Sustainability Symposium 2024: From embedding to embodying: Strategies, policies and practices to advance sustainable citizenship

Sustainable citizenship requires collaboration across diverse cultures, disciplines, generations and perspectives to develop solutions to tackle complex problems.  UNESCO identified core competencies for sustainability encompassing ways of thinking, ways of practicing and ways of being that enable learners to become sustainable citizens. Many of these competencies are critical attributes for graduate success and employability.   

The systematic literature review on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) published by Advance HE in September revealed some excellent emergent practices that support transformational and experiential learning approaches that provide the environment for these competencies to flourish. However, the review also underscored the need for more strategic and wide-reaching approaches that allow all students to develop and progress their sustainable citizenship. 

Guiding students towards recognising their role and influence in shaping a sustainable future demands the cultivation of the self-awareness and negotiation skills; skills that will enable them navigate conflicts of interest and uncertainty.  It is acknowledged that competencies, especially those rooted in values, can be challenging to quantify, often resulting in their omission from assessment instruments.