EMBRACING COMPLEXITY IN SUSTAINABILITY
-Critical Thinking-
What is Critical Thinking?
PRE-WORK
-preparing for our session
Presentation of the competence model
Critical Thinking
The competence area Embracing complexity in sustainability is about: empowering learners with systemic and critical thinking, and encouraging them to reflect on how to better assess information and challenge unsustainability, scanning systems by identifying interconnections and feedback framing challenges as sustainability problems which helps us learn about the scale of a situation while identifying everyone involved. Technological change, digitalisation, and globalisation have increased our society’s complexity and accelerated socio ecological problems such as climate change and loss of biodiversity. Critical thinking competence is especially important because it helps people distinguish between genuine sustainable practices and misleading claims (such as greenwashing) by evaluating evidence, questioning assumptions, and considering multiple perspectives.
Take a quiz to see how much you know about this competence:
Workshop Components
Duration: 135 min
Digital tools suggested:
Mentimeter: For interactive polls and icebreakers
Padlet: For collaborative brainstorming and scenario building. Also useful for ice breakers or energizers
Canva: For creating visual representations
Competencies exercised:
Individual initiative, Critical thinking, Problem framing, Futures literacy, Adaptability
Workshop Overview
Annotation:
This workshop on critical thinking for sustainability is designed to equip participants with the skills to evaluate sustainability claims, recognize greenwashing, and apply critical thinking in decision-making related to sustainability. By using interactive tools like Mentimeter, Padlet, and Canva, participants will engage in discussions, analyze real-world sustainability claims, and participate in debates around controversial sustainability topics. Through practical exercises and collaborative group work, the workshop aims to enhance participants' ability to question assumptions, evaluate evidence, and make well-informed decisions that promote genuine sustainability.
Objectives:
Define critical thinking and its importance for sustainability, particularly in analyzing sustainability claims
Identify key characteristics of critical thinking, including questioning assumptions, evaluating evidence, recognizing biases, and considering multiple perspectives
Evaluate sustainability claims by identifying whether they are legitimate or examples of greenwashing
Develop skills for analyzing sustainability practices, using tools like Padlet and Canva, to discern valid environmental practices from misleading claims
Engage in critical discussions and debates on controversial sustainability topics, such as fast fashion and plant-based diets, while applying evidence-based reasoning
Create visual action plans that incorporate critical thinking strategies into daily sustainability choices, ensuring informed decisions and responsible consumption habits