Glossary
GreenComp
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- Attitudes
- Attitudes are motivators of performance. They include values, aspirations and priorities.
- Source: JRC
- Competence
- In the context of GreenComp, competence is understood as a set of knowledge, skills and attitudes.
- Source: JRC
- Complex system
- A complex system is a system composed of many components which interact with each other in ways that are very difficult to model due to the types of relations among such components (dependency, competition, relationships between their parts or between a given system and its environment).
- Source: JRC
- Formal learning
- Learning that occurs in an organised and structured environment, such as in an education or training institution, or on the job, and is explicitly designated as learning. Formal learning is intentional and typically leads to certification.
- Source: JRC
- Informal learning
- Learning that results from daily activities related to work, family or leisure. It is not organised or structured and in most cases unintentional from the learner’s perspective.
- Source: JRC
- Knowledge
- Knowledge is the outcome of the assimilation of theoretical or factual information by learning. Knowledge is the body of facts, principles, theories and practices that is related to a field of work or study.
- Source: JRC
- Learning for environmental sustainability
- In the context of GreenComp, learning for environmental sustainability aims to nurture a sustainability mindset from childhood to adulthood with the understanding that humans are part of and depend on nature. Learners are equipped with knowledge, skills and attitudes that help them become agents of change and contribute individually and collectively to shaping futures within planetary boundaries.
- Source: JRC
- Learning outcomes
- Learning outcomes are statements of what a learner knows, understands and is able to do after completion of learning.
- Source: JRC
- Lifelong learning
- Learning activities undertaken throughout life, to expand or improve competences, knowledge, skills and qualifications for personal, social and professional reasons.
- Source: JRC
- Non formal learning
- Learning that is embedded in planned activities not explicitly designated as learning, but which contains an important learning experience. Non-formal learning is intentional and typically does not lead to certification.
- Source: JRC
- Planetary boundaries
- Planetary boundaries refer to nine processes. These regulate the stability and resilience of the Earth system and the evidence-based limits within which humanity can stay safe, develop and thrive for generations to come.
- Source: JRC
- Planned obsolescence
- Planned obsolescence refers to a wide range of techniques that manufacturers might use to shorten the functional lifespan of products. In doing so, they force consumers to make premature replacements and can continue selling in saturated markets.
- Source: JRC
- Precautionary principle
- The precautionary principle is an approach that suggests to take precautionary measures, such as avoidance or mitigation, to innovations that could potentially cause harm and on which extensive scientific knowledge is lacking.
- Source: JRC
- Skills
- Skills means the ability to apply knowledge and use know-how to complete tasks and solve problems. Skills can be cognitive (involving the use of logical, intuitive and creative thinking) or practical (involving manual dexterity and the use of methods, materials, tools and instruments).
- Source: JRC
- Sustainability
- In the context of GreenComp, sustainability means prioritising the needs of all life forms and of the planet by ensuring that human activity does not exceed planetary boundaries.
- Source: JRC
- Sustainable Development Goals
- The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 global goals published by the United Nations in 2015. They aim for all countries and sectors to work in partnership to address key sustainable development challenges by 2030.
- Source: JRC
- Transformative learning
- Transformative learning goes beyond acquiring skills and knowledge. It helps learners reflect on how they acquire and frame knowledge. It also helps them become aware and critical of their own and others’ assumptions. This can lead to changes in thinking, perceptions, beliefs and values, which can transform how learners interpret the world around them.
- Source: JRC
- Wicked problem
- A wicked problem is a problem or policy issue that is difficult to solve because it is complex and ill structured. It entails several incomplete, intractable, controversial, contested and evolving requirements that are difficult to recognise or link. It often has no single solution.
- Source: JRC