ESG Reporting
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting is becoming an increasingly important competence area in European vocational education. Driven by the EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the European Green Deal, vocational education and training (VET) institutions are expected to prepare students for sustainable business practices and transparent reporting requirements.
Both Finland and Denmark are actively integrating ESG principles into vocational education, although their approaches vary.
Denmark: Practical ESG learning and industry collaboration
In Denmark, ESG integration in VET is strongly connected to European cooperation projects and professional training initiatives. One key example is the IntegratESG project, which provides VET institutions with ESG curricula, eLearning modules, case studies, and simulation tools aligned with EU sustainability standards such as CSRD and ESRS.
Danish institutions also benefit from professional ESG training offered by organisations like the Danish Technological Institute and the Knowledge Academy. These programmes help educators strengthen their understanding of ESG frameworks, reporting practices, and sustainability governance.
Teaching methods in Danish VET are highly practice-oriented. Students commonly work with real ESG reports, participate in simulations, and engage in stakeholder and ethical leadership exercises that connect sustainability topics to real workplace situations.
Finland: ESG as part of the Green Transition
In Finland, ESG integration is closely linked to the country's wider green transition strategy. Sustainability competencies are increasingly embedded into vocational programmes related to energy systems, circular economy, sustainable manufacturing, and electric vehicle technologies.
Finland also participates in the IntegratESG project, using shared European tools and learning materials to support ESG education in VET.
A notable Finnish example is the VET4SDG programme coordinated by Omnia, which focuses on integrating the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into vocational education. Activities include teacher training, sustainability assessments, stakeholder engagement, and sharing institutional best practices.
In addition, ESG-related professional courses offered by the University of Helsinki contribute to building broader sustainability expertise that also supports vocational education.
Common challenges
Despite progress, several challenges remain in both countries. Many vocational curricula still prioritise technical skills, leaving limited room for ESG topics. Teachers may lack formal ESG training, and schools often need more practical teaching materials, simulation tools, and real-life case studies.
Assessing ESG competencies can also be difficult, as skills such as ethical reasoning and stakeholder engagement are not easily measured through traditional evaluation methods.
Best practices for ESG integration
Experiences from Finland and Denmark highlight several effective approaches:
- Integrating ESG topics across existing vocational subjects
- Using real company sustainability cases and ESG reports
- Applying scenario-based and simulation learning
- Developing short ESG micro-credentials
- Strengthening teacher training
- Collaborating closely with industry partners
These approaches help make ESG learning practical, relevant, and closely connected to labour market needs.
Looking ahead
As sustainability reporting requirements continue to expand across Europe, vocational education institutions will play an increasingly important role in preparing future professionals for sustainable business environments.
Finland and Denmark already demonstrate how European cooperation projects, innovative teaching methods, and industry collaboration can support effective ESG integration in VET. Continued investment in teacher training, digital learning tools, and curriculum development will be essential to ensure that sustainability competencies become a natural part of vocational education across Europe.
This report was prepared as part of the Erasmus+ funded project ESG – Reporting for Teaching Future Professionals in VET. The project is a collaboration between ZBC (Denmark) and Innostus Consulting Ltd. (Finland), aiming to strengthen ESG reporting competencies in vocational education and training (VET).
Innostus Consulting: Kaisa & Helena