as such – align fully 
with  effective  learning  for  sustainability:  holistic  and  integrated  approaches;  outdoor 
learning;  experiential  and  project-based  learning  that  supports  co-investigation  and  co-
construction building on real-life local situations and problems that children identify; and 
authentic  participation  with  parents  and  communities  (Davis,  2015).  Research  even 
speaks  of a ‘pedagogical advantage’ (Elliot and Davis, 2009) that  ECEC has with regard 
to learning for environmental sustainability compared to other education sectors.  

Play-based learning 

Young children explore  the world through play  and play contributes to the development 
of  cognitive  functions,  as  well  as  to  communicative  and  social  skills  that  also  contribute 
to  building  a  child’s  future  sustainability  mindset.  Close  contact  with  nature  is  seen  as 
foundational for learning and caring about nature. Exploring woodlands, getting wet feet, 
climbing  rocks,  building  with  sticks,  running  on  grass,  turning  over  rocks,  following 
insects,  and  connecting  with  nature  (Siraj-Blatchford  et  al,  2010)  are  essential  for 
building  a  strong  foundation  of  environmental  stewardship  (Chawla  and  Derr,  2012). 

20  Eco-anxiety  (also  known  as  eco-pessimism)  refers  to  fear  and  worries  about  environmental  damage  and 
disaster based  on  the  current  and predicted future  state of  the  environment  and  the  consequences  of  climate 
change. See also https://www.ecoanxiety.com/ 
21 https://www.ohchr.org/en/professionalinterest/pages/crc.aspx 

33 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
Forest  kindergartens  or  other  early  childhood  education  facilities  with  a  strong  nature 
component  have  become  popular  because  of  their  positive  impacts  on  children’s  well-
being, dispositions and learning.  

Beyond play-based learning  

Many children and young people around the world are growing up in environments where 
nature  is  missing  or  severely  compromised,  whether  in  high  rise  apartments,  urban 
slums  or  refugee  camps.  ECEC  therefore  needs  to  look  far  beyond  nature-oriented 
education  as  a  solution  for  todays’  problems.  While  acknowledging  the  crucial  role  of 
children’s  close  contact  with  nature,  romanticised  views  of  nature  play  and  nature 
education  in  ECEC  are  often  a  product  of  an  ‘idealised’  Western  oriented  childhood 
existence and no longer enough to deal with today’s human-nature challenges (ibid.).  

Applying innovative methods alongside more traditional approaches can further promote 
learning  for  environmental  sustainability.  This  can  include  harnessing  the  potential  of 
digital technologies. In Sweden, digital tools were successfully employed by teachers who 
used  a  picture  book  about  waste  collection  to  co-construct  a  project  with  their  pupils 
involving  handwritten  letters  and  stories,  tablets  for  picture  taking  and  computers  to 
create short videos about their learning (Johannesson et al, 2020). 

Increasingly, early childhood educators are working with children on, for example, socio-
political  sustainability  with  a  focus  on  poverty  (Paujik  et  al,  2020)  and  socio-cultural 
sustainability,  focussing  on  storytelling  to  strengthen  understanding  and  respect  for 
cultural heritage (Tzima et al, 2020). Such learning centres on children being recognised 
as  leaders  and  change  agents  whose  democratic  and  civic  participation  is  vital  to 
addressing  the  complexities  and  challenges  across  all  sustainability  dimensions: 
environmental,  political,  social,  and  economic.  The  multi-dimensional  approaches 
enhance  creativity,  critical  reflection  and  problem  solving;  recognition  of  multiple 
worldviews,  values,  and  cultural  traditions;  ethically  informed  relationships  between 
humans across the globe and between generations, and nonhuman species, and natural 
elements (Elliott and Davis, 2018). 

Moving forward  

Providing  younger  children  with  learning  opportunities  for  environmental  sustainability 
poses  challenges  and  new  opportunities.  To  strengthen  the  sector  as  a  whole,  and  also 
benefit its sustainability performance and practice, it is necessary to:  

 

 
 

 

improve  access  to  ECEC,  in  particular  for  disadvantaged  groups  such  as  low-
income  families,  people  with  migrant  backgrounds,  those  living  in  rural  and 
remote areas; 
raise the status of ECEC teachers and improve their working conditions;  
improve 
environmental and sustainability issues; 
invest  in  suitable  facilities  and  working  environments  that  enable  exposure  to 
nature;  

initial  and  continuing  ECEC  educators’ 

including  on 

training, 

  promote  age-appropriate  pedagogical  approaches,  with  a  focus  on  social  and 

emotional learning; 
foster engagement with families, carers, and the wider community. 

 

Learning environments 

34 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
To  enable  children’s  regular  contact  with  nature  and  its  elements,  facilities  that  are  not 
close to nature can be ‘naturalised’ through small gardens, potted plants combined with 
regular exposure to nature through walks and excursions. Staff and children can actively 
engage  in  sustainable  practices  by  ‘greening’  ECEC  facilities  and  their  operations.  They 
can apply ‘green housekeeping’, including waste reduction, saving water and energy and 
thus  create  learning  environments  that  are  both  supportive  of,  and  supported  by, 
sustainable practices. A whole-institution approach, involving all levels of governance and 
management of ECEC facilities and services, can systemically promote and support these 
practices.  

Table 3. Examples of physical environments and teaching approaches to support learning 
for environmental sustainability  

Examples of designing the physical 
environments and resources in ECEC 

Examples of teaching approaches and 
pedagogies in ECEC 

  Location 

close 

to 

natural 

environments such as parks 

  Small gardens, potted plants, access 

to small animals 

  Rainwater harvesting system 
  A  place  where  children  sit  and  chat 

and do activities outside 

  Opportunities  for  children  to  grow 
vegetables and fruits (at school) and 
taste what they have grown  
Information 
boards 
environment at school 

about 

the 

 

  A  space  where  natural  materials  are 

displayed 

  Ethically sourced and/or repurposed, 
re-cycled items and material for play 
  Visuals  showing  animals’  life  cycles 
and/or endangered animal species 
  Spaces at school where solar energy 
is  used,  water  harvesting  practices, 
waste recycling 

  Digital 

technologies 

facilitate 
practice  change  such  as  online 
images, electronic timer lights etc. 

to 

  Recognise  children’s  interests  as  the 
driving  force  for  exploring  nature  play 
experiences 

  Stimulate 

children’s 

interest 

in 

protecting the environment  

  Provide opportunities for children to talk 
about  local  and  global  environmental 
news 

  Promote  opportunities  for  discussing 
with  children  about  values,  about  what 
sustainability means, and how could the 
Earth be a better place for all.  

  Regular opportunities to be immersed in 
nature  through  extended  walks  and 
excursions  

  Activities with children about water use, 

waste, energy consumption 

  Promote active transport by considering 
how  children  come  to  the  service  each 
day: car, bicycle, walk, train etc.  

  Promote  opportunities 
to  be  heard 

for  children’s 
voices 
through  civic 
participation  in  community  events  such 
as  Earth  Day,  local  media  or  sending 
letters to relevant authorities.  

Source: own compilation based on Korkmaz and Guler Yildiz, 2017) and Davis, 2015.   

Strong policies and motivated staff as key enablers 

Re-orienting  and  updating  policy  and  curricula  to  promote  environmental  sustainability 
and  aligning  with  European  and  international  sustainability  policies  and  initiatives  will 
offer guidance for ECEC professionals’ sustainability knowledge and skills. Some countries 

35 

 
 
 
 
 
including Sweden and Finland, as well as Norway and Japan are already in the process of 
re-orienting curricula towards sustainability (Elliott et al, 2020).  

The  EU  quality  framework  for  early  childhood  education  and  care22  can  provide 
useful policy pointers for Member States on how to improve their ECEC systems. It sets 
out  key  principles  for  high-quality  early  childhood  education  and  care,  including  by 
addressing  children’s  social,  emotional,  cognitive  and  physical  development  and  their 
well-being.  

Successful learning for environmental sustainability will not be possible without qualified 
and highly motivated educators. Raising the status of the profession through investing in 
training,  recruitment  and  support  will  benefit  the  sector  overall,  including  in  meeting 
sustainability  targets.  ECEC  training  courses  on  environment  and  sustainability  need  to 
familiarise  future  professionals  with  the  nature  play/learning  paradigm  while  also  trying 
to go beyond it and adopt other more transformative approaches. 

            Finland  has  developed  a  strong  policy  vision  for  sustainability  in  ECEC. 
According  to  the  2018  Finnish  national  core  curriculum  for  ECEC,  the  goal  of  early 
childhood  education  is  to  develop  the  child's  co-operation  and  interaction  skills, 
promote  peer  activities  and  guide  ethically  responsible  and  sustainable  activities, 
respect for other people, and membership of society. All activities should consider the 
need  for  an  ecologically,  socially,  culturally,  and  economically  sustainable  lifestyle. 
Everyday choices and actions should reflect a responsible attitude towards nature and 
the  environment,  and  early  childhood  education  should  promote  sharing, 
reasonableness, sustainability, and the repair and re-use of resources.  

            The  GemüseAckerdemie,  meaning  Vegetable  Academy,  aims  to  re-establish 
connections  between  children  and  nature.  The  programme  supports  teachers, 
school staff, volunteers and parents to help children learn about the theory of growing 
food  and  apply  this  knowledge  by  sowing,  caring  for  and  harvesting  vegetables.  The 
programme  is  designed  to  engage  not  only  the  children,  but  also  their  teachers  and 
families. Annual impact reports  show that  participants feel a stronger connection  with 
nature  and  understand  and  value  their  food  more.  The  award-winning  programme 
which  began  as  a  pilot  in  2013  is  now  running  in  400  kindergartens  and  schools  in 
Germany, Austria and Switzerland, including in disadvantaged areas. 
inherit.eu 

            Since  the  early  nineties,  Denmark  has  designed  and  implemented  forest 
kindergartens  across  the  country,  which  connect  pedagogical  approaches  to  nature 
with engagement in sustainable practices and interaction with nature. Children conduct 
all kindergarten activities outside in natural settings, depending on the surroundings of 
individual schools and the ideas and knowledge of the educators.  Since the first forest 
kindergartens were established, their popularity has grown enormously.  Today, one in 
ten Danish kindergartens are outdoors and the idea has spread to other countries. 

Key points for early years learning for environmental sustainability 

Learning for environmental sustainability needs to start from a young age as early years 
are  crucial  to  develop  a  sustainability  mindset  and  to  foster  environmental  stewardship 
and active citizenship. 

High-quality  ECEC  can  foster  pro-environmental  values,  attitudes  and  skills  by  building 

22 2019/C 189/02  

36 

 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
                                           
on well-established traditions, such as play-based learning, and by using the potential of 
innovative approaches and resources, including digital tools. 

Children  need  ample  opportunities  to  develop  a  connection  with  nature  as  well  as 
opportunities for civic participation.  

Successful  early  years  learning  for  environmental  sustainability  requires  strong  policies 
that  support  whole-institution  approaches;  investment  in  learning  environments,  that 
enable  regular  exposure  to  nature;  building  staff  capacity  to  apply  sustainability 
pedagogies in their daily practice; strong links with families and the wider community. 

Learning for environmental sustainability is lifelong  

Putting  our  society  and  economy  on  a  sustainable  path  provides  new  personal  and 
professional  opportunities  for  people  but  also  requires  continuous  efforts  to  understand 
the  complex  nature  of  sustainability  and  the  environmental  crises  and  to  develop  the 
skills  and  understanding  to  address  these  challenges.  Learning  for  environmental 
sustainability can and should therefore be lifelong; occurring throughout people’s lives in 
many places and contexts covering the full spectrum of formal, non-formal and informal 
learning, from early years into older age.  
How different forms and sectors of  education and training can contribute to learning for 
sustainability  is  presented  below.  To  help  educators  and  institutions  integrate  futures 
thinking  and  other  critical  sustainability  competences,  the  Commission  has  developed  a 
sustainability  competence  framework  to  be  used  in  a  lifelong  learning  context  (see 
chapter  4).  Building  these  skills  can  help  people  to  adapt,  manage  and  contribute 
positively to a safer and more sustainable future.   

Learning for sustainability in formal education  

A  large  part  of  learning  for  environmental  sustainability  can  and  should  take  place  in 
formal  education  and  training23.  Early  childhood  education  and  care  has  –  as 
highlighted  above  –  a  major,  albeit  underdeveloped,  role  to  play  in  developing  a  caring 
attitude towards nature and in building a sustainability mindset. Schools at primary and 
secondary level, including VET schools, have a large societal reach and ripple-on effects 
can  occur  with  parents,  families  and  the  wider  community.  While  the  integration  of 
sustainability  in  schools  is  more  advanced  compared  to  other  education  and  training 
sectors,  the  huge  potential  of  schools  to  advance  learning  for  sustainability  is  not  yet 
fully realised, with large differences across  the EU (see chapter 2). The changes needed 
to  fully  embed  environmental  sustainability  require  a  whole-of-system  approach,  that  is 
based  on  the  learner’s  experience  and  takes  into  account  pedagogy  and  curriculum, 
support  for  educators,  learning  environments,  including  buildings  and  outdoor  spaces, 
diverse actors, both in schools and outside and connection to local and wider community.  

VET  plays  a  key  role  in  formal  education  and  training  for  environmental  sustainability, 
equipping  learners  with  cross-cutting  sustainability  competences,  such  as  systems 
thinking and futures thinking,  as well as sector specific  skills. The UNESCO Strategy  for 

23 The Council of Europe refers to formal education as ‘the structured education system that runs from primary 
(and in some countries from nursery) school to university, and includes specialised programmes for vocational, 
technical and professional training. Formal education often comprises an assessment of the learners' acquired 
learning  or  competences  and  is  based  on  a  programme  or  curriculum  which  can  be  more  or  less  closed  to 
adaptation to individual needs and preferences. Formal education usually leads to recognition and certification. 
https://www.coe.int/en/web/european-youth-foundation/definitions 

37 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
Technical  and  Vocational  Education  and  Training  2016–21  (UNESCO,  2016a)  sets  out  a 
vision  of  ‘transformative  VET’,  which  is  based  on  economic  development,  equity  and 
environmental sustainability. While the main function of VET is to build competences and 
train young people and adults, it increasingly involved in regional and local development 
and providing technology transfer to SMEs (Rosenfeld, 1998 and Toner and Dalitz, 2012). 
The  Council  Recommendation  on  vocational  education  and  training  for  sustainable 
competitiveness,  social  fairness,  and  resilience24  recognises  that  ‘vocational  education 
and training is a driver for innovation and growth and prepares for the digital and green 
transitions  and  occupations  in  high  demand’.  Greening  VET  requires  a  mind-set  shift, 
from  industry-centred  thinking  to  sustainable  development-centred  thinking,  both  at 
system level and at the level of education and training providers and workplaces.  

Higher  education  (HE),  in  all  its  diversity  and  through  all  of  its  roles  and  missions  – 
learning  and  teaching,  research  and  innovation,  and  service  to  society,  has  a  major 
contribution  to  make  in  preparing  and  empowering  our  societies  to  be  more 
environmentally  sustainable,  and  to  manage  the  impact  of  those  changes.  This  is 
relevant  in  terms  of  equipping  their  graduates  with  the  knowledge,  skills  and 
competences  they  need  for  a  rapidly  changing  global  context,  directing  research  and 
innovation  to  manage  the  impacts  and  explore  and  design  solutions  with  regard  to 
climate  change,  and  placing  sustainability  at  the  heart  of  community  outreach.  At  the 
same  time,  higher  education  systems  are  themselves  affected  by  climate  change,  with 
impacts  on  infrastructure  and  campus  management,  where  they  can  also  act  as  role 
models for environmentally sustainable practice and operations.  

Expectations for higher education institutions (HEIs) to be leaders of change in the green 
transition are high, not least from many of their students who may be at the forefront of 
campaigning  for  a  more  environmentally  sustainable  society  or  global  solidarity  with 
regard to climate change. HEIs as ‘learning laboratories’ (Waas et al, 2012) or ‘centers of 
sustainability  innovation  and  excellence’  (Clugston,  1999)  require  their  activities  to  be 
‘ecologically  sound,  socially  just  and  economically  viable,  and  that  they  will  continue  to 
be  so  for  future  generations’  (Waas  et  al,  2012).  To  achieve  that,  HEIs  need  to  review 
and/or reevaluate their missions, curricula, research, community and campus operations 
priorities (Yarime and Tanaka, 2012).  

Having  strong  leadership  on  sustainability,  along  with  an  engaged  and  committed 
academic community, may open opportunities for the students, researchers and staff to 
improve  both  their  expertise  on,  and  their  contribution  to,  environmental  sustainability 
across  all  of  their  programmes,  at  all  levels.  In  addition,  a  higher  education  institution 
can have a recognised role in their city, region or even country, and become a role model 
in  both  educating  their  students  and  staff  on  environmental  sustainability  and  offering 
upskilling  and  reskilling  programmes,  such  as  micro-credentials25,  to  lifelong  learners. 
Engagement  on  sustainability  efforts  opens  opportunities 
for  collaboration  and 
networking  across  institutions  and  among  them  at  the  local,  regional,  national  and 
international  level,  in  addition  to  inspiring  other  institutions  to  follow  similar  strategic 
pathways.  

Research  and  outreach,  as  specific  university  dimensions,  have  been  playing  an 
important role in education for environmental sustainability. Through  initiatives in these 
through 
areas,  HE  can  address  environmental  sustainability  and 

the  SDGs 

24 2020/C 417/01 
25  A  micro-credential  is  a  qualification  evidencing  learning  outcomes  acquired  through  a short,  transparently-
assessed  course  or  module.  Micro-credentials  may  be  completed  on-site,  online  or  in  a  blended  format.  The 
flexible  nature  of  them  allow  learning  opportunities  to  be  opened  up  to  citizens,  including  those  in  full-time 
employment. 

38 

 
 
 
 
 
                                           
interdisciplinary  and  transdisciplinary  research,  national  and  local  implementation, 
capacity  building,  public  engagement  and  cross-sectoral  collaboration,  among  others 
(SDSN, 2020). At the same time, by advancing knowledge in these areas, research and 
outreach  can  support  educational  initiatives  and  contribute  to  a  deeper  and  more 
comprehensive understanding of sustainability issues 

Non-formal learning and sustainability  

Formal  educational  systems  alone  cannot  respond  to  the  rapid  and  constant 
technological,  social  and  economic  change  in  society.  Non-formal  education26  is  an 
integral  part  of  lifelong  learning  for  sustainability,  allowing  young  people  and  adults  to 
acquire and maintain the skills, abilities and the outlook needed to cope with and adapt 
to a continuously changing environment.27 

including 

Non-formal  education  providers, 
local  community  groups,  youth 
associations,  the  scouting  movement,  parks,  farms,  science  centres,  museums 
and  libraries  hold  considerable  potential  to  bring  environmental  learning  to  wider 
audiences  than  those  reached  by  formal  education.  In  fact,  participation  in  non-formal 
education  and  training  surpasses  participation  in  formal  education  and  training  among 
adults  (OECD,  2019).  On  average  across  OECD  countries  taking  part  in  the  Adult 
Education  Survey,  16%  of  25-34  year-olds  were  taking  part  in  formal  education  and 
training while 50% of the same age group were taking part in non-formal education and 
training. (OECD, 2019).  

Non-formal education can contribute to learning for environmental sustainability both on 
its own as it sector and in terms of its relations with formal education. The absence of the 
structures and frameworks under which formal education operates can be a strength, as 
‘non-formal  learning  provides  an  opportunity  for  education  to  rely  more  on  the  natural 
process  of  learning,  by  allowing  it  to  be  active,  volitional  and  internally  mediated’ 
(Heimlich, 1993). ‘The value of non-formal education arises because the formal education 
system  is  adapting  slowly  to  the  socio-economic  and  cultural  changes  of  the  world  in 
which we live’ (Boeve-de Pauw and Halbac-Zamfir, 2020). Non-formal education is often 
based on hands-on, real-life experiences, teaching methods and pedagogies than formal 
education.  Organisation  and  planning  of  learning  in  non-formal  education is  often  taken 
on  by  the  learners  themselves,  which  support  the  more  effective  intrinsic,  rather  than 
extrinsic,  motivation  for  learning  (Norqvist  and  Leffler,  2017).  Non-formal  (adult) 
learning  also  plays  a  significant  role  in  promoting  social  inclusion,  active  citizenship  as 
well as personal development and well-being.  

Non-formal  education  is  therefore  well-positioned  to  adapt  to,  and  adopt,  new  topics, 
discoveries and initiatives for environmental sustainability and implement them in new or 
existing  programmes  at  a  faster  rate  than  may  be  seen  in  formal  education.  Learners 
also  have  an  opportunity  to  develop  and  follow  their  own  interests  outside  of  formal 
education which can boost their engagement and learning.   

26  The  Council  of  Europe  (CoE)  refers  to  non-formal  learning  ‘as  planned,  structured  programmes  and 
processes of personal and social education […] designed to improve a range of skills and competences, outside 
the  formal  educational  curriculum.’  Non-formal  education  typically  happens  in  ‘youth  organisations,  sports 
clubs, drama and community groups’. Certification of non-formal education achievements is generally difficult. 
According  to  the  CoE,  non-formal  education  should  also  be:  ‘voluntary;  accessible  to  everyone  […]  with 
educational  objectives;  participatory;  learner-centred;  about  learning  life  skills  and  preparing  for  active 
citizenship; 
[…]’. 
and 
https://www.coe.int/en/web/european-youth-foundation/definitions 
27 See Council of Europe. Recommendation 1437 (2000), CM/Del/Dec(2000)698/3.1. 

process-oriented; 

experience 

holistic 

action; 

based 

[…]; 

and 

on 

39 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
Initiatives,  pedagogical  methods  and  materials  developed  in  non-formal  education  can 
inspire and complement work underway in schools and other formal education providers. 
The  scouting  movement,  a  voluntary  non-political  educational  movement  for  young 
people,  was  quick  to  address  the  SDGs  and  produce  teaching  materials,  both  for  their 
local units as well as to inspire actors in formal education (ibid.). As part of the reform of 
the Danish primary and lower secondary education, primary schools are required to work 
with  local  sports,  cultural  associations,  life,  leisure  and  club  activities  during  the  school 
day.  Schools  thus  make  connections  with  their  local  communities,  and  between  the 
children’s  times  and  activities  in  and  outside  of  the  classroom  (Ministeriet  for  Børn, 
2016).    

To  foster  uptake  and  impact  of  non-formal  learning,  including  for  environmental 
sustainability,  recognition  and  validation  of  non-formal  education  need  to  be 
improved.  Recognition  of  non-formal  learning  can  improve  access  to  formal  education 
and  make  it  more  attractive  for  workers  and  employers  to  invest  in  non-formal 
education,  such  as  on-the-job  training,  knowing  that  it  can  be  recorded  and  built upon. 
Micro-credentials can be used to give visibility to non-formal learning and offer a flexible 
and accessible route for workers and learners to develop the skills they need. Increased 
investment  in  non-formal  education  is  key  to  scaling  and  developing  activities.  This  will 
positively impact the building of sector-specific expertise and capacity; the development 
of  educational  activities  and  materials  by  non-formal  educational  providers;  and 
collaboration between non-formal and formal education providers. 

A number of position papers submitted as part of the public consultation  also pointed to 
the  need  to  mobilise  local  communities  in  urban  areas  to  promote  learning  for 
sustainability.  This  can  help  tackle  the  problem  of  people  in  cities  and  towns  spending 
less time outdoors and losing connection with nature. ‘Learning cities’ can bring together 
local  organisations,  businesses,  museums,  science  centres,  libraries,  schools  and  other 
formal  and  non-formal  education  providers  to  build  awareness,  understanding  and 
engagement  with  climate  change,  biodiversity  loss  and  other  environmental  issues. 
According to UNESCO a learning city is one that: 

  effectively mobilises resources in every sector to promote inclusive learning, 

from basic to higher education; 
revitalises learning in families and communities; 
 
facilitates learning for and in the workplace; 
 
  extends the use of modern learning technologies; 
  enhances quality and excellence in learning; 
fosters a culture of learning throughout life. 
 

The  UNESCO  Global  Network  of  Learning  Cities28  supports  and  improves  the  practice  of 
lifelong  learning  in  member  cities  by  promoting  dialogue  and  peer  learning,  capturing 
good  practice,  fostering  partnerships,  providing  capacity  building,  and  developing  tools 
and instruments to support learning cities. 

All  forms  of  learning,  formal,  informal  and  non-formal,  need  to  be  underpinned  by  the 
ability  and  willingness  to  learn  in  a  life-long  context,  including  for  sustainability.  It  is 
crucial  for  individuals  to  develop  learning  to  learn  competences.  The  LifeComp 
Framework29,  developed  by  the  Commission  in  2020,  can  be  a  reference  point  for 
building personal, social and learning to learn competences. 

28 https://uil.unesco.org/lifelong-learning/learning-cities 
29 https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/lifecomp 

40 

 
 
 
 
                                           
Informal learning and sustainability  

Informal learning30, while not usually part of explicit policy design, plays a significant role 
for  many  people  in  developing  awareness  and  understanding  of  the  environment  and 
sustainability. People learn from  family, friends and neighbours, in  local communities at 
work and through play, reading and sports. The mass media are a key player in informal 
education,  for  examples  through  films,  documentaries  and  music.  Mass-communication 
and  social  media  play  an  ever  increasing  role  in  the  lives  of  adults,  young  people  and 
children.  Informal  learning  can  partly  compete  for  attention  and  content  with  formal 
education  and  increasingly  shape  people’s  opinion  and  values.  In  the  SEEd  Youth 
Listening  Project,  a  2019  survey  among  more  than  1700  mostly  school-aged  young 
people  from  the  UK  (SEEd.  2019),  television  and  social  media  were  named  second  and 
third  most  important  sources  of  information  for  young  people  on  sustainability  and 
climate change after geography lessons.  

While  innovative  practices  and  the  use  of  digital  media  for  learning  are  gaining  ground, 
policy makers, education institutions and staff need to better reflect these realities so as 
to  make  the  most  of  informal  learning,  connect  formal  and  informal  learning  and  be 
closer to learners’ real-life experience. Media (including public broadcasters, social media, 
digital  platforms  and  streaming  services)  can  help  learners  and  their  families  to 
understand  climate  change,  biodiversity  loss  and  sustainability.  They  can  encourage 
young people to create and share content on environmental issues and share stories on 
how learners can take action within their local communities.  

The  vigour and engagement  of young people  around the  world  on  environmental issues 
has  triggered  intergenerational  learning,  including  by  decision-makers.  Youth-led 
action  on  climate  and  the  environment  has  influenced  and  initiated  policy  measures  for 
sustainability.  The  Green  Deal  acknowledges  the  motivation  and  input  by  young  people 
as a driving force for designing and stepping up EU policies towards the green transition. 
In  turn,    and  older  people  have  much  to  contribute  when  it  comes  to  sustainability  and 
learning  for  sustainability.  Given  the  central  role  of  informal  learning  in  any  education 
process,  parents,  carers,  grandparents  and  families  need  to  have  an  active  role  in 
learning  for  the  environment  and  sustainability.  Including  families  in  learning  for 
sustainability,  means  to  both  build  on  their  competences  and  build  their  competences. 
Tapping  into  the  sustainability  competences  of  parents,  carers,  grandparents  and  other 
relatives  can  lead  to  a  richer  learning  experience.  At  the  same  time,  it  cannot  be 
assumed that parents’ will be able or willing to continue at home what has been learnt in 
ECEC  facilities,  schools  or  other  education  and  training  institutions.  Therefore,  helping 
parents and families to understand environmental challenges and how they can become 
agents of change can help promote a sustainability mindset across society.  

