IB Environmental Systems and Societies HL - 2026
IB Environmental Systems and Societies HL is an interdisciplinary course about the structure and function of the environment, and how humanity can make use of natural resources in a sustainable fashion. The practical component of the course builds skills in experimental design and analysis. Graduates of IB ESS HL will be able to make informed decisions on sustainable approaches in personal and professional matters and are well-prepared for further environmental studies.
Course Structure and Content
Starting in August 2024, IB Environmental Systems and Societies students will follow a new syllabus for first examinations in 2026. The most important change is the introduction of the ESS HL course, a long-awaited addition! Furthermore, the syllabus has been updated for both levels to reflect changes in this quickly-expanding field.
HL ESS students examine the following topics about humans and nature:: Foundations, Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation, Water, Land, Atmosphere and Climate Change, Natural Resources and Human Populations and Urban Systems. They also study three HL Lenses: Environmental Law, Environmental Economics, and Environmental Ethics. These lenses consider the legal, economic, and ethical aspects of the environmental issues that are at the core of the courses, thus laying a sound foundation for further studies at the university level.
Exams at the end of the course consist of two papers. Paper 1 is a case study of an hour in which As students build a theoretical grounding, they also engage in practical investigations followed by a larger individual practical investigation that is 20% of the final grade. The external exams at the end of the course make up the rest.
There are two exams. Paper 1 is a case study of two hours about a geographical area. Students answer questions that ask them to interpret the information in the case study and apply knowledge from the course. ESS Paper 1 is 30% of the final grade. ESS Paper 2 is two and a half hours and consists of data interpretation questions, short answer questions and extended response questions and is 50% of the final grade.
An Interdisciplinary Course
IB Environmental Systems and Societies is interdisciplinary, with knowledge and skills from both IB Group 3 (Individuals and Societies) and IB Group 4 (Sciences). It can count as a subject in either group or even as both, allowing students to study tailor their programme to their interests.
Tips for Success
- Keep your eye on the Foundation topics and the HL lenses. Draw systems diagrams, assess the sustainability, think about the approach from the different perspectives, and consider the legal, economic and ethical implications of each environmental issue.
- Understand the command terms. They indicate how to structure your answer and how much detail to include. Use RV markschemes to see sample answers and watch videos that further explain the best approach to answering different question types.
- Examples are important. You will need examples of human impact, strategies for sustainability, and named species, areas or societies that illustrate the issues or the solutions. RV Case Studies and data-based questions contain a wealth of examples.
Revision Village Environmental Systems and Societies has a range of tools to help you practice what you need, when you need. The exam-style questions were written by a team of expert IB Environmental Systems and Societies teachers from around the globe. The markschemes, sample answers and explanation videos will help you successfully complete the IB ESS HL course.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Environmental Systems and Societies HL?
Environmental Systems & Societies HL (ESS) is an interdisciplinary course that builds on foundational knowledge from the IB Sciences and IB Individuals and Societies groups of subjects, extending it with philosophical and practical considerations of the human impact on the natural world. Students learn about environmental issues and how to manage them. The IB ESS Higher Level course should be considered by students who are moderate to strong in both Biology and Geography with an interest in pursuing courses related to the environment or sustainability after their IB Diploma Programme.
What are the assessment items for IB ESS Higher Level?
The Environmental Systems and Societies HL course is assessed with two externally assessed exam papers at the end of the two-year course and an internal assessment (IA), which is an individual investigation completed at an earlier time. ESS Paper 1 presents students with a Case Study of a country and asks them to analyse the data in combination with knowledge from the course. Paper 2 consists of data-based questions, short answer questions and essay questions.
What are the differences between ESS SL and ESS HL?
Most subtopics in the IB ESS syllabus include additional HL material and the HL-Only Lenses require Higher Level students to examine environmental issues from an ethical, economic and legal point of view. This greater breadth and depth requires 240 teaching hours for the HL course as compared to 150 hours for the SL course. IB ESS HL Paper 1 is two hours as compared to one hour for Standard Level. Paper 2 for ESS HL is two-and-a-half hours while the SL Paper 2 is only 2 hours. Finally, the weighting of the assessment components is slightly different. For Standard Level, Paper 1 and the Internal Assessment are both weighted at 25%. For Higher Level, Paper 1 is weighted at 30% and the IA at 20%.
How does Revision Village support IB ESS HL students?
Revision Village provides exam-style questions specifically written for the IB Environmental Systems & Societies Higher Level curriculum. They include questions from the core material that both SL and HL students study as well as questions that address the additional HL-only material and the HL Lenses. The Case Studies feature includes full-length 70-mark Higher Level case studies as well as shorter ones that can be completed in less time but still cover a range of content and skills. Many questions present examples that can be used to support answers on an exam. Past Paper videos give detailed solutions that help understand the IB mark schemes. Tags indicate whether a video from a Past Paper from the old syllabus is relevant to the new syllabus and which subtopic it relates to.