Education Sector

Sector Scope and Strategic Importance

 

The education sector, classified under NACE Rev. 2 Section P, covers pre-primary, primary, secondary, vocational, higher, adult and other education activities. From a sustainability perspective, the sector has a dual role. First, it has its own environmental and social footprint through school and university buildings, energy use, procurement, digital infrastructure, transport, food services, waste generation and employment practices. Second, it shapes the sustainability capacity of society by developing knowledge, skills, values and behaviours needed for the green and digital transitions. This second role makes education a strategic enabling sector rather than only a service sector.

 

In the European Union, education is also directly linked to the European Green Deal, the European Education Area, the Digital Education Action Plan and the EU’s broader social inclusion objectives. The Council of the EU adopted a Recommendation on learning for the green transition and sustainable development on 16 June 2022, explicitly recognising education and training as central to the objectives of the European Green Deal. 

 

Economic and Social Profile of the Sector

 

Education is a major public-service sector in Europe, mostly financed by governments but increasingly involving private providers, foundations, technology companies and international education networks. Public expenditure on education in the EU amounted to 4.6% of GDP in 2022, covering education from pre-primary to tertiary level. Sweden, Belgium, Finland and Denmark reported the highest public expenditure-to-GDP ratios, while Romania and Croatia were below the EU range reported by Eurostat. 

 

Higher education is also a large and strategically important part of the sector. Eurostat reports that the EU had 18.8 million tertiary education students in 2023, with 59% studying at bachelor’s level. Women represented 54.8% of tertiary graduates in 2023, showing the sector’s importance for gender inclusion and human capital development. 

 

However, inequalities remain. In 2025, 9.1% of 18–24-year-olds in the EU were early leavers from education and training, meaning they had completed at most lower secondary education and were not in further education or training. The rate was higher among young men than young women. 

 

Environmental Sustainability Profile

 

The direct environmental footprint of education is generally lower than that of heavy industry, transport, energy or manufacturing. Nevertheless, the sector has a significant built-environment footprint because schools, universities, dormitories, laboratories, libraries, sports facilities and administrative buildings require heating, cooling, lighting, water, maintenance, ICT infrastructure and mobility services.

 

The most material environmental issues in the education sector are energy efficiency of buildings, decarbonisation of heating and cooling systems, renewable energy use, climate resilience of campuses and schools, sustainable procurement, food and catering impacts, waste management, water efficiency and digital infrastructure impacts. Eurostat’s air emissions accounts provide greenhouse gas emissions by economic activity, including education under the NACE classification, which allows the sector’s emissions to be monitored within the broader EU environmental-economic accounting system. 

 

Buildings are one of the most important sustainability priorities for the sector. The revised EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, adopted in 2024, aims to reduce emissions and energy use across buildings, including schools. The European Commission states that the Renovation Wave strategy aims to at least double annual energy renovation rates by 2030 and foster deep renovation. 

 

Climate adaptation is also becoming more urgent. The European Climate and Health Observatory reported in 2026 that high temperatures can negatively affect children’s well-being and concentration, and that more than 900,000 pupils in Europe had their education disrupted by heatwaves in 2024, citing UNICEF data. 

 

Social Sustainability and Inclusion

 

The education sector is one of the strongest social sustainability mechanisms in Europe. It supports social mobility, employability, civic participation, gender equality, public health awareness and democratic resilience. The sector’s sustainability performance should therefore be assessed not only by its operational footprint but also by its outcomes in access, inclusion, affordability, educational quality and lifelong learning.

 

Key social sustainability issues include equal access for disadvantaged groups, inclusion of students with disabilities, reduction of early school leaving, gender equality in STEM fields, protection of children and young people, student mental health, teacher well-being, fair employment conditions, academic freedom and digital inclusion.

 

The EU’s early school leaving data show continued progress but also persistent inequality. The European Commission reported that the EU early leaving rate declined from 16.9% in 2002 to 9.4% in 2024, but around 3.1 million young people still remained outside education and training without upper secondary attainment. 

 

Digital inclusion is now a core sustainability issue. The European Commission’s Digital Education Action Plan 2021–2027 aims to support high-quality, inclusive and accessible digital education and help education and training systems adapt to the digital age. 