            European School of Sustainability Science and Research, a network of 62 
European  universities,  is  engaged  on  the  nexus  between  research  and  education 
initiatives on environmental sustainability.  
https://esssr.eu/ 

  The  European  Youthpass  is  a  tool  to  document  and  recognise  learning 
outcomes  from  youth  work  and  solidarity  activities.  The  Youthpass  is  part  of  the 
European Commission's strategy to foster the recognition of non-formal learning. It is 

30  The  Council  of  Europe  refers  to  informal  learning  as  ‘a  lifelong  learning  process,  whereby  each  individual 
acquires attitudes, values, skills and knowledge from the educational influences and resources in his or her own 
environment  and  from  daily  experience.  Learning  in  this  way  is  often  unplanned  and  unstructured.’ 
https://www.coe.int/en/web/european-youth-foundation/definitions 

41 

 
 
 
 
 
                                           
available  for  all  projects  and  activities  within  the  Erasmus+:  Youth  in  Action  and 
European Solidarity Corps programmes. 

  The  UN’s  Youth  Climate  Movement  is  a  formalised  international  network  of 
youth organisations that provide non-formal learning to inspire, empower and mobilise 
a generational movement of young people to take positive action on climate change. 

  The  Umweltberatung  in  Austria  (eco-counselling)  has  developed  the  Energy 
Efficiency  Driving  License,  a  tool  for  energy  saving  in  private  households,  small  and 
middle-sized  enterprises  and  communities  in  order  to  meet  the  needs  for  climate 
protection and energy saving. 

 The Young Reporters for the Environment programme by the Foundation 
for  Environmental  Education  combines  formal,  non-formal  and  informal  learning.  It 
runs  in  over  40  countries  worldwide,  supporting  young  people  to  explore  and  take 
action  on  environmental issues  through  photos,  videos  and  news  articles.  Participants 
(11-25  year  olds)  are  encouraged  to  become  ‘citizen  journalists’  investigating  local 
environmental  issues  and  solutions.  Participants  acquire  a  range  of  skills  and 
competences through the programme such as communication skills, teamwork, critical 
thinking,  civic  engagement  and 
the 
leadership. 
programme and young people can join either through their school, through non-formal 
education  (e.g.  youth  group  or  summer  camp)  or  as  an  individual.  An  international 
competition  is  held  annually  where  young  people  identify  a  local  environmental  issue 
and put forward possible solutions. 
https://www.yre.global/ 

 National  bodies  coordinate 

  An  intergenerational  green  project  which  combines  both  aspects  of  learning 
from and by adults is being implemented in Germany, where older adults are trained 
over a period of two years to work with young children as nature ambassadors in ECEC 
facilities. 

Key points for lifelong learning for sustainability  

Learning  for  environmental  sustainability  needs  to  happen  on  an  ongoing  basis  for 
learners  of  all  ages,  in  and  outside  of  formal  education  and  training  and  in  many 
different contexts and settings. This is vital to ensure that people adjust, adapt to and 
benefit from the opportunities of the green transition.  

Formal education and training, from early years to adult education, has a key yet still 
underdeveloped role to play in learning for sustainability. 

Non-formal  learning  can  provide  hands-on  and  innovative  learning  experiences  and 
connect children, young people and adults to their local communities and issues.  

Informal  and  intergenerational  learning  can  be  powerful  in  building  knowledge, 
awareness and skills and mindset for sustainability.   

42 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Learning  for  environmental  sustainability  requires  supportive  learning 
environments 

To be effective, learning and teaching for sustainability needs to be conceived around the 
entire experience offered to learners, in- and outside of the classroom, during dedicated 
learning  time  as  well  as  beyond  (e.g.  on  campus,  outdoor  areas,  cafeteria,  extra-
curricular  activities  etc.).  It  also  recognises  experiences  gained  by  learners  through 
informal  learning.  A  learner-  and  learning  based  approach  goes  beyond  changing 
pedagogical practice to understanding all actors, including educators, as learners, and all 
institutions as learning organisations (Sterling, 2001). 

Mobilising the institution as a whole  

The  ‘whole-institution’  approach  (WIA)  is  an  established  concept  that  enables  schools, 
HEIs  and  other  institutions  to  respond  to  new  and  complex  challenges.  It  helps 
organisations move from isolated examples of effective practice by individual teachers or 
teams of teachers to continuous, and sustained change across the institution as a whole.  

Viewing  schools  as  learning  organisations  is  a  useful  frame  that  can  help  schools  and 
systems  plan  for  and  effectively  embed  sustainability.  It  is  a  concept  of  a  school 
community  that  encourages  and  enables  teachers  and  school  leaders  to  improve  both 
their  pedagogical  and  their  organisational  practices  concurrently  through 
local 
collaborative research, networking and continued professional development. Such schools 
do not  exist in isolation; they are linked and embedded  within a learning system where 
decision-makers  can  learn  from  the  developments  that  are  taking  place  in  and  around 
schools (European Commission, 2021a). 

WIA  for  sustainability  is  a  key  transformative  strategy  which  involves  the  inclusion  of 
sustainable  practices  and  processes  across  the  organisation:  governance;  teaching  and 
learning  design;  campus  and  facilities  management  (e.g.  conserving  water  and  energy, 
providing  healthy  food,  minimising  waste  and  providing  green  and  healthy  school 
grounds); active student and staff engagement as well as cooperation with partners and 
the broader communities and  students (UNESCO, 2016b). Promoting a whole-institution 
approach  is  one  of  the  commitments  in  UNESCO’s  Berlin  Declaration  on  Education  for 
Sustainable Development31. 

The following enabling factors can help ensure an effective and durable whole-institution 
approach and develop a culture of sustainability:   

Vision and planning. Including sustainability in the organisation’s vision, mission 
statement and core operations can be impactful and can support implementation, 
monitoring and quality assurance. 

Shared  leadership.    Education  leaders  have  a  key  role  to  play  in  raising 
awareness,  motivating  and  involving  all  staff  as  well  as  parents  and  students  in 
developing  a  shared  vision  for  sustainability.  However,  a  ‘heroic’  leadership  style 
is  not  sustainable  over  time  (Abrahamsen  and  Aas,  2016).  Shared  or  distributed 
leadership (Bennell, 2015) means that both educators and learners are involved in 
planning  and  decision-making.  This  helps  foster  a  feeling  of  ownership  towards 
sustainable practices, and can help build student and staff competences. 

31  https://en.unesco.org/sites/default/files/esdfor2030-berlin-declaration-en.pdf 

43 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
Adaptability. Adaptability refers to the way in which institutions adapt to internal 
and  external  demands  or  opportunities  for  change.  An  effective  educational 
organisation can respond to these demands and by doing so, improve. 

Initiative  and  an  open-minded  attitude  of  key  actors  (preferably  several) 
within  the  institution.  WIAs  need  educators  to  innovate  and  the  buy-in  of 
leadership  teams  to  turn  into  lasting  and  empowering  bottom-up  initiatives. 
Without a person – a ‘change agent’, – or the commitment of the leadership team, 
however,  the  WIA  initiative  may  not  trigger  change.  Broad  stakeholder 
engagement  can  promote  transparency,  trust,  shared  responsibility  and  ongoing 
reflection on how to improve on a continuous basis. 

Student engagement. Integration of sustainability topics at the operational level 
can  be  an  important  pedagogical  tool  for  skills  development.  Participation  in 
school  elections  and  having  a  student  body  that  participates  in  decision  making, 
for example, can foster active citizenship (Saha and Print, 2010).  

Evidence and evaluation. Gathering, analysing and using a range of qualitative 
and  quantitative  data  is  important  to  create  a  holistic  picture  of  the  education 
institution and to develop  clear  strategies.  Self-evaluation has  emerged as a key 
mechanism to support whole-institution approaches to change and innovation.  

Aligning the education institution as a whole with sustainability is a long-term process. 
Institutions  therefore  require  support  to  design,  monitor  and  evaluate  sustainability 
strategies  and/or  embed  sustainability  in  existing  processes  and  measures.  Education 
leaders  need  a  sufficient  level  of  autonomy  for  decision-making  in  order  to  facilitate 
innovation and change.  

Education and training institutions can also be supported to take part in eco-certification 
programmes  which  can  bring  environmental,  educational  and  economic  benefits.  Such 
support could include agencies or bodies to support whole-school approaches; mentoring 
and networking of schools; templates and guidance and financial support. Labels, award 
schemes  and  digital  badges  can  also  serve  to  recognise  and  incentivise  action  on 
sustainability.  

Traditionally,  higher  education  institutions  are  structured  around  faculties  and 
departments  that  are  autonomous  to  varying  degrees.  This  can  undermine  institution-
wide  approaches  to  sustainability.  Consequently,  the  higher  education  landscape  is  still 
characterised  to  a  large  extent  by  individual  sustainability  projects  and  sustainability 
issues being addressed in individual courses (Rieckmann and Bormann, 2020).  

As  with  other  education  and  training  sectors,  a  whole-institution  approach  in  higher 
education is conducive to transformative learning for a more environmentally sustainable 
future  (Leal  Filho  et  al,  2018).  This  approach  should  integrate  teaching  and  learning, 
research, community engagement and all aspects of campus operations, and  facilitating 
cooperation  among  all  study  areas  and  actors  –  leaders,  academic  and  other  staff,  
students and the local and wider community. 

Whole-institution approaches at school level 

 The Eco-School Programme is the largest and best-known global environmental 
education  programme  for  educational  institutions,  in  which  environmental  and  ESD 
related  competences  and  activities  are  evaluated  at  institutional  level  through  the 

44 

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
awarding of a ‘Green Flag’ and ‘Green Key’. The programme is run by the Foundation for 
Environmental  Education.  To  become  part  of  the  programme  and  be  recognised  as  an 
eco-school, schools must implement the following steps: 

1. Form a student-led eco-committee 
2. Carry out a sustainability audit 
3. Design a corresponding Action Plan 
4. Monitor and evaluate the implementation of the Action Plan 
5. Link Eco-Schools activities to the curriculum 
6. Inform all school staff, pupils, and wider community of the eco-school activities 
7. Produce an Eco-Code describing the school’s commitment to sustainability 

The Eco-Schools programme is now being expanded to higher education.  
https://www.ecoschools.global/seven-steps/ 

 In Cyprus, the Schools Sustainable Environmental Education Policy (SEEP) is an 
official  whole-institution  programme  adopted  by  the  majority  of  primary  and  secondary 
schools  in  the  country.  SEEP  focuses  on  ensuring  that  sustainability  becomes  part  of 
school planning. The issues included in the SEEP are agreed by the institution as a whole, 
and  students  and  staff  engage  with  the  environment  and  sustainability  through  the 
curriculum’s  thematic  units.  School  self-evaluation  measures  impact  at  a  pedagogical, 
organisational  and  social  level,  and  the  outcomes  form  the  basis  for  longer-term 
implementation. 

  An  example  of  a  whole-institution  approach  to  greening  in  the  VET  sector  is 
the  Sustainable  Vocational  Education  and  Training  Koning  Willem  College  in  the 
Netherlands.  This institution  renewed  its  vision  as  a  ‘village’  with  a  circular  eco-system, 
integrating  sustainability  in  curricula,  pedagogy  and  school  facilities.  The  college  has 
electric  cars,  bicycles,  solar  panels,  green  insulation,  and  sustainable  heating  and 
ventilation and an ‘energy transition house’ acts as a knowledge and practice centre.  

Whole-institution approaches in higher education 

  41  European  Universities,  comprising  more  than  280  higher  education 
institutions,  and  funded  through  Erasmus+  and  Horizon  Europe,  integrate 
environmental sustainability across their missions, policies and operations:  

Una  Europa  comprises  eight  leading  research-intensive  universities  from  all  corners  of 
Europe  -  Freie  Universität  Berlin,  Università  di  Bologna,  University  of  Edinburgh, 
Helsingin  Yliopisto,  Uniwersytet  Jagielloński  w  Krakowie,  KU  Leuven,  Universidad 
Complutense de Madrid and Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. Una Europa partners 
are  united  by  a  joint  commitment  to  sustainability  and  share  an  aspiration  for  the 
‘sustainable university’ as an institution that rises to meet global and societal challenges. 
Una  Europa  institutions  develop  communities,  opportunities,  spaces,  and  projects  to 
meet these challenges. 

The Una Europa Focus Area on Sustainability brings together the academic communities 
of  the  eight  partner  universities  to  work  on  joint  innovative  formats  for  education  and 
research,  including  a  joint  Bachelor,  a  Micro-Module  and  a  continuing  education 
certificate  in  the  area  of  sustainability.  Workshops  and  training  opportunities  enable 
inter-disciplinary groups of doctoral candidates from partner institutions to  exchange on 
aspects related to sustainability.  

A Task Force on Sustainability and Climate Protection, led by Freie Universität Berlin, has 
been  established  to  connect  sustainability  experts  and  professional  staff  across  all  Una 
Europa partner universities. The Task Force is currently developing  a joint Sustainability 

45 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
and Climate Protection Strategy, which will set concrete targets and ambitious objectives 
in the areas of governance, teaching and community engagement, operations as well as 
healthy and resilient communities. 
https://www.una-europa.eu/ 

  Launched  in  2008,  the  Austrian  Sustainability  Award  was  designed  to  raise 
awareness  of  and  connect  sustainability  initiatives  in  higher  education  institutions.  The 
award  seeks  to  recognise  longer-term  processes  and  improvements,  rather  than 
individual  or  one-off  projects.  Prize  categories  include  curriculum  and  instruction; 
research;  student  initiatives;  communication  and  decision-making  and  regional  and 
international  cooperation.  The  award  is  run  jointly  by  the  Federal  Ministry  of  Education, 
Science  and  Research  and  the  Federal  Ministry  of  Climate  Action,  Environment,  Energy, 
Mobility, Innovation and Technology. The popularity of the award is growing year on year 
and increasingly groups of universities work together on joint project submissions.  

Investing in green and sustainable infrastructure  

Learners’  physical  surroundings32,  whether  inside  buildings  or  outdoors  in  grounds  and 
campuses,  have  received  more  attention  in  recent  years  (Barrett  et  all,  2019),  some 
liking  them  even  to  ‘the  second  teacher’  (Sanoff,  2001).  Learning  environments  can 
significantly  impact  pedagogical  practice  and  student  learning  in  a  positive  or  negative 
sense (Barrett et al, 2019). However, the basic structure of teaching spaces has evolved 
relatively little over the past century’ (Sanoff, 2001). 

There is a pressing need to adapt physical sites of learning (e.g. school and university 
buildings  and  campuses)  for  the  digital  and  green  transitions.  Education  infrastructure 
accounts for 8% of education expenditure in EU Member States and is the largest share 
of international and national financial investment in education. However, in the EU, many 
education  institutions  are  poorly  equipped  for  21st  century  learning.  Buildings  and 
grounds often need basic renovation and investment in energy efficiency and sustainable 
digital  infrastructure.  It  is  crucial  to  ensure  that  the  potential  of  all  learning  spaces, 
physical and digital, is used  effectively and that schools, campuses and other  education 
institutions can provide sustainable, efficient, healthy and resilient learning environments 
for all.   

More  flexible  and  innovative  learning  spaces  can  enable  educators  to  guide  student 
discovery,  facilitate  their  learning  and  the  development  of  new  skills  and  competences, 
and to promote curiosity, innovation and autonomy.  Supporting green facilities can help 
raise  awareness  among  learners,  parents  and  the  local  community  and  can  boost 
knowledge and competences on how to save energy in buildings, reduce CO2 emissions 
and  contribute  to  reducing  the  environmental  footprint.  The  Green  Free  School  (Den 
Grønne  Friskole),  one  of  around  200  eco-schools  in  Denmark,  is  made  entirely  from 
sustainable materials and places  experiential learning and eco-pedagogy at the heart of 
its syllabus (Clasper, 2020). 

32 The OECD defines ‘educational spaces’ as ‘a physical space that supports multiple and diverse teaching and 
learning  programmes  and  pedagogies,  including  current  technologies;  one  that  demonstrates  optimal,  cost-
effective  building  performance  and  operation  over  time;  one  that  respects  and  is  in  harmony  with  the 
environment; and one that encourages social participation, providing a healthy, comfortable, safe, secure and 
stimulating  setting  for  its  occupants.  In  its  narrowest  sense,  a  physical  learning  environment  is  seen  as  a 
conventional  classroom  and,  in  its  widest  sense,  as  a  combination  of  formal  and  informal  education  systems 
where learning takes place both inside and outside of schools. (Manninen et al., 2007). 

46 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
Putting  education  and  training  infrastructure  to  multi-functional  use  (e.g.  community 
associations using school or campus infrastructure during evenings or at weekends) can 
also  support  lifelong  learning  for  sustainability,  and  strengthen  collaboration  and 
partnerships  with  the  local  community.  In  Lithuania,  schools  facilities  are  used  at 
weekends  for  extracurricular  activities  or  as  space  for  youth  organisations.  In  Malta, 
schools serve as spaces for volunteering on a regular basis.  

The  EU  supports  Member  States’  efforts  to  upgrade  existing  and  invest  in  new  school 
buildings  though  a  number  of  funding  programmes,  including  InvestEU  (the  Social 
Investment  and  Skills  Window),  European  Regional  and  Development  Fund  (ERDF)  and 
the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility  (RRF)  (for  further  information  on  funding 
programmes see chapter 5).  

  Latvia  has  supported  the  renovation  and  development  of  schools  and 
multifunctional  community  centres  in  economically  and  socially  disadvantaged  areas. 
Small rural schools were facing closure due to  demographic decline, growing migration 
and resulted in decreasing numbers of students. To prevent school closure and increase 
the  quality  of  education  provision,  schools  were  ‘opened  up’.    While  maintaining  and 
expanding  their  typical  functions,  schools  added  adult  education  activities,  specific 
services for young children and their families, activities supporting entrepreneurship and 
increasing employability potential through partnerships and civic participation. 

Key points for supportive learning environments   

To  fully  embed  sustainability  into  education  and  training,  learning  and  teaching  for 
sustainability should be conceived around the  entire experience offered to learners, in- 
and outside of the classroom, during dedicated learning time and beyond.  

Whole-institution  approaches  to  sustainability  are  vital  for  deep  and  transformative 
change.  This  requires  vision  and  planning,  shared  leadership,  adaptability  and  active 
engagement of staff and student engagement.  

Self-evaluation  and  using  a  range  of  qualitative  and  quantitative  data  can  support 
whole-institution approaches to change and innovation. 

In the EU, many educational buildings and grounds are poorly equipped for 21st century 
learning. Renovation and investment is urgently required.   

The  potential  of  all  learning  spaces  needs  to  be  leveraged  to  provide  sustainable, 
efficient, healthy and resilient learning environments for all.   

Learning for environmental sustainability is engaging and positive 

Practical,  hands-on  and  real-world  learning  for  sustainability  can  show  a  positive  way 
forward and help overcome negative perspectives and feelings about the future. Learning 
and teaching that addresses – to an equal extent – hands, hearts and minds (Sipos et al, 
2008),  is  the  basis  for  transformative  learning  that  can  enable  us  to  ‘see  the  world 

47 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
differently’  (Sterling,  2001)33.  Sustainability  in  education  and  training  is  therefore  not 
simply  a  topic  to  be  added  to  the  curriculum  but  concerns  itself  just  as  much  with  the 
how of learning and teaching. Integrating a futures perspective is crucial to ensure that 
learning does not remain about sustainability but engages learners for sustainability.   

The  following  section  provides  a  snapshot  of  methods,  approaches  and  pedagogies  that 
can  foster  sustainability  and  enrich  learning  in  general.  Positive  impacts  can  include 
boosting  student  motivation;  critical  thinking,  creativity  and  decision-making  skills  as 
well  as  fostering  responsible  citizenship  (Hicks,  2012).  It  highlights  the  tremendous 
potential  and  opportunity  of  learning  for  sustainability  to  make  all  learning  more 
engaging and relevant; to motivate learners and educators and to develop competences 
increasingly needed for life and work. 

Active and interdisciplinary learning  

Learning  for  environmental  sustainability  requires  knowledge  and  skills  from  different 
fields in  an  integrated  manner,  hence  it  is  interdisciplinary  (Annan-Diab  and  Molinari, 
2017) and therefore relevant for educators of all subjects. Promoting interdisciplinary, 
participatory,  real-life  and  project-based  approaches  is  not  sector-dependent,  but 
can advance learning for environmental sustainability in all settings and with learners of 
all ages.  

Research  shows  that  learning  is  more  effective  when  it  is  collaborative  (Schnitzler, 
2019)  and  collaborative  practices  can  be  integrated  in  all  subjects  and  in  a  variety  of 
settings.  Forest,  earth  pedagogies  and  eco-pedagogy  in  particular  can  foster 
learners’ personal relationship with nature, encouraging them to experience being part of 
an  interconnected  system  (Misiaszek,  2018).  Forest  and  earth  pedagogies  are  usually 
combined  with  outdoor  learning  and  improve  both  cognitive  and  affective  relations  with 
nature as well as collaboration. Statistically significant gains in ecological understanding, 
environmental  values  and  attitudes  have  been  found  with  such  approaches,  while 
qualitative results indicate changes in behaviours, knowledge and attitudes (Manoli et al, 
2014).  

Sciences  and  science  education  have  traditionally  played  an  important  role  in 
advancing environmental education and learning for sustainability. They  will continue to 
do  so  in  concert  with  all  subjects  needed  for  the  green  transition.  And  while  scientific 
knowledge  does  not  lead  necessarily  to  positive  action  and  sense  of  agency,  students’ 
environmental  awareness  is  associated  with  their  science  competences.  PISA  2018 
showed  that  those  15-year  olds  that  scored  highest  on  questions  on  environmental 
science were the most familiar with complex environmental issues. In contrast, students 
with  lower  achievement  in  science,  ‘often  reported  an  almost  naïve  optimism  that  the 
environmental challenges will go away in the future’ (Schleicher, 2021).  

The goal of the European Green Deal is to turn climate and environmental challenges into 
opportunities and make the transition just and inclusive for all. While not all solutions will 
be  and  should  be  scientific  and  technological,  many  of  the  European  Green  Deal  policy 
areas are STEM34 intensive. Active and engaging learning for environmental sustainability 

33  Transformative  learning  uses  new  information  to  change  learners’  perspectives,  beliefs,  and  behaviours 
through  reflecting  what  we  know  and  do  not  know.  This  approach  includes  the  ability  to  integrate,  connect, 
confront and reconcile multiple ways of looking at the world. 
34 STEM: Science, technology, engineering and mathematics. 

48 

 
 
 
 
 
                                           
can potentially increase interest and motivation to study STEM in school, VET and higher 
education and pursue careers in STEM and sustainable development.  

To  encourage  learners  to  recognise  and  make  links  between  the  social,  economic  and 
environmental dimensions of sustainability (IDoS, 2019), STEM learning can be enhanced 
through  a  STEAM  approach.  STEAM35  uses  interdisciplinary  pedagogies,  removing 
traditional barriers between subjects and connects STEM education with arts, humanities, 
and  social  sciences.  It  encourages  the  blending  of  knowledge  in  STEM  and  non-STEM 
fields  of  learning  and  study.  Learning  and  teaching  are  contextualised  in  political, 
environmental, socio-economic, and cultural challenges, thereby connecting to real-world 
problem solving, collaboration, inquiry and critical thinking. STEAM focuses on innovation 
and  the  process  of  designing  solutions  to  complex  problems,  including  with  innovative 
technologies.  The  approach  can  also  strengthen  links  and  interaction  between  formal, 
non-  formal  and  informal  learning  and  build  links  to  the  world  of  work.  Despite  the 
positive  educational  outcomes  associated  with  the  STEAM  approach,  it  is  not  yet  widely 
implemented  across  Europe  (Eurydice,  2011).  Enquiry-based  learning  and  citizen 
science36  are  key  science  pedagogies  that  can 
for 
environmental  sustainability,  while  science 
including  observation  and 
experimentation, curiosity and critical thinking, is crucial to approach sustainability in an 
innovative way.  

further  support 

literacy, 

learning 

In  VET,  a  teaching  approach  of  note  is  sustainable  entrepreneurship  (Schaltegger 
and Wagner, 2011). Sustainability and entrepreneurship share the concept of longevity – 
that  is,  ensuring  goods,  values  or  services  that  are  long-lasting;  preserving  current 
resources for future generations (sustainability) and developing unique  solutions for the 
long  run  (entrepreneurship)  (Greco  and  de  Jong,  2017).  Sustainable  entrepreneurship 
can  be  defined  as  ‘the  discovery,  creation,  and  exploitation  of  entrepreneurial 
opportunities  that  contribute  to  sustainability  by  generating  social  and  environmental 
gains for others in society’ (Shepherd and Patzelt, 2011). 

In higher education, a study with 390 researchers from European HEIs has shown that 
one of the most effective approaches to promote learning for environmental sustainability 
is  fostering  eco-justice  and  community  relations,  followed  by  place-based 
environmental  education  and  traditional  ecological  knowledge  (Lozano  et  al, 
2019).  In  addition,  practical  and  community-related  pedagogical  approaches  can 
be instrumental in developing sustainability competences (ibid.). 

  The  EU  STEM  Coalition  is  an  EU-wide  network  of  national  or  regional 
organisations  that  coordinate  and  implement  strategies  and  policies  for  better  STEM 
education in Europe. 
https://www.stemcoalition.eu/ 

 The platform eu-citizen.science gathers projects and resources and forms a 
community  around  a  diverse  range  of  fields,  including  biodiversity,  ecology  and 
environment, geology and earth science. 
https://eu-citizen.science/ 

  The  Climate  Academy  at  the  European  School  II  in  Brussels  is  a  two-year 
multidisciplinary  programme  offered  to  students  aged  14-18.  By  combining  different 
subjects,  interests  and  skills,  students  learn  about  the  climate  crisis  in  a  systemic 
way.  Activities have included making documentary films, podcasts and a mural at the 

35 STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics 
36  Citizen  science  actively  involves  the  public  in  scientific  research  that  generates  new  knowledge  or 
understanding. Trough citizen science people share and contribute to data monitoring and collection programs. 

