At the interplay of school-based health promotion and sustainability it is sustainable consumption that is the focus of interest. Sustainable consumption calls for alternative ways to satisfy the objective needs of today and future generations whilst respecting planetary boundaries. Action is called for that work towards guaranteeing external conditions that allow all humans to live a good and healthy life. In the pursuit of sustainable consumption, education is widely ascribed a pivotal role as an instrument for disseminating more sustainable consumer behaviors. However, below this seemingly consensual surface the questions of what sustainability objectives are appropriate in consumer education and how they can be pursued is the subject of controversial debate.

This controversy is addressed in the present presentation. In a first step, it suggests the development of key competencies as a valid and legitimate objective that addresses both individual and societal needs. The presenters systematically derive a framework of key competencies for sustainable consumption and discuss the framework’s application to educational practice. In a second step, the presentation addresses the question of how formal and informal learning settings need to be designed in order to promote the acquisition of such competencies among students. A participatory whole-school approach to changing the “culture of consumption” in educational organisations is presented that was developed, implemented and evaluated in a major transdisciplinary three-year project. The presentation concludes with a discussion of synergies between the sustainability and health agendas for the emergence of innovative schools for the 21st century.

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