Listed below are eight competencies that Redman and Wiek synthesize as "all key competencies needed to be integrated for advancing sustainability transformations:"
Sustainability Competencies:
- Systems-Thinking Competency
- Futures-Thinking Competency
- Values-Thinking Competency
- Strategic-Thinking Competency
- Interpersonal Competency
- Intrapersonal Competency (See also Inner Development Goals Framework)
- Implementation Competency
- Integration Competency
These eight key sustainability competencies build on general competencies such as critical thinking, creativity, and life-long learning, disciplinary competencies / topical area knowledge, and professional competencies such as effective communication and project management skills.
A Unified Visual Framework of Eight Key Sustainability Competencies
This graphic comes from the Brundiers et. al. article
Table of Definitions of Eight Key Sustainability Competencies
This table comes from from this Redman-Wiek article.
Recommended Reading on Key Sustainability Competencies
The original journal article from 2011 proposing five "key sustainability competencies" as a unifying framework. This article was identified as "the most influential paper" in Education for Sustainable Development.
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
Ten years following the original Wiek-Redman unifying framework, Brundiers (2021) and Redman and Wiek (2021) offer an updated framework with a total of 8 key sustainability competencies:
Brundiers, K., Barth, M., Cebrián, G. et al. Key competencies in sustainability in higher education—toward an agreed-upon reference framework. Sustain Sci 16, 13–29 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-020-00838-2
Redman, A. D., & Wiek, A. (2021). Competencies for Advancing Transformations Towards Sustainability. Frontiers in Education, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.785163
Resources and Journal Articles on the Intra-Personal Competency
Inner Development Goals Framework: Transformational Skills for Sustainable Development
Wamsler, C., Osberg, G., Janss, J. et al. Revolutionising sustainability leadership and education: addressing the human dimension to support flourishing, culture and system transformation. Climatic Change 177, 4 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-023-03636-8
