Last June, the Council approved two key Recommendations in the framework of the European Education Area and the Green Deal: the Recommendations on learning for the green transition and sustainable development and the Recommendation on ensuring a fair transition towards climate neutrality. It is reassuring to see the two Recommendations being released together as they form two important pillars in the much needed changes in all education and training systems covering the lifelong learning continuum.
At the Lifelong Learning Platform, ‘we welcome the call to support learners of all ages to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes to live sustainably, change patterns of consumption and production, embrace healthier lifestyles and contribute – both individually and collectively – to societal transformation’. It is reassuring to see the explicit recognition in the Commission’s proposal of applying a ‘lifelong learning approach to learning for environmental sustainability.
At the same time, conscious that the implementation will be as important as the Recommendations themselves, we expect to concretely see integration in policymaking via the European Semester, which must ensure regular formal exchanges with civil society and other stakeholders in the drafting of the Country Specific Recommendations.