Sustainability: New Approaches for a Wicked Problem

.Sustainability. New Approaches for a Wicked Problem 0 This publication is a deliverable of the project entitled “Green Hive”, a Cooperation Partnership in the Vocational Education and Training field co-funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ Programme under Grant Agreement No. 2022-2-IE01-KA220-VET-000097215. Deliverable Title: Sustainability: New Approaches for a Wicked Problem Deliverable Version: 1.0 - October 2025 Deliverable Lead: Lascò Srl Author: Angela Mangiullo DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17709782 Contributors: ● Acomi Nicoleta (TEAM4Excellence) ● Acomi Ovidiu (TEAM4Excellence) ● Cleary Elaine (Technological University of the Shannon - Midlands Midwest) ● Lanzetta Miriam (Lascò Srl) ● Lopez Cruz Maria del Carmen (Femxa) ● Melissinou Raina (KEAN) ● Taylor Marie (Technological University of the Shannon - Midlands Midwest) ● Tsekouras Vasilis (KEAN) Disclaimer: Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. The reuse of this document is authorised under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/dee d.en). This means that you are free to copy, share, adapt and use the material for non-commercial purposes, as long as you give appropriate credit, provide a link to the licence, and indicate if changes were made. Sustainability: New Approaches for a Wicked Problem 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 3 1. The Green Hive Project 5 2. Sustainability: Why a wicked problem? 6 3. A system approach to sustainability education 8 3.1 Preparing learners for the circular economy 8 3.2 Skills, knowledge, and attitudes for green competences 9 4. A European Challenge for Green Combs 11 5. Winning solution 12 5.1 The Winning Team: Liceul Tehnologic “Lazăr Edeleanu” Năvodari 12 5.2 Impact and transferability 13 6. Other promising initiatives 14 6.1 Greece 14 6.2 Romania 16 6.3 Spain 19 6.4 Ireland 21 6.5 Italy 23 7. Ways Forward 26 Bibliography 28 Sustainability: New Approaches for a Wicked Problem 2 Introduction Sustainability is one of the defining challenges of our time. Climate change, biodiversity loss, resource scarcity, and social inequalities intertwine in ways that defy simple solutions. Wicked problems, as defined by Rittel and Webber (1973), are issues that are difficult to define, have no single solution, and require constant negotiation among diverse stakeholders. Unlike “tame” problems, wicked problems resist linear or technical fixes; they demand systemic approaches, creativity, and collaboration across sectors (Levin et al., 2012). The Green Hive project, a Cooperation partnership in the Vocational Education and Training (VET) field co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, was designed as a response to this demand by five entities: the Technological University of the Shannon Midlands Midwest (Ireland), the companies Lascò (Italy) and Femxa (Spain), and the non-profit and non-governmental organisations KEAN (Greece) and TEAM4Excellence (Romania). Bringing together VET providers, teachers, students, and stakeholders from across Europe, the project created spaces for co-creation and experimentation. Within their local Hubs, participants worked side by side to design and test innovative solutions for sustainability, with a particular focus on equipping learners with the competences required for the green transition and circular economy. This publication, “Sustainability: New Approaches for a Wicked Problem”, brings together the insights, practices, and results of this collaborative journey. It offers both a theoretical lens, framing sustainability as a wicked problem, and practical examples of how education and training can contribute to addressing it. From the winning Hub’s solution to other promising Sustainability: New Approaches for a Wicked Problem 3 initiatives, it highlights the creativity and commitment of young people, educators, and communities engaged in shaping a more sustainable future. Rather than offering final answers, this e-publication seeks to inspire dialogue, experimentation and shared learning. It is an invitation to reflect on what has been achieved through Green Hive and to imagine how such approaches can be scaled and adapted to meet the challenges ahead. Sustainability: New Approaches for a Wicked Problem 4 1. The Green Hive Project The concept of the Green Hive ecosystem was born within an ambitious European project designed to revolutionise sustainability education through a dynamic network of localised Sustainability Education Hubs, known as 'Green Combs,' and a knowledge platform to connect them, promoting the sharing of information, documents, guides, resources, and knowledge between members of the various communities. The Green Hive project was conceived as a strategic response to the urgent need to integrate sustainability competences within vocational education and training. At its core, the project aims to equip VET providers with the tools and methodologies to prepare learners for the demands of the green transition and the challenges of the circular economy (European Commission, 2020). To achieve this, Green Hive has developed a network of local hubs, referred to as Green Combs, that convene educators, learners, businesses, NGOs, and public authorities in collaborative ecosystems. These hubs are tied through the Green Hive digital platform, which functions as both a repository and a co-creation space, enabling the sharing of resources, practices, and innovative pedagogical solutions aligned with the European Sustainability Competence Framework (GreenComp) (Bianchi et al., 2022). In this way, the project bridges the gap between policy frameworks and classroom practice, providing teachers and trainers with methodological guidelines, toolkits, and digital instruments to foster transversal competences essential for sustainability, such as critical thinking, systems understanding, and collaborative problem-solving (Voogt & Pareja Roblin, 2012; Rieckmann, 2018). By promoting cross-sector collaboration and embedding digital innovation in VET, Green Hive positions itself not merely as a project but as a model for reimagining education’s role in addressing sustainability issues. Sustainability: New Approaches for a Wicked Problem 5 2. Sustainability: Why a wicked problem? Sustainability issues, in particular climate change, environmental degradation, and social inequalities, embody what scholars define as wicked problems: phenomena that resist simple, linear solutions due to their inherent complexity, uncertainty, and the web of interconnections among ecological, economic, social, and political dimensions. As Climate change as a ‘wicked problem’ (Stang & Ujvari, 2015) points out, climate change has proven “slow, uneven, and politically divisive,” demonstrating how ambitious goals clash with divergent interests, varying capacities, and unpredictable feedback loops. In wicked problems, what seems to be a solution in one domain may trigger unintended consequences in another; the lack of consensus on problem definitions and the multiplicity of stakeholders multiply this challenge. This complexity is particularly visible in the sustainability field, where tensions arise between economic growth and environmental protection, technological innovation and social inclusion, or short-term benefits and long-term resilience. The European Environment Agency (EEA, 2023) has warned that Europe is not on track to meet several of its 2030 sustainability targets, underscoring the insufficiency of fragmented, incremental interventions. Addressing wicked problems requires systemic thinking, participatory governance, and transformative change. It also calls for resilience: the capacity of societies, institutions, and learners to adapt and innovate in the face of intertwined ecological, economic, and political crises. Education plays a central role in this context. Yet, as the OECD (2024) notes, sustainability education is often confined to science curricula, even though wicked problems demand cross-disciplinary, place-based, and experiential approaches. Recent scholarship Sustainability: New Approaches for a Wicked Problem 6 emphasises the importance of transformative education, which engages learners not only in acquiring knowledge but also in co-creating solutions, developing agency, and navigating uncertainty (Voogt & Pareja Roblin, 2012; Rieckmann, 2018). However, these approaches face obstacles such as limited resources, gaps in teacher training, and conflicts of interest in curriculum design that dilute ambition and accountability (Sund & Öhman, 2025). Key Characteristics of sustainability as a wicked problem ● Multiple interconnected systems ( environmental, economic, social) ● Diverse stakeholders with conflicting interests ● Long-term consequences spanning generations ● Uncertainty in outcomes and unintended consequences ● No opportunity for trial-and-error learning. Recognising sustainability as a wicked problem thus reshapes how we imagine the role of VET and education more broadly. It is not about delivering fixed answers but about equipping learners with the competences to manage complexity, negotiate diverse perspectives, and collaboratively design adaptive responses. This orientation resonates strongly with the philosophy of the Green Hive project, which embraces uncertainty, fosters co-creation, and builds ecosystems of learning that prepare the next generation for the profound challenges of the green transition. Sustainability: New Approaches for a Wicked Problem 7 3. A system approach to sustainability education Sustainability education cannot be confined to isolated disciplines or short-term initiatives; evidence increasingly shows that a systemic approach is needed, one that acknowledges the interconnections between ecological, economic, and social dimensions, as well as the links between local and global contexts and among diverse stakeholders. Such an approach implies that education must prepare individuals not only to understand environmental challenges but also to act within complex systems, anticipate unintended consequences, and develop transformative capacities (Sterling, 2010). In Vocational Education and Training (VET), this means equipping learners not only with technical skills but also with critical, reflective, and collaborative competences that enable them to navigate the green transition in a resilient and proactive manner. 3.1 Preparing learners for the circular economy The transition toward a circular economy is at the base of European sustainability policies, requiring not only technological changes but also cultural and educational shifts. According to Kirchherr, Reike, and Hekkert (2017), clearly defining the circular economy would help design educational models that incorporate lifecycle thinking, material reuse, waste management as an opportunity, and consideration of environmental and social impacts. The study Setting Up an Educational Ecosystem for Enabling Sustainability Competences Development1 further emphasises that developing sustainability competences requires a 1 Acomi, N., Lanzetta, M., Acomi, O., & Abbruzzese, G.(2025).Setting up an educational ecosystem for enabling sustainability competences development.Revista Românească pentru Educaţie Multidimensională,17(1),159-179. https://doi.org/10.18662/rrem/17.1/945 Sustainability: New Approaches for a Wicked Problem 8 management but also fostered a culture of responsibility and innovation within the school community. 1st EPAL of Artas In Artas, the focus shifted to the deterioration of water quality, a problem with direct consequences for both the environment and local communities. Pollution in the Aegean Sea, particularly near harbours, had long been attributed to old oil boats, but students at the 1st EPAL of Artas revealed that industrial waste, untreated sewage, pesticides, and fertilisers were the real drivers of ecological decline. Their project framed water pollution as a multifaceted issue that threatened biodiversity, public health, and the livelihoods of local fishermen. In response, they developed a strong advocacy campaign promoting the reduction of pesticide use, the improvement of wastewater treatment systems, and stricter enforcement of environmental regulations. Community engagement was a cornerstone of their approach: they encouraged clean-up activities, recycling, and awareness campaigns, ensuring that responsibility for protecting water resources was shared by all. Through this holistic vision, the school linked environmental protection to social and economic well-being, inspiring collective responsibility for safeguarding one of life’s most vital resources. 2nd Evening Vocational School of Nea Ionia The 2nd Evening Vocational School of Nea Ionia addressed the urgent issue of rising energy consumption and its environmental impact. Their project underscored the importance of energy efficiency in smart buildings, presenting it not as an option but as a necessity for the future. By implementing Energy Management Systems (EMS) powered by IoT sensors, they were able to monitor energy consumption in real time, detect inefficiencies, and adjust Sustainability: New Approaches for a Wicked Problem 15 systems such as heating, ventilation, and lighting to reduce waste. At the same time, the school explored renewable energy solutions, integrating solar panels, geothermal heat pumps, and energy storage systems to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. This dual approach not only decreased carbon emissions but also cut operational costs, showing how environmental and economic goals could be pursued together. By merging technology, sustainability, and education, the students demonstrated how local initiatives can contribute to broader climate objectives while fostering awareness of responsible energy use among peers and the wider community. 6.2 Romania The participation of Romanian schools in the Green Hive Contest demonstrated both creativity and commitment in addressing some of the most urgent environmental challenges. Each school engaged with issues that directly affect their communities—ranging from waste management and energy efficiency to fast fashion, transport, and marine pollution—while also developing solutions that are practical, innovative, and replicable. Their projects reflect not only a growing awareness among young people of the global climate crisis, but also their determination to take responsibility and to inspire change within their schools and local environments. Carol I Commercial College At the Carol I Commercial College, students highlighted the lack of green spaces and practical sustainability education in schools. To respond to this issue, they created the Echos Sprout Initiative, an action plan that combines school gardens, recycling programs, and digital “echo challenges.” Through these activities, students not only reduce waste and promote greener practices on campus but also inspire their peers to adopt climate-friendly Sustainability: New Approaches for a Wicked Problem 16 habits. Their vision is to expand the initiative to other schools by providing resources, workshops, and networks of eco-clubs. Liceul Tehnologic Ioan N Roman Constanța The students from Liceul Tehnologic Ioan N Roman Constanța decided to focus on the fast fashion industry, which is currently the world’s second-largest polluter. They identified a series of problems caused by this sector, such as excessive water waste, the use of toxic chemicals, high CO₂ emissions, and a growing crisis of discarded clothes. Their solution has been to promote what they call “smart fashion”: donating, swapping, and repurposing clothes, while also encouraging a general reduction in consumption. Their message is powerful in its simplicity: “We don’t need more stuff.” Another group from the same school, Liceul Tehnologic Ioan N Roman Constanța, turned their attention to the issue of transport in Romania. They noted how the country still relies heavily on fossil fuels, resulting in pollution, inequity between urban and rural areas, and unsafe conditions for those who wish to cycle. Their proposal emphasises the importance of investing in cycling infrastructure, improving public transportation systems, offering shuttle services to rural communities, and changing the public mindset towards greener choices. Their vision is of cleaner air, safe cycling paths, efficient transport, and people-first cities. Liceul Tehnologic Nicolae Dumitrescu Cumpăna At Liceul Tehnologic Nicolae Dumitrescu Cumpăna, students explored the ongoing waste crisis, with particular attention to the problems of landfills, school lunch waste, and inadequate recycling. They responded with the idea of a “Campus Green Cycle,” a closed-loop system that transforms organic waste into compost, which is then used to maintain student-run gardens producing vegetables, herbs, and flowers for school use. The Sustainability: New Approaches for a Wicked Problem 17 project goes beyond waste management, since it also rewards students with eco-leader certificates, encourages classrooms to adopt plants, and creates small rituals such as tea breaks to reinforce sustainable behaviours. Liceul Teoretic Ovidius The Liceul Teoretic Ovidius approached the issue of energy consumption. Students noted how wasteful habits often go unnoticed in everyday life, both at home and in schools. Their solution was to launch a student-led campaign to reduce energy waste. The results were impressive: a 20% reduction in overall consumption and a 50% decrease in school energy use. Their project demonstrates how small, individual actions can accumulate into significant