Learning for environmental sustainability
The European Commission published today a proposal for a Council Recommendation on learning for environmental sustainability.
About the proposal
The aim of the proposal is to support European Union Member States in equipping learners with knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to act on sustainability, climate change and biodiversity loss.
The proposal calls on Member States to:
- provide learners of all ages access to high-quality and inclusive education and training on climate change, biodiversity and sustainability
- establish learning for environmental sustainability as a priority area in education and training policies and programmes to support and enable the sector to contribute to the green transition
- invest in green and sustainable equipment, resources, buildings and grounds for learning, socialising and recreation to ensure healthy and resilient learning environments
- encourage and support whole-institution approaches to sustainability which encompass teaching and learning, vision, planning and governance, active involvement of students and staff, management of buildings and resources and partnerships with local and wider communities
- mobilise national and EU funds for investment in infrastructure, training, tools and resources to increase resilience and preparedness of education and training for the green transition
The proposal was developed following extensive public consultation.
Negotiations on the proposal with EU Member States will begin shortly with the objective of reaching an agreement on the text during the French Presidency of the Council of the EU before 30 June 2022.
Following its agreement, the Commission will support the implementation of the future Council Recommendation through the Erasmus+ programme and foster cooperation and exchanges between Member States, stakeholders and partner countries.
Accompanying documents
The proposal is accompanied by:
- a Staff Working Document (handbook) which provides details and evidence for the proposed Recommendation, including results from the public consultation to prepare the initiative;
- a new European competence framework on sustainability, also developed by the European Commission.
The competence framework maps out the competences needed for the green transition, including critical thinking, initiative-taking, respecting nature and understanding the interconnections between the environment, society and the economy.
The Commission also carried out a study mapping approaches to learning for sustainability in Member States, which served as input for the proposal.