JRC publishes new competence framework to support learning for environmental sustainability

The European participatory community for students, teachers and education stakeholders to act collectively on innovative education solutions for environmental sustainability.

Linked to the proposal for a Council Recommendation on learning for environmental sustainability, also released today, GreenComp provides a common ground to learners and educators on what sustainability as a competence entails.

Acquiring sustainability competences can help children, young people and adults to understand challenges related to climate change and the environment, reflect on their behaviours, and engage in action for a sustainable future.

The GreenComp framework can be used in edu­cation and training programmes in formal, non-formal and informal settings and for learners of any age.

It was developed over the course of 2021 in close collaboration with experts and stakeholders from across Europe and internationally, including research institutions, youth representatives, educators, policy makers and NGOs.

Competences for sustainability

GreenComp consists of four competence areas, each of which having  three competences. All areas and competences are equally important and interlinked:

• Embodying sustainability values
  • valuing sustainability
  • supporting fairness
  • promoting nature
• Embracing complexity in sustainability
  • systems thinking
  • critical thinking
  • problem framing
• Envisioning sustainable futures
  • futures literacy
  • adaptability
  • exploratory thinking
• Acting for sustainability
  • political agency
  • collective action
  • individual initiative

©EU 2022

Learning for environmental sustainability aims to provide learners with competences to be able to reflect on and embrace sustainability in their daily lives as students, consumers, producers, professionals, activists, policy-makers, neighbours, employees, teachers and trainers, organisations, communities, and society at large.

Sustain­ability competences can help learners to form a knowledge basis, become sys­temic and critical thinkers, as well as having tools and develop agen­cy, useful for everyone who cares about our planet’s present and future.

Please check the links below for more information :

https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/news/jrc-publishes-new-competence-framework-support-learning-environmental-sustainability

https://education-for-climate.ec.europa.eu/_en