Climate change and the ongoing loss of natural resources make it clear that the transition to an ecologically sustainable society is one of the key challenges of our time. To actively shape this green transition, people need knowledge, skills, and opportunities for action that help them understand ecological interconnections, reflect on the impacts of their own actions, and make sustainable decisions in their daily lives, at work, and in society.
Educational institutions, particularly those in adult and vocational education and training, are called upon to impart the skills necessary for socio-ecological transformation. This involves not only technical knowledge but also the development of a sustainable mindset and practical skills that can be applied in everyday work. Last but not least, it is important that adult education institutions view themselves holistically—and therefore also at the structural level—as sustainable organizations in order to effectively impart competencies related to sustainable development.
The green transition is a key priority of European education and adult education policy and thus provides an important framework for the activities of the National Coordination Office for the European Agenda on Adult Education.
The New European Agenda for Adult Learning 2021–2030 explicitly identifies the green and digital transitions as one of its five priority areas for action. Adult learning is intended to help equip people with the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary to help shape a sustainable, socially just, and resilient Europe.
The European reference framework GreenComp also provides guidance for competency development. It describes twelve sustainability competencies across four areas and is designed to support learners of all ages in thinking systemically and critically, developing visions for a sustainable future, and becoming capable of taking action themselves. The framework is explicitly designed for formal, non-formal, and informal learning contexts, as well as for lifelong learning.
ESD is also politically anchored at the international and national levels. The UNESCO program “ESD 2030” aims to structurally strengthen education for sustainable development within educational processes and institutions. In Germany, the National Action Plan on Education for Sustainable Development, among other initiatives, serves as an important framework for the permanent integration of ESD across all sectors of education.
The key themes of the European Agenda for Adult Education address central challenges and developments in adult education—from future skills and digital transformation to innovative learning spaces, sustainability, and social participation. Selected Erasmus+ projects and mobility initiatives demonstrate how these themes can be put into practice. These examples provide insights into specific approaches, methods, and experiences from European educational practice and highlight how European exchange helps bring the Agenda’s goals to life.
The National Coordination Office addresses the topic of the green transition both in terms of the content of educational programs and at the structural level, in order to support adult education institutions in becoming learning centers for sustainable development.
In February 2025, the NKS Agenda for Adult Education in Bonn hosted the event “Future-Oriented Continuing Education: Shaping the Transformation Sustainably”. The focus was on the role of continuing vocational education and training in the socio-ecological transformation of the economy and the world of work. Among other topics, participants discussed how continuing education programs can impart sustainability-oriented skills and support their application in professional practice.
The symposium “Shaping Change: Embedding Sustainability in Continuing Education Institutions”, held on March 27, 2025, in Bremen, offered another perspective. The central question was how sustainability can be embedded throughout the entire organization, beyond individual educational programs.
The Whole Institution Approach played a central role in this context. This approach views sustainability as the responsibility of the entire educational institution and incorporates, for example, educational programs, management and organizational structures, learning and work environments, as well as collaborations and networks. In this way, continuing education institutions can not only teach sustainability but also implement it within their own organizations and make it a tangible experience.
In addition, the connection between digitalization and sustainability—the so-called Twin Transition—was addressed. After all, digital transformation and sustainable development should not be viewed in isolation from one another: digitalization can support sustainable processes, but at the same time, it itself causes environmental and social impacts that continuing education institutions must reflect upon.
In this way, the work of the NKS connects different levels of the green transition: the development of sustainability competencies, the design of corresponding educational programs, and the sustainable organizational development of continuing education institutions.
On the Electronic Platform for Adult Education, you'll find a collection of resources from across Europe on the topic of sustainability and the green transition in adult education
The guidebook and accompanying resources were developed by the German Adult Education Association (Deutscher Volkshochschulverband international) to support continuing education institutions in implementing the Whole Institution Approach (WIA), a holistic and sustainable organizational development process.
GreenComp is a framework for sustainability competencies. It provides a common foundation for learners and guidance for educators, and promotes a shared understanding of what sustainability as a competency entails.
