Education for Sustainable Development

With a world population of 7 billion people and limited natural resources, we, as individuals and
societies need to learn to live together sustainably. We need to take action responsibly based on
the understanding that what we do today can have implications on the lives of people and the
planet in future. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) empowers people to change the
way they think and work towards a sustainable future.
UNESCO aims to improve access to quality education on sustainable development at all levels
and in all social contexts, to transform society by reorienting education and help people develop
knowledge, skills, values and behaviors needed for sustainable development. It is about including
sustainable development issues, such as climate change and biodiversity into teaching and
learning. Individuals are encouraged to be responsible actors who resolve challenges, respect
cultural diversity and contribute to creating a more sustainable world.
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There is growing international recognition of ESD as an integral element of quality education and a
key enabler for sustainable development. The Sustainable Development Goals (link is
external) (SDGs) adopted by the global community for the next 15 years include ESD. Target
4.7 of SDG 4 on education addresses ESD and related approaches such as Global Citizenship
Education. UNESCO is responsible for the coordination of the Global Action Program (GAP) on
ESD.

Three Elements of Education for Sustainable Development

(1) Learning outcomes: Creating change makers, rather than passive consumers

As the definition above illustrates, Education for Sustainable Development aspires to “empower
learners to take informed decisions and responsible actions”. Different from educating obedient
consumers or employees, Education for Sustainable Development wants students to think and act
for themselves.
Other scholars and practitioners write that students should be able to become “change agents” or
“change makers”. Those are people who don’t passively observe what is happening in society, but
are able to act, intervene, ask critical questions.

This ambition of Education for Sustainable Development requires different learning outcomes,
compared to more “traditional” education. A huge body of literature exists around what learning
outcomes Education for Sustainable Development strives for.

Arnim Wiek and colleagues conducted a study we really like. They looked at different concepts of
Education for Sustainable Development and synthesized common learning outcomes that
students are expected to learn. Those include among others system’s thinking, envisioning
alternative futures, critical thinking to evaluate sustainability values and principles, or the ability to
motivate others and work collaboratively.

To conclude, Education for Sustainable Development aims to achieve that students can think and
act for themselves and with others to work on a more sustainable world. For this, students need to
be able to among others think and act critically, holistically and collaboratively.

But, how do you achieve these learning outcomes? That’s why Education for Sustainable
Development requires different approaches to learning content and pedagogy.

(2) Learning content: Investigating topics from an interdisciplinary perspective

Learning content describes what students learn. As the definition of UNESCO illustrates, the goal
is that students learn about topics in an interdisciplinary way, from an economic, social and
environmental perspective. What does this mean?
Let’s look at an example: You can learn about economic growth purely from an economic
perspective, looking at its economic drivers and consequences. But that’s not Education for
Sustainable Development! You should learn about the social implications of economic growth,
such as its impact on income (in)equality, well-being and health. Of course, you should also learn
about the environmental perspective, analyzing how economic growth impacts the environment in
a positive or negative way.

This is the cool thing about Education for Sustainable Development: It makes education so much
more interesting! You can take literally any topic and look at it from an economic, social and
environmental perspective. As a result, you don’t only see the world from the perspective of one
discipline, but get a richer picture of reality, by drawing on the insights from multiple disciplines.

(3) Pedagogy: Interactive, learner-centered and action-oriented (+ fun)

Pedagogy describes the practice or method of teaching. Different to the content, it doesn’t
describe what students learn, but how they learn.

To sum it up: Education for Sustainable Development is exciting! It provides an exciting

vision of an interdisciplinary and learner-centered way to empower students to advance a
pro-social and environmental agenda in their organizations, communities and personal
lives.

What is sustainable development?

The concept of sustainable development emerged as a response to a growing concern

about human society’s impact on the natural environment. The concept of sustainable
development was defined in 1987 by the Brundtland Commission (formally the World Commission
on Environment and Development) as ‘development that meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’ (Brundtland, 1987). This
definition acknowledges that while development may be necessary to meet human needs and
improve the quality of life, it must happen without depleting the capacity of the natural environment
to meet present and future needs. The sustainable development movement has grown and
campaigned on the basis that sustainability protects both the interests of future generations and
the earth’s capacity to regenerate. At first it emphasized the environment in development policies
but, since 2002, has evolved to encompass social justice and the fight against poverty as key
principles of sustainable development.
There are two commonly used visualizations of how the various aspects of sustainable
development interact: one is of three overlapping circles representing the three pillars of
sustainable development - economy, society and environment (fig 1.a). The other shows the
economy embedded in society, which in turn is embedded in the environment (fig 1.b). The latter
focuses on the central role that the environment plays in human society and in turn in the
economy.

