Delivering Integrated Climate Education, Skills and Professional Standards

A new report has been published following a consultation event at St George’s House, Windsor Castle in February 2024. Representatives from Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Bodies (PSRBs), young people, education institutions and employers came together to explore ways to improve sustainability education for students across all disciplines. The report presents a common, achievable sustainability ambition, alongside guidance for actions to support the transition to sustainable practices across the education sector and society.

The education sector has a critical role in contributing to national and international sustainability and net zero goals, not just in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects but across all disciplines and professions. The need for course content as well as the development of skills, competencies and behaviours for sustainability is urgently required.

Young people’s experiences and voices formed the heart of the consultation process, and students had a critical role in the co-creation of the recommendations. Josh Tregale, a mechanical engineering student studying at Imperial College, reflected that, “PSRBs play such an important role in both university education and in the standards of professionals. I would love to see more consultation of students in the guidance and accreditation given to universities, so that students both as the customer and the product can have input into the changes they would like to see.”

The report includes key recommendations and calls to action. These fall into three broad action areas: internal organisational change within PSRBs, including using the review cycle of benchmark standards as a critical opportunity to embed sustainability; enabling student leadership and prioritising the voices of young people within PSRBs; and advocating for systems change.

The report calls on others in the research and innovation sector to join together to implement the proposals. SOS-UK presented the report at the QAA’s PSRB Forum on 30^th May 2024. Paul Bailey, CEO of the Engineering Council commented that, “the St George’s House report sets out some clear action areas that the Engineering Council and other PSRBs need to work together in to ensure professionals are enabling society to live sustainably”.

The report, with a forward by Baroness Martha Lane-Fox, Chancellor of the Open University, can be read on the St George’s House website.

The work undertaken to date has been funded by The Open University, The University of Edinburgh and The University of Southampton, and delivered collaboratively by Students Organising for Sustainability UK (SOS-UK) and The Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC).