Table 1. Summarized definitions of... | Emerald Publishing

Table 1.

Summarized definitions of sustainability competencies from key references that informed the curriculum design of the Master’s in Sustainability Transformations at the University of Bern

Competence	Definition	Sources
Systems-thinking competence	The ability to analyse complex systems across domains and scales, considering feedback loops, cascading effects and inertia. This competence enables individuals to anticipate system changes, identify intervention points and assess sustainability strategies	(Bianchi et al., 2022; Brundiers et al., 2021; Giangrande et al., 2019; Redman and Wiek, 2021; Rieckmann, 2018; Wiek et al., 2011, 2016)
Futures-thinking competence	The ability to anticipate and analyse future states and dynamics of complex systems through simulations, forecasts and scenarios. This competence supports sustainability strategy development by considering inertia, path dependencies and alternative pathways	(Bianchi et al., 2022; Brundiers et al., 2021; Giangrande et al., 2019; Redman and Wiek, 2021; Rieckmann, 2018; Wiek et al., 2011, 2016)
Values-thinking competence	The ability to identify, assess and negotiate sustainability values, principles and goals. This includes applying concepts such as justice, equity and responsibility in evaluating interventions and constructing sustainability visions	(Bianchi et al., 2022; Brundiers et al., 2021; Giangrande et al., 2019; Redman and Wiek, 2021; Rieckmann, 2018; Wiek et al., 2011, 2016)
Strategies-thinking competence	The ability to design, implement and test sustainability interventions while considering systemic inertia and unintended consequences. This competence includes mobilizing resources, coordinating stakeholders and developing viable action plans	(Brundiers et al., 2021; Giangrande et al., 2019; Redman and Wiek, 2021; Rieckmann, 2018; Wiek et al., 2011, 2016)
Implementation competence	The ability to implement sustainability strategies, including adapting, transferring and scaling them. This involves monitoring progress, addressing challenges and iterating between planning, execution and evaluation	(Brundiers et al., 2021; Redman and Wiek, 2021)
Inter-personal competence	The ability to collaborate across disciplines and engage diverse stakeholders in sustainability transformations. This includes communication, negotiation, leadership, empathy and cross-cultural understanding, and facilitating participatory research and decision-making	(Brundiers et al., 2021; Brundiers and Wiek, 2017; Giangrande et al., 2019; Redman and Wiek, 2021; Rieckmann, 2018; Wiek et al., 2011, 2016)
Intra-personal competence	The ability to maintain resilience while advancing sustainability transformations through self-awareness, self-regulation and self-care, drawing on emotional intelligence and social-emotional learning	(Brundiers et al., 2021; Giangrande et al., 2019; Redman and Wiek, 2021; Rieckmann, 2018)
Integration competence	The ability to apply collective problem-solving to sustainability challenges, ensuring viable strategy development through collaboration and self-care	(Brundiers et al., 2021; Redman and Wiek, 2021)
Problem-solving competence	The ability to integrate key sustainability competencies, problem-solving, applying appropriate frameworks and fostering interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaboration for viable and equitable solutions	(Brundiers et al., 2021; Rieckmann, 2018)

Competence	Definition	Sources
Systems-thinking competence	The ability to analyse complex systems across domains and scales, considering feedback loops, cascading effects and inertia. This competence enables individuals to anticipate system changes, identify intervention points and assess sustainability strategies	(Bianchi et al., 2022; Brundiers et al., 2021; Giangrande et al., 2019; Redman and Wiek, 2021; Rieckmann, 2018; Wiek et al., 2011, 2016)
Futures-thinking competence	The ability to anticipate and analyse future states and dynamics of complex systems through simulations, forecasts and scenarios. This competence supports sustainability strategy development by considering inertia, path dependencies and alternative pathways	(Bianchi et al., 2022; Brundiers et al., 2021; Giangrande et al., 2019; Redman and Wiek, 2021; Rieckmann, 2018; Wiek et al., 2011, 2016)
Values-thinking competence	The ability to identify, assess and negotiate sustainability values, principles and goals. This includes applying concepts such as justice, equity and responsibility in evaluating interventions and constructing sustainability visions	(Bianchi et al., 2022; Brundiers et al., 2021; Giangrande et al., 2019; Redman and Wiek, 2021; Rieckmann, 2018; Wiek et al., 2011, 2016)
Strategies-thinking competence	The ability to design, implement and test sustainability interventions while considering systemic inertia and unintended consequences. This competence includes mobilizing resources, coordinating stakeholders and developing viable action plans	(Brundiers et al., 2021; Giangrande et al., 2019; Redman and Wiek, 2021; Rieckmann, 2018; Wiek et al., 2011, 2016)
Implementation competence	The ability to implement sustainability strategies, including adapting, transferring and scaling them. This involves monitoring progress, addressing challenges and iterating between planning, execution and evaluation	(Brundiers et al., 2021; Redman and Wiek, 2021)
Inter-personal competence	The ability to collaborate across disciplines and engage diverse stakeholders in sustainability transformations. This includes communication, negotiation, leadership, empathy and cross-cultural understanding, and facilitating participatory research and decision-making	(Brundiers et al., 2021; Brundiers and Wiek, 2017; Giangrande et al., 2019; Redman and Wiek, 2021; Rieckmann, 2018; Wiek et al., 2011, 2016)
Intra-personal competence	The ability to maintain resilience while advancing sustainability transformations through self-awareness, self-regulation and self-care, drawing on emotional intelligence and social-emotional learning	(Brundiers et al., 2021; Giangrande et al., 2019; Redman and Wiek, 2021; Rieckmann, 2018)
Integration competence	The ability to apply collective problem-solving to sustainability challenges, ensuring viable strategy development through collaboration and self-care	(Brundiers et al., 2021; Redman and Wiek, 2021)
Problem-solving competence	The ability to integrate key sustainability competencies, problem-solving, applying appropriate frameworks and fostering interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary collaboration for viable and equitable solutions	(Brundiers et al., 2021; Rieckmann, 2018)