 

Governance and Regulatory Context

 

Sustainability governance in education is shaped by public policy, institutional autonomy, accreditation systems, public funding rules, curriculum frameworks, quality assurance systems and stakeholder participation. Schools and universities increasingly need formal sustainability strategies, climate action plans, ethical procurement policies, responsible investment policies, diversity and inclusion policies, safeguarding mechanisms, research integrity systems and transparent reporting.

 

The EU Council Recommendation on learning for the green transition and sustainable development encourages Member States to make learning for sustainability a priority area in education and training policies. 

 

GreenComp, the European sustainability competence framework, provides a common reference for sustainability competences and supports educators in integrating sustainability into learning programmes. The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre describes GreenComp as a framework that helps learners develop knowledge, skills and attitudes for responsible and sustainable action. 

 

At the global level, UNESCO’s Greening Education Partnership promotes a whole-system approach built around greening schools, curriculum, teacher training and communities. UNESCO reported before COP30 that 96,000 schools in 93 countries had adopted green practices recommended by UNESCO, while calling for acceleration toward the target of 50% of schools in each country being green by 2030. 

 

Sustainability Risks

 

The education sector faces several sustainability-related risks. Climate risks include heat stress, flooding, disruption of school calendars, damage to infrastructure and higher cooling costs. Transition risks include stricter building energy standards, higher expectations for carbon reporting, sustainable procurement requirements and growing pressure to align curricula with green skills. Social risks include educational inequality, teacher shortages, mental health pressures, digital exclusion and loss of trust in institutions. Governance risks include weak safeguarding, poor transparency, politicisation of education, insufficient stakeholder engagement and inadequate data protection.

 

Higher education institutions also face reputational risks if their research, investments, partnerships or procurement practices conflict with sustainability commitments. Universities are increasingly expected to act as living laboratories for climate action, biodiversity protection, responsible innovation and just transition policies.

 

Opportunities and Best Practices

 

The sector has major opportunities to lead sustainability transformation. Schools and universities can reduce emissions through deep building renovation, renewable energy generation, heat pumps, efficient lighting, smart energy systems, low-carbon mobility plans, sustainable food procurement and circular waste systems. They can also strengthen social sustainability through inclusive admissions, scholarship schemes, disability access, lifelong learning programmes, mental health services and community engagement.

 

Curriculum reform is one of the most powerful opportunities. Sustainability should not be limited to environmental science courses. It should be integrated into economics, business, engineering, law, public administration, health, architecture, teacher training and vocational education. GreenComp and UNESCO guidance provide practical frameworks for embedding sustainability competences across disciplines. 

 

Higher education institutions can also contribute through sustainability research, climate innovation, teacher education, public policy support and regional development. The European University Association reported in 2025 that sustainability and greening engagement among European higher education institutions had intensified in the first half of the decade, based on a survey of 400 institutions from 43 countries. 

 

Key Sustainability Indicators for the Education Sector

 

Relevant sustainability indicators for the education sector include greenhouse gas emissions per student, energy consumption per square metre, renewable energy share, building energy performance, water consumption per student or per square metre, waste generated per student, recycling rate, sustainable procurement share, low-carbon transport share, number of courses integrating sustainability, percentage of teachers trained in sustainability education, student diversity indicators, early leaving rate, accessibility of buildings and digital platforms, student mental health service coverage, gender balance in leadership and STEM fields, and transparency of institutional sustainability reporting.

 

For universities, additional indicators may include sustainability research output, responsible investment policy coverage, campus biodiversity area, international sustainability partnerships, number of community sustainability projects and integration of sustainability into quality assurance processes.

 

Overall Assessment

 

The education sector is a relatively low-emission sector compared with industrial sectors, but it has a high systemic sustainability impact. Its buildings, procurement, food services, transport and digital infrastructure create measurable environmental impacts, while its curricula, research and social mission shape the long-term sustainability capacity of society. The sector’s main sustainability challenge is therefore not only to reduce its own footprint, but also to become a central driver of the green transition.

 

Europe has established a strong policy foundation through the European Green Deal, GreenComp, the Council Recommendation on learning for the green transition, the Digital Education Action Plan and the revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. The main implementation gap now lies in financing building renovation, training teachers, embedding sustainability across curricula, reducing inequalities and developing consistent sustainability reporting for schools and higher education institutions.