49 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
school on climate change. The Academy brings together students with high potential in 
science and arts and develops their social entrepreneurial skills to design and manage 
projects  with  local  and  global  impact.  In  the  words  of  one  student:  ‘rather  than 
rendering us hopeless, it invigorates me to work for justice, climate justice all over the 
world and for future generations.’  
https://www.climateacademy.eu 

  The  EU  project  VET4LEC  examined  inclusive  VET  in  the  low-energy 
construction  sector.  It  found  that  deeper  knowledge  and  understanding  of  energy 
efficiency,  higher  technical  skills,  and  a  holistic  approach  to  the  building  process  is 
required. For this to happen inter-disciplinarity, broad occupational profiles and cross-
cutting skills, including problem solving and communication are necessary.  
https://www.fiec.eu/our-projects/completed-projetcs/vet4lec 

Promoting nature-based and outdoor education 

Learning in nature and not only about nature can help learners develop a connection and 
a  caring  attitude  towards  nature  and  support  sustainable  behaviour.  Research  indicates 
that  environmental  knowledge  alone  has  little  impact  on  pro-environmental  behaviour 
(Otto and Pensini, 2017). In fact, between knowledge and connectedness to nature, the 
latter has the strongest relation to ecological behaviour. Research with primary children 
showed that while connectedness with nature explained 69% of the variance in ecological 
behaviour, environmental knowledge only accounted for 2% (ibid.).  

Developing  empathy  for  nature  and  acquiring  knowledge  about  nature  are  closely 
related. Learning about natural phenomena can increase awareness that all living things 
are  interrelated  and  spur  a  closer  connection  with  nature.  Thus,  when  coupled  with  an 
emotional  connection  to  nature,  ecological  attitudes  and  ultimately  behaviour  will  be 
more solid (ibid.).  

There is strong evidence that being in nature not only enhances ecological attitudes and 
actions,  but  learning  outcomes  and  personal  development  in  general  (Bilton,  2010). 
Exposure to nature positively influences ‘perseverance, problem-solving, critical thinking, 
leadership, teamwork and resilience’ (Kuo et al, 2019). The effect of nature on attention, 
self-discipline  and  motivation  is  such  that  green  views  from  windows  can  lead  to 
improved learning outcomes for students (ibid.).  

The  relationship  between  early  childhood  education  and  care  and  outdoor  learning  is 
especially  strong.  Being  outdoors  has  traditionally  been  part  of  a  child’s  daily  routine, 
including in kindergartens and other ECEC facilities. Childhood is the time for discovering 
and  making  sense  of  the  world,  including  the  natural  world  around  us.  The  sense  of 
wonder  and  the  natural  curiosity  that  most  children  display  for  their  surroundings  are 
often heightened through contact with nature. Combining nature experience with play is 
among  the  most  effective  ways  of  learning  at  an  early  age  and  provides  a  strong 
foundation  for  further  social,  emotional  and  cognitive  development.  In  addition, 
promoting  outdoor  experiences  at  an  early  age,  is  likely  to  be  beneficial  for  developing 
environmental stewardship. The more frequently children are in contact with nature, the 
stronger the impact on knowledge and behaviour appears to be (Otto and Pensini, 2017).  

Despite  the  benefits,  children  are  spending  less  and  less  time  outdoors.  Between  1971 
and 1990, there was a 50% reduction in the time children spent playing outside (Hillman 
et  al,  1990).    In  2016,  12,000  parents  in  10  countries  participated  in  a  survey  which 
found  that  children  aged  5  to  12  spend  on  average  less  than  one  hour  a  day  playing 

50 

 
 
 
 
outside (Martinko, 2016). Common challenges identified by ECEC facilities and schools to 
outdoors activities include (Rooney et al, 2019): 

  Health and safety concerns as well as legal barriers (e.g. restrictions on preparing 

food outside, or on eating self-grown vegetables) 

  Minding and supervising learners outside 

  Lack of time - additional preparation, paperwork and other efforts required 

  Parental concerns and/or a lack of understanding regarding the value and benefits 

of learning outdoors 

  Weather conditions  

  Lack of funding/limited budget for improving outdoor spaces 

 

Inclusion – working with children with special needs  

  Lack of teacher experience with outdoor education 

Educators  are  bringing  nature  and  nature-based  approaches  into  formal  education  in 
many ways, including through school gardens, green campuses, plants or green walls in 
the classroom, holding class outdoors, excursions into nature, collaboration with nature-
active partners (e.g. nature centres, farms, forests, zoos and aquariums). Not all of these 
require  substantial  amounts  of  funding.  Many,  however,  do  need  more  time  and  space 
than  is  often  provided  in  educational  institutions  and  curricula.  Allowing  more  time  and 
space for learning in outdoors settings can benefit learners and educators alike, improve 
educational  outcomes,  and  create  strong  incentives  for  positive  action  for  the 
environment and sustainability. 

 The Erasmus+ project Take me out has developed guidance and material for 
outdoor education and learning, including a handbook for teachers with case studies on 
outdoor education; online modules for teachers and outdoor teacher standards.  
Early years’ professionals should: 

  be passionate about being outside; 
  understand  the  importance,  significance  and  benefits  of  outdoor  education  in 

kindergarten; 

  be able to apply techniques and safe practices associated with various outdoor 

activities 

  be  interested  in  gaining  practical  experience  in  outdoor  activities  and  learn 

about best practices on an ongoing basis; 

  have  a  basic  knowledge  of  natural  sciences,  are  able  to  identify  known  plants 

and animals, know natural phenomena 

http://takemeoutproject.eu/about-project/ 

Curricula and educational programmes 

With  the  UNESCO-led  Berlin  Declaration  on  Education  for  Sustainable  Development37, 
over 80 ministers and vice ministers and 2 800 education and environment stakeholders 
committed  in  May  2021  to  taking  concrete  steps  to  transform  learning,  including  by 
making  environmental  and  climate  action  a  core  curriculum  component  by  2025.  Policy 

37 https://en.unesco.org/sites/default/files/esdfor2030-berlin-declaration-en.pdf 

51 

 
 
 
                                           
steering and political support are indispensable to ensure and sustain broad commitment 
to enable transformative change of education and training for sustainability.  At the same 
time,  there  is  an  inevitable  time  lag  for  desired  policy  changes  to  become  classroom 
practice.  Research  indicates  that  it  can  take  from  8-14  years  for  education  reforms  to 
achieve their desired results (Borman et al, 2003).  

Reviewing  and  reforming  education  and  training  curricula  for  sustainability,  requires 
policy  makers  and  stakeholders  to  set  out  and  develop  relevant  learning  content  and 
objectives. For each  of  the 17 SDGs, UNESCO  has set out learning objectives which are 
structured  around  cognitive,  socio-emotional  and  behavioural  learning,  and  include 
suggested  topics  as  well  as  examples  of  learning  approaches  and  methods  (UNESCO, 
2017).  An  accompanying  resource  bank  provides  relevant  material  for  each  SDG  for 
educators at pre-primary, primary and secondary education levels38.  

Addressing  sustainability  in  a  comprehensive  manner  needs  sufficient  time  allocation  in 
the curricula; an in-depth understanding of the topic from multiple perspectives, at local 
and  global  levels  and  learning  across  all  learning  dimensions  -  cognitive,  social  and 
emotional  -  to  develop  sustainability  competences.  A  further  consideration  is  providing 
targeted,  flexible  access  to  relevant  education  and  training.  Workers,  learners  and  job-
seekers  require  upskilling  and  reskilling  that  support  their  needs  and  can  be  easily 
accessed.  During  the  pandemic,  there  has  been  a  significant  uptake  in  online  and/or 
short  learning  opportunities  leading  to  micro-credentials,  a  development  which  is 
expected to continue. Education and training providers should consider the development 
and  use  of  micro-credentials  as  part  of  their  offer  for  learning  opportunities  for 
environmental sustainability. 

 The  figure  below  shows  different  approaches  by  Member  State  to  integrating  the 
environment and sustainability in curricula.  

Figure 2. Approaches to learning for environmental sustainability in curricula 

Source: Mulvik et al, 2020 

Effective  curriculum  integration  that  fosters  learners’  skills  requires  local  adaptation, 
collaboration  and  partnerships,  quality  teacher  professional  development,  suitable 
resources  and  support.  Throughout  Europe,  school  plans  that  focus  on  enhancing 

38 https://en.unesco.org/themes/education/sdgs/material 

52 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
sustainable  development  in  the  curriculum  and  classroom  through  projects  and/or  the 
promotion  of  voluntary  schemes  for  ESD  recognition  and  certification  are  becoming 
increasingly  popular  (UNECE,  2016).  Care  is  needed,  however,  to  not  let  useful 
collaboration  between  teachers  and  outside  experts/partners  diminish  or  replace  the 
necessary  investment  and  support  for  developing  the  sustainability  competences  of 
teachers (Keddie and Holloway, 2019).  

  In  Italy,  from  the  2020/2021  school  year,  environmental  sustainability  has 
been  introduced  as  part  of  the  compulsory  civic  education  curriculum  in  primary  and 
secondary  education.  The  three  pillars  of  the  curriculum  are:  Citizenship  and 
Constitution,  Digital  Citizenship  and  Sustainable  Development.  In  primary  and  lower 
secondary, competences  include:  taking  care  of  oneself,  the  community  and  the 
environment;  fair  and  sustainable  development,  respecting  the  ecosystem  and 
conscious  use  of  environmental  resources.  In  upper  secondary  competences  include: 
respecting,  caring  for,  preserving  and  improving  the  environment;  assuming  the 
principle of responsibility and participating in public life as active citizens. 

  In  2018,  Ireland’s  National  Council  for  Curriculum  and  Assessment  (NCCA) 
carried  out  a  study  to  map  existing  curriculum  frameworks  against  competences  for 
sustainability  and  to  identify  opportunities  for  teaching  and  learning  the  UN’s 
SDGs.  Since then, the NCCA has been working to integrate opportunities and linkages 
to  the  SDGs  in  new  and  redeveloped  curricula.  A  new  Politics  and  Society  curriculum 
has  been  introduced  in  upper  secondary  education  where  students  undertake  a 
citizenship project.  

  The  VET  system  in  Romania  introduced  the  Local  Development  Curriculum 
which is developed by the school in partnership with companies and is tailored to local 
labour market trends and needs. 

  To  build  sustainability  competences  and  green  skills,  the  Finnish  National 
Agency for Education is working to develop a  set  of  optional courses in Technical and 
Vocational Education and Training (TVET). A network of TVET-institutions, financed by 
the  National  Agency,  has  created  a  study  unit  on  Global  Education  and  Voluntary 
Development Work which is offered to a number of vocational education sectors. A new 
unit on Climate Responsibility is being offered in 2021. 

  The  German  standard  job  position  on  environmental  protection  and 
sustainability,  which  is  part  of  all  new  VET  curricula,  encompasses  a  set  of  six  core 
skills and competences which apprentices across all sectors should acquire during their 
apprenticeship. These are: 

  Avoiding  operational  burdens  on  the  environment  and  society 

in  the 

apprentice’s own areas of responsibility; 

  Using materials and energy in economic, environmental and social ways; 
  Complying with environmental-protection rules; 
  Avoiding waste, engaging in recycling or disposal of substances and materials; 
  Developing proposals for sustainable action in the area of work; 
  Cooperating  for  economic,  environmental  and  social  sustainable  development 

and communicating with the target group. 

53 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Aligning and redesigning student assessment 

Defining  and  measuring  flexible  and  adaptable  learning  outcomes  for  environmental 
sustainability  can  support  the  visibility  and  delivery  of  environmental  sustainability 
learning  and  provide  clear  evidence  of  related  competences.  Given  the  attention  placed 
on  high-stakes39  exams  in  many  countries,  developing  and  implementing  summative 
assessment40 of learning for environmental sustainability could help to scale learning and 
teaching  in  this  domain  (UNESCO,  2018).  However,  summative  examinations,  in 
particular  if  high-stakes,  can  undermine  innovative  education  programmes  and 
approaches,  including  by  ‘teaching  to  the  test’  or  by  significantly  narrowing  the 
curriculum (Looney, 2009).  

To better reconcile innovation with assessment, including for education for environmental 
sustainability, policy makers, institutions and practitioners can: 

 

 

identify  and  promote  existing  innovative  approaches  to  assessment  and 
examinations; 
rethink  alignment  between  standards  (for  assessing  students,  curricula  and 
testing); 

  use multiple measures of student and school performance to evaluate quality and 

 

outcomes; 
create  a  better  balance  between  high-stakes  examinations  and  school 
empowerment (ibid.). 

Rather than seeing student assessment solely as a tool to measure student achievement, 
policy makers and practitioners consider it increasingly a tool for learning (looney, 2009). 
Seen as such, assessment has a  ‘formative’  role – ‘allowing teachers  to identify gaps in 
student learning and to adapt teaching appropriately’ (ibid.). 

To  be  able  to  fully  appreciate  the  complexity  of  sustainability,  a  range  of  assessment 
methods  can  be  used  to  measure  students’  learning  outcomes,  from  summative  to 
formative  assessments,  self-  and  peer-evaluation.  Formative  student  assessment41  is 
especially  conducive  to  innovative  teaching  methods,  including  for  environmental 
sustainability.  It  is  also  supportive  of  a  lifelong  learning  approach  which  requires 
learning-to-learn competences and self-assessment skills (ibid.).  

39 National or regional assessments ‘are tests of student achievement, but are conducted primarily to evaluate 
the  performance  of  a  system  as  whole,  to  hold  schools  accountable  for  student  results,  and/or  to  provide 
feedback to schools and teachers. Summary assessments include examinations with civil effect for students, for 
example, graduation/completion of a programme, or formal admission to vocational or upper secondary school, 
or university’ (Looney, 2009). 
40  Summative  assessments  ‘include  tests  and  examinations  that  seek  to  provide  summary  statements  of 
student achievements and capabilities. Summary assessments may be conducted at the end of a unit of study, 
to determine student readiness for promotion from one grade to the next’ (Looney, 2009). 
41 Formative assessment ‘refers to the frequent, interactive assessment of student understanding and progress 
to  identify  learning  needs  and  adapt  teaching.  Formative  assessment  differs  from  summative  assessment  in 
that  the  information  gathered  is  used  to  shape  improvements,  rather  than  serve  as  a  summary  of  student 
achievement’ (Looney, 2009). 

54 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
Table 4. Assessment approaches to measure sustainability competences (by frequency of 
use) 

Tool 
Scaled self-
assessment  

Brief description 
Students  rate  their  own  competence  development  based  on  a  pre-
determined scale 

Reflective writing  

Students respond in writing to prompts reflecting on their competence 
development 

Scenario/case test 

Students  are  presented  with  a  case  and  asked  to  respond  to 
competence-requiring prompts 

Focus 
group/interview  

Students respond to prompts, verbally reflecting on their competence 
development 

Performance 
observation 

Students are evaluated while carrying out course activities in or out of 
the classroom 

Concept mapping 

Students  are  given  a  prompt  and  asked  to  create  a  two-dimensional 
image  with  nodes  and  connections  (specific  to  systems-thinking 
competence) 

Conventional text 

Students  take  a  test  which  may  include  multiple  choices  or  short 
answers linked to competences 

Regular course work 

Students complete regular course work which is analysed for evidence 
of competences 

Source: Authors 

As  higher  education  institutions  tend  to  have  a  large  degree  of  autonomy,  assessment 
strategies  and  frameworks  for  knowledge  and  competences  related  to  environmental 
sustainability tend to vary widely across institutions, and can depend to a large extent on 
the importance given to environmental sustainability in institutional strategies and by its  
leadership.  

Institutional assessment 

Internal  and/or  external  review  and  quality  assurance  mechanisms  of  education  and 
training organisations can also focus in part sustainability.  

School  self-evaluation  and  the  diagnosis  of  school  needs,  insight  and  understanding 
followed by action for improvement and review can be  effective in implementing whole-
institution approaches for sustainability. School self-evaluation has been shown to lead to 
greater  sensitivity  about  areas  in  need  of  improvement.  The  process  of  school  self-
evaluation  allows  teachers  to  develop  a  perspective  beyond  their  own  classroom, 
particularly  when  they  are  involved  in  decision-making.  In  addition,  policy  makers  can 
provide  various  tools,  guidelines  and  approaches,  adapted  to  local  contexts  and  needs, 
which  can  support  schools  in  their  self-evaluation  and  organisational  development. 
Human  and  financial  resources  and  time  also  needed  to  conduct  effective  school 
strategies for sustainability. 

55 

 
 
 
Figure 3. Evaluation of ESD School Plan in Cyprus 

Source:  UNECE  (2014).  Questionnaire  for  2014  Informal  Country  Reporting  on  the  Implementation  of  the 
Priority Action Areas.  

In  VET,  it  is  useful  to  refer  to  the  updated  EQAVET  Framework42  stating  that  the  goals 
and objectives of VET should be described for the medium and long terms, and linked to 
European  and  Sustainable  Development  Goals  taking  into  account  environmental 
sustainability considerations. 

Assessment  and  evaluation  strategies  across  the  higher  education  institution  can 
measure the extent to which environmental sustainability is included in programmes and 
the  impact  of  such  inclusion.  Self-evaluation  by  students  and  staff  can  also  be  a  useful 
tool for evaluation. 

  In  Hungary,  self-assessment  through  the  Green  Kindergarten  system  is 
available for all kindergartens on a voluntary basis. ECEC facilities can obtain the title 
of ‘Green Kindergarten’ following a 20-point system of criteria and indicators. Primary, 
secondary,  vocational  schools  and  dormitories  for  school  students  can  obtain  the 
national Eco-school title following successful self-assessment on the basis of a variety 
of criteria and indicators.  

  In  Slovakia,  the  National  School  Inspectorate  carries  out  inspections  every 
year  to  evaluate  the  level  and  implementation  of  environmental  sustainability  as  a 
cross-cutting  topic.  It  randomly  selects  schools  across  Slovakia  and  publishes  official 
reports on its inspections.  

  In  Estonia,  while  national  examinations  for  school  education  cover  cross-

42 https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1536&langId=en 

56 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
 
curricular  topics  and  topics  related  to  learning  for  sustainability,  universities  tend  to 
use various assessment approaches, including testing, grading, projects and portfolios 
to assess student sustainability competences. 

  In  Finland,  complying  with  sustainable  development  values  when  planning 

their activities is an assessment criteria for ethics in the vocational sector. 

Involving students in meaningful ways 

for 

research 
on 

focuses 
Pedagogical 
increasingly 
the  positive 
impact  of  student  participation  on 
sustainability. 
learning 
Students  have  been 
in  many 
cases  a  driving  force,  advocating 
for sustainability to be included in 
schools’  visions  and  strategic 
plans 
(Mulvik  et  al,  2020). 
Conversely, not including students 
in  the  development  of  school 
policies and actions, limits student 
engagement  on 
issues 
(Kelsey, 2003 and Schröder et al, 
that  welcome 
2020).  Schools 
active student participation will be 
more  successful  in  shaping  and 
putting into practice education for 
environmental  sustainability  than 
more 
schools 
administrative, 
down 
approach  where  students  are 
considered  as  ‘passive’  players 
(Kelsey, 2003). Based on Roger  

a 
top 

these 

with 

Figure 4. Hart’s model of student involvement  

Hart’s  model  (Hart,  1992),  figure  4  shows  the  various  levels  of  involvement  of  young 
people from superficial involvement to co-decision making responsibility.  

Student  agency  can  contribute  to  developing  learners’  feelings  of  ‘ownership’  towards 
sustainability  (Gayford,  2008),  which  is  crucial  for  positive  action.  Student-led 
sustainability  projects  can  shift  hierarchies  and  improve  engagement  and  action  for 
sustainability  (Vare,  2021).  Involving  students  in  meaningful  ways  requires  learner-
centred  pedagogies;  providing  guidance  and  support  to  educators,  and  flexibility  at  the 
education institution. 

  In  France,  all  lower  and  upper  secondary  schools  elect  ‘eco-delegates’  who 
develop  and  support  sustainability  initiatives  in  their  schools.  Students  elect  at  least 
two delegates (one male, one female student) and the elections are compulsory. Eco-
delegates  are  described  as  being  ‘co-pilots  and  ambassadors’  of  sustainability  related 
projects  in  the  schools.  They  lead  sustainability  projects,  inform  students  and 

57 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
encourage them to get involved. The elections and eco-projects carried out throughout 
the  year  help  students  to  become  actively  involved  in  making  schools  more 
sustainable.  Self-assessment  and  prior  learning  recognition  tools  are  available  to 
support  the  ‘eco-delegates’.  The  programme  is  run  by  the  Ministry  of  Education.  A 
2030 ‘green school award’ has also been launched to support the best projects carried 
out in schools. 

  EkoSkola  in  Malta  aims  to  provide  young  people  with  opportunities  to  voice 
their opinions on matters that directly or indirectly influence their present and  future. 
One  such  forum  is  the  Eco-Schools  Parliamentary  sessions  during  which  students 
engage  in  discussions  on  sustainable  development  with  the  country’s  Members  of 
Parliament.  During  the  session,  ideas  voiced  by  young  people  are  collated  in  a 
parliamentary motion. This initiative gave rise to formal meetings of students with the 
Permanent Committee on the Environment and Planning. 

  The  need  to  increase  students’  engagement  towards  sustainability  in  higher 
education  in  Europe  and  beyond  is  part  of  the  rationale  behind  the  Green  Office 
Movement.  The  movement  aims  at  having  student-led  and  staff-supported 
sustainability  offices  to  promote  sustainability  practices  and  education.  Strategies 
recommended by the movement to increase student engagement include: 
  Workshops  and  sustainability  events:  promotion  of  training  events  on  different 

sustainability topics – to cover all teaching areas and students’ interests;  

  Challenges  or  competitions:  either  between  faculties/courses  or  students  groups, 
this  strategy  mobilises  the  academic  community  to  consider  different  and  more 
diverse strategies for sustainability education; 

  Summer school programmes on sustainability: this strategy is known to have great 
beneficial  outcomes  to  education,  and  by  offering  creative  and  multidisciplinary 
programmes, students can become sustainability agents in their contexts. 

https://www.greenofficemovement.org/ 

Potential of digital technologies to support learning for sustainability  

The COVID-19 crisis and the temporary closure of educational buildings and campuses in 
2020 and 2021 saw digital technologies and tools being used at an unprecedented scale 
in education and training. The forced shift to emergency remote teaching brought a  new 
awareness  and  understanding  of  the  benefits,  constraints,  challenges  and  risks  of  using 
educational  technologies  for  teaching  and  learning.  The  consultations  showed  that  for 
many  teachers  there  were  new  opportunities  to  connect  with  learners  on  sustainability 
using digital tools and platforms. For example, eTwinning projects were started on ocean 
health,  healthy  eating  and  well-being.  New  connections  were  made  with  local 
communities,  including  libraries  and  museums  who  provided  digital  resources  and 
platforms.  Yet  many  spoke  of  the  constraints  of  not  being  able  to  continue  existing 
partnerships and projects and that hands-on activities and field trips were cancelled.  

Technology  and  nature  may  seem  for  some,  however,  as  two  opposing  forces,  with 
increased  screen  time  taking  children  and  young  people  away  from  nature.  Technology 
also  has  an  environmental  impact  and  there  is  a  need  for  students  to  learn  about  the 
environmental footprint of technology use.  

Similar  to  any  area  of  learning,  digital  technologies,  when  used  in  purposeful  and 
accessible  ways,  can  enhance  learning  for  sustainability.  Digital  technologies  can 
potentially  support  innovative  pedagogies  and  resources;  increase  student  motivation; 

58 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
facilitate communication and collaboration; and offer flexibility on how, where and when 
learning  takes  place.  Digital  technologies  can  also  support  citizen  science  (e.g. 
monitoring  environmental  changes  locally  using  apps)  while  virtual  field  trips,  labs  and 
museums can allow for immersive and experiential learning experiences. Technology can 
also  enable  pre-service  and  in-service  educator  professional  development  by  allowing 
access  at  scale  to  online  training  courses,  resources  or  communities  of  practice  on  the 
environment and sustainability.  

Recent  research  also  points  to  the  growing  possibilities  of  using  technology  in  outdoors 
learning  (e.g.  mobile  phones,  drones,  tablets,  augmented  reality)43.  There  are  key 
arguments in research for, and also against, such an approach (Hills and Thomas, 2020). 
Technology is seen by some as a distraction and can diminish the experience of learning 
outdoors  by  placing  a  barrier  between  the  learner  and  outdoors.  Others  point  to  the 
potential  of  technology  to  enhance  learning  and  connect  learners  with  each  other  and 
with  nature,  for  example  taking  pictures  in  nature  and  reflecting  and  sharing  these 
afterwards  with  their  peers.  Hills  and  Thomas  put  forward  a  conceptual  framework  to 
help  facilitators  to  critically  evaluate  whether  and  how  technology  could  enhance  or 
impact  negatively  on  the  learning  experience.  The  framework  takes  into  account 
pedagogical considerations (e.g. facilitator and student digital skills, resources available); 
affordances  of  digital  technology  (e.g.  threats  and  opportunities)  and  consequences  of 
decisions (e.g. distractions, technology allowing for new tasks).  

Overall,  in  the  consultations  to  prepare  the  proposal,  the  role  of  digital  technologies  in 
learning  for  sustainability  was  seen  as  an  area  which  is  currently  underexplored.  There 
was a clear call for further research and sharing of good practice in this field.  

  GLOBE  (Global  Learning  and  Observations  to  Benefit  the  Environment)  is  an 
international science and education programme connecting students, citizens, teachers 
and  scientists  from  126  countries.  Students  and  the  public  at  large  conduct  scientific 
observations  and  data  collection  using  smartphone  apps  (e.g.  testing  water  quality in 
rivers,  air  pollution  and  observing  weather  patterns).  Interactive  maps  and 
visualisations systems support the analysis, interpretation and presentation of research 
findings.  Training  modules  and  resources  for  teachers  are  available  through  the 
programme.   
https://www.globe.gov/ 

Key points for engaging and positive learning for sustainability  

Learning 
integrating knowledge and skills from different fields.  

for  environmental  sustainability  requires 

interdisciplinary  approaches, 

Forest,  earth  pedagogies  and  eco-pedagogy  can  foster  learners’  connection  to  nature 
and improve learning outcomes.  Participatory, real-life and project-based learning can 
help  build  sustainability  competences  in  all  phases  and  stages  of  education  and 
training. 

Sciences  and  science  education  have  traditionally  played  an  important  role  in 
advancing  environmental  education  and  learning  for  sustainability.  Further  emphasis 
should  be  given  to  the  ‘STEAM’  approach  which  removes  traditional  barriers  between 

43  On  outdoor  learning  and  technology  see  also  the  report  from  the  international  conference  on  ICT  and 
Outdoor Learning August 2021 organised by the Centre for School and Outdoor Education, Slovenia in August 
2021 https://www.csod.si/stran/programme 

59 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
subjects and connects STEM education with arts, humanities, and social sciences.  

Effective  and  comprehensive  learning  for  sustainability  requires  an  understanding  of 
the  topic  from  multiple  perspectives  and  levels;  cognitive,  social  and  emotional 
learning and sufficient time allocation in the curricula.  

Defining  and  measuring  learning  outcomes  for  environmental  sustainability  can  boost 
the  visibility  and  delivery  of  environmental  sustainability  learning  and  provide  clear 
evidence of related competences.   

