Abstract:

The European transition toward a green and digital economy requires education systems that simultaneously develop sustainability awareness and digital competences. Within this context, two reference frameworks have been introduced: the European Sustainability Competence Framework (GreenComp) and the Digital Competence Framework for Citizens (DigComp). While GreenComp defines the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to think and act for sustainability, DigComp specifies how citizens can use digital tools critically and creatively. This paper proposes an integrated pedagogical approach that bridges these frameworks to support digital sustainability education. A competence-mapping demonstrates how each sustainability competence can be strengthened through digital skills. The integration is illustrated through the educational ecosystem developed in the EU-funded “Digital Deep tech Driven Circular Economy”- 3D CIRCULAR project, which applies this dual-competence approach to advanced curricula for green and digital transformation. By aligning the GreenComp and DigComp frameworks, 3D-CIRCULAR introduces a holistic approach to “digital sustainability education”, empowering learners to use digital innovation as a driver for environmental and social change.

Keywords:

Deep-tech education, circular economy, digital skills, sustainable development, sustainability competences.