Challenges in modelling and measuring sustainability competencies crucial to successful sustainability transitions

Abstract

Current environmental risks, such as climate change and nature loss, force us to look for solutions in every sector of society. A successful sustainability transition requires the manipulation of deep systemic leverage points. Hence, a deep leverage point framework based on sustainability competencies is needed to conceptualise sustainability transitions. In this study, we present an approach to measuring citizens’ sustainability competencies. The methods used to validate the measurement scales are exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, while a structural equation modelling technique is applied to analyse the causal relationships proposed in the model. The fit indices did not indicate a good overall fit for this extended model. The results show that further efforts are needed to validate the measurement of sustainability competencies.