Active  involvement  of  students,  e.g.  through  student-led  sustainability  projects,  can 
improve engagement and action for sustainability.  

The  role  of  digital  technologies  in  learning  for  sustainability  is  an  area  which  is 
currently  underexplored.  More  research  and  sharing  of  good  practice  is  needed  to 
explore  the  tensions  and  opportunities  of  using  digital  tools  and  technologies  to  learn 
about and for the environment.  

Learning for environmental sustainability requires capacity 
building of educators and leadership support  

Teachers  and  trainers  are  powerful  agents  for  the  educational  response  needed  for  the 
green  transition.  Whatever  their  discipline  or  sector,  all  educators  are  sustainability 
educators who need to support their learners in preparing for a more sustainable future. 
Educators require time, space and trust to adopt pedagogies and practices that enhance 
sustainability  learning  in  their  context;  to  approach  sustainability  education  in 
interdisciplinary  ways,  work  in  teams  and  help  develop  a  culture  of  sustainability  within 
the institution.  

Many  of  the  key  findings  on  capacity  building  of  academic  staff  on  environmental 
sustainability from the recent study by the European University Association (EUA, 2021a) 
could apply to educators in any sector and setting of education and training:  

-  Community  of  practice:  through  meetings,  mailing  lists  or  newsletters,  staff 
members can form groups to share ideas, provide learning opportunities and even 
undertake  pilot  projects,  which  could  later  be  scaled  to  department,  faculty  or  
university/institution level; 

-  Continuing  professional  development:  staff  should  have  opportunities  for 
training  on    sustainability,  to  understand  its  relevance  to  their  role  and  context; 
such  opportunities  should  be  recognised  as  professional  development  –  and  can 
support  their  career  -  and  also  act  as  knowledge  and  awareness-raising 
initiatives;  
Institutional incentives, recognition and rewards: acknowledging the efforts 
of  staff  is  fundamental  for  motivation  and  to  recognise  their  key  role  in  the 
institution’s  sustainability  journey.  This  may  be  achieved  through  certification  or 
career progression for instance. Incentives can also be used to counter reluctance 
or hesitation to participate in sustainability efforts. 

- 

Pedagogical modules and resources  on sustainability, including on assessment, can help 
teachers adapt their teaching methods for sustainability and use new tools and materials 
in  a  range  of  settings,  both  in-  and  outdoor.  Guidance  on  identifying  eco-anxiety  and 
eco-pessimism is vital so they can help their pupils and students to overcome feelings of 
overwhelm and fear and develop critical thinking and media literacy skills. Teachers can 

60 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
also benefit from accessing centres of expertise, for example, centres for environmental 
education, industry, local authorities, youth organisations and NGOs.  

Embedding  sustainability 
development  

in 

initial  and  continuing  professional 

Research  and  experience  provide  us  constantly  with  new  findings  on  learning  for 
environmental sustainability. Thus, educators need to be able to learn, un-learn and re-
learn  on  an  ongoing  basis.  Helping  their  learners  to  build  sustainability  competences  in 
innovative  and  engaging  ways  requires  that  educators  develop  their  own  knowledge, 
skills,  attitudes  and  values  for  sustainability  and  develop  the  pedagogical  competence 
and confidence to teach it.  

Designing quality professional development for environmental sustainability raises many 
issues which need further discussion and research. These include the provision of training 
in diverse settings, including in nature, environmental centres, companies, public bodies; 
assessment with regard to sustainability of learners, educators and institutions; creation 
of  mandatory  elements  of  learning  for  environmental  sustainability  in  educators 
professional development as well as their reflection in competence frameworks.  

Stakeholders  during  our  consultations  suggested  that  training  be  designed  in  a  more 
open  way,  in  non-educational  settings  and  with  or  delivered  by  external  organisations. 
On-site  training,  for  example,  in  companies,  outdoors,  in  labs  and  other  settings  and 
following training with or by industry, environmental and other organisations can benefit 
both  parties.  It  can  provide  educators  with  real-life  examples,  help  non-educators 
understand  the  needs  and  challenges  of  the  education  system  and  help  both  to  better 
acknowledge and advance their respective roles with regard to learning for environmental 
sustainability. 

With  regard  to  school  education,  policymakers  can  strengthen  the  alignment  of  initial 
teacher  education  (ITE)  with  strategies  and  policies  on  learning  for  environmental 
sustainability.  Making learning for environmental sustainability an integral, which means 
in  most  cases,  obligatory,  part  of  ITE  will  benefit  integration  of  environmental 
sustainability  across  education  and  training  and  increase  take-up  and  commitment  in 
continuing professional development (CPD).  

The  inclusion  of  educators  in  developing  policies  is  a  key  element  for  gaining  a  better 
understanding  of  teacher  experiences  and  diverse  needs  and  developing  strategies, 
including on ITE and CPD, that are accepted and implemented. More research is needed 
in working structures of teachers and how they could enable the implementation of new 
initiatives.  

The  European  Commission's  report  on  Teachers  in  Europe44  offers  relevant  insights  for 
CPD,  which  are  applicable  also  in  the  area  of  learning  for  sustainability  (European 
Commission et al, 2021): 

  Teachers  tend  to  participate  in  a  wider  variety  of  training  opportunities  in 

 

countries where time for CPD is defined for every teacher. 
In the countries where schools are required to have a CPD plan, teachers tend to 
participate in more varied CPD. 

44 The reference group are lower secondary teachers. 

61 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
  Teachers who had the  possibility of taking paid study leave for a week or longer 

perceive lower levels of tension between CPD and their work schedule. 

When designing ITE and CPD  for  sustainability, it is important that teachers  can benefit 
themselves  from  methods  and  approaches  that  are  conducive  to  learning  for 
sustainability,  including  learner-centred,  experiential,  project-based  and  place-based 
learning.  If  teachers  engage  in  active  learning  themselves,  it  can  help  them  apply  it  in 
their practice. 

School-based  CPD  and  collaborative  schemes,  where  teachers  define  their  own  training 
needs  and  CPD  happens  at  the  school  site,  have  been  proven  particularly  impactful  for 
teachers’ own learning (Boeskens et al, 2020). Such approaches, which align well with a 
whole-institution  approach  to  sustainability,  focus  more  directly  on  classroom  practices 
and  the  actual  needs  of  teachers  and  their  student  at  that  school  (ibid.).  Peer-to-peer 
learning and mentoring are other highly effective and relevant forms of CPD which have 
gained  traction  in  recent  years  (ibid.).  The  2020  Council  conclusions  on  European 
teachers  and  trainers  for  the  future45  call  on  Member  States  ‘to  provide  impactful  and 
research-based  continuing  professional  development  opportunities  for  teachers  and 
trainers,  based  on  collaboration,  peer  observation  and  peer-learning,  guidance, 
mentoring and networking’. They also highlight that ‘is beneficial to offer various training 
models,  including  face-to-face,  virtual,  blended  and  work-based  learning’.  Supporting 
teacher training centres, agencies and NGOs that provide CPD as well as guidance on and 
tools for online learning, to increase their outreach to teachers would also be beneficial.  

In  Luxembourg,  education  for  sustainable  development  (ESD)  is  being  implemented  in 
VET,  and  integrated  in  teacher  and  trainer  CPD  (INFPC,  2016).  In  Slovakia,  a  pilot 
scheme  on  environmental  educational  in  the  Banská  Bystrica  region  resulted  in  the 
development of educators competences for outdoor learning. Learnings from the pilot will 
support the development of methodologies for teachers and the in-service training course 
‘environmental  education  for  sustainable  development’.  Building  on  findings  from  pilot 
programmes,  Germany  is  also  exploring  the  inclusion  of  key  competences  for 
sustainability in continuing vocational training of training personnel (Cedefop, 2021). 

In  higher  education,  a  stronger  focus  on  teaching  supported  by  professional 
development for academic teaching staff is of particular importance to develop students’ 
sustainability  competences  and  skills.  The  more  complex  environmental  themes  (e.g. 
climate  change  or  curriculum  greening)  require  teaching  staff  to  develop  new,  and 
update,  their  competences,  both  in  terms  of  content,  teaching  approaches  and 
engagement with students.  

In this regard, the UE4SD project46, mapped a range of leading practice examples across 
Europe of professional development in higher education for sustainability. The examples 
demonstrate  diverse  ways  of  increasing  the  competences  and  capacities  of  academic 
teachers  and  of  transferring  them  to  their  teaching  practice.  Key  lessons  from  the 
examples include (UE4SD, 2015):  
  The  most  common  types  of  professional  development  initiatives  benefit  from 
cooperation  within  existing  university  networks;  they  include  international,  national 
and institutional programmes and activities. 

  A  wide  variety  of  pedagogical  approaches  are  applied  in  professional  development 
initiatives,  ranging  from  participatory  approaches  and  team-based  learning  to  action 
research and project-based learning. 

45 2020/C 193/04 
46 See also chapter 3. 

62 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
  An  important  factor  in  changing  the  culture  of  teaching  and  learning  is  to  open  up 
space for critical debate and to build a supportive environment to review and rethink 
educational  content  and  approaches;  particularly  through  a  whole-institution 
approach.  

  The  overall  impact  of  professional  development  initiatives  in  terms  of  number  of 
educators  reached  differs  depending  on  the  type  and  scope  of  the  activities.  All  can 
have a positive effect on educators and their students. 

  The  role  of  financial  and  non-financial  support  is  important  for  the  availability  of 

professional development opportunities for university educators.  

Non-academic  staff  also  benefit  from  training,  not  only  to  support  the  development  of 
sustainability  efforts  on  campus,  but  also  to  become  leaders  in  their  sectors  and 
contexts.  By  involving  all  staff,  sustainability  leadership  and  sustainability  teaching  can 
become  competences  to  support  education  and  can  promote  good  practices  across  all 
parts and processes of the organisation.  

Educators’  professional  development  can  benefit 
from  competence  models  and 
frameworks  for  sustainability  competences.  A  reference  point  for  many  HEIs  across 
Europe and beyond has been the UNECE framework of ESD competences (UNECE, 2011). 
Over  time,  several  other  frameworks  defining  competences  for  sustainability  in  higher 
education have been developed and attempts have been made to converge them ‘toward 
an agreed‑upon reference framework’ (Brundiers, K. et al, 2021).  

Actions  at  EU  level  provide  opportunities  for  developing  interdisciplinary  cross-country 
approaches  to  key  topics  of  education  for  environmental  sustainability,  development  of 
pedagogical  approaches  and  tools,  guidelines 
for  assessments  or  competence 
frameworks.  Educators  are  also  provided  with  opportunities  for  networking  and  peer-
learning as well as developing sustainability competences. The Erasmus programme with 
its  cross-cutting  green  dimension  offers  a  range  of  supports  for  educators,  including 
through  the  Erasmus+  Teacher  Academies,  the  eTwinning  community  and  the  School 
Education Gateway.   

In VET, the Osnabrück Declaration on vocational education and training as an enabler of 
recovery and just transitions to digital and green economies47 was adopted by Ministers 
in  charge  of  vocational  education  and  training  of  the  Member  States,  the  EU  Candidate 
Countries  and  the  EEA  countries,  the  European  social  partners  and  the  European 
Commission. It points to the training and professional development of teachers, trainers 
and guidance counsellors as key to enabling the green transformation. 

  In  Bulgaria,  all  pre-service  teachers  for  preschool  and  primary  receive 
ecological  training  in  the  form  of  an  ‘Ecopedagogy’  course  as  part  of  their  bachelor’s 
degree. The course enables them to master the basic concepts in the field of ecology of 
human development and approaches to environmental education.   

  In  2013  a  teacher  education  programme  was  launched  in  Estonia  to  help 
formal  and  non-formal  educators  to  implement  active  learning  methods  and  cross-
curricular approaches on the environment and sustainability. Schools attend courses on 
sustainability  in  teams,  typically  two  or  three  teachers  of  different  subjects  and  one 
school  leader.  At  the  end  of  the  course  the  team  work  together  on  a  school-wide 
project related to sustainability.  

47 https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/files/osnabrueck_declaration_eu2020.pdf 

63 

 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
                                           
  ÖKOLOG  is  a  school  programme  and  network  supported  by  the  Austrian 
Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research. The approximately 600 ÖKOLOG-
focus  on 
schools  and  10  ÖKOLOG-university  colleges  of  teacher  education 
environmental,  social  and  ecological  issues,  a  whole-institution  approach  and  student 
engagement.  This  long-running  programme  has  impacted  thousands  of  learners  and 
communities.  ÖKOLOG  has  also  developed  a  competency  compass  for  teachers 
which  covers:  developing  attitudes  towards  the  environment  and  sustainability;  build 
up,  reflect  on,  pass  on  environmental  knowledge;  evaluate,  decide,  act;  and 
methodical and didactic approach. 

Career progression and new roles for educators 

Encouraging  and  motivating  teachers  to  take  part  in  CPD  related  to  sustainability  is 
crucial,  including  by  linking  it  to  career  progression  and  development.  The  close  link 
between  CPD  and  career  development  is  underlined  by  the  fact  that  single-level  career 
structures for teachers where advancement depends on years of service tend to put less 
focus on CPD. Only three out of 14 countries in Europe with single-level career structures 
include  CPD  as  a  criterion  for  salary  progression  (Mulvik  et  al,  2021).  Reversely,  more 
than  half  of  the  countries  with  multi-level  career  structures  consider  CPD  for  career 
progression (ibid.).  

The  European  Commission’s  2020  policy  guide  on  Supporting  teacher  and  school  leader 
careers (European Commission, 2020c) provides findings and pointers on rethinking and 
redesigning  educator  career  paths.  Based  on  established  models  in  different  European 
countries, it identifies several types of teacher and school leader career paths which also 
apply to, or can be adapted to learning for environmental sustainability48: 

  Moving  upwards  (by  gaining  a  position  of  increased  decision-making  and 

responsibility, e.g. teacher to school leader; school head of a larger school); 
  Moving up and along (by becoming a more competent teacher or school leader; 
  Moving  sideways  (by  taking  a  different  –  temporary  or  permanent  –  role  within 

school, e.g. sustainability coordinator); 

  Changing  contexts  (by  making  a  choice  to  work  in  a  different  context,  e.g. 
become  school  leader  of  an  innovative  green  school,  move  from  urban  to  rural 
school); 

  Adding  layers  of  system  (by  networking/contact  with  local,  regional  or  national 
stakeholders, which requires broader expertise e.g. teacher as a project leader of 
a  regional  initiative  for  learning  for  environmental  sustainability;  school  head 
acting as advisor to ministry on learning for environmental sustainability); 

  Moving  in  and  out  (by  looking  beyond  the  immediate  school  community  e.g.  a 
temporary post with a sustainability NGO; becoming a researcher on learning for 
environmental  sustainability;  changing  profession  to  become  a  teacher;  school 
head returning to classroom teaching). 

Further support measures could include embedding sustainability criteria in teaching and 
learning award schemes. 

In  higher  education,  the  allocation  of  specific  roles  to  promote  sustainability  is  also 
recognised  as  important  for  leadership,  motivation  and  particularly  to  inform  teaching 
and  learning.  National  frameworks  allowing  for  more  flexibility  in  academic  career 

48 The different paths are not exclusive and may be experienced at the same time, or one after the other. 

64 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
development  could  support  educators  to  engage  in  and  be  rewarded  for  sustainability 
education. 

Role of leaders and shift to distributed leadership 

The  role  of  principals  for  educational  development  and  change  management  in  schools 
and  other  education  and  training  institutions  has  received  growing  attention  in  recent 
years  (Hattie,  2008).  School  leaders  play  a  key  role  in  improving  school  outcomes  by 
motivating and supporting the capacity building of staff, as well as influencing the school 
climate, culture and environment (Pont et al, 2008). 

School leaders are ‘key intermediaries between the classroom, the individual school and 
the  education  system  as  a  whole’  who  bridge  the  gap  between  policy  and  practice,  link 
their  institution  to  its  environment,  and  can  contribute  to  improving  student  learning 
(ibid.).  They  have  a  crucial  role  in  driving  forward  whole-school  or  whole-institution 
approaches.  School  leaders  need  pedagogical,  managerial  and  leadership  competences 
(European Commission, 2020cb). While leadership is complex and depends on contextual 
factors,  certain  personal  attributes  are  beneficial:  maintaining  mutual  respect  and  the 
attitude  of  being  a  team  player;  being  able  to  look  to  the  future;  being  open  to  new 
models,  the  capacity  to  innovate,  and  change-management  skills;  and  appreciating  the 
value of life-long learning (ibid). 

Successful  leaders  of  sustainable  schools  display  attributes  that  characterise  effective 
school leaders in general. In addition, they put sustainability at the heart of their school, 
embedding it in all operations within and outside of the school. It is typical for leaders of 
green  schools  to  use  sustainability  to  advance  other  education  agendas,  including 
improving  basic  skills  such  as  literacy  and  numeracy  (Jackson,  L.  et  al,  2008),  or 
introducing interdisciplinary learning and teaching beyond matters of sustainability (Leo, 
U.; Wickenberg, P., 2013). They also look outwards beyond the school context and have 
an  optimistic  worldview.  Personal  conviction  and  values  seem  to  be  strong  drivers  for 
leaders to develop sustainability within their institutions (Jackson, L. et al, 2008).  

To  effectively  implement  learning  for  sustainability,  school  leaders  have,  and  clearly 
communicate, a vision for sustainability to learners and staff. Communication should not 
be  limited  to  documents,  such  as  school  development  plans  but  be  present  throughout 
school  life,  including  in  individual  encounters  such  as  performance  appraisals  with 
teachers (Leo, U.; Wickenberg, P., 2013).  

Distributing leadership responsibilities among different members of the school community 
appears  to  be  especially  effective  for  fostering  learning  for  environmental  sustainability 
(Jackson, L. et al, 2008). In this way, more staff can actively participate in and shape the 
school’s  strategy,  thus  reducing  the  burden  on  school  leaders  while  at  the  same  time 
embedding sustainability more deeply across the whole school (ibid.).  

Given  the  crucial  role  of  school  leaders  for  supporting  their  staff  and  institutions  to 
advance on sustainability, it is important that current and potential school leaders receive 
support and development opportunities to effectively fulfil their responsibilities. With the 
exception  of  a  few  countries,  leadership  rarely  features  in  ITE  (European  Commission, 
2020c).  CPD  for  school  leaders  or  potential  school  leaders  is  more  widely  available,  yet 
far  from  being  a  systemic  feature.  Several  European  countries  have  invested  in  specific 
training  programmes  and  institutions,  including  Norway,  France,  Denmark  or  Albania 
(ibid.).  

65 

 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
Identifying  and  selecting  future  school  heads  might  be  facilitated  by  defining  the 
competences expected of school leaders. In Europe, the Czech Republic and Norway have 
developed  specific  competence  frameworks  for  school  leaders  (ibid).  Reviewing  and 
designing competence frameworks for school leaders with a view to include sustainability 
leadership can help embed sustainability across all schools.  

Developing leadership in higher education is especially important given the exposed role 
of HEIs to generate cutting-edge sustainability research and link it to societal practice. In 
addition to their expertise in research and teaching, HEIs are seen as trusted and neutral 
actors  in  the  public  sphere  and  can  possess  therefore  considerable  prominence  and 
influence (SDSN Australia/Pacific, 2017). A European University Association survey (EUA, 
2021a)  highlights  that  support  for  governance  and  engagement  in  driving  forward 
strategies and actions for environmental sustainability in HEIs, are both key and need to 
be improved across European HEIs.  

Academic leadership can support mainstreaming learning for environmental sustainability 
by focusing on:  

  effective engagement amongst higher education leadership;  
 

strategic  practices  for  environmental  sustainability  and  the  impact  on  their 
institutions; 

  whole-institution approaches to sustainability; 
 

leadership  dynamics  that  share  responsibilities  by  including  academic  and 
administrative staff, researchers, project leaders, as well as student leaders. 

The most effective leaders in HE ‘listen, link and lead’ (in that order) and ‘model, teach 
and learn’ (SDSN Australia/Pacific, 2017). This means listening actively with a disposition 
for  change  and  a  set  of  options,  linking  received  feedback  to  a  concrete  strategy  and 
actively helping staff in applying that strategy while showing flexibility to adapt it (ibd.).  

As  with  school  leadership,  selection,  including  by  defining  expectations,  criteria  and 
competences  with  regard  to  HE  leaders,  is  crucial.  This  might  necessitate  revising 
selection  procedures  and/or  reviewing  how  prospective  leaders  are  identified  (ibid.). 
Likewise,  professional  development  opportunities  and  networking  for  HE  leaders  will 
greatly  benefit  HEIs  sustainability  agendas.  The  Sustainable  Development  Solutions 
Network’s  guide  for  universities,  HEIs  and  the  academic  sector  (SDSN  Australia/Pacific, 
2017)  can  help  HEI  leaders  to  introduce  and  improve  SDG  implementation  across  their 
institution.  

Beyond formal roles 

Leadership  for  sustainability  is  not  limited  to  formal  institutional  leadership  roles. 
Increasingly,  education  and  training  systems  try  to  identify  ‘’system  leaders’,  who  have 
been successful in their own schools and are in a position to support other local schools, 
or,  indeed,  become  involved  in  an  even  wider  network’  (European  Commission,  2017). 
Such  system  leaders  can  be  school  principals,  but  also  teachers  or  other  staff.  Working 
effectively with change leaders, including for sustainability, means (ibid.): 

identifying change leaders; 

 
  bringing them together (or working through self-organisation); 
  making them visible and providing support.  

Key points for capacity building of educators and leadership support  

Whatever  their  discipline  or  sector  of  education,  all  educators  are  sustainability 
educators  who  need  to  support  their  learners  in  preparing  for  a  more  sustainable 

66 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
future.  

Educators  require  time,  space  and  trust  to  adopt  pedagogies  that  enhance 
sustainability 
in 
interdisciplinary ways, work in teams and develop a culture of sustainability within the 
institution.  

to  approach  sustainability  education  and 

learning; 

training 

Environmental  sustainability  should  be  embedded  in  all  initial  teacher  education 
programmes;  continued  professional  development  programmes  and 
teacher 
professional  standards  and  frameworks  in  order  to  support  educators’  competence 
development with regard to sustainability.  

Educators require opportunities and incentives to take part in professional development 
programmes  related  to  sustainability,  for  example  by  linking  them  to  career 
progression  and  development  and  creating  roles  for  educators  such  as  sustainability 
coordinator. 

Education  leadership  teams  should  be  supported  in  managing  organisational  change 
with dedicated professional development and guidance for their roles. 

Leadership  for  sustainability  is  not  limited  to  formal  institutional  leadership  roles. 
Change  leaders  can  be  found  in  many  different  parts  of  the  education  system,  in 
teaching or non-teaching roles.  

Learning for environmental sustainability fosters collaboration and 
partnerships  

Cross-sector collaboration 

Cross-sector  collaboration  and  partnerships  on  sustainability  can  provide  expertise, 
resources and a real-world context for learning. Through partnerships with, for example, 
NGOs,  industry,  centres  of  environmental  education,  farms,  parks,  forests,  zoos, 
museums  and  libraries,  learners  can  experience  and  test  their  skills  with  real-life 
problems and develop a more holistic view of environmental sustainability. The potential 
of  cross-sector  collaboration  builds  on  the  recognition  that  the  most  robust  and 
sustainable  solutions  will  come  from  designing  with  (and  not  just  for)  the  communities 
most  affected.  Such  an  approach  can  move  beyond  impacting  individuals  to  impacting 
entire  communities  regarding  more  sustainable  knowledge  and  lifestyles.  Nature-based 
projects  such  as  a  river  clean-up  can  help  foster  social  inclusion  and  empower 
communities  in  a  collaborative  way.  Another  effective  measure  is  to  open  up  formal 
education  spaces  to  the  local  community  for  people  to  meet,  exchange  views  on 
sustainability and connect with nature. 

In  the  EU,  there  has  been  a  growing  emphasis  on  the  benefits  and  potential  of 
collaboration  between  informal,  non-formal  and  formal  education  as  well  as  cross-
sectoral  partnerships  between  the  public  and  private  sector  and/or  civil  society.  A 
fosters  cooperation  among 
dedicated  strand  under  the  Erasmus+  programme 
organisations and institutions and many projects have had a strong focus on cross-sector 
collaboration  as  a  way  to  strengthen  learning  for  environmental  sustainability.  Calls  for 
collective  action,  mobilising  business,  social  partners  and  stakeholders  to  commit  to 

67 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
working  together,  in  particular  within  the  EU’s  industrial  eco-systems,  is  one  of  the  five 
building  blocks  in  the  European  Skills  Agenda  for  Sustainable  Competitiveness,  Social 
Fairness and Resilience49. Cross-sector collaboration and partnerships are about utilising 
the roles, knowledge and responsibilities of public, private and non-profit actors to reach 
innovative solutions and results, which could otherwise not be obtained.  

To deepen understanding of global sustainability challenges, educational institutions and 
educators  should  foster  partnerships  at  the  local,  national  and  international  level 
(UNESCO, 2018). Such partnerships can take various forms but usually include: 

 
 

 

collaboration with parents and communities; 
collaboration  with  other  education  and  training  institutions  (nationally  or 
internationally), e.g., school networks, university alliances and labels; 
collaboration with other stakeholders (businesses, NGOs) 

Collaboration  between  schools  and  NGOs  or  other  non-formal  learning  institutions  can 
provide  significant  benefits,  by  building  on  the  expertise  of  the  non-formal  learning 
institution  and  connecting  it  to  the  curriculum  and  reach  of  the  formal  education  and 
training  institution.  In  Estonia,  schools  can  apply  for  financial  support  to  visit 
environmental and nature centres. Across the EU, international school labels that actively 
promote  collaboration  and  support  schools  in  establishing  and  maintaining  partnerships 
with  non-school  actors  have  become  popular  and  well  integrated  into  the  national 
systems in many Member States.   

With  regard  to  VET,  a  multi-stakeholder  Pact  for  Skills50  was  launched  during  the 
European  Vocational  Skills  Week  in  2020.  The  Pact  involves  large-scale  partnerships  in 
strategic industrial eco-systems identified in the European Green Deal. Through the Pact, 
the  Commission  encourages  stakeholders  to  work  together  and  pool  financial  and  other 
resources  to  develop,  strengthen  or  upscale  learning  initiatives.  Partnerships  are  also 
extremely  important  in anticipating  employment  and  skill  needs  and  identifying  suitable 
responses  to  the  green  transition  challenges  in  a  timely  manner.  Career  services, 
including  career  guidance  and  Public  Employment  Services  have  an  important  but 
currently underdeveloped role to play. 

In  the  higher  education  area,  the  European  Commission’s  University-Business  Forum 
has  taken  place  in  Brussels  every  two  years  since  2008,  offering  a  platform  for 
networking, exchange of ideas and good practices by bringing together higher education 
institutions,  companies,  business  associations,  public  authorities  and  policymakers.  In 
recent  years,  sustainability  has  been  one  of  a  central  theme  of  this  university-business 
collaboration. 

