Skills for Planet: upskilling one million designers in green design skills by 2030

Published 5th June 2025

We’re proud and delighted that the Design & Technology Association was one of the partners who worked closely with our friends and colleagues at the Design Council to help produce this important paper:

Skills for Planet is a national initiative from the Design Council, on a bold mission to upskill one million designers in green design skills by 2030.

Design shapes the world we live in – and right now, it’s shaping our future. With growing demand for environmentally responsible design, the Design Council is working to ensure that sustainability becomes part of what we mean by good design.

By embedding green design into everyday practice, education and policy, Skills for Planet aims to support a future that is regenerative, resilient and inclusive for all.

To help make this shift possible, the Design Council has developed the Skills for Planet Blueprint – a practical guide that maps out the core green skills all designers need. It provides a shared language to support learning, collaboration and skills development across sectors.

Research from the Design Council highlights the urgency:

• 66% of UK designers created work in 2024 that considered the planet

• Just 43% feel they currently have the skills to meet the demand for environmental design

• 71% believe that demand is only going to grow

From the classroom to the design studio, the shift begins with education. As a teacher, you play a vital role in helping young people develop the knowledge and mindset to design for a better world.

Whether you’re teaching design and technology or encouraging creative thinking across your school, this is a unique opportunity to connect your teaching to a wider movement with real purpose and impact.

Explore the Skills for Planet Blueprint and get involved.