At the TEACH4SD EU Summit at Odisee University of Applied Sciences in Brussels, a panel discussion brought together representatives from European policy, civil society, and higher education to address a shared challenge: how to scale sustainability competencies across higher education and vocational education and training.
The debate, “Bringing Sustainability Skills to the Next Level: What Do We Need from the EU and Member States?”, was moderated by Ditte Karla Lott Lauritsen from VIA University College in Denmark. Panellists included Florian Pecenka from the Permanent Representation of Austria to the EU; Marianne Georgsen, Principal Investigator in TEACH4SD project; Erika Maria Rodriguez Somlyay from the Lifelong Learning Platform; and Jurrie Barkel from Saxion University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands.
From frameworks to practice – and back to political priority
A key message from the panel was that sustainability competencies risk slipping down the political agenda, even though Europe’s long-term competitiveness and resilience depend on them. Florian Pecenka pointed to increasing pressure from economic and security concerns and stressed that sustainability must remain a central priority, noting that “without sustainability there is no future.” He also pointed to a growing paradox in European education policy: while frameworks such as GreenComp are essential for guiding sustainability efforts, their proliferation risks shifting attention away from the more urgent challenge of integrating, learning from existing experiences, aligning, and meaningfully implementing them across institutions.
From the TEACH4SD perspective, Marianne Georgsen underlined that what is often described as the “next level” still begins with the basics. Sustainability is not yet embedded consistently across programmes, and integrating it into existing curricula and frameworks remains challenging. This underlines the need for targeted support and strong institutional leadership.
The overall theme of the EU Summit, held on March 9 and 10, was Competencies for the Future. When asked to prioritise the most important competencies for sustainable development, the panelists highlighted critical thinking and systems thinking as fundamental. Jurrie Barkel emphasised that a systemic approach helps learners understand how actors and sectors are interconnected. He also noted that education itself must be viewed as a system, where change requires several parts to move together.
Marianne Georgsen added futures literacy as a crucial competence, enabling young people to imagine alternative futures and maintain hope in times of crisis. From a civil society perspective, Erika Maria Rodriguez Somlyay highlighted critical thinking and adaptability, noting that changing labour markets require continuous skills development and that non-formal learning providers can contribute fresh perspectives and new approaches to assessment.
What is needed next?
Looking ahead, the panel called for stronger connections and less fragmentation at both EU and national levels. Rather than creating new tools and platforms, participants stressed the importance of building on what already works in the different European countries and learning more quickly from one another.
About the EU Summit
The panel discussion was part of the first day of the TEACH4SD EU Summit at Odisee University of Applied Sciences in Brussels. The event’s overall theme was Competencies for the Future. The EU Summit was organised by Odisee University of Applied Sciences through the TEACH4SD project, co-funded by the European Union.