There  are  a  number  of  higher  education  partnerships  established  at  international  and 
European level, which contribute to furthering environmental sustainability. In addition to 
the  members  of  the  European  Universities  Initiative,  the  Copernicus  Alliance  and 
European  Network  on  Higher  Education  for  Sustainable  Development51,  aim  to  enable 
European higher education institutions and their partners to jointly identify challenges in 
higher education for sustainable development and spearhead development of processes, 
tools,  and  knowledge  to  address  these  challenges  from  a  whole-institution  perspective. 
Further  partnerships  include  the  Global  University  Network  for  Innovation52,  the  Global 

49 COM(2020) 274 final. 
50 https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1517&langId=en 
51 https://www.copernicus-alliance.org/ 
52 https://www.guninetwork.org/ 

68 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
Universities  Partnership  on  Environment  and  Sustainability53,  the  Higher  Education 
for  Sustainability  Development55, 
Sustainability 
Mainstreaming  Environment  and  Sustainability  in  Africa56  and  University  Educators  for 
Sustainable Development57. 

Initiative54,  Higher  Education 

Community engagement 

Community  engagement  refers  to  the  development  of  mutually  beneficial  partnerships 
between  higher  education  institutions  and  stakeholders  in  their  local  or  wider 
communities to address societal needs. Higher education institutions can play a key role 
in the development of their cities and regions, contributing to development strategies or 
cooperation with businesses, the public and voluntary sectors or supporting public debate 
on  societal  issues.  Voluntary  and  community  work  can  also  be  an  effective  way  to  help 
students gain practical experience and skills. Outreach beyond the academic community 
in  local  languages  should  be  incentivised  and  rewarded,  including  as  part  of  career 
development.  

  Sweden  established  the  Swedish  International  Centre  of  Education  for 
Sustainable Development (SWEDESD) in 2006. Today, SWEDESD is a well-established 
research  and  development  environment  at  Uppsala  University  offering  reflexive  tools 
for  implementation  and  scaling  of  education  for  sustainable  development.  SWEDESD 
supports  integrated  collaborative  research  and  development  projects  in  Sweden  and 
abroad through high-level panels, research seminars and conferences, workshops and 
forums  for  practitioners,  research  circles  and  various  venues  for  dialogue  and 
collaboration.  SWEDESD  also  offers  training  courses  for  teachers  in  schools  and  at 
universities, as well as for teacher educators, policy makers and project leaders. 

  As  part  of  the  Together  for  the  Alps  project,  the  Triglav  National  Park  Public 
Institution in Slovenia works to raise awareness about climate change adaptation and 
mitigation  and  the  importance  of  biodiversity  conservation  for  the  general  public, 
particularly primary schools in the community.   

  In  the  Erasmus+  project  Partnership  for  Biodiversity  Protection  in  Viticulture 
in Europe nature conservation organisations, farmer/winegrower associations and local 
farmers  worked  together  to  create  high  quality  reskilling  for  winegrowers  to  protect, 
enhance and promote biodiversity in vineyards. The success factors in the project were 
the direct involvement of members of the target group together with specialists in the 
field  of  nature  protection.  Partners  could  draw  on  each  other’s  knowledge  and 
experiences that made the training materials produced more relevant, understandable 
and adaptable for the target group to fit the teaching to their local conditions. 
https://www.bodensee-stiftung.org/en/partnerschaft-zum-schutz-der-biologischen-vielfalt-im-weinbau-in-
europa-2 

  To  assess  and  demonstrate  the  value  that  a  university  can  bring  to  its 
communities  and  the  value  that  communities  bring  to  a  university,  tools  such  as  
TEFCE, developed as part of an Erasmus+ project, can be of support. TEFCE supports 
higher  education  institutions  to  reflect  on  community  engagement  and  identify  good 

53 https://www.unep.org/es/node/10655 
54 https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdinaction/hesi 
55 https://www.iau-hesd.net/ 
56 https://www.unep.org/fr/node/10690 
57 https://www.ue4sd.eu/ 

69 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
practice. 
https://www.tefce.eu/project 

  Centres  of  Vocational  Excellence  (CoVEs)  bring  together  a  wide  range  of 
local  partners,  such  as  providers  of  vocational  education  and  training,  employers, 
research  centres,  development  agencies,  and  employment  services.  They  aim  to 
‘skills  ecosystems’  that  contribute  to  regional,  economic  and  social 
develop 
development,  innovation,  and  smart  specialisation  strategies.  In  this  context,  green 
skills  play  a  key  role.  Of  the  seven  CoVEs  selected  under  the  2020  call  for  Erasmus+ 
pilot  projects,  three  focus  on  green  topics  (GREENOVET  -  European  VET  Excellence 
Platform  for  Green  Innovation;  Three-level  Centres  of  Professional  Excellence: 
Qualification,  Entrepreneurship  and  Innovation  in  the  Green  Economy;  European 
Platform for Urban Greening). 

  Promoting  active  citizenship  through  innovative  methods  is  an  Erasmus+ 
Strategic  Partnership  for  Higher  Education  that  involves  Czechia,  Norway,  the 
Netherlands, Finland and Malta. The project aims to use active citizenship, gamification 
and  geoparticipation  to  help  students  to  become  agents  of  change,  regarding  climate 
change.  Students  learn  to  approach  climate  change  as  wicked  problem  and  they 
develop  know-how  on  how  to  communicate  about  these  issues  in  a  way  that  sets 
people up for action.  

Key points for collaboration and partnerships 

In  the  EU,  there  has  been  a  growing  emphasis  on  the  benefits  and  potential  of 
collaboration  on  sustainability.  Partnerships  bring  together  informal,  non-formal  and 
formal education and training as well as cross-sectoral partnerships involving the public 
and private sector and/or civil society. 

Cross-sector  collaboration  and  partnerships  on  sustainability  can  provide  expertise, 
resources and a real-world context for learning.  

Community  projects  on  the  environment  and  sustainability  can  help  foster  social 
inclusion and empower communities in a collaborative way.  

Higher education institutions can play a key role in the development of their cities and 
regions regarding sustainability. 

Learning for environmental sustainability empowers youth 

Young  people  have  been  vocal  and  active  demanding  change  and  calling  on  public 
authorities to act urgently to protect the climate and environment for current and future 
generations. Many young people are engaged with environmental sustainability issues as 
individuals,  in  their  communities,  nationally  and  even  internationally.  They  find  creative 
and  innovative  solutions  to  tackle  climate  change  and  environmental  degradation.  And 
they are shaping the present and future as citizens, consumers and decision-makers. 

Today’s  younger  generations  have  a  strong  contribution  to  make.  Young  people’s 
education  levels  have  steadily  risen  in  the  last  decades  and  many  are  skilled  in  using 
digital  technologies  and  social  media.  These  competences  are  crucial  for  the  digital  and 
green  transition.  Supporting  young  people  to  use  and  improve  their  green  and  digital 
competences  and  ensuring  that  young  people’s  voices  are  taken  into  account  in  policy 

70 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
making on the environment, climate change and beyond is crucial to ensure better, more 
inclusive and more pluralistic processes and solutions for the whole of society.  

Young people’s concerns 

Young Europeans consider climate change and environmental degradation to be the most 
serious  problems  facing  the  world.  These  are  the  findings  of  a  survey  of  more  than  22 
000  young  people  (15  to  35  years  old)  carried  out  in  23  EU  countries  in  October  and 
November 2020 (Dunne and Bijwaard, 2021): 

Source: Dunne and Bijwaard, 2021.  

Regional  differences  can  be  noted,  however.  In  Spain  and  Portugal,  71%  and  63%  of 
young  people  respectively,  are  very  or  extremely  worried  about  climate  change,  while 
this  is  the  case  for  only  23%  in  Czechia  and  Latvia.  Overall,  young  people  in  southern 
European countries are more worried about climate change than their peers elsewhere in 
Europe, which may be related to more visible weather extremes in their regions.  

The  concerns  of  young  Europeans  are  mirrored  on  a  global  scale.  A  study  on  climate 
anxiety and young people, published in the journal Lancet Planetary Health polled 10 000 
16 to 25 year olds in 10 countries (Hickman et al, 2021). It found that nearly six in 10 
young people were very or extremely worried about climate change58. Three quarters of 
higher  education  students59  who  were  polled  in  an  international  survey  of  Students 
Organizing  for  Sustainability  (SOS)  in  2020,  agreed  that  ‘worried’  best  described  their 
feelings about climate change and their future (SOS, 2021). 

A  lack  of  awareness  is  not  the  root-cause  of  eco-anxiety  among  young  people.  Results 
from the OECD’s PISA exercise in 2018 showed that 79% of 15-year olds are fully aware 
of climate change and global warming (Schleicher, 2021). The 2020 EU survey confirms 

58 The study covered Australia, Brazil, Finland, France, India, Nigeria, the Philippines, Portugal, the UK and the 
US. See Hickman et al, 2021. 
59 Over half coming from the EU. 

71 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
that climate deniers among young people are in fact a small minority, close to nine out of 
ten  young  Europeans  (86%)  agree  with  the  statement  that  climate  change  has  had  an 
impact  on  every  ocean  and  every  continent  over  the  past  few  decades.  83%  consider 
humans and human activity to be the main cause of climate change: 

Source: Dunne and Bijwaard, 2021. 

Over  50%  of  the  respondents  in  the  above-mentioned  Lancet  study  felt  sad,  anxious, 
angry,  powerless,  helpless,  and  guilty  and  rated  the  governmental  response  to  climate 
change  negatively  (Hickman  et  al,  2021).  European  youth  largely  agree  that 
governments should tackle environmental degradation and the climate crisis:  

Source: Dunne and Bijwaard, 2021. 

72 

 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
Many young people have clear views on what needs to change. More than three quarters 
(77%) agree that ‘our consumption habits are not sustainable if we want to preserve the 
environment’,  while  only  38%  think  that  national  governments  ‘should  focus  on  helping 
the economy to recover first and foremost, even if that means taking some actions that 
will be bad for the environment’ (Dunne and Bijwaard, 2021). 

The role of education and training in engaging youth 

Education  and  training  systems  and  institutions  have  a  duty  to  respond  to  the  growing 
youth  voice  on  the  climate  and  biodiversity  crises.  They  need  to  offer  opportunities  to 
learn  for  environmental  sustainability  in  different  settings  and  contexts  in  order  to 
empower and engage youth and boost the skills and competences needed for the green 
transition.  To  achieve  this,  education  and  training  systems  should involve  young  people 
in designing solutions related to sustainability education.  

At present, many young people consider that school is failing to give them an adequate 
understanding  of  climate  change,  the  environment  and  how  to  live  and  act  more 
sustainably  (European  Commission,  2019).  According  to  the  experiences  of  higher 
education students who participated in the SOS survey (SOS, 2021), tertiary education is 
the  sector  that  has  encouraged  them  the  most  so  far  to  ‘think  and  act  to  help  the 
environment  and  other  people’.  However,  only  26%  of  respondents  thought  that 
sustainable  development  has  been  covered  in  depth  by  their  course  (ibid.).  This  is  of 
concern as Europe cannot afford wasted talent or disengagement of young people when 
it comes to initiating and contributing to positive change in society. Involving students in 
meaningful  ways in  education  and  training  requires  learner-centred  pedagogies  and  can 
ultimately contribute to developing learners’ feelings of ‘ownership’ towards sustainability 
(Gayford, 2008), which is crucial for positive action.  

To ensure a just and inclusive green transition, it is key to involve young people from all 
backgrounds.  Young  women,  highly  educated  and  those  living  in  urban  environments 
tend  to  be  more  engaged  with  sustainability  actions  and  behaviours  (Dunne  and 
Bijwaard, 2021). Very often, socio-economic disadvantage and democratic exclusion are 
related:  people,  including  young  people,  who  struggle  with  disadvantage  can  be  less 
active citizens and are more likely to distrust public institutions.  

Along  with  a  better  coverage  of  issues  relating  to  sustainable  development  in  curricula, 
young people are  eager to learn how to bring about change for themselves and for and 
with others. Non-formal learning providers, such as youth organisations or environmental 
bodies  have  developed  many  resources  for  young  people  to  learn  about  the  challenges 
related to the environment and climate and to inspire, engage and train young people for 
change and leadership on sustainable development. Youth4Climate’s Educational Toolkit60 
is  but  one  example  that  covers  learning  about  and  acting  for  the  climate  from  many 
angles.  

The  EU actively supports youth participation and creates  opportunities for young people 
to  exchange experiences and become  active citizens. The  EU Youth Strategy guides the 
EU’s  work  on  and  with  young  people  through  the  EU  Youth  dialogue  and  the  European 
Youth  Coordinator.  From  2014  to  2020  more  than  500,000  participants  have  gained 
experience and skills abroad through youth exchanges and volunteering offered through 
the Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps programmes.  

60 https://www.connect4climate.org/sites/default/files/files/publications/Y4C%20Educational%20Toolkit%20-
%20FINAL_revised-2_compressed.pdf 

73 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
In  the  frame  of  the  recovery  from  the  COVID-19  crisis,  2022  is  the  European  Year  of 
Youth.  It  is  organised  with  the  participation  and  involvement  of  young  people  to 
recognise  and  discuss  challenges  encountered  by  young  people  in  the  EU  and  to  work 
together to identify solutions. Environmental sustainability is a key theme of the Year. 

  The  German  youth  forum  youpaN  consists  of  30  elected  young  people 
between  16  and  30  who  actively  participate  in  national  decision  making  and  vote  on 
how  education  can  become  sustainable.  youpaN  plays  a  key  role  in  implementing  the 
German national action plan on education for sustainable development.  
https://youpan.de/ 

 To support young people to engage in and shape a digital and green transition 
that  is  just  and  inclusive,  the  Commission  has  published  A  Toolkit  for  Youth 
Participation  in  the  Just  Transition  Fund.  It  sets  out  principles  and  methods  of 
successful youth participation and provides a range of good practice examples. 
https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/guides/youth_just_transition_en.pdf 

  The  Futures  Forward  Academy  in  Gibraltar,  launched  in  January  2021, 
supports  young  adults  with  the  ‘capabilities,  mindsets,  and  networks’  to  make  a 
positive difference. The 5-month programme is open to young people aged 20-30 who 
are currently in leadership roles. Participants attend workshops, lectures and webinars 
and  complete  an  action  project  and  study  trip abroad.  The  programme  is  designed  to 
build  collaboration  through  peer  learning,  whilst  challenging  established  ideas  of 
leadership  and  practice.  A  range  of  environmental  issues  are  explored  through  the 
programme always linking learning to social and economic contexts.  
https://www.futuregenerations.gi/news/futures-forward-academy-30 

Key points for youth empowerment for environmental sustainability 

Young people have been especially vocal and active demanding change to protect the 
climate  and  environment.  Many  young  people  are  active  on  sustainability  and  the 
environment, finding positive and creative ways to engage with these issues. 

A large majority of young people in Europe and the world worry about climate change, 
environmental degradation and their future. They expect governments, companies and 
education and training institutions to take action.   

Education and training has an important role to play to engage youth for environmental 
sustainability.  However,  so  far  many  young  people  consider  that  schools  and 
universities are not preparing them adequately to address sustainability challenges. 

To address young people’s concerns and expectations, education and training systems 
should 
for 
environmental  sustainability  and  provide  opportunities  for  them  to  learn  in  a  holistic 
way. 

in  designing  solutions  related  to 

involve  young  people 

learning 

74 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Learning for environmental sustainability builds competences and 
skills 

Education  and  training  for  sustainability  has  the  potential  to  be  a  catalyst  for  change 
among  young  and  adult  generations,  through  the  acquisition  of  sustainability 
competences (Bianchi, 2020). Identifying the right competences to address sustainability 
challenges,  empower  citizens  to  be  better  geared  towards  changing  our  way  of  living  – 
individually  and  collectively  –,  and  make  more  sustainable  choices  has  become  more 
important than ever (ibid.). 

Building on key competences 

Since  the  early  2000s,  many  European  countries  have  shifted  curricula  from  a 
knowledge-  to  a  competence-based  approach.  A  competence-based  curriculum  requires 
interactive  and  student-centred 
teaching  methods,  while  promoting  a  more 
interdisciplinary  and  (cross-curricular)  approach  to  education.  It  is  participatory  and 
inclusive,  recognising  learners  as  individuals  with  diverse  background  and  learning 
experiences  acquired  through  informal  or  non-formal  experiences.  At  the  institutional 
level it  fosters  collaboration  with  other  education institutions  and  external  stakeholders, 
such as from local community, non-governmental organisations, and businesses. This in 
turn  helps  fine  tune  students’  learning  to  the  needs  of  a  rapidly  changing  economy  and 
society. 

The 2006 Council Recommendation on Key Competences  for Lifelong Learning identified 
a  set  of  key  competences  necessary  to  work  and  live  in  the  21st  century.  Updated  in 
2018,  the  Council  Recommendation  has  been  a  reference  for  many  Member  State 
reforms and has also led to other competence frameworks being developed at European 
level. The Recommendation specifies eight key competences: 

  Literacy competence 
  Multilingual competence 
  Mathematical competence and competence in science, technology and engineering 
  Digital competence 
  Personal, social and learning to learn competence 
  Citizenship competence 
  Entrepreneurship competence 
  Cultural awareness and expression competence 

All competences are considered equally important, as they ‘overlap and interlock; aspects 
essential  to  one  domain  will  support  competence  in  another’61.  Furthermore,  the 
Recommendation adds  a series  of  cross-cutting themes relevant to all key competences 
such  as  critical  thinking,  problem  solving,  teamwork,  communication  and  negotiation 
skills, analytical skills, creativity, and intercultural skills. The eight key competences are 
developed  in  a  lifelong  learning  perspective,  from  early  childhood  throughout  adult  life, 
and  through  formal,  non-formal  and  informal  learning  in  all  contexts,  including  family, 
school, workplace, neighbourhood and other communities. 

61 https://ec.europa.eu/education/education-in-the-eu/council-recommendation-on-key-competences-for-
lifelong-learning_en 

75 

 
 
 
 
  
                                           
Defining competences for sustainability  

In the 2018 Council Recommendation on Key Competences62, sustainability is integrated 
as  a  cross-cutting  theme  in  all  eight  key  competences  rather  than  as  a  standalone 
competence.  Several  key  competences  share  elements  that  are 
for 
sustainability:  the  personal,  social  and  learning  to  learn  competence;  the  civic 
competence;  the  competence  in  science,  technology  and  engineering;  and  the 
entrepreneurship 
for 
sustainability include:  critical  thinking  and  reflection;  creativity;  collaboration;  initiative-
taking and problem-solving; taking responsibility; empathy, compassion and solidarity.  

competence.  Other 

competences 

cross-cutting 

important 

relevant 

A  standalone  competence  framework  which  combines  relevant  components  of  key  and 
cross-cutting  competences  can  help  identify  the  right  competences  to  address 
sustainability  challenges,  empower  citizens  to  be  better  geared  towards  changing  our 
standards  of  living,  and  make  more  sustainable  choices  (Bianchi,  2020).  The  new 
European  Sustainability  Competence  framework  (see  chapter  4)  therefore  defines  a  set 
of specific and cross-cutting competences for sustainability.  

A  common  thread  in  all  sectors  and  settings  of  education  and  training  needs  to  be  the 
futures  dimension  of  learning  for  sustainability.  Education  and  training  has  always 
aimed  at  preparing  learners  for  the  future.  Futures  thinking,  in  the  context  of 
sustainability,  however,  concerns  itself  with  new  ways  of  thinking  about  the  future  to 
change societal and economic models to achieve sustainability. Such an approach needs 
to  be  further  strengthened  in  learning  and  teaching.  Whereas  the  past  and  present  are 
generally  well  covered  in  curricula,  the  future  is  less  so  and  educators  are  often  less 
familiar with how to teach this dimension (Hicks, 2012). Embedding futures thinking into 
lifelong  learning  and  designing  learning  with  a  view  to  possible  future(s),  can  unlock 
potential  and  benefit  learning  at  individual  and  collective  level:  ‘It  is  a  process  which  is 
transforming  the  way  people  relate  to  their  future,  helping  to  cultivate  dreams,  inspire 
hope and lead to action plans for a more sustainable future’ (Tilbury, 2011).  

Developing professional skills for the green transition 

There  is  no  commonly  agreed  definition  on  the  exact  skills  required  for  the  green 
transition  (Bianchi,  2020).  Cedefop,  the  European  Centre  for  the  development  of 
Vocational Training, defined green skills in 2012 as ‘the knowledge, abilities, values and 
attitudes  needed  to  live  in,  develop  and  support  a  society  which  reduces  the  impact  of 
human  activity  on  the  environment’  (Cedfop,  2012).  From  a  labour  market  perspective, 
both  occupation-specific  technical  skills  (e.g.  to  monitor  waste  treatment  equipment), 
and  more  cross-cutting  professional  skills  (e.g.  digital  skills),  that  enable  workers  to 
design,  develop  and  implement  new  processes,  products  and  services  to  support  a 
sustainable  and  resource-efficient  economy,  are  needed.  These  are  not  necessarily  new 
skills but to a certain extent skills that already exist in traditional occupations (e.g. STEM 
skills,  problem  solving  skills).  VET  systems  need  to  equip  learners  with  these  skills  but 
also  ensure  that  workers  who  are  already  qualified  in  an  occupation  receive  additional 
training throughout their career to acquire new occupation-specific skills that needed for 
the green transition. 

The  Council  Recommendation  on  vocational  education  and  training  for  sustainable 
competitiveness,  social  fairness  and  resilience63  defines  reform  principles  for  VET  at 

62 2018/C 189/01 
63 2020/C 417/01 

76 

 
 
 
 
 
                                           
national level including its role in supporting innovation, growth and the digital and green 
transitions. It calls on Member States to adapt and expand the offer of VET, especially for 
adults, by fostering the acquisition of entrepreneurial, digital and green skills. It also calls 
for  the  embedding  of  environmental  and  social  sustainability  in  programmes  and 
organisational management of VET institutions. 

The  renewed  European  Alliance  for  Apprenticeships64  is  encouraging  new  pledges  to 
incorporate  the  acquisition  of  skills  for  the  green  transition  and  the  development  of 
robust digital competences in apprenticeships. It targets economic sectors that will be on 
the front line of the green transition. 

The Commission is working to support the acquisition of skills for the green transition in 
the Skills Agenda65 by:  

  Defining  a  taxonomy  of  skills  for  the  green  transition,  which  will  allow  the 

statistical monitoring of the greening of professions.  

  Agreeing with Member States a set of indicators to allow monitoring and statistical 

analysis of developments in green skills. 

  Developing a European competence framework on sustainability.66  
  Supporting  the  development  of  a  core  green  skills  set  for  the  labour  market  to 
guide training across the economy with a view to creating a generation of climate, 
environment and health conscious professionals and green economic operators.  
  Helping to integrate environmental and climate considerations into school, higher 
education, vocational education and training, as well as professional training.  

  The  Erasmus+  project  SolarCV,  which  ran  between  2015  and  2018  with  16 
organisations  from  five  EU  Member  States,  aimed  to  address  the  skills  needs  for 
Concentrated  Solar  Power  (CSP),  an  emerging  technology  in  the  solar  energy  sector. 
The  project  created  an  e-learning  platform,  including  an  e-simulator,  with  training 
materials  for  formal  VET  training  on  CSP.  The  e-simulator  is  an  innovative  tool, 
combining  e-learning  with  advanced  teaching  methods  based  on  plant  operation 
experiences. The project also developed an EU Competence Profile and an EU CSP CV 
standardising the skills set for the CSP sector at EU-level. A methodology for validating 
non-formal learning in the field of CSP was also developed.  
http://solarcv.org/ 

 The Skills Labs in Greece aim at preparing teachers to foster the development 
of  soft  skills,  life  skills  and  technology  and  science  skills  among  students  of  pre-
primary, primary and lower secondary education. The Skills Labs are organised around 
four  main  cycles:  (a)  Better  living  –  Well-being,  (b)  Environmental  consciousness,  (c) 
Interest  and  action  —  Social  consciousness  and  responsibility,  and  (d)  Creation  & 
innovation — Creative thinking and initiative. 
http://iep.edu.gr/el/espa-2014-2020/epimorfosi-ton-ekpaideftikon-stis-deksiotites-meso-ergastirion-mis-
5092064 

  In  Slovenia  environmental  awareness  is  one  of  the  10  key  competences  in 
vocational  and  technical  upper  secondary  education  programmes  included  in  the 
‘catalogues of knowledge’ to guide the preparation of general subjects and professional 
modules in VET programmes.  

64 https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1147 
65 https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1223&langId=en 
66 See chapter 4. 

77 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
Key points on building competences for sustainability  

Learners  of  all ages need to be able to develop the knowledge,  skills and attitudes to 
live  more  sustainably,  change  patterns  of  consumption  and  production,  embrace 
healthier  lifestyles  and  contribute  –  both  individually  and  collectively  –  to  the 
transformation of our societies. 

The  new  European  Sustainability  Competence  framework  (detailed  in  chapter  4) 
defines a set of competences for sustainability for all learners.  

Occupation-specific  green  skills  and  cross-cutting  professional  skills,  including  digital 
skills  are  needed  to  enable  workers  to  design,  develop  and  implement  new  and  more 
sustainable processes, products and services. 

Learning for environmental sustainability is founded on strong 
policies 

Policies  which  are  well-defined  and  based  on  a  clear  vision  are  key  enablers  of  learning 
for  environmental  sustainability.  Sustainability  is  a  complex  field  and  education  and 
training  systems  are  in  themselves  complex,  involving  multiple  layers  and  a  range  of 
different  organisations  and  actors.  This  double  complexity  presents  a  heightened 
challenge  for  policy  design  and  implementation  as  it  requires  systems  thinking  with 
regard to both sustainability and education and training systems.  

Adapting  current  practices  and  systems  is  a  first  step  to  effectively  embedding 
environmental  sustainability  into  education  and  training.  It  means  fitting  the  topic  of 
sustainability into the existing education and training system without modifications to the 
system  itself.  It  is  essentially  education  about sustainability,  which is primarily  content-
focused  and  achieved  by  adding  on,  for  example,  components  or  modules  to  the 
curriculum or to teacher training.  

Learning  and  teaching  for  sustainability  will,  however,  require  policy  design  and 
implementation  that  concerns  itself  not  only  with  the  ‘what’  but  also  the  ‘why’  and  the 
‘how’  of learning. Designing policies for  education and training for sustainability need to 
consider the purpose of education, the chosen content (curriculum) and assessment, the 
learning  environment  and  the  pedagogies  in  an  integrated  and  dynamic  manner  and 
leading  to  transformative  changes.  The  following  policy  approaches  to  embedding 
environmental  sustainability  in  education  and  training,  or  a  combination  thereof  (see 
chapter 3), are in place in many EU countries:  

 
 

including it into general education and training strategies and policy documents; 
specific  strategies  for  learning  for  environmental  sustainability,  either  sector-
specific or in a life-long learning perspective; 

  mainstreaming  learning  for  environmental  sustainability  into  non-education 

policies (e.g. economic strategies). 

