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The recent NBS Education Summit, part of the NBS EduWORLD project, brought together 20 key stakeholders from across Europe on-site and 70 online to explore the integration of Nature-based Solutions (NBS) into education systems. Aiming to bridge the gap between policy and practice, the summit focused on how education can drive the green transition and empower communities to tackle climate and biodiversity challenges. Paola Lepori opened the event with a political overview of NBS and highlighted the critical role of education in fostering transformative change. Furthermore a special thanks to our keynote speakers, Dr Tremeur Denigot, who highlighted the importance of local engagement in NBS education, and Dr Cornelia-Mădălina Suta, Principal Economist at Cambridge Econometrics, who shared insights on the economic implications of integrating green skills into future labour markets.

The main objective of the event was to open a dialogue on the integration of NBS into national education systems, building on the existing EU sustainability framework. By fostering collaboration between educators, policy makers, businesses and local authorities, the Summit highlighted the transformative potential of education in shaping a sustainable future. The evolving policy document discussed at the Summit highlighted the need to integrate NBS education into formal curricula, to align it with EU policy instruments and to prepare future generations for the emerging green jobs. PPMI and ICLEI are currently considering all suggestions made during the summit to enrich the policy paper, which will be issued by August 2025 Discussions at the summit focused on how education can bring about cultural change and foster a mindset that values nature and community engagement.

Key outcomes of the summit include practical strategies for integrating NBS into local and national education frameworks, as well as recommendations for supporting educators and improving the evidence base for policy development. The policy paper also calls for action to retrain the workforce, promote green skills and address the financial challenges of NBS projects.

Main outcomes:

• Strengthen NBS in education: Align NBS education with existing EU frameworks such as the European Green Pact and UNESCO Education for Sustainable Development to ensure that it becomes part of formal education systems across Europe.
• Supporting educators: Provide training, tools and resources for teachers and educators to integrate NBS into their teaching. Hands-on approaches to learning and community involvement were highlighted as key to effective NBS education.
• Promoting green skills and jobs: There is a growing demand for green skills in the labour market, particularly in areas such as agro-ecology, urban planning and environmental management. The Summit highlighted the need for formal recognition of these skills in national qualifications systems.
• Community Initiatives: Local strategies are crucial for NBS education. Municipalities can support schools and communities by investing in green infrastructure, providing project-based NBS learning, and fostering collaboration between educational institutions and local governments.

The NBS Education Summit is an important step in promoting NBS through education, and sets the stage for further efforts to integrate sustainability into learning at all levels. For more insight into the importance of integrating NBS into education, watch this video here.

A second summit is already planned for next year, promising further progress in integrating NBS into education. Stay tuned!