Sustainability

Sustainability Competencies

Listed below are eight competencies that Redman and Wiek synthesize as "all key competencies needed to be integrated for advancing sustainability transformations:"

Five "Established" Competencies:

  1. Systems-Thinking Competency
  2. Futures-Thinking Competency
  3. Values-Thinking Competency
  4. Strategic-Thinking Competency
  5. Interpersonal Competency

Five "Emerging" Competencies:

  1. Intrapersonal Competency
  2. Implementation Competency
  3. Integration Competency

These competencies build on "general competencies" such as critical thinking and creativity.

Topical Area Knowledge:

  • Disciplinary competency - content-dependent competencies

Table of Definitions of Sustainability Competencies

This table comes from from this article.

Recommended Reading

Pathways toward Accreditation for Sustainability and Sustainability-Related Programs using an Approach that Centers Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility | Global Council for Science and the Environment (GCSE) (gcseglobal.org)

Wiek, A., Withycombe, L., & Redman, C. L. (2011). Key competencies in sustainability: a reference framework for academic program development. Sustainability Science, 6(2), 203–218. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-011-0132-6

Redman, A. D., & Wiek, A. (2021). Competencies for Advancing Transformations Towards Sustainability. Frontiers in Education, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.785163