All  approaches  need  to  be  backed  by  smart  policy  design  which  takes  into  account 
existing policy, educational governance and institutional settings, and institutions, policy 

78 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
and  societal  context67.  Including  key  stakeholders,  e.g.  teacher  unions,  early  on  in  the 
policy  process  will  have  long-term  benefits.  Constructive  alignment  of  policy  planning 
between  curricula,  resources,  assessment  and  teaching  is  necessary,  including  by 
identifying  specific  targets  and  actions  to  be  taken  at  both  institutional  and  individual 
levels.  Collaboration  with  civil  society,  private  companies,  and  academia is important  to 
create  policy  and  strategies  that  are  embedded  in  practice  and  consensus-based  to 
ensure wider influence and scale-up (Biggs, 2003).  

To  achieve  transformative  change  in  all  segments  of  society,  integrating  education  into 
all  policy  documents  relating  to  sustainable  development  (i.e.,  non-educational  policies 
such as transport, industry, research policies, etc.) is crucial (Glavic, 2020 and UNESCO, 
2020).  In  Denmark,  for  example,  education  for  environmental  sustainability,  has  been 
included  in  key  economic  policy  documents,  aligning  it  actively  with  green  growth 
planning.  

  In  Spain,  the  White  Paper  on  Environmental  Education  (Libro  Blanco  de  la 
Educación Ambiental en España) was introduced in 1999. It has since then served as a 
guide  to  define  the  objectives  and  principles  of  environmental  education  in  Spain  and 
encouraged its uptake in the education system. Legislation from 2014, has mandated a 
national  climate  change  curriculum  in  primary  and  secondary  schools  in  the  areas  of 
applied  sciences,  geography,  and  geology,  as  well  as in  other  courses  such  as  ethics, 
scientific  culture,  and  environmental  science.  Some  of  the  major  themes  studied 
include  climate,  hydrography,  natural  vegetation,  and  content  about  weather  and 
climate.  In  2020,  the  White  Paper  was  updated  through  the  Environmental  Education 
Action  Plan  for  Sustainability  (Plan  de  Acción  de  Educación  Ambiental  para  la 
Sostenibilidad, PAEAS). 

  The  Netherland’s  national  plan  on  Education  for  Sustainable  Development 
('DuurzaamDoor')  is  based  on  multi-stakeholder  participation,  co-creation,  social 
innovation and transformative learning as underlying concepts. Education features as a 
separate area alongside biodiversity, water, circular economy and other policies.  There 
are  three  cross  cutting  areas  in  education:  curriculum  and  whole-school  approach; 
integral  decision-making  for  sustainable  development,  and  regional  co-operation 
supporting grassroots activity.  

  In  Slovakia,  the  green  education  fund,  managed  by  the  Slovak  Environment 
Agency  (SEA)  and  financed  from  the  State  budget  and  private  companies,  has  been 
active since 2017 in supporting environmental education offered by non-governmental 
organisations at national and regional level. SEA’s concept paper for  the development 
of  environmental  education  and  public  awareness  actions  by  2030  foresees  46 
measures  in  four  areas  (capacity  building,  education  supply,  further  development  of 
the Environmental Education Centre and national coordination). The plan addresses the 
development of environmental educational programmes for kindergartens, primary and 
secondary  education,  including  secondary  VET  and  the  development  of  interactive 
digital tools in cooperation with schools. 

67  ‘For  instance,  if  a  new  curriculum  requires  the  use  of  high  technology  equipment  which  schools  cannot 
afford,  the  policy  may  fail  to  be  implemented  unless  some  budget  is  available  at  the  national  or  local  level’  
(Viennet and Pont, 2017). 

79 

 
 
 
 
 
  
                                           
Monitoring and evaluation  

Measuring  impact  and  implementation  of  learning  for  environmental  sustainability  is 
essential.  Monitoring  helps  ‘ensure  ongoing  relevance  and  effectiveness  of  ESD  efforts; 
guide  planning  and  reorienting  of  […]  programmes;  increase  understanding  of  ESD 
progress,  and  improve  decision-making  and  action-taking  […]’  (Tilbury,  2007).  If  based 
on  participatory  methods,  monitoring  can  also  contribute  to  peer-learning  among 
stakeholders (ibid.).   

The  scope  and  approaches  that  characterise  learning  for  environmental  sustainability 
pose  specific  challenges  for  monitoring  and  evaluation.  For  example,  education  that 
fosters strong links with the local community and is highly contextual, will be difficult to 
compare  at  regional,  national  or  international  level.  Interdisciplinary,  hands-on  and 
socio-emotional  learning  does  not  necessarily  align  with  test-based  summative  student 
assessment, which often serves monitoring purposes.  

A  focus  on  subject  content  and  written  tests  and  examinations  in  many  education 
systems  can  also  pose  a  challenge  for  measuring  learning  outcomes  related  to 
environmental  sustainability.  It  can  also  discourage  educators  from  applying  the  more 
innovative  and  hands-on  approaches  that  are  considered  particularly  suitable  for 
environmental sustainability.  In addition, it could lead to an over-emphasis on cognitive 
learning  outcomes  over  developing  the  much-needed  socio-emotional  competences  and 
learner agency.  

Effectively  evaluating  novel  concepts  and  competences  such  as  exploratory  and  futures 
thinking  that  encourage  learners  to  imagine  and  create  what  does  not  yet  exist,  is 
especially challenging. It is very difficult, if not impossible, to capture such concepts with 
pre-defined targets and indicators (UNESCO, 2018). 

Measuring  the  impact  of  learning  in  the  field  of  sustainability  is  directed  at  learning 
outcomes, including knowledge, skills and attitudes that learners develop with regard to 
sustainability.  Such  monitoring  can  help  strengthen  and  adjust  policies,  learning 
processes  and  practices  to  further  improve  learning  outcomes.  Ultimately  however,  it 
needs  to  targets  a  wider  dimension:  sustainable  living  (UNESCO,  2018).  Outcome 
measurement and impact indicator levels that relate to effects on the wider economy and 
society  beyond  those  directly  affected  by  the  intervention  are  rare.  Studies  have 
identified a need to extend measurement to this wider level and capture outcome effects 
that indicate lasting changes and deeper impact (Waltner et al, 2018). 

Current monitoring processes in the area of learning for environmental sustainability are 
mainly  input-oriented.  Inputs,  including  policies,  programmes  and  curricula,  educators 
development,  are  obviously  related  to  learning  outcomes  but  cannot  be  equated  with 
them.  Having holistic, multipronged approaches (UNESCO, 2018) to  monitoring learning 
for  environmental  sustainability  will  best  capture  the  broad  scope  and  ambitions  in  this 
area.  

In practice, national and international monitoring can build on work developed during the 
UN  Decade  in  Education  for  Sustainable  Development  (DESD)  and  the  Global  Action 
Programme  for  Sustainable  Development  (GAP).  The  Global  Monitoring  and  Evaluation 
Framework  developed  for  the  DESD  included  ‘questionnaires,  research  reports, 
stakeholder  engagement,  longitudinal  assessments  and  a  self-reporting  process  and 
portfolio  of  evidence’  (Tilbury,  2009).  To  evaluate  dimensions  such  as  socio-emotional 
learning, pedagogies that foster e.g. exploratory and futures-thinking or local aspects of 
learning  for  environmental  sustainability,  methods  such  as  ‘classroom  observation, 

80 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
interviews, focus groups, ethnographies, forms of social action research’ (UNESCO, 2018) 
can help.  

To  capture  the  lifelong  learning  scope  and  ambition  of  learning  for  environmental 
sustainability,  it  will  be  important  to  widen  the  current  focus  of  monitoring  pupils  and 
students, in particular, at secondary level to both younger and older generations. Moving 
beyond  formal  learning  and  even  beyond  education  to  measuring  impact  in  the  wider 
economy  and  society  requires  more  research,  but  also  creative  thinking  and  innovation 
(ibid.).  

As  more  and  more  countries  include  environmental  sustainability  in  their  education  and 
training  policies  and  systems  (UNESCO,  2019),  there  is  significant  scope  and  need  to 
develop  and  improve  the  evidence  base  for  effective  learning  for  environmental 
sustainability supported by national and international level monitoring. Together with the 
EU  Member  States,  the  European  Commission,  will  explore  impact  assessment  and 
indicator  development  at  EU  level  to  support  Member  States  in  their  efforts  to  embed 
environmental sustainability in education and training. 

  The  Monitoring  and  Evaluation  of  Climate  Change  Education  (MECCE)  project 
aims to develop a set of new monitoring indicators and datasets alongside a repository 
of  global  case  studies  to  generate  an  understanding  of  quality  climate  change 
education. MECCE is an international project involving 80 academics and organisations 
worldwide.  
https://sepn.ca/mecce/ 

Key points on policies  

Learning and teaching for sustainability requires policy design and implementation that 
concerns  itself  not  only  with  the  ‘what’  but  also  the  ‘why’  and  the  ‘how’  of  learning. 
Well-defined policies based on a clear vision are key.  

Given the complexity of sustainability and of education and training systems, systems 
thinking is required for effective change.  

Policy planning for curricula, resources, assessment and teaching must be well aligned 
and specific targets and actions for institutions and learners should be defined.  

Collaboration with civil society, the private sector, and academia is important to create 
policy  and  strategies  that  work  on  the  ground.  Including  key  stakeholders  early  on  in 
the policy process will have long-term benefits. 

Integrating  learning  into  all  policy  documents  relating  to  environmental  sustainability 
and the green transition is crucial. 

Monitoring  and  impact  assessment  are  mostly  input  oriented.  Coordinated  and 
coherent  monitoring  at  institutional,  national,  European  and  international  levels  on 
learning  outcomes  for  environmental  sustainability  need  to  be  further  researched  and 
developed.  

81 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
4. The European sustainability competence framework  

This  chapter  contains  excerpts  from  the  report  by  the  European  Commission’s  Joint 
Research  Centre  on  the  new  European  sustainability  competence 
framework 
(GreenComp). The full report, published in January 2022, is available on the website of 
the  Joint  Research  Centre68  and  should  be  cited  as:  Bianchi,  G.,  Pisiotis,  U.,  Cabrera, 
M.  (2022).  GreenComp  –  The  European  sustainability  competence  framework. 
Luxembourg: Publication Office of the European Union. 

The  European  sustainability  competence  framework,  ‘GreenComp’,  is  a  reference 
framework  on  sustainability  competences  at  EU  level.  The  new  framework  has  been 
developed  by  the  European  Commission  using  a  mixed  method  research  process, 
involving  background  studies  and  extensive  consultations  with  experts  in  sustainability, 
education for sustainability and lifelong learning.   

The  GreenComp  framework  unpacks  and  defines  what  sustainability  as  a  competence 
entails.  Users  of  the  framework  are  encouraged  to  adapt  it  to  learners’  needs, 
backgrounds  and  situation,  including  the  education  level  and  age  of  the  learner,  the 
learning  setting  and  the  local  context.  A  shared  understanding  of  sustainability 
competences  can  act  as  a  catalyst  for  learning  for  environmental  sustainability  by 
supporting  education  and  training  institutions  to  develop,  review  and  adapt  their  vision 
and practices with regard to sustainability.  

As  a  reference  tool,  GreenComp  can  serve  a  wide  range  of  purposes  including  curricula 
review;  design  of  teacher  education  programmes;  (self-)  assessment/reflection,  policy 
development,  certification,  assessment,  monitoring  and  evaluation.  Furthermore,  the 
proposed model can complement and strengthen existing international, national, regional 
and local efforts to capture and define sustainability competences.   

Description of the framework  

GreenComp consists of four competence areas: 

  Embodying sustainability values, 
  Embracing complexity in sustainability, 
  Envisioning sustainable futures, and 
  Acting for sustainability. 

These  four  areas  are  each  broken  down  into  three  competences,  making  a  total  of  12 
competences. Competence areas and competences are shown in table 1: 

68 https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/greencomp 

82 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
Table 169. Descriptors of sustainability competences 

AREA 

COMPETENCE  DESCRIPTOR 

1. Embodying 
sustainability 
values 

1.1 
sustainability 

Valuing 

To  reflect  on  personal  values;  identify  and  explain  how 
values  vary  among  people  and  over  time,  while  critically 
evaluating how they align with sustainability values 

1.2 Supporting 
fairness 

To  support  equity  and  justice  for  current  and  future 
generations  and  learn  from  previous  generations  for 
sustainability 

1.3  Promoting 
nature 

To  acknowledge  that  humans  are  part  of  nature;  and  to 
respect  the  needs  and  rights  of  other  species  and  of 
nature  itself  in  order  to  restore  and  regenerate  healthy 
and resilient ecosystems 

2. Embracing 
complexity in 
sustainability 

2.1  Systems 
thinking 

To  approach  a  sustainability  problem  from  all  sides;  to 
consider  time,  space  and  context  in  order  to  understand 
how elements interact within and between systems 

2.2 
thinking 

Critical 

information  and  arguments, 

To  assess 
identify 
assumptions,  challenge  the  status  quo,  and  reflect  on 
how  personal,  social  and  cultural  backgrounds  influence 
thinking and conclusions 

Problem 

2.3 
framing 

To  formulate  current  or  potential  challenges  as  a 
sustainability  problem  in  terms  of  difficulty,  people 
involved,  time  and  geographical  scope,  in  order  to 
identify 
to  anticipating  and 
preventing  problems,  and  to  mitigating  and  adapting  to 
already existing problems 

suitable  approaches 

3. Envisioning 
sustainable 
futures 

3.1 
literacy 

Futures 

To  envision  alternative  sustainable  futures  by  imagining 
and  developing  alternative  scenarios  and  identifying  the 
steps needed to achieve a preferred sustainable future 

3.2 
Adaptability 

To  manage  transitions  and  challenges 
in  complex 
sustainability situations and make decisions related to the 
future in the face of uncertainty, ambiguity and risk 

3.3 
Exploratory 
thinking 

To  adopt  a  relational  way  of  thinking  by  exploring  and 
linking  different  disciplines,  using 
creativity  and 
experimentation with novel ideas or methods 

4. Acting for 
sustainability 

4.1 
agency 

Political 

identify  political 
To  navigate 
responsibility  and  accountability 
for  unsustainable 
behaviour, and demand effective policies for sustainability 

the  political  system, 

4.2  Collective 
action 

To act for change in collaboration with others   

69 The numbering of tables and figures in this chapter corresponds to the original publication.  

83 

 
                                           
4.3  Individual 
initiative 

To identify own potential for sustainability and to actively 
contribute to improving prospects for the community and 
the planet 

In  Table  1,  competence  areas  and  competences  are  numbered  for  ease  of  reference. 
However  this  does  not  imply  a  sequence  of  acquisition  nor  a  hierarchy.  All  12 
competences are equally important: learners are encouraged to develop all of them.  

The  four  competence  areas  are  tightly  interrelated:  sustainability  as  a  competence 
encompasses  all  four  taken  together.  The  12  sustainability  competences  are  also 
interrelated  and  interconnected,  and  should  be  treated  as  parts  of  a  whole.  While  we 
encourage  learners  to  acquire  the  12  competences,  they  do  not  need  to  acquire  the 
highest  level  of  proficiency  in  all  12,  nor  have  the  same  proficiency  across  all  of  them. 
Indeed,  GreenComp  implies  that  sustainability  as  a  competence  is  made  of  12  building 
blocks.  

Competence areas and competences 

1.  Embodying sustainability values 

The  competence  area  ‘Embodying  sustainability  values’  encourages  us  to  reflect  on 
and challenge our own personal values and world-views in terms of unsustainability, and 
sustainability values and world-views. This area advocates equity and justice for current 
and future generations, while supporting the view that humans are a part of nature. 

Socioecological problems are wicked problems, because they involve interlinked complex 
systems,  such  as  the  natural  systems  and  the  social  systems  including  technological, 
political  and  economic  systems.  Our  understanding  of  such  complex  problems  lies,  at 
least  in  part,  in  normative  assumptions  of  the  world,  and  in  how  we  interpret  social, 
political and ethical decisionsi.  

Knowledge  is  often  seen  as  value-freeii,  which  is  based  on  the  idea  that  it  only  stems 
from  rigorous  evidence-based  processes  that  lead  to  objectivity,  precision,  acceptability 
and universalityiii. Yet, our rationality is limited as our values and world-views shape our 
perception  and  understanding  of  the  world  at  all  times,  including  our  perception  and 
understanding  of  sustainability  problemsiv.  While  descriptive  knowledge  explains  reality 
through  facts,  normative  knowledge  on  sustainability  aims  to  identify  how  the  world 
should lookv. 

Sustainability competences such as systems thinking and futures literacy are useful when 
linked  to  sustainability  values,  as  otherwise  such  competences  could  be  used  for 
unsustainable actionsvi,vii. By fostering sustainability values such as equity and justice for 
current and future generations and preservation and restoration of natureviii, learning for 
environmental  sustainability  can  help  shape  a  more  sustainable  future  for  communities 
and societies. 

When  learners  are  encouraged  to  reflect  and  question  knowledge  acquisition,  assimilate 
it,  and  put  it  into  practice,  transformative  learning  takes  placeix.  Such  learning  involves 
cognitive  (head),  psychomotor  (hands)  and  affective  (heart)  domainsx  and  encourages 
reflection,  questioning  and  action.  Transformative  learning  is  learner-centred,  therefore 
promoting student agencyxi. 

84 

 
 
 
 
1.1 Valuing sustainability 

Descriptor (1.1):   To reflect on personal values; identify and explain how values vary 
among people and over time, while critically evaluating how they align with sustainability 
values 

Valuing  sustainability  aims  to  foster  reflection  on  values  and  perspectives  in  relation  to 
concerns  for  sustainability.  In  this  context,  learners  can  articulate  their  values  and 
consider their alignment with sustainability as the common goal.  

Valuing  sustainability  could  be  defined  as  a  meta-competence,  since  its  primary  aim  is 
not  to  teach  specific  values,  but  make  learners  realise  that  values  are  constructs  and 
people can choose which values to prioritise in their livesxii.  

Valuing sustainability enables learners to reflect on their way of thinking, their plans, and 
their  actions.  It  asks  them  whether  these  cause  any  harm  and  are  in  line  with 
sustainability  values  and  thus  contribute  to  sustainability.  It  offers  learners  an 
opportunity to discuss and reflect on values, their variety and culture-dependence. 

Examples of knowledge (K), skills (S) and attitudes (A): 

K:  
knows  the  main  views  on  sustainability:  anthropocentrism  (human-centric), 
technocentrism (technological solutions to ecological problems) and ecocentrism (nature-
centred), and how they influence assumptions and arguments; 

can  articulate  and  negotiate  sustainability  values,  principles  and  objectives  while 

S:  
recognising different viewpoints; 

A:  

is prone to acting in line with values and principles for sustainability. 

For  example:  Given  the  apparent  tensions  between  sustainability  and  consumerism 
based  on  the  use  of  natural  resources,  everybody  should  be  able  to  contemplate  the 
impact  that  fast  fashion  or  taking  flights  for  a  weekend  getaway  would  have  at  system 
level (SDG 12). 

1.2 Supporting fairness 

Descriptor (1.2):   To support equity and justice for current and future generations and 
learn from previous generations for sustainability 

Supporting  fairness  is  about  promoting  equity  and  justice  among  present  and  future 
generations,  while  learning  from  past  traditions  and  actions.  Starting  from  the  premise 
that  human  health  is  intrinsically  linked  to  planetary  health,  this  competence  can  help 
learners understand that environmental quality is linked to equity and justicexiii. Access to 
green  spaces  can  reduce  health-related  socio-economic  inequalitiesxiv.  Environmental 
equity and justice imply, therefore, human equity and justice.  

Yet  supporting fairness  is not only about promoting environmental justice and  equity to 
improve  human  health.  In  line  with  the  competence  ‘promoting  nature’,  supporting 
fairness  is  also  about  taking  into  account  the  interests  and  capabilities  of  other  species 
and environmental ecosystems, as well as the importance of preserving nature for future 
generations and for nature itself. 

85 

 
 
Supporting  fairness  as  a  competence  can  be  fostered  by  promoting  responsibility  in 
collaborative  activities  and  teamwork,  while  acknowledging  and  respecting  other  view 
pointsxv.   

Examples of knowledge (K), skills (S) and attitudes (A): 

knows  that  ethical  concepts  and  justice  for  current  and  future  generations  are 

K:  
related to protecting nature; 

can  apply  equity  and  justice  for  current  and  future  generations  as  criteria  for 

S:  
environmental preservation and the use of natural resources; 

A:  

is committed to respecting the interests of future generations. 

For  example:  The  ‘Stop  Ecocide  Foundation’  initiative  has  been  drafting  a  law  on 
offences  against  the  environment,  or  ecocide,  which  is  defined  as  ‘unlawful  or  wanton 
acts  committed  with  knowledge  that  there  is  a  substantial  likelihood  of  severe  and 
widespread  or  long-term  damage  to  the  environment  being  caused  by  those  acts’70 
(SDGs  14,  15,  16).  Examples  of  ecocide  include  deforestation  of  the  Amazon  or  the 
killing of protected species.  

1.3 Promoting nature 

Descriptor (1.3):   To acknowledge that humans are part of nature; and to respect the 
needs and rights of other species and of nature itself in order to restore and regenerate 
healthy and resilient ecosystems 

Promoting nature is about developing empathy towards the planet and showing care for 
other species. This requires knowledge about the main parts of the natural environment 
(geosphere,  biosphere,  hydrosphere,  cryosphere  and  atmosphere)  and  the  close  links 
and  interdependence  between  living  organisms  and  non-living  components.  Knowledge 
about natural phenomena can spur us on to more closely connect with nature, which in 
turn can motivate further learning about sustainability. 

Promoting nature fosters a healthy relationship with the natural environment and aims to 
ignite  in  people  a  feeling  of  connectedness  that  can  help  contrast  the  psychological 
distress and negative emotions that children and young people worldwide experience due 
to climate changexvi and can help improve their mood and mental healthxvii.  

The  ‘nature  deficit  disorder’  conveys  the  human  costs  of  alienation  from  nature: 
i) decreased  use  of  the  senses,  ii) attention  difficulties,  iii) higher  rates  of  physical  and 
emotional illnesses, iv) a rising rate of myopia, v) increased child and adult obesity, and 
vi) increased  vitamin  D  deficiencyxviii.  Research  indicates  that  to  overcome  the  ‘nature 
deficit  disorder’  not  only  do  we  need  to  be  in  contact  with  nature,  but  we  also  need  to 
feel connected to naturexix. While the former involves physical interaction with the natural 
environment mainly at surface level, the latter concerns our feelings and views resulting 
from meaningful relationships being developed and the internalisation of our experiences 
in the natural environment, e.g. with animals, plants or places. Such internalisation can, 
in the long term, promote restoration of naturexx.  

Examples of knowledge (K), skills (S) and attitudes (A): 

70 https://www.stopecocide.earth/legal-definition 

86 

 
 
                                           
K:  

knows that our wellbeing, health and security depend on the wellbeing of nature; 

can  assess  own  impact  on  nature  and  consider  the  protection  of  nature  an 

S:  
essential task for every individual; 

A:  

cares about a harmonious relationship existing between nature and humans. 

For example: The Nature Conservancy – a global environmental non-profit organisation 
– believes that helping young people build relationships with nature (SDG 4) is critical to 
ensure  a  more  sustainable  future  (SDGs  15,  3,  11).  The  Nature  Lab,  the  Nature 
Conservancy’s  youth  curriculum  platform,  provides  educational  resources  for  different 
age groups to teach them how nature works and how young people can contribute to its 
conservation71. 

2.  Embracing complexity in sustainability 

The competence area ‘Embracing complexity in sustainability’ is about: 

  empowering  learners  with  systemic  and  critical  thinking,  and  encouraging  them 
to reflect on how to better assess information and challenge unsustainability; 

 

 

scanning systems by identifying interconnections and feedback; and 

framing  challenges  as  sustainability  problems  which  helps  us  learn  about  the 
scale of a situation while identifying everyone involved. 

Technological  change,  digitisation,  and  globalisation  have  increased  our  society’s 
complexity and accelerated socioecological problems such as climate change and loss of 
biodiversity.  Environmental  challenges  are  interconnected  and  interlinked  to  economic 
activities  and  societal  lifestylesxxi.  The  operation  of  our  economy,  contained  within  our 
society  (see  Figure  1),  depends  on  our  planet  which  has  limited  resources  and 
boundariesxxii.  

Environment

Society

Economy

Figure 1. Interconnectedness of economy, society and environment 

71  The  Nature  Conservancy  educational 
https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/who-we-are/how-we-work/youth-engagement/nature-lab/ 

that  promote  nature  are  available  at 

resources 

87 

 
 
 
 
                                           
Learning  for  environmental  sustainability  enables  learners  to  be  better  equipped  to  see 
connections  and  links  between  specific  issues  and  environmental  changexxiii.  Health  is  a 
fundamental  human  right,  and  access  to  a  ‘safe,  clean,  healthy  and  sustainable 
environment’  is  also  now  recognised  as  a  human  right72.  However,  minority  groups  and 
families with a lower income are often exposed to polluted environments, which in turns 
affects  their  health  and  wellbeing.  Identifying  the  connections  between  environmental 
issues and income inequality, which may look unrelated at first superficially, can help us 
correctly  frame  such  challenges  as  a  sustainability  problem  and  take  preventive  or 
mitigating actions. 

2.1 Systems thinking 

Descriptor (2.1):   To  approach  a  sustainability  problem  from  all  sides;  to  consider 
time,  space  and  context  in  order  to  understand  how  elements  interact  within  and 
between systems 

Equipping  learners  with  systems  thinking 
is  necessary  to  understand  complex 
sustainability  problems  and  their  evolution.  Systems  thinking  allows  us  to  understand 
reality in relation to other contexts (local, nation, global) and fields (environment, social, 
economic,  cultural).    It  is  critical  for  advancing  sustainability.  Thinking  in  systems 
enables  learners  to  identify  feedback  mechanisms,  intervention  points  and  interactive 
trajectories.  Systems  thinking  can  be  understood  as  a  tool  for  evaluating  options, 
decision-making  and  taking  actionxxiv.  It  is  based  on  the  assumption  that  parts  of  a 
system  act  differently  when  taken  apart  from  the  system.  In  fact,  contrary  to  this, 
fragmentary  thinking, 
instead  of  the  whole 
interconnected  system,  increases  short-termism  and  could  lead  to  an  oversimplification 
of sustainability problems, which may not correspond to reality.  

i.e.  analysing  parts 

isolation, 

in 

Examples of knowledge (K), skills (S) and attitudes (A): 

knows that every human action has environmental, social, cultural and economic 

K:  
impacts; 

can  describe  sustainability  as  a  holistic  concept  that  includes  environmental, 

S:  
economic, social, and cultural issues;  

is concerned about the short- and long-term impacts of personal actions on others 

A:  
and the planet. 

For example: Green technologies often promise positive outcomes for sustainability, yet 
they may have unintended consequences when scaled up to the system level (e.g. loss of 
biodiversity  and  increased  competition  for  land  due  to  biofuel  production)xxv.  Without  a 
comprehensive  understanding  of  complex  problems  and  potential  solutions,  such 
consequences could be difficult to identify (multiple SDGs).  