What role does education play in sustainable development?

Good quality education is an essential tool for achieving a more sustainable world. This was
emphasized at the UN World Summit in Johannesburg in 2002 where the reorientation of current
education systems was outlined as key to sustainable development. Education for sustainable
development (ESD) promotes the development of the knowledge, skills, understanding, values
and actions required to create a sustainable world, which ensures environmental protection and
conservation, promotes social equity and encourages economic sustainability. The concept of
ESD developed largely from environmental education, which has sought to develop the
knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and behaviors in people to care for their environment. The aim
of ESD is to enable people to make decisions and carry out actions to improve our quality of life
without compromising the planet. It also aims to integrate the values inherent in sustainable
development into all aspects and levels of learning.

There are a number of key themes in ESD and while the dominant focus is on
environmental concerns, it also addresses themes such as poverty alleviation, citizenship, peace,
ethics, responsibility in local and global contexts, democracy and governance, justice, human
rights, gender equality, corporate responsibility, natural resource management and biological
diversity. It is generally accepted that certain characteristics are important for the successful
implementation of ESD, reflecting the equal importance of both the learning process and the
outcomes of the education process (adapted from ‘UN Decade of Sustainable Development’
UNESCO Nairobi Cluster, 2006). ESD should:

 Be embedded in the curriculum in an interdisciplinary and holistic manner, allowing for

a whole-institution approach to policy making.
 Share the values and principles that underpin sustainable development.
 Promote critical thinking, problem solving and action, all of which develop confidence in
addressing the challenges to sustainable development.
 Employ a variety of educational methods, such as literature, art, drama and debate to
illustrate the processes.
 Allow learners to participate in decision-making on the design and content of educational
programs.
 Address local as well as global issues, and avoid jargon-ridden language and terms.
 Look to the future, ensuring that the content has a long-term perspective and uses medium
and long-term planning.

To promote ESD, the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development,
2005-2014, (DESD) was adopted by the UN General Assembly with the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated as the lead agency for
promotion throughout the decade. The decade pursues a global vision ‘of a world where everyone
has the opportunity to benefit from quality education and learn the values, behavior and lifestyles
required for a sustainable future and for positive societal
transformation’ (www.unesco.org/education/desd).
The goal of the decade, as outlined by UNESCO, is to integrate the principles, values and
practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning. This aims to
encourage changes in behavior that will create a more sustainable future. One of the most
important aspects of the DESD is the recognition that ESD must engage a wide range of
stakeholders from government, private sector, civil society, non-governmental organizations and
the general public.
In its International Implementation Scheme (IIS) for DESD, UNESCO states that ESD is
fundamentally about values, particularly respect for others, including those of present and future
generations, for difference and diversity, for the environment and for the planet’s resources
(UNESCO, 2006). Education enables us to understand ourselves and others and our links with the
wider natural and social environment; this understanding serves as a durable basis for building
respect. Along with a sense of justice, responsibility, exploration and dialogue, ESD aims to move
us toward adopting behaviors and practices which will enable us all to live a full life without being
deprived of basic human needs.

What is “sustainability”?
 In the European context the idea of sustainability came up in the beginning of the 18th
century in the context of forestry and mining, when Hans Carl von Carlowitz gained the insight that
there will always be enough wood as long as you do not cut more than in the same time will grow.
Actually Carlowitz did not use the term sustainability, but sustainable use (in German:
“nachhaltende Nutzung”). The extension of this basic idea to all fields of human activities was
made much later by the Brundtland-Commission in preparation of “The United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED)”, the “World Summit”, in Rio de Janeiro
in 1992. Though they did not define what their understanding of sustainability as a description of a
particular status would mean, they offered a clear definition of what the process of sustainable
development should be. This definition is still valid in the sense that the international debate on the
Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals does not provide a new definition of
sustainability or sustainable development, but refers to the UNCED (Rio) definition of the three
dimensions of sustainable development. “We are committed to achieving sustainable development
in its three dimensions – economic, social and environmental – in a balanced and integrated
manner” (UN, General Assembly, 2015, Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development). For the “2030 Agenda” sustainable development is the sum of achieving the 17
SDGs and 169 targets, measured by a set of globally agreed indicators. If these targets are
reached, then sustainable development happens and the prospects of sustaining life on the planet
are good.

