IB · ESS · HL
IB ESS HL
Study IB ESS HL through environmental systems, societies and sustainability issues.
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IB ESS HL at a glance
Follow the live knowledge tree through environmental systems, societies and sustainability issues.
- 8
- syllabus units
- 30
- mapped topics
- 7
- study tools
What you study in IB ESS HL
Connect scientific evidence with social, economic, political and ethical perspectives on environmental issues.
Use the syllabus map to move from a topic to Concepts, Mastery or Question Bank.
Explore the IB ESS HL syllabus
Follow the live knowledge tree through environmental systems, societies and sustainability issues.
IB ESS HL exam skills
Practise the command terms, data handling and extended reasoning used across IB assessment.
- Follow command termsMatch the depth and structure of the response to the exact instruction.
- Use data as evidenceRead units and uncertainty, identify patterns and support conclusions with values.
- Build mark-efficient explanationsLink cause, evidence and subject vocabulary without repeating the prompt.
SourceCurrent IB subject guide and assessment objectives.
IB ESS HL assessment
The HL course combines two external papers with an individual investigation.
Paper 1 is 30%, Paper 2 is 50% and the individual investigation is 20%.
This page follows the IB Environmental Systems and Societies course with first assessment in 2026.
HL adds distinct lenses in environmental law, environmental and ecological economics, and environmental ethics.
It is an individual ESS research question developed into a written report and contributes 20% of the final grade.