2.2 Critical thinking 

Descriptor (2.2):   To  assess  information  and  arguments,  identify  assumptions, 
challenge  the  status  quo,  and  reflect  on  how  personal,  social  and  cultural  backgrounds 
influence thinking and conclusions 

72 https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=27635&LangID=E 

88 

 
 
 
                                           
Critical  thinking  is  considered  fundamental  for  learners  ‘to  cope  with  uncertainty, 
complexity,  and  change’xxvi.  Critical  thinking  is  a  high-level  cognitive  process,  which 
includes  several  skills  needed  for  evaluating  and  understanding  information  regarding 
sustainability  problems.  This  enables  learners  to  broaden  their  views  without  taking 
information  and  information  sources  for  granted.  Eventually,  learners  should  be 
comfortable  when  acquiring  and  integrating  information  from  different  disciplinesxxvii.  A 
critical  outlook  allows  learners  to  challenge,  and  change,  their  values,  perspectives  and 
understanding of the worldxxviii. 

Critical  thinking  can  help  empower  learners  to  become  more  responsible  and  actively 
cooperate in creating a sustainable world. More specifically, stepping up critical thinking 
will  help  them  go  beyond  just  passively  understanding  sustainability  conceptsxxix.  It  will 
help them develop the ability to reflect and assess theories and assumptions.  

Examples of knowledge (K), skills (S) and attitudes (A): 

K:  
knows  sustainability  claims  without 
communication strategies, also known as greenwashing; 

robust  evidence  are  often  mere 

can  analyse  and  assess  arguments,  ideas,  actions  and  scenarios  to  determine 

S:  
whether they are in line with evidence and values in terms of sustainability;  

trusts  science  even  when  lacking  some  of  the  knowledge  required  to  fully 

A:  
understand scientific claims.  

For  example:  A  critical  understanding  of  how  fast  fashion  (SDG  12),  poor  labour 
conditions (SDGs 8, 10), solid waste accumulation (SDGs 11, 12) and pollution (multiple 
SDGs)  are  interrelated  and  underpin  each  other  can  help  learners  i) define  the  class  of 
problems  they  need  to  deal  with,  ii) identify  those  involved,  iii)  adopt  different 
perspectives, and iv) identify paths for possible solutions. 

2.3 Problem framing 

Descriptor (2.3):   To  formulate  current  or  potential  challenges  as  a  sustainability 
problem in terms of difficulty, people involved, time and geographical scope, in order to 
identify  suitable  approaches  to  anticipating  and  preventing  problems,  and  to  mitigating 
and adapting to already existing problems 

Problem framing is the process of identifying actual or potential sustainability problems. 
It involves defining and structuring sustainability problems based on their complexity and 
those mainly involved.  Understanding the nature of the actual or potential problems we 
are trying to define, e.g. from simple to wicked problems, can be a major obstacle.  

Experts  have  identified  four  types  of  problems,  based  on  how  well  defined  both  the 
problem  and  solution  to  address  it  arexxx  (see  Figure  2).  Differentiating  between  these 
four types of problem can help identify appropriate solutions. 

89 

 
 
Figure 2. Problem characterisation and change required [Source: Glasser, 2018] 

This process also entails determining whether the current situation is already a problem 
or has the potential to become one in the future.  

Most fundamentally, problem framing defines what is challenging about a given situation 
and identifies the best action to address it, which involves systems thinking. In essence, 
problem framing helps define goals and the direction the problem solving process should 
takexxxi.  While  sustainability  problems  are  complex  and  often  cannot  be  solved, 
appropriate steps can be taken either to anticipate and prevent them, or to mitigate and 
adapt them to an already existing problem.  

Problem  framing  can  help  identify  situations  and  frame  them  as  current  or  potential 
problems  for  sustainability  in  a  given  context.  This  requires  a  critical  understanding  of 
socioecological  systems.  In  turn,  problem  framing  can  help  contextualise  and  define  a 
sustainability problem in a given geographical and temporal context. 

Examples of knowledge (K), skills (S) and attitudes (A): 

knows  that  to  identify  fair  and  inclusive  actions,  it  is  necessary  to  look  at 

K:  
sustainability problems from different stakeholder perspectives; 

can  establish  a  transdisciplinary  approach  to  framing  current  and  potential 

S:  
sustainability challenges;  

90 

 
 
listens  actively  and  shows  empathy  when  collaborating  with  others  to  frame 

A:  
current and potential sustainability challenges. 

For  example:  The  decline  of  bees  and  other  pollinating  insects  can,  for  instance,  be 
framed  as  a  problem  related  to  food  production  security  requiring  technical  solutions  in 
terms  of  agricultural  management  (SDG  12)  as  opposed  to  a  problem  with  maintaining 
the renewal of nature threatened by the overuse of its resources (SDGs 15, 12).   

3.  Envisioning sustainable futures 

The competence area ‘Envisioning sustainability futures’ enables learners to visualise 
alternative  future  scenarios  and  identify  actions  to  achieve  a  sustainable  future.  It  is 
essential  that  learners  acquire  the  competence  of  ‘adaptability’  while  coping  with 
uncertainty  about  the  futures  and  trade-offs  in  sustainability.  Applying  creative  and 
transdisciplinary  approaches  to  our  way  of  thinking  can  foster  a  circular  society  and 
encourage learners to use their imagination when thinking about the future.  

Learning for environmental sustainability encourages people to move away from looking 
for  certainties  but  rather  think  about  possibilities.  It  is  fundamental  that  learners 
understand  the  future  as  open  and  something  that  can  be  shaped  collectively.  This 
requires the ability to analyse the present time and understand that it comprises complex 
systems  interacting  and  influencing  current  and  future  trajectories,  which  in  turn  are 
influenced by our values, world-views and experiences.   

Creativity,  imagination  and  being  aware  of  our  emotions  and  intuitions  can  inform  our 
ability  to  envision  alternative  futuresxxxii.  Learners  are  encouraged  to  use  a  combination 
of  ‘logical  analysis  and  disciplined  imagination’xxxiii.  Information  from  several  disciplines 
and traditions has the potential to help people make more informed plans and decisions 
in  a  complex  societyxxxiv.  This  can  help  learners  identify  steps  and  explore  plans  to 
collectively shape a resilient and regenerative planet.  

Therefore, learners are advised to think of a wide range of possible future outcomes and 
envision alternative future scenarios for sustainability. By becoming comfortable with the 
notion of multiple futures, learners can acknowledge:  

i. 

the uncertainty about the future as a given, rather than assuming or denying it; 

ii. 

that  it  is  impossible  to  know  what  will  happen  and  thus  the  idea  of  trying  to 
control what will happen will be rejected; 

iii. 

that they need to identify probable, alternative, and preferred futures;  

iv. 

that  they  need  to  influence  and  shape  the  trajectory  towards  a  (collective) 
preferred future.  

3.1 Futures literacy 

Descriptor (3.1):   To  envision  alternative  sustainable  futures  by  imagining  and 
developing alternative scenarios and identifying the steps needed to achieve a preferred 
sustainable future 

Futures  literacy  empowers  learners  to  create  their  visions  for  a  sustainable  future  by 
providing  them  with  the  knowledge,  skills  and  attitudes  to  understand  the  futures  as  a 

91 

 
  
  
variety  of  alternatives.  Research  commonly  differentiates  between  three  approaches  in 
order to understand the futures:  

-  expected  future,  i.e.  what  we  expect  to  happen  based  on  what  it  is  happening 

today and what we know, e.g. business as usual; 

-  alternative  future(s),  i.e.  what  will  happen  may  differ  from  expectations,  e.g. 

creation of green jobs that currently do not exist;  

-  preferred future, i.e. we may envision a sustainable future for us, our community 
and  our  planet,  and  identify  the  steps  and  actions  needed  to  achieve  that 
futurexxxv, e.g. a circular economy.  

Through  futures  literacy,  learners  can  anticipate,  prepare  and  invent  as  changes 
occurxxxvi. Futures literacy encourages learners to i) use their imagination when thinking 
about  the  future,  ii) tap  into  their  intuitions  and  creativity,  and  iii) assess  the  possible 
steps  needed  to  achieve  their  preferred  future.  By  using  real-life  experiences,  learners 
can  be  taught  in  futures  methodologies  that  adopt  qualitative  and/or  quantitative 
research methods. 

Examples of knowledge (K), skills (S) and attitudes (A): 

knows  the  difference  between  expected,  preferred  and  alternative  futures  for 

K:  
sustainability scenarios; 

can  envisage  alternative  futures  for  sustainability  that  are  grounded  in  science, 

S:  
creativity and values for sustainability; 

is  aware  that  the  projected  consequences  on  self  and  community  may  influence 

A:  
preferences for certain scenarios above others. 

For  example:  Prompting  ‘futures  literacy’  as  a  life  skill  for  students  and  educators 
(SDG4) is the mission of the global non-profit organisation Teach the Future. Thanks to 
their  resources  for  lifelong  learning,  learners  can  imagine  more  sustainable  futures, 
where, for example, communities have access to clean water, clean energy and healthy 
food (multiple SDGs including 6, 7, 2).     

3.2 Adaptability 

Descriptor (3.2):   To  manage  transitions  and  challenges  in  complex  sustainability 
situations and make decisions related to the future in the face of uncertainty, ambiguity 
and risk 

Adaptability  is  about  being  flexible  and  able  to  adapt  to  new  situations  and  adjust  in 
order to accommodate changes in our complex worldxxxvii. It is essential that learners be 
able to cope with uncertainty about the future and the ambiguity of wicked sustainability 
problems and how they may evolve. Adaptability should provide learners with the ability 
to cope with trade-offs in sustainability e.g. environmental impacts and social outcomes 
as  well  as  economic  aspects.  Moreover,  learners  should  feel  empowered  to  consider 
options  and  make  decisions  even  when  facing  contradictions  and  risks  in  terms  of  the 
futurexxxviii. 

People can learn in order to acquire knowledge, which may result in them changing their 
opinions  and  behaviour,  and  learning  to  manage  their  emotionsxxxix.  For  cognitive 
adaptability,  this  might  involve  better  teaching  people  about  the  significance  of  a 

92 

 
  
changing climate. For behavioural adaptability, this might involve promoting positive and 
constructive actions among young people that support and sustain the environment, such 
as  saving  energy,  recycling,  harnessing  clean  energy,  controlling  water  use,  and 
encouraging others at home and at school to do the same things.  

Examples of knowledge (K), skills (S) and attitudes (A): 

knows  that  human  actions  may  have  unpredictable,  uncertain  and  complex 

K:  
consequences for the environment; 

can take into  account local  circumstances when dealing with sustainability issues 

S:  
and opportunities; 

A:  

is willing to discontinue unsustainable practices and try alternative solutions. 

For  example:  Young  people  play  a  central  role  in  driving  the  adaptation  agenda.  On 
22 January 2021, young people from over 115 countries launched ‘Adapt for our Future’ 
a  global  youth  call  to  action  on  adaptation.  This  call  initiative  aims  to  prepare  younger 
generations  for  the  transition  towards  green  and  climate  resilient  development73  (SDG 
13). 

3.3 Exploratory thinking 

Descriptor (3.3):   To  adopt  a  relational  way  of  thinking  by  exploring  and  linking 
different disciplines, using creativity and experimentation with novel ideas or methods 

Exploratory thinking aims to foster creativity in order to  envision alternative futures. By 
tapping  into  different  disciplines,  traditions  and  cultures  in  a  transdisciplinary  manner, 
exploratory thinking can help learners create future visions for a circular economy (SDG 
12)  and  society  (SDG  11).  To  move  away  from  linear  production  and  consumption 
patterns  to  circular  ones,  we  need  a  combination  of  creative  thinking  and 
experimentation with new ideas and new approaches.  

As innovations that help achieve a circular economy will change our society, they will also 
entail  new  ways  of  social  interaction  and  new  cultural  practices.  For  example,  online 
platforms for people to swap clothes, share cars, and avoid food waste.  

Exploratory  thinking  therefore  requires  cognitive  processes  and  for  people  to  use  their 
intuition.  The  issues  covered  and  the  pedagogical  approaches  taken  in  education  on 
sustainability  encourage  learners  to  develop  abilities  in  creative  thinking,  according  to 
assertions emphasising the close links between the twoxl. 

Examples of knowledge (K), skills (S) and attitudes (A): 

knows  that  sustainability  problems  must  be  tackled  by  combining  different 

K:  
disciplines, knowledge cultures and divergent views to initiate systemic change; 

can  synthesise  sustainability-related 

S:  
disciplines; 

information  and  data 

from  different 

is  committed  to  considering  sustainability  challenges  and  opportunities  from 

A:  
different angles. 

73  The  call  for  action  is  available  at  https://klimaatadaptatiegroningen.nl/en/young-people-call-on-world-
leaders-to-adapt-for-the-future 

93 

 
 
                                           
For  example:  ‘Reduce,  reuse,  recycle’  is  well-known  concept  in  relation  to  the  circular 
economy,  and  an  exploratory  thinking  approach  can  help  turn  waste  into  a  precious 
resource. The Eco-Schools programme has developed a number of ‘trash hack’ ideas that 
can help explore the issue of waste from different perspectives74 (SDG 12). 

4.  Acting for sustainability 

Acting for sustainability encourages learners to take action at individual and collective 
level  to  shape  sustainable  futures,  to  the  extent  possible.  It  also  invites  learners  to 
demand action from those responsible to make change happen.  

The last four decades have been warmer than any preceding one since 1850xli and given 
the increase in human activities, this trend is unlikely to revert unless we take action to 
achieve systemic transformations. 

Necessary  transformations  for  sustainability  are  not  only  enabled  by  technological 
changes,  but  also  by  cultural  and  social  changes,  as  well  as  behavioural  shifts  and 
institutional reformsxlii. As such, a plethora of stakeholders at local level must be actively 
engaged to shape and achieve global transformations for a more sustainable planetxliii75. 
Individuals  make  everyday  decisions,  which  have  impacts  and  consequences  for 
sustainability,  whether  they  are,  e.g.  students,  consumers,  producers,  employees, 
policymakers,  or  representatives  of  organisations  or  communities.  Altogether,  these 
individuals  can  work  together  to  create  new  paradigms  that  can  lead  to  global 
sustainabilityxliv  through  their  individual  initiatives,  engagement  and  collaboration  at 
community or regional level, or through global partnerships to achieve the SDGs. 

A  sustainable  planet  cannot  be  achieved  by  small,  one-off  actions  on  their  own;  a 
consistent and long-term approach is requiredxlv. For example, decisions on which type of 
mobility (SDG 11) we use or about what energy providers we use for our home and office 
buildings (SDG 7) will have an impact on the environment. In particular, circular products 
are made to last longer and be easier to repair by increasing their durability, reusability, 
upgradability and reparabilityxlvi (SDG 12).  

Acting  for  sustainability  should,  however,  include  as  its  enabling  counterpart  the 
willingness of the decision-makers to share their capacity to make decisions, so that the 
activities of learners can have an actual impact.  

Examples of action that people can take individually, within their communitiesxlvii include: 
voting  for  candidates  who  support  the  environment,  volunteering,  meeting  local  council 
members, launching capacity-building programmes and initiating collective action. 

Learning  for  environmental  sustainability  can  help  us,  as  individuals,  to  identify  steps, 
mechanisms,  and  actions  and,  as  a  reflective,  determined  and  caringxlviii´  society,  to 
reduce  our  impact  on  the  environment  (environmental  footprint76).  Furthermore,  it  can 
help  us  increase  our  positive  contributions  to  the  environmentxlix.  Learning  for 
environmental  sustainability  can  help  equip  all  individuals  with  knowledge,  skills  and 
attitudes to think, plan, and take or request action for sustainability (SDG 4 target 4.7). 

74 https://www.ecoschools.global/trash-hack-ideas 
75 For example, the JRC is currently developing innovation strategies for sustainability (S4), a new generation 
of  development  strategies  for  cities,  regions  and  countries  building  on  and  substantially  extending  the  smart 
specialisation approach. See more at: https://s3platform.jrc.ec.europa.eu/s4 
76 People can calculate the environmental impacts of their consumption patterns at 
https://eplca.jrc.ec.europa.eu/ConsumerFootprint.html 

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4.1 Political agency  

Descriptor (4.1):   To navigate the political system, identify political responsibility and 
accountability 
for 
sustainability 

for  unsustainable  behaviour,  and  demand  effective  policies 

Political agency is the capacity to positively influence the collective future, by mobilising 
those at political level to take action for change. Political agency requires the capacity to 
analyse  the  context,  spot  possible  avenues  to  move  the  sustainability  agenda  forward, 
and identify key stakeholders that can be brought on board to help achieve sustainability.  

Political  agency  can  be  focused  towards  advocating  for  a  change  in  norms,  rules, 
regulations,  and  institutional  commitment  for  sustainability.  However,  it  can  also  be 
directed  towards  the  market  and  can  push  for  green  innovation  or  the  promotion  of 
lifestyle  and  behavioural  changes.  The  green  transition  is  one  of  the  EU’s  top  strategic 
priorities, and the role of governments in meeting the associated challenges has become 
increasingly important. Many Europeans demand action to tackle sustainability problems 
from  those  responsible  for  making  and  implementing  policies,  who  are  ultimately 
responsible for our future and that of future generations. When asked who is responsible 
for  tackling  climate  change,  Europeans  from  17  Member  States  ranked  national 
governments  first,  while  those  from  five  Member  States  ranked  business  and  industry 
first, and those from the other five Member States ranked the EU itself firstl. 

Political agency empowers learners to become agents of change and allows them to take 
part  in  a  discussion  that  affects  their  futures.  Furthermore,  it  shows  learners  that  small 
actions  can  have  widespread  global  repercussions  and  that  by  engaging  others  with 
ideas,  activities,  and  conversations  that  trigger  reflection,  everyone  can  contribute  to 
political agency. 

Examples of knowledge (K), skills (S) and attitudes (A): 

knows policies that assign responsibility for environmental damage (e.g. ‘polluter 

K:  
pays’); 

can  identify  relevant  social,  political  and  economic  stakeholders  in  one’s  own 

S:  
community and region to address a sustainability problem; 

A:  

demands political accountability for unsustainable behaviour. 

For example: Grassroots examples of young people, who have been especially vocal in 
demanding  political  action  by  governments,  include  the  Friday  for  Future  movement 77 
and Extinction Rebellion78 (SDGs 13, 16). 

4.2 Collective action  

Descriptor (4.2):   To act for change in collaboration with others 

Collective action as a competence stems from recognising that the role communities and 
civil  society  organisations  play  in  achieving  sustainability  is  fundamentalli.  Collective 
action  calls  for  coordination,  collaboration  and  cooperation  among  peers.  By  acting 

77 https://fridaysforfuture.org/ 
78 https://rebellion.global/ 

95 

 
 
 
                                           
together and working to achieve the same goal, people can find opportunities and meet 
challenges  to  contribute  effectively  to  solving  sustainability  problems  at  the  local  level. 
Taken together, this will have an impact at the global level.  

Collective action develops learners’  ‘ability and will to take part in democratic processes 
concerning man’s use of and dependence on natural resources in a critical way’lii.  

Examples of knowledge (K), skills (S) and attitudes (A): 

knows how to work with diverse participants to create inclusive visions for a more 

K:  
sustainable future; 

S:  

can create transparent, inclusive and community-driven processes; 

A:  

is willing to engage with others to challenge the status quo. 

For  example:  Collective  action  in  the  digital  age  has  increased  and  is  enabled  through 
technology,  e.g.  the  European  Education  for  Climate  Coalition79,  a  digital  platform  that 
enables  members  of  a  community  of  practice  to  decide  collectively,  act  collaboratively, 
and co-create solutions for sustainability (SDG 13). 

4.3 Individual initiative 

Descriptor (4.3):   To identify own potential for sustainability and to actively contribute 
to improving prospects for the community and the planet 

Individual initiative relies on someone knowing what types of actions are possible, having 
confidence  in  their  own  potential  to  influence  change  (internal  locus  of  control),  and 
being willing to actliii. 

Recognising what types of action are possible and being aware of one’s own potential in 
terms  of  sustainability  problems  are  the  first  steps  someone  needs  to  take  in  order  to 
seize  the  initiative  as  an  individual.  However,  individual  initiative  does  not  only  rely  on 
opportunities  for  action  and  someone’s  self-awareness  and  self-efficacy.  It  also  has  a 
strong attitudinal aspect – the willingness to act.  

Individual  initiative  nurtures  the  entrepreneurial  mindset  of  individuals  and  empowers 
them  take  the  initiative  in  their  livesliv.  By  taking  action  in  their  personal  sphere, 
individuals  can  act  as  agents  of  change  and  role  models,  inspiring  their  peers  to  try  to 
achieve  sustainability.  This  could  also  help  debunk  myths  on  behaviour  related  to 
sustainability, e.g. a sustainable lifestyle is more expensive than a non-sustainable one, 
and of a lower quality.  

Furthermore,  individual  initiative  encourages  people  to  take  preventive  action  when 
certain  actions  or  inaction  may  have  damaging  consequences  for  human  health  and  all 
life forms (precautionary principle)lv. Rather than waiting for evidence in order to act, in 
case of uncertainty it may be advisable to act because it may be too harmful, or too late, 
to wait for evidence to emergelvi, lvii.  

Examples of knowledge (K), skills (S) and attitudes (A): 

knows  that  preventive  action  should  be  taken  when  certain  actions  or  inaction 

K:  
may damage human health and all life forms (precautionary principle); 

79 https://education-for-climate.ec.europa.eu/community/home 

96 

 
 
                                           
can act promptly, even in the face of uncertainty and unforeseen events, keeping 

S:  
in mind the precautionary principle; 

A:  

is confident about anticipating and influencing sustainable changes. 

For  example:  Courses,  such  as  ‘Knowledge  to  Action’  as  part  of  the  International 
Master’s  programme  in  Environmental  and  Sustainability  at  Lund  University,  offer 
learners  a  hands-on  opportunity  to  interact  in  real-world  settings  with  those  at  societal 
level  such  as  municipalities,  organisations,  companies  and  third  sector  organisations 
while taking part in a project that promotes sustainability80 (SDGs 16, 13).  

Conclusion 

GreenComp  offers  a  definition  of  what  it  takes  to  think  and  act  sustainably,  both 
individually and collectively. Similar to other EU competence frameworks,  GreenComp is 
non-prescriptive  and  can  and  should  be  adapted  to  suit  the  needs  and  context  of  the 
learner.  It  provides  a  conceptual  reference  model  that  everyone  involved  in  lifelong 
learning  can  use  for  various  purposes,  such  as  raising  awareness  on  the  importance  of 
learning  for  environmental  sustainability;  designing  learning  opportunities  aimed  at 
developing  sustainability  competences  and  assessing  where  one  stands  in  supporting 
learners to develop sustainability skills.  

80 Projects developed in the ‘Knowledge to Action’ course are available at 
https://www.lumes.lu.se/article/2019-knowledge-action-projects and include information on different 
competences developed in such an experiential learning activity.   

97 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
5. Implementing and monitoring the Recommendation  

The  aim  of  the  Recommendation  is  to  help  EU  Member  States  in  their  efforts  to  embed 
learning for sustainability in education and training systems and to boost cooperation on 
these  issues  at  European  level.  Follow-up  of  the  Recommendation  will  be  supported 
through a number of existing and planned EU policies, programmes and platforms. These 
are detailed below.  

Existing and planned EU initiatives  

The  Communication  on  achieving  the  European  Education  Area  by  202581 
identifies support for the green and digital transitions as one of the major challenges to 
address in EU policy cooperation in education. The Communication highlights the need for 
new skills and competences for the green economy as well as sustainable education and 
training  infrastructure.  Supporting  the  green  and  digital  transitions  in  and  through 
education  and  training  is  also  a  priority  of  the  Council  Resolution  on  a  strategic 
framework  for  European  cooperation  in  education  and  training  towards  the 
European  Education  Area  and  beyond  (2021-2030)82.  It  stresses  the  need  to 
reorient education and training systems to achieve the changes needed for the green and 
digital transitions and equip learners with the competences to live, work, and act towards 
sustainable  development.  The  Commission  will  report  on  the  use  of  the  Council 
Recommendation  in  the  context  of  the  strategic  framework  for  European  cooperation  in 
the area of education and training. 

Under the strategic framework, a series of working groups has been established. These 
groups  support  policy  making  at  the  EU  and  national  levels  by  offering  a  forum  for 
exchanging  experience  and  good  practice.  A  new  Working  Group  on  Schools  will 
focus specifically on learning for environmental sustainability and will support the 
follow-up  to  the  Council  Recommendation.  The  group  will  bring  together  government 
experts  from  EU  Member  States  and  partner  countries  on  learning  for  environmental 
sustainability  well  as  social  partners,  civil  society  and  representatives  of  international 
bodies  including  UNESCO.  The  group,  which  will  start  its  work  in  January  2022,  will 
explore  topics  including  innovative  and  transformative  pedagogies  for  environmental 
sustainability;  curriculum  and  assessment;  sustainability  related  competences;  teacher 
professional  development;  whole  school  approaches  to  environmental  sustainability; 
partnerships;  digital  technologies  supporting  green  education;  green  infrastructure  in 
education  and  supporting  policies  for  environmental  sustainability  and  monitoring 
progress.  The  group  will  also  look  at  the  follow-up  to  the  European  sustainability 
competences framework.  

Similarly,  the  Working  Group  on  Higher  Education  will  prioritise  the  development, 
implementation  and  sharing  of  good  practice  on  environmental  sustainability  in  the 
higher education sector. It will be guided by both this Council Recommendation and the 
upcoming European Strategy for Universities.  

Both the upcoming European Strategy for Universities and the upcoming proposal for 
a  Council  Recommendation  on  ‘Building  bridges  for  effective  European  higher 
education  cooperation’  will  promote  more  effective  and  deeper  transnational 

81 COM(2020) 625 
82 Council Resolution 2021/C 66/01 

98 

 
 
 
 
                                           
cooperation  as  a  crucial  element  to  tackle  inter  alia  the  challenges  related  to  the  twin 
digital and green transitions and to building a sustainable future. 

In addition, the proposal for a Council Recommendation on a European approach to 
micro-credentials for lifelong learning and employability83 calls on Member States 
to  use  micro-credentials  to  support  the  development  of  learning  provision  in 
environmental sustainability.  

The  new Erasmus+  Teacher  Academies84 will  support  networking  and  collaboration 
between teacher education institutions in Europe, including universities, teacher training 
colleges and course providers.  The Academies  will develop joint projects to improve the 
quality  of  initial  teacher  education  and  to  develop  teachers’  professional  competences 
throughout  their  careers.  Building  on  existing  innovation  and  effective  practice  within 
national teacher education systems, the Academies will provide learning opportunities to 
teachers,  including  courses,  modules,  opportunities  to  take  part  in  exchanges  and 
communities of practice. A priority area in the call for proposals is learning and teaching 
for  sustainability,  e.g.  the  development  of  innovative  curricula;  teaching  methodologies 
and  learning  modules  linked  to  EU  priorities  on  environmental  sustainability  and  the 
transition to a circular and green economy85.  

The  Zero  Pollution  Action  Plan86  foresees  communication  activities  with  partner 
organisations,  including  educational  kits,  the  promotion  of  dedicated  zero  pollution 
activities  for  the  general  public,  students  and  vulnerable  groups,  complementing 
activities such as tailored EU training modules for healthcare and other social care sector 
workers to improve their capacity to deal with environmental risks. 

The  EU  Youth  Strategy  2019-202787  focuses  on  three  core  areas:  ‘connect,  engage 
and  empower’.  It  encourages  cooperation  between  all  EU  countries  on  all  issues 
concerning  young  people.  Goal  10  of  the  strategy  states  the  need  to  create  a  society 
where  ‘all  young  people  are  environmentally  active,  educated  and  able  to  make  a 
difference in their everyday lives’. As part of the strategy, the EU Youth Dialogue with 
policy  makers  is  organised  in  18-month  work  cycles.  Each  cycle  focuses  on  a  different 
theme set by the Council of  Youth Ministers. The  European  Youth Coordinator works 
closely with different youth stakeholders to give youth a voice in shaping EU policies. Her 
role is to raise up, inside the Commission, key messages shared by young people.  

The  EU  Youth  Dialogue88  connects  young  people  and  youth  organisations;  policy  and 
decision  makers  and  experts,  researchers  and  civil  society  bodies.  It  serves  as  a  forum 
for  reflection  and  consultation  on  the  priorities,  implementation  and  follow-up  of 
European cooperation in the field of youth.  

Following the announcement by President von  der  Leyen in her 2021  State of the Union 
address,  2022  will  be  the  European  Year  of  Youth89.  The  Year  will be  supported  by 
€8 million from Erasmus+ and the European Solidarity Corps. Activities organised as part 

83 https://ec.europa.eu/education/education-in-the-eu/european-education-area/a-european-approach-to-
micro-credentials_en 
84 https://www.schooleducationgateway.eu/en/pub/latest/news/erasmus-teacher-academies.htm 
85 https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/programme-guide/part-b/key-action-2/teacher-academies 
86 https://ec.europa.eu/environment/strategy/zero-pollution-action-plan_en 
87 https://europa.eu/youth/strategy_en 
88 https://europa.eu/youth/get-involved/eu%20youth%20dialogue/what-eu-youth-dialogue_en 
89 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_6648 

99 

 
 
 
 
 
                                           
of  the  Year  will  help  raise  awareness  of  the  many  positive  opportunities  that  the  digital 
and green transitions can bring for young people - in both their personal and professional 
lives. A further objective is to promote opportunities open to young people, including on 
the environment and sustainability, through EU funding programmes such as Erasmus+, 
Creative Europe and Horizon Europe. 

The  Marie  Skłodowska-Curie  Actions  are  the  EU’s  flagship  funding  programme  for 
doctoral education and postdoctoral training. Through its ‘Citizens Action’ the programme 
aims  to  bring  research  and  researchers  closer  to  the  public,  with  a  particular  focus  on 
families, pupils and students. Every year in September, the European Researchers’ Night 
aims  to  make  science  accessible  through  exhibitions,  hands-on  experiments,  science 
shows,  games  and  competitions.  ‘Researchers  at  Schools’  brings  top  researchers  to 
schools  to  engage  with  students  and  their  teachers  on  topics  such  as  health,  nutrition, 
climate change and sustainable development90. 

The New European Bauhaus91 translates the European Green Deal into tangible change 
on the ground to improve daily lives, in public spaces and buildings. The New European 
Bauhaus  will  mobilise  existing  EU  programmes,  including  Erasmus+,  Horizon  Europe, 
LIFE  and  the European  Regional  Development  Fund,  through  calls  for  proposals  in  2021 
and 2022 with a budget of €85 million.  

The  University-Business  Forum92  brings  together  higher  education  institutions; 
companies;  business  associations;  public  authorities  and  policymakers  for  networking, 
exchange of ideas and good practices. The Forum, which has taken place every two years 
since  2008,  allows  participants  to  examine  the  current  state  of  university-business 
cooperation and explore the policy initiatives  and programmes  required to support it. In 
cooperation  with  Member  States,  thematic  forums  are  held  on  a  regular  basis  and 
address key topics at the national and regional level. 

Platforms and tools 

This  section  outlines  a  number  of  platform  and  tools  run  by  the  European  Commission 
which offer direct support to education stakeholders and learners, including on the issue 
of environmental sustainability.  

The  Education  for  Climate  Coalition  is  a  participatory  education  community 
launched at the end of 202093. The coalition, led by teachers and students with their 
schools  and  networks  and  other  educational  organisations  and  bodies,  aims  to  support 
the  sharing  of  experiences  and  encourage  work  on  shared  challenges.  A  first  Education 
for Climate Day bringing together members of the community was held on 25 November 
2021 and will be repeated annually. This day focuses on how the education sector across 
the EU can address the climate crisis. 

The  European  Climate  Pact94  invites  people,  communities  and  organisations  to 
by 
and 
participate 

greener 

climate 

Europe 

action 

build 

in 

a 

90 https://ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions/about-msca 
91 https://europa.eu/new-european-bauhaus/index_en 
92 https://ec.europa.eu/education/policies/innovation-in-education/university-business-cooperation_en 
93 https://education-for-climate.ec.europa.eu/_en 
94 https://europa.eu/climate-pact/index_en 

100 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
learning about  climate  change  and  developing, 

connecting and sharing knowledge; 
implementing and scaling up solutions.  
The eTwinning95community for schools in Europe, offers teachers and school staff a free 
platform  for  collaboration  and  professional  development.  Teachers  from  34  Erasmus+ 
programme countries and 10 Erasmus+ partner countries  can develop projects and take 
part  in  discussion  groups,  webinars  and  other  learning  events,  both  online  and  on-site. 
The SENSE group96 (Sustainability Education Network Service eTwinning) brings together 
eTwinning  teachers  working  on  projects  and  activities  related  to  the  environment  and 
sustainability.  The  annual  theme  for  eTwinning  in  2022  will  be  ‘Our  future  beautiful, 
sustainable, together: Schools and the New European Bauhaus’.  

The School Education Gateway97 offers online courses for teachers, school leaders and 
other education staff as well as webinars featuring guest experts and project leaders.  In 
November  2021  an  online  course  on  ‘Addressing  the  Global  Climate  Crisis  in  Your 
Classroom’  ran  with  the  aim  of  helping  teachers  understand  the  basic  science  behind 
climate  change.  Through  the  course  the  teachers  could  explore  ideas,  pedagogical 
practices  and  tools  to  address  the  climate  crisis  and  environmental  sustainability  with 
their students. Teachers completing the self-paced course could apply for a course badge 
and  a  certificate.  A  number  of  training  modules  on  environmental  sustainability  will  be 
offered in 2022.  

The  Learning  Corner98  is  a  platform  for  primary  and  secondary  school  students  and 
their  teachers  to  learn  more  about  the  EU.  The  platform  provides  games,  competitions, 
activity books and teaching material and networking opportunities for teachers. Activities 
and materials, sorted by age and topic, include boardgames on biodiversity and climate, 
a climate and energy quiz and booklets for younger children on the water cycle99.  

The  European  Youth  Portal100  offers  European  and  country  level  information  about 
opportunities and initiatives for young people living, learning and working in Europe. The 
portal addresses also stakeholders working in the field of youth who have an interest in 
EU actions and programmes. 

Scientix101 is a Europe-wide platform to connect STEM (science, technology, engineering 
and  maths)  teachers,  education  researchers,  policymakers  and  other  STEM  education 
professionals.  The  platform  provides  teaching  and  training  material  and  a  tool  to  find 
project  partners.    Information  on  national  strategies  in  STEM  education  and  recent 
developments in STEM education research and practice is also provided.  

EPALE102 is the community of adult learning professionals, including adult educators and 
trainers,  guidance  and  support  staff,  researchers  and  academics,  and  policymakers.  It 
enables  members  to  connect  with  and  learn  from  colleagues  across  Europe,  through  its 
blog posts, forums, the Partner Search tool and meetings.  

95 https://www.etwinning.net/en/pub/index.htm    
96 https://groups.etwinning.net/7620/home 
97 www.schooleducationgateway.eu. In 2022, the two platforms – eTwinning and School Education Gateway – 
will  be  integrated  into  a  single  European  online  platform  offering  a  range  of  resources,  tools  and  events  to 
support professional, school and system development. 
98 https://europa.eu/learning-corner/home_en   
99 https://europa.eu/learning-corner/play-games_en?your_age=All&topic=89 
100 https://europa.eu/youth/home_en 
101 http://www.scientix.eu/home 
102 https://epale.ec.europa.eu/en 

101 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
The  Network  of  European  Blue  Schools103,  supported  by  the  European  Commission, 
aims  to  inspire  teachers,  school  leaders  and  all  educational  staff  to  work  with  their 
students on projects related to the ocean and sea. By completing the project and sharing 
results, schools can receive a European Blue School label.  The Network of European Blue 
Schools  is  an  initiative  of  EU4Ocean,  the  European  Ocean  Coalition  that  connects 
organisations,  projects  and  people  working  on  ocean  literacy  and  the  sustainable 
management of the ocean.  

The  EU-funded  TEFCE  Toolbox:  An  Institutional  Self-Reflection  Framework  for 
Community  Engagement  in  Higher  Education104  helps  universities  and  communities 
identify  community  engagement  practices  and  reflect  on  their  achievements  and  how 
they can further improve. Using the toolbox, institutions can develop their profile as ‘civic 
universities’ by integrating local, regional and societal issues into curricula, involving the 
local  community  in  teaching  and  research  projects,  providing  adult  learning  and 
communicating and building links with local communities. 

Funding programmes  

The  implementation  of  initiatives  in  the  Member  States  on  learning  for  environmental 
sustainability can be supported through a number of European funds: 

Erasmus+105 is the EU's programme to support education, training, youth and sport. The 
current  programme  runs  from  2021  to  2027  with  a  budget  of  €26.2  billion  and  an 
additional  €2.2  billion  from  the  EU  external  cooperation  instrument.  The  programme, 
which  provides  opportunities  to  study,  train,  gain  experience,  and  volunteer  abroad, 
supports  the  priorities  and  activities  of  the  European  Education  Area,  Digital  Education 
Action Plan and the European Skills Agenda. The 2021-2027 programme places a strong 
focus on social inclusion, the green and digital transitions, and promoting young 
people’s participation in democratic life.  

Erasmus+, with mobility at its core, will serve as a point of reference and inspiration  for 
organisations  and  individuals  paving  the  way  for  more  sustainable  mobility.  The  
Programme  will  promote  and  facilitate  the  use  of  low-carbon  means  transport 
modes  (in  particular  by  rail),  including  with  financial  incentives.  Environment  and  the 
fight against global warming is a horizontal priority for the selection of projects. As 
stated  in  the  2022  programme  guide106,  priority  will  be  given  to  projects  aimed  at 
developing  green  competences,  developing  green  sectorial  skills  strategies  and 
methodologies,  future-oriented  curricula,  as  well  as  initiatives  that  support  the  planned 
approaches of the participating organisations for environmental sustainability. Priority will 
also be given to projects that – through education, training, youth and sport activities - 
enable  understanding,  behavioural  change  and  active  engagement  for  sustainable 
development.  The  Programme  also  supports  the  use  of  innovative  practices  to  make 
learners,  staff  and  youth  workers  actors  of  change  (e.g.  saving  resources,  reducing 
energy use, waste and carbon footprint, sustainable food and mobility choices). 

103 https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/maritimeforum/en/node/5494 
104 https://www.tefce.eu/ 
105 https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/node_en 
106 https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/document/erasmus-programme-guide-2022 

102 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
In  2022  a  dedicated  call  for  large-scale  projects  will  identify,  develop  and  test 
innovative approaches to education for environmental sustainability and digital 
education.  Projects  should  address  at  least  one  of  the  following  areas:  (i)  whole 
institution  approaches  to  sustainability;  (ii)  skills  and  competences  development  of 
learners  and  educators;  and  (iii)  empowering  citizens  to  act  on  sustainability,  the 
environment  and  climate  change,  including  in  the  context  of  the  new  Education  for 
Climate Coalition.  

To support and progress in all the different actions of the programme on environmental 
sustainability,  a  resource  centre  will  be  set-up  in  collaboration  with  the  network 
of  National  Agencies.  This  resource  centre  will  gather  and  circulate  good  practices, 
increase  capacity  for  green  practices  among  National  Agencies  and  elaborate  ‘eco-tips’ 
for  participants  and  organisations  on  making  their  mobility  and  activities  more 
sustainable. 

The European Solidarity Corps107 with a budget of €1.009 billion for 2021-2027 offers 
opportunities  to  more  than  270,000  young  people  to  help  address  societal  and 
humanitarian  challenges  through  volunteering  or  by  setting  up  their  own  solidarity 
projects.  The  programme  supports  the  political  priorities  of  the  EU,  including  promoting 
inclusion  and  diversity,  aims  to  incorporate  green  practices  in  projects  and  encourages 
environmentally  sustainable  and  responsible  behaviour  among  participants  and 
participating organisations. 

Horizon  Europe108  is  the  EU’s  research  and  innovation  programme.  With  a  budget  of 
€95.5 billion, it contributes to tackling the pressing challenges, including climate change, 
achieving  the  UN’s  Sustainable  Development  Goals,  and  putting  the  EU’s  economy  on  a 
sustainable path. The programme facilitates collaboration and strengthens the impact of 
research  and  innovation  in  developing,  supporting  and  implementing  EU  policies  while 
tackling  global  challenges.  It  supports  the  creation  and  better  dispersing  of  excellent 
knowledge and technologies.  

The recovery plan  NextGenerationEU109, including the Recovery and Resilience Facility 
and  contributions  to  other  programmes,  has  a  budget  of  €806.9  billion  to  focus  on  the 
need for a greener, more digital and more resilient Europe. It has been designed to boost 
the recovery needed after the COVID 19 crisis.  

The  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility110  will  make  €723.8  billion  in  loans  and  grants 
available to support reforms and investments undertaken by Member States. The aim is 
to  mitigate  the  economic  and  social  impact  of  the  coronavirus  pandemic  and  make 
European economies and societies more sustainable, resilient and better prepared for the 
challenges  and  opportunities  of  the  green  and  digital  transitions.  Member  States  will 
prepare  recovery  and  resilience  plans  that  set  out  a  coherent  package  of  reforms  and 
public investment projects. To benefit from the support of the Facility, these reforms and 
investments should be implemented by 2026. 

107 https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity_en 
108 https://ec.europa.eu/info/horizon-europe_en 
109 https://europa.eu/next-generation-eu/index_en 
110 https://ec.europa.eu/info/business-economy-euro/recovery-coronavirus/recovery-and-resilience-facility_en 

103 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
The European Social Fund Plus (ESF+)111 will provide €98.5 billion euros for the 2021-
2027  period  for  investment  in  jobs,  mobility,  public  services  and  education;  combatting 
social exclusion and poverty and promoting equality. ESF+ will also focus on tackling the 
socio-economic  consequences  of  the  COVID-19  pandemic,  promoting  high  employment 
levels, building social protection and developing a skilled and resilient workforce ready for 
the transition to a green and digital economy. 

The  European  Regional  and  Development  Fund112  invests  in  infrastructure  and 
equipment  in  the  Member  States,  including  for  early  childhood  education  and  care, 
primary  and  general  secondary  education,  and  vocational  and  adult  education,  but  also 
e-learning  equipment.  The  2021-2027  investments  enabled  by  ERDF  will  be  smarter, 
greener, more connected and more social. 

The  InvestEU113  programme  builds  on  the  successful  model  of  the  Investment  Plan  for 
Europe. It aims to give an additional boost to sustainable investment, innovation and job 
creation in Europe. It contains the European Fund for Strategic Investments and 13 other 
EU financial instruments. Triggering more than €372 billion in additional investment over 
the period 2021-27, InvestEU is an important part of the Sustainable Europe Investment 
Plan, including for the development of projects in the area of learning for environmental 
sustainability. 

The EU’s Technical Support Instrument (TSI)114, with a budget of €864 million for the 
period  2021-2027,provides  tailor-made  technical  expertise  to  EU  Member  States  to 
design  and  implement  reforms.  The  support  is  demand  driven  and  does  not  require  co-
financing  from  Member  States.  The  TSI  can  enable  Member  States  to  advance  the 
structural transformation of their education and training systems.  

International cooperation on learning for environmental 
sustainability  

The  Recommendation,  whilst  focused  on  the  European  Green  Deal,  complements  and 
builds on work at international level. It aims to mobilise Member States and stakeholders 
to  further  contribute  to  the  UNESCO  agenda,  notably  the  ESD  2030  Roadmap.  It  also 
supports  the  EU’s  commitment  to  the  UN  2030  Agenda,  the  world's  blueprint  for 
global sustainable development. 

Strengthening international cooperation on learning for environmental sustainability is an 
integral  part  of  the  EU’s  role  as  global  partner  in  education  and  training.  This  will  be 
reflected in international cooperation programmes at global, regional and bilateral level, 
including in the international dimension of Erasmus+. In particular, the EU, as part of a 
Team Europe approach, will promote global cooperation, while simultaneously addressing 
its  strategic  goals  in  priority  regions,  notably  the  western  Balkans,  Africa,  and  the 
Neighbourhood regions of the Eastern Partnership and the South Mediterranean.  

EU  cooperation  with  third  countries  to  bring  forward  globally  the  skills  agenda  of  the 
green  transition,  including  through  vocational  education  and  training,  is  of  primary 

111 https://ec.europa.eu/esf/home.jsp?langId=en 
112 https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/index_en.cfm 
113 https://europa.eu/investeu/about-investeu_en 
114 https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes/overview-funding-
programmes/technical-support-instrument-tsi_en    

104 

 
 
 
 
 
 
                                           
importance. Priorities will be on generating and sharing information on new skills demand 
in key sectors and the shift to circular; new qualifications, including micro-credentials to 
support  up  and  reskilling;  new  forms  of  provision  (including  online  and  on  the  job 
learning); and the role of providers working with key stakeholders from industry as well 
as local government authorities.  

105 

 
Annexes  

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119 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ANNEX 2: LITERATURE AND SOURCES – European sustainability 
competence framework – chapter 4 

i Carolan, M. S. 2006. Scientific knowledge and environmental policy: why science needs 
values. Environmental Sciences, 3(4), 229-237. 
ii  Sipos,  Y.,  Battisti,  B.,  &  Grimm,  K.,  2008.  Achieving  transformative  sustainability 
learning:  engaging  head,  hands  and  heart.  International  journal  of  sustainability  in 
higher education. 

iii Phelan, A.M., 2004. Rationalism, complexity science and curriculum: a cautionary tale. 
Complicity: An International Journal of Complexity and Education, Vol. 1 No. 1, pp. 9-17. 

iv See endnote 1. 

v  Remington‑Doucette,  S.  M.,  Connell,  K.  Y.  H.,  Armstrong,  C.  M.,  &  Musgrove,  S.  L. 
(2013).  Assessing  sustainability  education  in  a  transdisciplinary  undergraduate  course 
focused  on  real‑world  problem  solving:  A  case  for  disciplinary  grounding.  International 
Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. 

vi Sleurs, W., 2008. Competencies for ESD teachers. A framework to integrate ESD in the 
curriculum of teacher training institutes. CSCT, Comenius, 2. 

vii  Jickling,  B.,  &  Sterling,  S.  (Eds.).  (2017).  Post-sustainability  and  environmental 
education: Remaking education for the future. Springer. 

viii See endnote 1. 

ix  Mezirow,  J.,  1997.  "Transformative  Learning:  Theory  to  Practice".  New  Directions  for 
Adult and Continuing Education. 1997 (74): 5–12. doi:10.1002/ace.7401 

x See endnote 7. 

xi  OECD,  2018.  The  future  of  education  and  skills:  Education  2030. OECD  Education 
Working Papers 

xii Veugelers, W., 2000. Different ways of teaching values. Educational review, 52(1), 37-
46. 

xiii Agyeman, J., Bullard, R. D., & Evans, B., 2002. Exploring the nexus: Bringing together 
sustainability, environmental justice and equity. Space and polity, 6(1), 77-90. 

xiv  Dasgupta,  P.,  2021.  The  Economics  of  Biodiversity:  the  Dasgupta  Review.  HM 
Treasury. 

xv Sala, A., Punie, Y., Garkov, V. & Cabrera Giraldez, M., 2020. LifeComp: The European 
Framework  for  Personal,  Social  and  Learning  to  Learn  Key  Competence.  Joint  Research 
Centre, European Commission. Available at https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/lifecomp  

xvi  Thompson,  T.,  2021.  Young  people's  climate  anxiety  revealed  in  landmark 
survey. Nature, vol. 597(7878), pages 605-605. 

xvii  Pritchard,  A.,  Richardson,  M.,  Sheffield,  D.,  &  McEwan,  K.,  2020.  The  relationship 
between  nature  connectedness  and  eudaimonic  well-being:  A  meta-analysis. Journal  of 
Happiness Studies, 21(3), 1145-1167. 

xviii  Louv,  R.,  2008.  Last  child  in  the  woods:  Saving  our  children  from  nature-deficit 
disorder. Algonquin books. 

xix Capaldi, C. A., Passmore, H. A., Nisbet, E. K., Zelenski, J. M., & Dopko, R.  L., 2015. 
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120 

 
 
                                           
xx Ibidem (endnote 19) 

xxi European Environment Agency, 2019. The European Environment—State and Outlook 
2020: Knowledge for Transition to a Sustainable Europe. 

xxii Rockström, J., Steffen, W., Noone, K.,  Persson, Å., Chapin, F. S. III, Lambin, E. F., 
Lenton,  T.  M.,  Scheffer,  M.,  Folke,  C.,  Schellnhuber,  H.  J.,  Nykvist,  B.,  De  Wit,  C.  A., 
Hughes,  T.,  Van  der  Leeuw,  S.,  Rodhe,  H.,  Sörlin,  S.,  Snyder,  P.  K.,  Costanza,  R., 
Svedin, U., Falkenmark, M., Karlberg, L., Corell, R. W., Fabry, V. J., Hansen, J., Walker, 
B.,  Liverman,  D.,  Richardson,  K.,  Crutzen,  P.,  &  Foley,  J.  A.,  2009.  ‘A  Safe  Operating 
Space for Humanity’, Nature, 461(7263), 472-475 

xxiii Wals, A. E., & Benavot, A., 2017. Can we meet the sustainability challenges? The role 
of education and lifelong learning. European Journal of Education, 52(4), 404-413. 

xxiv Molderez, I., & Fonseca, E., 2018. The efficacy of real-world experiences and service 
learning  for  fostering  competences  for  sustainable  development  in  higher  education. 
Journal of Cleaner Production, 172, 4397-4410. 

xxv  Churchman,  C.  W.,  1967.  Wicked  Problems.  Management  Science,  14  (4):  B141–
B142 

xxvi See endnote 15  
xxvii  Flint,  R.  W.,  McCarter,  W.,  &  Bonniwell,  T.,  2000.  Interdisciplinary  education  in 
sustainability:  links  in  secondary  and  higher  education:  The  Northampton  Legacy 
Program. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education. 

xxviii  Giangrande,  N.,  White,  R.  M.,  East,  M.,  Jackson,  R.,  Clarke,  T.,  Saloff  Coste,  M.,  & 
Penha-Lopes,  G.,  2019.  A  competency  framework  to  assess  and  activate  education  for 
sustainable  development:  Addressing  the  UN  sustainable  development  goals  4.7 
challenge. Sustainability, 11(10), 2832. 

xxix  Kearins,  K.,  &  Springett  D.,  2003.  Educating  for  sustainability:  developing  critical 
skills. Journal of management education 27(2):188–204. 

xxx  Glasser,  H.,  2018.  Toward  robust  foundations  for  sustainable  well-being  societies: 
Learning to change by changing how we learn. Sustainability, human well-being, and the 
future of education, 31-89. 

xxxi  Pearce,  B.  J.,  &  Ejderyan,  O.,  2020.  Joint  problem  framing  as  reflexive  practice: 
honing a transdisciplinary skill. Sustainability science, 15(3), 683-698. 

xxxii Wahl, D., 2016. Designing regenerative cultures. Triarchy Press. 

xxxiii  Bishop.  P.,  2019  Anticipation:  Teaching  the  Future.  In:  Poli  R.  (eds)  Handbook  of 
Anticipation. Springer. 

xxxiv  Barth,  M.,  Godemann,  J.,  Rieckmann,  M.,  &  Stoltenberg,  U.,  2007.  Developing  key 
competencies  for  sustainable  development  in  higher  education.  International  Journal  of 
sustainability in higher education. 

xxxv Ibidem (endnote 34) 

xxxvi UNESCO. Futures literacy. Available at https://en.unesco.org/futuresliteracy/about  

xxxvii See endnote 15 

xxxviii  Bacigalupo,  M.,  Kampylis,  P.,  Punie,  Y.,  &  Van  den  Brande,  G.,  2016.  EntreComp: 
The  Entrepreneurship  Competence  Framework.  Joint  Research  Centre,  European 
Commission. 
at 
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Available 

xxxix See endnote 15 

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xl Daskolia, M., Dimos, A., & Kampylis, P. G. (2012). Secondary Teachers' Conceptions of 
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xli  IPCC,  2021.  Summary  for  Policymakers.  In:  Climate  Change  2021:  The  Physical 
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xliii Ardoin, N. M., Bowers, A. W., & Gaillard, E., 2020. Environmental education outcomes 
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xliv  Bianchi,  G.,  2020.  Sustainability  competences,  Joint  Research  Centre,  European 
Commission. 
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xlv 
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xlvi  European  Commission,  2020.  Circular  Economy  Action  Plan:  For  a  cleaner  and  more 
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xlvii Ibidem (endnote 46) 
xlviii  Von  Der  Leyen,  U.,  2021.  2021  State  of  the  Union  Address.  Available  at 
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/ov/SPEECH_21_4701  

xlix Wals, A. E., & Benavot, A., 2017. Can we meet the sustainability challenges? The role 
of education and lifelong learning. European Journal of Education, 52(4), 404-413. 

l  European  Commission,  2021.  Special  Eurobarometer  513  –  Climate  Change.  Available 
at https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2273  

li See endnote 16 
lii  Breiting,  S.,  &  Mogensen,  F.,  1999.  Action  competence  and  environmental  education, 
p.350. Cambridge Journal of Education, Vol. 29 No. 3, pp. 349-353. 

liii  Treaty  on  European  Union  and  the  Treaty  on  the  Functioning  of  the  European  Union 
(TFEU)  [2016]  OJ  C202/1.  Article  191,  2.  Available  at  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:12012E/TXT&from=EN 
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lv See endnote 53  

lvi  European  Environment  Agency,  2021.  With  people  and  for  people:  Innovating  for 
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lvii  Earth  Charter  Commission,  2000.  Available  at  https://earthcharter.org/wp-
content/uploads/2020/03/echarter_english.pdf?x75809  

122