We are living through a time of radical uncertainty and complex, interconnected, ‘wicked’ problems. The climate emergency is one of these – a crisis that cannot be solved by ‘business as usual’, instead requiring bold, innovative and systemic action across multiple areas in our societies. Technological solutions alone will not fix the problem, and rapid interventions into policy and governance, finance and the economy, behaviour change, education and learning are also crucial. The ability to learn, experiment and adapt when faced with complex challenges is a core capability that we need now and into the future, if we are to build societies that are resilient to systemic risk.

Learning and education is key to unlocking the mindsets, behaviours and hard skills that will enable new, inclusive, climate-neutral futures to emerge, and educational stakeholders have an exciting challenge in front of them: to lead this societal shift by redefining the role of traditional educational institutions, positioning them as active agents for transformative change in our societies.

EIT Climate-KIC launched its new Strategic Foresight Unit to explore with our Community and stakeholders new ways of envisioning and building for futures that we want - futures that include resilient communities and societies, and economies that balance the needs of people and planet.

Together with Bespoke, we explored the following question:

“What skills, competences and capacities do Higher Education Institutions need to encourage transformative learning for a greener future?”

Through horizon scanning, the gathering of insights and the design of future scenarios, this publication aims to shine a light on the paradigm shifts that are needed for a greener and more sustainable future.