Mainstreaming Green Skills in EU Learning Policies

This chapter analyses changes in EU policies and mainstreaming green transition and green skills in EU policy. The challenges in using the mainstream approach have been analyzed. The description and understanding of green skills use a multidimensional approach to promoting the learning of green skills and comply with previous analyses of environmental and education policy changes. This chapter describes how green policies, sustainable development, green skills, and sustainability competencies entered the mainstream of global and EU policies. Since the end of the 2010s, the importance of green skills in lifelong learning has been emphasized. Key dimensions and understanding of green skills and competencies are analyzed, as described by key EU policy documents. Mainstreaming is explained by the policy process’s cross-sectoral horizontal and vertical dimensions and expands to generic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal skills present in different sectors. Finally, examples from Southern East Europe show the challenges of implementing EU recommendations and instructions that have entered into the central policies of the EU and should be accepted and supported by end users and citizens.