IB Environmental Systems and Societies SL - 2026
IB Environmental Systems and Societies SL is an interdisciplinary course in which students learn about the natural world around us and study the effects of our use of natural resources. This builds an understanding of the environmental issues that humanity faces and will allow students to make informed decisions on sustainable approaches in their personal and professional lives.
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.
SL ESS students examine a variety of topics about nature and about humans, namely: Foundations, Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation, Water, Land, Atmosphere and Climate Change, Natural Resources and Human Populations and Urban Systems.
This theoretical base is supported by practical investigations which culminate in a larger individual practical investigation that is 25% of the final grade. The external exams at the end of the course make up the rest.
Exams at the end of the course consist of two papers. Paper 1 is a case study of an hour in which students are presented with information in a variety of forms about a geographical area. The questions ask them to interpret the data and apply their knowledge from the course. ESS Paper 1 is 25% of the final grade. ESS Paper 2 is two 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) subjects. It can count as a Group 4 or Group 3 subject, or even as both, allowing students to study an extra course from any of the IB subject groups.
Tips for Success
- Foundation topics are crucial. Each topic is about perspectives, systems, and sustainability. Make notes for each of these for each topic.
- Study key terms. The ESS course spans a wide range of concepts that require specific terminology. Our RV videos highlight the key terms and the Flashcards feature will help you review them on the go.
- Practice your skills. Use the RV ESS Case Studies and the data-based questions (DBQ) to practice interpreting data. Try the extended response questions (ERQ) to practice planning and writing answers for the 9-mark essays.
Revision Village Environmental Systems and Societies has a range of tools to help you practice what you need, when you need. The multiple choice questions allow you to recall details from the syllabus and practice interpreting data. The Case Studies collection includes short and full exam-length practice for Paper 1. The data-based questions, short answer questions and essay questions prepare you for Paper 2. A team of expert IB Environmental Systems and Societies teachers created the questions and provided markschemes, sample answers and explanation videos to help you succeed in the subject.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is IB Environmental Systems and Societies SL?
Environmental Systems & Societies SL (ESS) is a broad subject that borrows from a number of subjects including IB Biology and IB Geography, but goes further in exploring the relationship between human societies and nature. Students develop a deep understanding of the concepts of ecology and human populations and examine the impact that human resource use has on nature, with the aim of a sustainable future. The ESS Standard Level course is interesting for students who want to make informed decisions about their impact on the environment in their personal and professional lives.
What is different in the new syllabus for IB ESS SL?
Students starting the course in August 2024 or later will be studying the new guide for IB Environmental Systems & Societies Standard Level. While the general structure of the course is similar to that presented in the old ESS guide, the curriculum has been updated with new content such as urban planning, human migration and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. With the introduction of ESS Higher Level, content such as photochemical smog and the nitrogen cycle are now only included in the ESS HL course. The Revision Village materials for ESS examinations starting in May 2026 have been carefully tailored to support learning for the new syllabus for IB ESS SL and IB ESS HL.
Who should take ESS SL?
There are multiple reasons for choosing Environmental Systems and Societies as one of your IB subject choices. As an interdisciplinary subject, it can be taken to meet the requirement to take a course from Group 3: Individuals & Societies, from Group 4: Sciences or even both. As such it is an ideal subject if you are a strong science student to gain insight into how technology and science affect human societies and nature. If you have more interest in human societies, language or the arts you will get a scientific view of the interactions between society and the natural world. Finally, taking ESS Standard Level will help you understand how to solve some of the most important issues humanity is currently facing: climate change, biodiversity loss, how to feed a growing population, and pollution of our air, water and land.
How should students prepare for IB ESS exams?
Preparation for the exams should include reviewing content and practising exam-style questions. The notes that you made throughout your course should help you review the content. This can be supplemented with the Revision Village ESS Flashcards feature, which is especially accessible on the RV Mobile App. As you finish reviewing each subtopic you can test your knowledge and skills by answering the exam-style questions in the RV ESS Questionbank. This will let you know which content you need to review further. Once you have revised all topics you can try the Revision Ladder or the Mock Exam Sets
Where can I find examples or case studies for IB ESS?
Many questions in the RV Questionbank for Environmental Systems & Societies include named examples that help you understand the content of the course. Figures for data-based questions provide interesting sets of data and naturally, we include named examples in the mark schemes of questions that require them. The RV ESS Case Studies feature is another place to learn from examples, as each Case Study includes a variety of resources on topics such as Conservation, Pollution, Food Production and more. All these materials provide examples that you could use to support your arguments on an IB ESS exam Paper 1 or Paper 2.