In Finland, sustainability is not taught as a distant concept or an abstract policy goal. It is lived in classrooms, in homes, and in the everyday habits of its people.
This ethos was evident during a week-long media programme on ‘Climate Solutions from Finland’, organised by the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Helsinki late last year. The programme offered a rare glimpse into how education underpins the country’s approach to climate action, with visits to Viikki Primary School and Aalto University revealing a system where environmental awareness begins early and evolves with age.
At the University of Helsinki Viikki Teacher Training School, educator Sari Muhonen explained that sustainability is embedded within the Finnish National Curriculum for Basic Education 2014 as one of its seven core competences, emphasising participation, responsibility and the building of a sustainable future.
Rather than relying solely on theory, the Finnish model is rooted in daily practice. From as young as preschool, children are introduced to waste sorting, environmental impact awareness and sustainability projects; small but meaningful steps that form the foundation of climate-conscious thinking.
The approach goes beyond science. It integrates emotional development, arts and music, encouraging children to connect with environmental issues on a deeper level. In one classroom, seven-year-olds gathered around a piano, singing songs about plastic waste and pollution. Their lyrics, simple yet striking, reflected an awareness far beyond their years.
GROWING UP GREEN
Observing the system in action, it becomes clear how these lessons shape behaviour.
One example is eight-year-old Muneef Anaaqi, a Malaysian boy who moved to Helsinki with his father, Mohammad Mustaqim Malek, 35, who is pursuing a PhD in the Doctoral Programme in Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Helsinki.
Having attended Päiväkoti Virkkula preschool in 2023, he now studies at Katajanokkan ala-asteen koulu, where environmental learning continues seamlessly.
His mother, Nur Atiqah Ibrahim Istar, 35, said recycling has become second nature to him.
“Whenever we buy bottled drinks, he insists on disposing of them in the correct recycling bins. That’s what he has learned since preschool,” she shared.
Finland’s deposit-return system further reinforces these habits. By returning empty beverage containers, families receive small refunds, a simple mechanism that instils both responsibility and reward. For Muneef, it has turned recycling into an engaging routine.
Such experiences highlight a key principle: in Finland, climate solutions begin not with grand policies alone, but with everyday habits cultivated from a young age.
FROM CLASSROOMS TO REAL-WORLD IMPACT
This culture of sustainability does not end at school; it evolves.
At Aalto University, students translate environmental awareness into tangible innovation. According to international editor Sarah Hudson, student projects are often showcased through exhibitions, where ideas move from concept to application.
Among the standout innovations were a plastic-free pregnancy test and Kashvu, a minimalist wooden living unit designed with sustainability in mind.
Equally striking was a Finnish startup, Reverlast, founded by a graduate who repurposes discarded wind turbine blades into floating docks, an inventive solution that breathes new life into industrial waste while addressing environmental challenges.
These projects reflect a broader truth: Finland’s education system does not merely raise awareness; it equips students to act.
A WAY OF LIFE
In Finland, sustainability is woven into daily routines, from sorting household waste to reducing plastic use and returning bottles for recycling. It is not an obligation, but a habit; not a subject, but a mindset.
From preschool classrooms to university laboratories, the country demonstrates how education can nurture not just knowledge, but behaviour, preparing future generations to develop practical, real-world climate solutions.
MALAYSIA’S JOURNEY FORWARD
While Finland’s model is deeply entrenched, Malaysia is also taking steps to strengthen environmental awareness through education.
The Ministry of Education Malaysia said sustainability is being institutionalised under the National Education Plan (RPM) 2026–2035, particularly through Strategic Core 6, which focuses on cultivating sustainability within the education ecosystem.
The plan integrates Education for Sustainable Development across both curricular and co-curricular platforms, strengthens green skills aligned with emerging careers, empowers educators as sustainability advocates and promotes a whole-school approach supported by monitoring and recognition mechanisms.
STRENGTHENING FOUNDATIONS AT HOME
Back in Malaysia, efforts are also underway to nurture environmental awareness from a young age, though the approach is still evolving.
Deputy Director of the Institute of Malaysian Inclusive Development and Advancement (MINDA UKM), Dr Anuar Ahmad, said a new subject, Nature and Humanity, will be introduced in primary schools beginning next year under the National Education Plan (RPM) 2026–2035.
The subject will be taught across two stages: Level One, covering Year One and Year Two pupils, and Level Two, involving those in Year Three and Year Four. It is designed to introduce children, aged six to 10, to basic concepts of environmental care and cleanliness.
While Malaysia has yet to implement a standalone environmental subject, Anuar noted that the initiative marks an important step towards early exposure.
“Even if it is not a dedicated subject on the environment, at least children are introduced to these issues from a young age,” he said.
The learning approach will emphasise engagement rather than theory, with lessons delivered through visuals, videos and interactive games aimed at fostering awareness in an accessible way.
Looking ahead, he expressed hope that schools would expand beyond classroom-based learning.
“The goal is for students to eventually take part in more hands-on activities outside the classroom, where they can directly engage with environmental issues,” he said.
At the tertiary level, environmental topics are typically explored through elective courses, allowing students to delve deeper into sustainability-related fields. Universities also support this awareness through co-curricular platforms and student-led initiatives such as Ekorelawan UKM, which promote environmental stewardship on campus.
However, Anuar cautioned that Malaysia’s broader climate ambitions, including its target of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions as early as 2050, have yet to be fully embedded across the education system.
He stressed that topics such as greenhouse gas emissions and their management need to be taught more comprehensively and applied in practical contexts.
Only then, he said, can students move beyond theory to truly understand the processes, impacts and urgency of managing environmental pollution.