change, reinforcing the idea that personal responsibility plays a key role in environmental sustainability. Gheorghe Duca” Technological High School Constanța The students of the “Gheorghe Duca” Technological High School Constanța dealt with a particular environmental emergency: oil spillage in the Black Sea near Constanța. They recognised the severe threat posed to marine ecosystems and decided to simulate coordinated responses. Their solution involved cooperation among different actors: NGOs monitored biodiversity, the city hall provided funding, universities developed models of pollutant spread, and local communities promoted awareness and legal action. The project showed how vital multi-sector collaboration is in addressing large-scale environmental disasters. Sustainability: New Approaches for a Wicked Problem 18 Romanian Intermodal Association The Romanian Intermodal Association turned their attention to schools themselves, identifying them as highly energy-consuming spaces that often lack proper recycling and composting systems. They also noted that sustainability is rarely embedded in the school curriculum. Their project, Green Schools Now, sought to transform schools into eco-friendly institutions by conducting energy studies, founding eco-clubs, promoting composting and recycling, and integrating sustainability principles into teaching. Their mission is to empower students and teachers alike to contribute actively to greener schools. 6.3 Spain The participation of Spanish schools in the Green Hive Contest is characterised by a strong emphasis on creativity, collaboration, and inclusivity. The projects combined art, music, science, and social engagement, showing how sustainability can be embedded into education in innovative and inspiring ways. Each initiative reflects the commitment of students and educators not only to raise awareness of environmental problems but also to provide solutions that are practical, socially relevant, and rooted in community action. Centro de Formación Profesional EAP At the Centro de Formación Profesional EAP, students developed a collaborative initiative aimed at reducing the carbon footprint of the educational sector by merging art, scientific research, and sustainable education. In partnership with the School of Arts of Pontteras, urban sketching groups from Spain and Portugal, the Spanish National Research Council, and the training company Fetsza, they designed a calendar of events to promote sustainability Sustainability: New Approaches for a Wicked Problem 19 through creative engagement. Their three challenges—urban sketching on the impact of waste on biodiversity, fundraising through the sale of artwork to finance eco-friendly infrastructure in schools, and the creation of a directory of sustainable local businesses—combined environmental awareness with practical action. This project illustrates how art can serve as a powerful tool to inspire sustainable behaviour, while also generating tangible benefits for schools and communities. Grupo Femxa The students of Grupo Femxa focused their project on tackling energy waste, a pressing issue that increases both emissions and costs in daily life. They designed a three-part solution consisting of awareness campaigns, a low-cost monitoring system to display real-time energy usage, and weekly class challenges to actively reduce consumption. What makes their initiative particularly innovative is the attention given to inclusivity: they collaborated with ACCEM, an organisation supporting refugees, and Telento, a centre for people with acquired brain injuries, to ensure their campaign was culturally diverse and accessible. Their approach demonstrated that sustainability cannot be separated from social justice, since vulnerable communities often face additional barriers in adopting sustainable practices. By combining inclusivity with practicality, Grupo Femxa created a solution that is both realistic and scalable. Ulises The project from Ulises took a different but equally powerful path by using music as a tool for environmental education. Believing that music is the most powerful weapon without bullets to change the world, they organised a workshop in which participants were invited to write and perform a song about the environment. Starting from a simple rhythm and melody, Sustainability: New Approaches for a Wicked Problem 20 the children brainstormed topics and solutions related to caring for nature, transforming their ideas into lyrics. This initiative emphasised creativity and emotional expression as drivers of awareness, showing how students can take part in shaping a culture of sustainability through artistic engagement. 6.4 Ireland The Irish participants in the Green Hive Contest brought forward an inspiring variety of projects that reflect both local challenges and broader global concerns. Their initiatives explored themes such as food waste, sustainable transport and tourism, the responsible use of water, and the greening of educational institutions themselves. What unites these projects is the conviction that education, creativity, and collaboration are powerful drivers of sustainable change, capable of transforming not only individual behaviours but also the wider community. Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB) The Laois and Offaly Education and Training Board (LOETB) focused on two key themes that emerged during their workshop discussions: the food waste crisis and the importance of reconnecting with nature through digital skills. Food waste is a major issue in Europe, with households responsible for more than half of the total generated annually. In Ireland alone, 750,000 tonnes of food waste were recorded in 2022, equating to 146 kilograms per person—above the EU average. The LOETB project emphasised the role of education in changing habits: from better understanding supermarket promotions like “buy one, get one free,” to learning how to plan meals, interpret “best before” and “use by” dates, and bridge the knowledge gaps about the environmental and social costs of waste. Alongside this, they Sustainability: New Approaches for a Wicked Problem 21 also explored how digital skills can be used to embrace nature—for example, through apps that identify plants and birds while spending time in green spaces. This dual approach shows how education can both reduce waste and help learners build healthier, more sustainable lifestyles by combining digital tools with nature engagement. Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board (MSLETB) In Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board (MSLETB), students in Westport examined the impact of tourism and local development on their community. Westport is a popular town along the Wild Atlantic Way, attracting millions of visitors each year. While tourism brings economic benefits, students recognised that it also generates pollution, pressures local water supplies, and increases the strain on old, energy-inefficient buildings. Their solutions addressed these problems holistically. They promoted cycling and train travel as sustainable transport alternatives that also improve fitness, reduce stress, and build social connections. They highlighted the urgent need for education around water conservation, especially in island communities such as Achill, where demand spikes during the summer. They also stressed the importance of better communication about grants to improve energy efficiency in older buildings. Beyond these measures, their training in horticulture—known locally as “the compound”—already provides a practical model of sustainable food production, from composting and irrigation to organic crop cultivation. This combination of sustainable transport, tourism, energy use, and food production demonstrates a comprehensive vision for local resilience. Technological University of the Shannon (TUS) At the Technological University of the Shannon (TUS), students tackled the environmental impact of educational institutions themselves, which, despite their role in sustainability Sustainability: New Approaches for a Wicked Problem 22 education, often generate high levels of emissions. Using the Climate Action Roadmap and the GreenComp framework, business students proposed three innovative ideas to green their campus. The first centred on promoting local and sustainable food options, linking everyday choices to global goals such as responsible consumption, climate action, and good health. The second, titled “The Green Reset,” engaged staff and students in creating biodegradable and sustainable products to reduce campus waste, while also fostering community and creativity. The third initiative focused on sustainable goods and food options through an open space dialogue method, encouraging inclusivity, collaboration, and future literacy. Together, these ideas emphasised that small actions, whether in food choices, product design, or community dialogue, can accumulate into a lasting culture of sustainability within higher education. 6.5 Italy Italy’s contribution to the project highlighted the diversity of approaches that can be taken to make sustainability concrete, innovative, and inclusive. From vocational training to gamified platforms and civic engagement, Italian partners demonstrated how technology, education, and participation can merge to address pressing environmental challenges while also empowering learners and communities. 081Lab 081Lab presented SparkSmart, a tailor-made digital solution designed to tackle the invisible but significant problem of energy waste in vocational schools. Buildings consume 40% of Europe’s energy, and in schools, lights, heating, and devices are often left running unnecessarily. SparkSmart responds with a lightweight platform that allows learners to collect data, visualise consumption in real time, and analyse trends, before taking action Sustainability: New Approaches for a Wicked Problem 23 through student-led initiatives. The platform, developed in collaboration with a local non-profit organisation, combines technical expertise with grassroots environmental education. By tracking, visualising, analysing, and acting, learners not only become more energy-conscious but also take ownership of their school’s sustainability journey. Akira AKIRA developed Water Guardians, an engaging initiative that promotes water conservation through gamification. At a time when over two billion people still lack access to safe drinking water, the project raises awareness of waste, pollution, and the behavioural gaps that persist in everyday life. The platform transforms simple actions—such as turning off taps, fixing leaks, or using eco-friendly detergents—into missions that earn points, badges, and rewards. Community spirit is fostered through team challenges and leaderboards, while partnerships with associations, companies, and researchers ground the project in local realities. By combining fun, competition, and education, Water Guardians demonstrates how small individual choices, when scaled up, can generate a lasting collective impact on water conservation. Forum Lex Forum Lex focused on the social dimension of sustainability, addressing the risk that the green transition might deepen inequality if marginalised communities are excluded. Their initiative, Green Together, works to ensure that sustainability becomes a right rather than a privilege. Through workshops, creative labs, and public campaigns, the project empowers youth from disadvantaged backgrounds to build awareness, participate in civic life, and advocate for climate justice. Collaborations with schools, law enforcement, and policymakers ensure that young people’s voices reach decision-makers and shape inclusive policies. With Sustainability: New Approaches for a Wicked Problem 24