Young people's environmental sustainability competence: emotional, cognitive, behavioural, and attitudinal dimensions in EU and OECD countries

This paper is part of a two-paper series exploring the competences youngsters need to acquire in order to promote environmental sustainability today and in the future. The paper first presents a conceptual framework defining environmental sustainability competence and identifying emotional, cognitive, behavioural and attitudinal dimensions. The paper then maps young people's environmental sustainability competence in EU and OECD countries using data from various editions of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). Analyses reveal differences in the different dimensions of environmental sustainability competence between boys and girls and between students with a different socio-economic background. The paper then identifies the extent to which young people's engagement in pro-environmental activities align with the engagement of their parents' generation, as well as within-household similarities in pro-environmental behaviours. The paper concludes by examining the role of school-related factors in promoting students' environmental sustainability competence

Published abstract.

The paper is the first in a series of two papers mapping young people's environmental sustainability competence in EU and OECD countries that were prepared as background for the forthcoming OECD Skills Outlook 2023 publication. The papers are the results of a collaboration between the OECD Centre for Skills and the European Commission - Joint Research Centre (Unit B4) on students' environmental sustainability competence. The second paper is titled: 'The environmental sustainability competence toolbox: from leaving a better planet to our children to leaving better children for our planet' [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 150.407]. Show less