Sustainability Competencies
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) supports students to develop the knowledge, skills, values and competencies needed to respond to complex sustainability challenges and contribute to sustainable development.
A key feature of ESD is its focus on competency development. This involves moving beyond understanding sustainability issues towards developing the capabilities needed to engage with complexity, think critically, collaborate with others, reflect on values and contribute to informed action.
Sustainability competencies are not developed through knowledge acquisition alone. Students need opportunities to practise and apply them through active and participatory learning experiences, including discussion, collaboration, reflection, problem solving and engagement with real world challenges.
UNESCO identifies a set of key sustainability competencies that support learners in addressing complex sustainability challenges. These competencies are also reflected in higher education guidance, including the QAA and Advance HE Education for Sustainable Development Guidance.
Head, Hands and Heart
| Dimension | Focus |
| Head: Ways of Thinking | Understanding complexity, evidence, systems and future consequences |
| Hands: Ways of Doing | Collaborating, problem solving and designing action |
| Heart: Ways of Being | Reflecting on values, ethics, responsibility and relationships with others |
Together, these recognise that sustainability learning is cognitive, social-emotional and applied.
UNESCO Sustainability Competencies
Table 1: Definitions of Sustainability Competencies
Adapted from UNESCO (2017) and QAA/Advance HE (2021).
| Competency | Definition | Demonstration | Contribution |
| Systems Thinking | Understanding sustainability issues as part of interconnected environmental, social, economic and cultural systems. | Ability to recognise complexity, analyse relationships and interactions, work across scales and perspectives, and respond to uncertainty and change. | Ways of Thinking |
| Future Thinking | Imagining and evaluating possible futures and considering long-term implications of actions and decisions. | Ability to explore alternative futures, assess risks and consequences, apply foresight and precautionary thinking, and recognise the influence of historical and present conditions. | Ways of Thinking |
| Critical Thinking | Critically analysing information, assumptions, practices and values to form informed judgements. | Ability to question dominant perspectives, evaluate evidence, reflect on multiple viewpoints and assess the credibility and implications of information. | Ways of Thinking |
| Interdisciplinary and Problem Solving Competencies | Applying knowledge, methods and perspectives from different disciplines to complex sustainability challenges. | Ability to connect theory and practice, work across disciplinary boundaries and apply different approaches to addressing real world sustainability problems. | Ways of Doing |
| Collaboration Competencies | Working effectively, respectfully and empathetically with others towards shared goals. | Ability to engage with diverse perspectives, communicate across differences, manage conflict and participate in collaborative problem solving. | Ways of Doing |
| Strategic Competencies | Designing and implementing actions, interventions and pathways that contribute to sustainable development. | Ability to develop practical strategies, identify opportunities for change and support collective action towards sustainability goals. | Ways of Doing |
| Normative and Cultural Competencies | Understanding how values, ethics, cultures and worldviews shape sustainability challenges and responses. | Ability to reflect on values and assumptions, appreciate diverse perspectives and negotiate fair and inclusive approaches to sustainability issues. | Ways of Being |
| Self-Awareness Competencies | Reflecting on personal values, behaviours, emotions and responsibilities in relation to sustainability. | Ability to critically reflect on one’s own actions, motivations and impacts, and develop emotional awareness, resilience and responsibility. | Ways of Being |
Developing Sustainability Competencies
Sustainability competencies are developed through active and participatory learning experiences rather than through knowledge acquisition alone. Students need opportunities to engage with complex problems, collaborate with others, reflect on values and apply learning in authentic contexts.
Many sustainability competencies already align with capabilities commonly developed across higher education, including critical thinking, collaboration, ethical reasoning, problem solving and reflective practice. In many cases, competencies can therefore be embedded within existing disciplinary teaching and learning rather than requiring entirely new modules or programmes.
Approaches that can support competency development include:
- collaborative projects
- case based learning
- systems mapping
- reflective activities
- community engagement
- interdisciplinary learning
- applied and problem-based assessment
Competencies may also be reflected in learning outcomes, learning activities and assessment, enabling students to demonstrate capabilities such as systems thinking, ethical reasoning, collaboration and critical reflection alongside disciplinary knowledge and skills.
The ESD Teaching, Learning and Assessment section explores these approaches in more detail.