INTEGRATING ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION INTO ECONOMICS CURRICULA: A FRAMEWORK FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

The 21st century requires not only a diversity of talents and personalities but, above all, a way of thinking and understanding the world that recognizes the interconnectedness between human activities and global environmental processes. The world, changing before our eyes, demands a different approach to education, the development of personal interests, and the acquisition of competencies essential for future life, including learning competencies. Therefore, environmental education (EE) is an extremely important element of societal education. Particularly complex processes in EE pertain to the content conveyed by disciplines from so-called border areas, such as economic disciplines. This situation is evident in education for sustainable development (ESD). The article identifies the main challenges facing environmental education for economics students at the university level: resolving the incompatibility between traditional and ecological trends in economics, the need to analyze environmental and economic paradoxes, the application of new teaching methods and techniques, the completion of internships and the activation of the learning process, and the practical application of knowledge gained through environmental education. Possible solutions to these challenges are also presented.