Promoting sustainable consumption in educational settings

In the debate on sustainable consumption there is broad agreement that a concerted and multi-faceted policy approach is needed to motivate people to consume sustainably. The role of education and educational organisations is commonly confined to that of a provider of formal tuition and as a trainer of skills. This article argues for a broader understanding of educational organisations' contribution to the promotion of sustainable consumption. It argues that the established settings approach from public health research offers an alternative perspective on educational settings that can help to gain a more comprehensive understanding of consumption-related learning processes in educational organisations. Drawing on the framework of educational organisational culture of consumption, educational settings are described as formal and informal learning occasions that frame students' consumer learning in distinct organisational contexts. A case example is introduced from the transdisciplinary research and development project BINK that illustrates how this analytical perspective can translate into a more comprehensive approach to school and university development and the promotion of sustainable consumption in educational settings.