Main Focus
Sustainable lifestyles require significant mindset shifts, behaviour changes, and rethinking societal structures, including decoupling economic growth from the “good life.” The adoption of sustainable behaviours faces barriers such as financial hardship, lack of information, and technological optimism, while community initiatives need a critical mass to succeed. Overcoming these challenges requires education to critically engage with values and technological development, ensuring that sustainability goals are met through informed, collective action.
The Role of Individuals in Achieving Sustainability
Achieving sustainable change requires action across multiple levels—government legislation, social movements, community initiatives, organisational strategies, and individual behaviour. While technological progress is important, broader societal adjustment is essential to drive lasting transformation.
This project will focus on the role of people in sustainability, emphasising that no actor operates in isolation—coordinated efforts across all levels of society are crucial. It will explore key questions, such as whether sustainable transitions are possible without alignment among different actors and how public attitudes toward economic growth versus environmental protection influence government policies, and vice versa.
Education as a Key Driver
UNESCO’s Education 2030 Agenda highlights the importance of lifelong learning to empower individuals to drive societal change and care for the planet. Similarly, the “GreenComp” framework advocates for the full integration of sustainability into both formal and informal education, fostering knowledge, critical thinking, and the skills needed to address sustainability challenges.
This project will position sustainability education as a core intervention strategy, developing initiatives across all education levels—from primary education to lifelong learning. It will engage diverse groups, including youth, adults, communities, and workplaces, to promote a comprehensive and inclusive approach to sustainability.
Focus on Estonia in a Global Context
Positioned at the crossroads of the Nordic and Baltic regions, Estonia offers a unique environment to study sustainability transitions across various sectors and actors. Among Central and Eastern European countries, Estonia stands as a leader in sustainable performance and innovation growth.
However, despite this progress, Estonians exhibit low concern for climate change and show minimal eco-conscious behaviour, highlighting a gap between governmental actions and individual attitudes.
Estonia’s high participation in education and training presents an opportunity for change, provided that attitudes and practices align with sustainability goals. Additionally, broader international and historical perspectives will enrich the Estonian context, offering valuable insights into sustainability transition.