The most important ingredient to sustainability transitions, in my opinion, is education. The lack of education is critical in understanding all the options that were also mentioned; technology, circular economy and repairing the relationship between nature and people.
Education provides the perspective to see things differently. It is important to improve education and keep the standard level high. People should receive neutral information and a well-rounded education. In my opinion, the information provided can sometimes be too one-sided, coming from a particular perspective. Controlling people is not ideal for the process of moving toward more sustainable models.
Valuing the information, we get from social media requires education and the ability to recognize misleading content. The kind of education that I mean does not require professor’s degree or university studies. We need to have basic education, and we need to increase awareness of how much it matters to have basic knowledge about the economy, technology and of course nature. Well-being is often promoted through materialism and ideals of beauty. Well-being is much more than that and starts with understanding the quality of life and the world around you—how to positively impact the life around you and become part of a sustainable world.
Education should begin in infancy and last throughout life. Little children are eager to learn, so education should start from a young age. Another important question is what we should do now to increase education nationally. How can we teach responsibility, raise awareness, and influence people’s behavior? There is a challenge.
I believe that young people today rely too much on social media. While it is a key channel for information, it could also serve as a channel for education—and by education, I do not mean propaganda videos. The motivations must be the right ones. Access to facts, formal information, and diverse perspectives is essential. For making sustainable transitions I think education is the key, but all the other ingredients are needed in this challenge.