Our policy priorities
To help strengthen our advocacy and influencing work, we have developed a set of five policy priorities for sustainability in post-16 education.
The priorities will be used to guide our advocacy, consultation and engagement with key decision-makers such as governments, regulators and funders in the coming years. They were developed based on feedback from members, stakeholders and our recent state of the sector research.
1. Embed sustainability in post-16 education policy, regulation and frameworks
Governments and regulators should embed sustainability and climate responsibilities within tertiary education policy frameworks, quality assurance processes and institutional governance, positioning education as a key driver of social, economic and environmental transformation.
Across the UK and Ireland, sustainability is increasingly recognised as a strategic priority within tertiary education, with the majority of institutions reporting that they have sustainability strategies and targets. However, progress remains uneven and delivery often falls short of ambition due to gaps in accountability, funding, and policy alignment. This reflects a wider structural challenge where education systems are still not consistently designed around the role they play in enabling societal transformation. Our data and insights show that sustainability is still frequently treated as an operational or estates issue rather than embedded across governance, curriculum, finance, and institutional leadership. Institutions have further reported that fragmented policy cycles, inconsistent regulatory expectations, and competing priorities limit their ability to embed sustainability systematically across institutional functions. Embedding sustainability within policy frameworks, regulatory expectations and performance measures would create the systemic drivers needed to ensure institutions move from voluntary action to consistent whole-institution approaches aligned with national climate, nature and wider and sustainability goals. This would also enable institutions to make long-term decisions and maximise their contribution to workforce development, regional economic resilience, innovation and community wellbeing.
How to make it happen
Integrate sustainability outcomes into tertiary education policy frameworks across the UK and Ireland, including within national education and skills strategies led by DfE, Skills England, Medr, the SFC, DfENI, DFHERIS and the HEA, ensuring climate and sustainability responsibilities are embedded consistently across the system.
Embed sustainability expectations in quality assurance and regulatory frameworks across UK and Ireland nations, such as Ofqual’s handbook, Ofsted’s inpsection framework, OfS’s regulatory framework, SFC’s Outcome Agreements, GTCS’s Professional Standards, Medr’s regulatory framework, Qualifications Wales’ standard conditions of recognition, DFHERIS’s strategy, and QQI’s quality assurance guidelines,
Embed sustainability expectations more generally in institutional strategies, governance arrangements, and curriculum design.
Align sustainability metrics with institutional performance frameworks and funding accountability mechanisms, such as Ofsted’s inspection framework and the NSS, ensuring institutions report progress transparently and consistently across areas such as curriculum integration, learner sustainability competencies, workforce development, decarbonisation, biodiversity, climate adaptation and community impact.
Incorporate meaningful sustainability indicators within rankings and benchmarking systems, recognising institutional contributions to environmental performance, education for sustainable development (ESD), learner and workforce sustainability competencies, equity and inclusion, civic impact, and institutional leadership for sustainable development.
Work with professional bodies and industry regulators to integrate sustainability competencies into professional accreditation and standards, including PSRB frameworks across priority sectors such as health, digital, finance and the built environment, recognising that these competencies are increasingly essential across all occupations to support the transition to a sustainable economy, and ensure graduates are workforce-ready.
2. Provide stable, sufficient, long-term funding for institutional sustainability action
Devolved administrations and funding bodies should establish multi-year, ring-fenced funding mechanisms that enable institutions to invest in, for example, workforce development, curriculum transformation, decarbonisation, biodiversity, and adaptation.
Although many institutions are actively working to reduce emissions, integrate sustainability into learning and teaching, and support green skills development, the sector faces significant structural barriers to implementation. Our research shows that while sustainability ambition is high across post-16 education, delivery is constrained by funding pressures, staffing limitations and gaps in accountability. Other insights indicate that annual budgets and short-term project funding cycles often prevent institutions from planning long-term sustainability initiatives or investing in systemic change. In the current financial context, even matched funding schemes can be difficult for institutions to access or prioritise, further limiting delivery capacity. This creates a disconnect between ambition and implementation, limiting the ability of institutions to plan strategically or invest in long-term transformation. It also constrains the capacity of educators and professional staff to engage meaningfully in sustainability work alongside competing priorities. Ultimately, sufficient, multi-year funding frameworks would enable institutions to invest strategically in infrastructure, curriculum innovation, workforce development, and partnerships with industry and communities that are necessary to deliver national sustainability goals. Such investment would also strengthen the capacity of institutions to support local supply chains, develop a future-ready workforce, drive innovation, and contribute to regional economic resilience and prosperity.
How to make it happen
Introduce multi-year, ring-fenced sustainability funding programmes to support issues such as decarbonisation, education for sustainable development, biodiversity, and institutional transformation.
Balance capital and operational funding, ensuring institutions can invest not only in infrastructure upgrades but also in curriculum development, staff capacity and partnerships.
Design funding mechanisms that encourage genuine collaboration between institutions, industry and local authorities, supporting place-based sustainability work and regional partnerships that create shared benefits for communities and learners.
Encourage, and provide support for, blended funding models, including public, private and philanthropic investment in sustainability-led research, skills programmes and innovation partnerships.
3. Align the education and skills systems with the transition to a sustainable economy
Skills agencies, industry bodies and employers should strengthen coordination between education, skills, industrial strategy and environmental policy, recognising that post-16 education is a driving force in delivering a locally relevant and globally informed transition to a sustainable economy.
Education and skills systems play a critical role in driving the transition to a sustainable economy and enabling a just transition. However, current systems are often fragmented, with limited coordination between education policy, labour market planning, industrial strategy and environmental policy, alongside insufficient future-proofing for emerging workforce needs. Insights also show that skills delivery can be disjointed, with gaps between employer demand, national sustainability ambitions and educational provision. Stronger coordination between government departments, industry stakeholders and education providers is therefore essential to ensure curricula, qualifications and training pathways reflect changing economic and societal needs. While technical skills gaps are already evident in sectors such as renewable energy, sustainable construction and the circular economy, sustainability competencies will increasingly be required across all occupations, industries and subject areas to support a truly just transition. Recognising tertiary education as a strategic partner in economic transformation will help ensure investment is directed towards the institutions and partnerships that are developing the workforce, innovation and local capacity needed to deliver a sustainable economy.
How to make it happen
Establish cross-departmental frameworks linking education, economy and environmental policy, enabling coordinated workforce planning and green skills development.
Develop national or regional future-focused skills frameworks to anticipate emerging labour market needs and inform curriculum development.
Strengthen partnerships between education providers and employers, including regional forums, international partners, co-designed training programmes and applied research collaborations.
Support flexible learning pathways, such as micro-credentials, modular learning and adult upskilling opportunities for workers transitioning from carbon-intensive sectors and people looking to move into roles that support sustainability.
Engage SMEs and regional employers in skills planning, recognising their critical role in driving sustainable economic development and innovation.
4. Support institutional capacity and workforce development
Sector bodies, professional bodies, and institutional leaders should invest in the capacity, confidence and capability of the workforce to embed sustainability meaningfully across post-16 education systems.
Educators, institutional leaders and operational staff play a central role in embedding sustainability and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) across teaching, governance and institutional culture. However, evidence suggests many staff lack the time, confidence or training to integrate sustainability effectively into their roles and practice. At the same time, staff capacity and resourcing remain among the most significant barriers to sustainability delivery across institutions. Supporting CPD and workforce development therefore requires not only providing training opportunities, but also enabling institutions to access and coordinate existing professional development programmes through dedicated funding, staff time, leadership support and the embedding of sustainability competencies and ESD principles within institutional practice. A confident and capable workforce is essential if institutions are to equip learners with the knowledge, skills and attributes needed to support sustainable communities, resilient local economies and the future workforce.
How to make it happen
Provide funding, dedicated capacity and institutional support for staff participation in mandatory sustainability professional development, including dedicated staff time for training to alleviate ongoing workload pressures.
Embed sustainability competencies within educator training, leadership development, and professional standards, ensuring that embedding sustainability becomes a core capability for all staff.
Improve coordination, visibility and integration of sustainability CPD and training opportunities, helping institutions access high-quality programmes, embed relevant sustainability pedagogies and avoid duplication across the sector.
Support communities of practice and peer learning networks, enabling staff, institutions and industry partners to share expertise and collaborate on sustainability education and action.
Recognise sustainability leadership within institutional performance and career progression frameworks, helping to embed sustainability within organisational culture and decision-making.
5. Embed equity, inclusion and the just transition within sustainability and skills policy
Devolved administrations, employers, and regional partners should ensure that sustainability and climate policy across tertiary education explicitly integrates equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), supporting a just transition that enables all learners, workers and communities to benefit from the shift to a sustainable economy.
The transition to a low-carbon economy will reshape labour markets, industries and communities, making education systems central to ensuring this change is inclusive, accessible and socially equitable. Our member discussions highlight that tertiary education institutions are uniquely placed as community anchors, supporting local economic resilience, lifelong learning and fair access to sustainability careers. A just transition must ensure that communities and workers are supported to adapt and thrive as economies evolve, particularly in regions experiencing significant industrial change, while also ensuring that climate action does not deepen existing social or economic inequalities. Our research also shows that institutions are increasingly linking sustainability with broader social missions, including widening participation, civic engagement and regional development. Embedding EDI alongside just transition principles within education and skills policy will help ensure sustainability delivers both environmental and social outcomes, and supports fair access to emerging green opportunities. In doing so, tertiary education can continue to act as a key anchor within communities, supporting social mobility, local economic development and inclusive participation in the transition to a sustainable economy.
How to make it happen
Embed just transition principles within education, skills and climate policy frameworks, ensuring sustainability strategies explicitly address equity, access and inclusion.
Support inclusive pathways into green careers, including apprenticeships, vocational training and lifelong learning opportunities targeted at underrepresented groups and regions.
Strengthen collaboration between institutions, local authorities, employers and the voluntary sector to deliver community-based sustainability learning and skills development.
Promote inclusive narratives and career pathways in sustainability, ensuring that green jobs and sustainability careers are visible, accessible and attractive to diverse learners.
Ensure global perspectives and responsibilities are embedded in sustainability learning and policy.
Explore more
Read more about how these priorities were developed in this blog from Bianca Anechite, our Policy and Research Officer.
If you have questions or would like to contribute to this work, please email Bianca: banechite@eauc.org.uk
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