Discussion Paper

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Developing competences for Sustainable Futures: a competence model and design recommendations for learning environments

Reiber, Tatjana
Discussion Paper (9/2026)

Bonn: German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS)

ISBN: 978-3-96021-295-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.23661/idp9.2026

Preparing individuals to contribute to sustainability transformations has become an increasingly important challenge for higher education, professional training and leadership development. While research has identified a wide range of sustainability competences, comparatively less attention has been paid to how these competences can be fostered through purposefully designed learning environments. Drawing on nearly 20 years of experience with the Managing Global Governance (MGG) Academy of the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), this paper offers a practice-informed perspective on competence development for future changemakers.
The paper addresses two questions: what competences are particularly relevant for individuals seeking to contribute to sustainability transformations and global cooperation, and how can learning environments be designed to strengthen these competences? Building on experience from the MGG Academy and relating it to literature on sustainability competences, transformative learning and adult education, the paper develops a competence model organised around three complementary dimensions – sense-making, cooperation and transformation – and operationalises 11 competences by distinguishing the knowledge, skills and attitudinal components associated with them. The paper further derives six recommendations for learning design: intentionally curating diversity, fostering trust and psychological safety, enabling mutual learning, aligning learning activities with the intended competence development, creating structured opportunities for reflection, and designing learning for transfer to professional practice.
Rather than proposing a universal blueprint, the paper demonstrates how competence models can provide orientation for coherent programme design and how learning theory can be translated into practical educational approaches. It concludes that competence development constitutes an important contribution to sustainability transformations, while recognising that impact also depends on supportive organisational environments, professional networks and broader institutional conditions. By connecting theoretical insights with nearly two decades of practical experience, the paper contributes to the growing discussion on how learning and dialogue programmes can strengthen the people and relationships through which transformative change becomes possible.

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