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The EDUS Competences Framework
The competence framework developed by EDUS Educating for Sustainability is now online. EDUS is a European project co-funded by the EU Erasmus+ program and developed by Sineglossa in collaboration with Aalborg University (Denmark), IC Geoss (Slovenia), Cybervolunteers Foundation (Spain), and Einurd (Iceland). This framework results from the intersection of different expertise and provides a detailed overview of sustainability-related competencies and how to integrate them within VET (Vocational Education and Training) programs promoted by the European Commission.
The framework, developed by the project consortium through document analysis, literature review, and focus group interviews with sustainability experts and educators in Iceland, Slovenia, Spain, and Denmark, is designed to teach sustainable development through a problem-based learning approach that aims to foster innovative and critical thinking. It combines conceptual frameworks such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the New European Bauhaus Compass (NEB), and GreenComp. Furthermore, it outlines learning objectives for knowledge and skills at three different levels (basic, intermediate, and advanced), offering VET educators the flexibility to customize the framework based on their students’ needs.
The next goal of the EDUS project will be to develop educational materials and training methodologies to disseminate sustainability skills.
What is a sustainability competence?
The framework is based on a specific definition of sustainability competence, understood as:
A competence [which] empowers learners to effectively address environmental, social, and economic challenges, to take action that positively contributes to a sustainable development.
The project is grounded in the concept of sustainability as defined in the Brundtland Report (1987), which refers to development that meets the needs of the present populations without compromising those of the future. The report emphasizes the needs of the most vulnerable populations and the environmental and technological limits of growth, highlighting how sustainability relies on balancing economic development, social equity, and environmental protection to ensure lasting global progress.
In this sense, EDUS aims to develop knowledge, skills, and behaviors in sustainability to empower students with tools for thinking, planning, and acting toward a more sustainable future, in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 on quality education (“By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.”).
The Three Dimensions of Sustainability
The framework operationalizes sustainability through a multidimensional approach. It identifies three fundamental dimensions of sustainability, each encompassing key competencies that citizens and professionals must develop to tackle present and future challenges:
- Planet,
- People,
- Prosperity.
Each sustainability dimension (Planet, People, Prosperity) within the EDUS framework is structured around two specific competencies that help grasp the complexity of each aspect. The learning objectives are developed both at a specific level in terms of knowledge and skills and at a general level as attitudes, meaning cross-cutting approaches to sustainability that aim at becoming part of students’ lives beyond education, in their future jobs and private lives.
The Planet dimension focuses on the balance between human activities and natural systems, promoting a responsible use of resources given their finite nature. The Planet approach is crucial as it:
- Helps understand and reduce the impact of production activities on the environment;
- Promotes responsibility toward nature, raising awareness of biodiversity, ecosystems, and climate change;
- Trains professionals to develop and apply sustainable production models.
The People dimension emphasizes physical and mental well-being and social equality. Vocational Education and Training (VET) plays a key role in improving welfare and ensuring inclusive, quality education. This dimension raises awareness about discrimination and social inequalities and trains professionals to work in inclusive and sustainable environments.
The Prosperity dimension is about balancing economic growth and environmental protection, that is to say ensuring long-term prosperity by untying economic development from increasing CO emissions and overexploitation of natural resources. The EDUS-enhanced VET system can contribute by training professionals able to create sustainable business models and promote a more equitable and regenerative economy, by encouraging responsible consumption choices and sustainable investments and training professionals who can implement more ethical governance and resource management practices.
The Three Key Enablers (Creativity, Connectivity, Technology)
Enablers serve as tools for achieving sustainability within each dimension and are represented by the three black lines in the diagram below. Their goal is to guide and inspire at different levels, helping to develop sustainability competencies within VET programs.
- Technology as an enabler enhances sustainability by promoting sustainable solutions and behaviors, while also considering the sustainability of the technology itself.
- Creativity as an enabler focuses on students’ ability to be creative and innovative, think critically and reflectively about sustainable development, and generate solutions, skills, and actions supporting sustainability.
- Connectivity as an enabler recognizes the importance of the Agenda 2030 principle of leaving no one and no place behind. Sustainability cannot be achieved in isolation – whether at a program, organization, or country level. Connectivity highlights the need for collaboration and stakeholder engagement in sustainable development.
Integrating the EDUS competence framework into Vocational Education and Training (VET) not only enhances students’ preparation but also contributes to building a fairer society, a more equitable economy, and a healthier environment. Awareness – and, over time, deeper understanding – of these topics will enable informed decision-making both in personal life and in the workplace, fostering a more sustainable future for all.
