Environmental and sustainability education: Nordic perspectives

Based on a discussion of Nordic research literature on environmental and sustainability education (ESE), this article explores the understandings of sustainability, purposes of ESE and curricular content characterising the research field. The study draws on Nordic studies identified in a scoping review of ESE research studies and presents a critical discussion of specific features and gaps in Nordic ESE research, encompassing the underrepresentation of economic dimensions of sustainability. It furthermore finds that there is a tension between Nordic ESE research perspectives emphasising democracy and political formation and Nordic sustainability policy for the educational sector emphasising competitiveness and economic growth.