The Framework

Responsible Futures is a framework to assist you in creating an enabling environment for staff and students to work together to embed social responsibility and sustainability into teaching and learning. It seeks to legitimise and mainstream education for sustainable development, ultimately helping to ensure students leave education with the knowledge, skills, and attributes needed to lead society to a more just and sustainable future. 

The 45 criteria used in Responsible Futures provide a roadmap for activity - they are not prescriptive and seek to support individual partnerships' approaches. 

The model, criteria, and scoring system were developed collaboratively with 13 pilot partnerships across FE and HE and our Responsible Futures Advisory Board which was made up of individuals from organisations including:

  • Learning for Sustainability Scotland,
  • People & Planet,
  • Society for the Environment,
  • UCU,
  • Association of Colleges,
  • EAUC,
  • Higher Education Academy,
  • Knowledge Transfer Network, 
  • A selection of academics,
  • and the NUS Sustainability Direction and Oversight Board.

We are grateful to all for their contributions. 

You can read a summary of the criteria in the programme overview document or contact us to request the log in details for the online toolkit to view the full criteria in depth.