What is Sustainable Development?

“We hold the future in our hands. Together, we must ensure that our grandchildren will not
have to ask why we failed to do the right thing, and let them suffer the consequences.”

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, 2007

Sustainable development is the overarching paradigm of the United Nations. The concept
of sustainable development was described by the 1987 Bruntland Commission Report as
“development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs.”

Sustainability is a paradigm for thinking about a future in which environmental, social and
economic considerations are balanced in the pursuit of development and an improved quality of
life. These three spheres – society, environment and economy – are intertwined. For example, a
prosperous society relies on a healthy environment to provide food and resources, safe drinking
water, and clean air for its citizens.

The sustainability paradigm is a major change from the previous paradigm of economic
development with its damaging social and environmental consequences. Until recently these
consequences have been seen as inevitable and acceptable. However, we now realize that major
damage or serious threats to the well-being of humans and the environment in pursuit of economic
development have no place within the sustainability paradigm.

According to the above mentioned Brundtland Commission and their final document “Our
common future” “sustainable development is a process of change in which the exploitation of
resources, the direction of investments, the orientation of technological development and
institutional change are all in harmony and enhance both current and future potential to meet
human needs and aspirations.” (Brundtland-Report, p. 43). This basic contribution to the
subsequent global discussion reveals that the term development has often been associated
exclusively with economic growth. But based on the above modelling of sustainability, the
explanation of what sustainable development means is quite simple: sustainable development
describes the process of individuals and/or social groups to achieve sustainability. Or, to use the
same metaphor in the context of the interplay of HDI and ecologic footprint, sustainable
development is the path leading into the green corner of the model – from where ever an
individual, social group or whole nation started.

And accordingly in the more comprehensive model of the “Oxfam Doughnut” sustainable
development means reaching “the safe and just space for humanity” by decreasing the negative
impact on those relevant factors which ensure the resilience of the earth system and
simultaneously decrease the ”short falls of the life’s basics” of human societies all over the world.

What is “Education for Sustainable Development”? Picking up the initial thought, that
education is an instrument to support the sustainable development process, we can generally
state, that ESD covers all kinds of educational concepts, steps and processes, which are suitable
to foster the individual and/or collective contribution towards sustainable development. And using
the same metaphor, ESD supports the specific way into the green corner of the HDI and footprint
model, or supports pathways to achieve the just and safe space for humanity of the “Doughnut”.

ESD generally focusses on the development and strengthening of individual competencies,

enabling the individual to contribute to and participate in sustainable development processes of
various kinds and dimensions. From that definition it is obvious that all types of competencies and
skills including basic competencies such as reading, writing, and numeracy are included. Higher
level competencies such as creativity, solution oriented thinking and action ability are fundamental
for ESD, since without them it would not be possible to find ways, concepts, techniques, which
make us succeed to reach the space of sustainability. After more than two decades of intense
discussions on this issue, it seems that an international consensus could be reached with the
following set of eight competencies published by UNESCO in 2017:

Principles of Sustainable Development

All sustainable development programs must consider the three spheres of sustainability –
environment, society, and economy – as well as an underlying dimension of culture. Since
sustainable development addresses the local contexts of these three spheres, it will take many
forms around the world. The ideals and principles that underlie sustainability include broad
concepts such as equity among generations, gender equity, peace, tolerance, poverty reduction,
environmental preservation and restoration, natural resource conservation, and social justice. The
Rio Declaration1 contains 27 principles, including:

People are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature;

The right to development must be fulfilled so as to meet developmental and environmental

needs of present and future generations in an equitable way;

Eradicating poverty and reducing disparities in living standards in different parts of the
world are essential to sustainable development.

Environmental protection is an integral part of the development process and cannot be

considered in isolation from it.

Perspectives of Sustainable Development

Not all the concepts associated with sustainability are incorporated in the 27 principles of
sustainable development in the Rio Declaration. Accompanying principles of sustainable
development are perspectives that have become part of the global sustainability dialogue, such
as:
 A systems thinking approach 2 , rather than an approach that looks at problems in isolation
should be used. Sustainability issues are linked and part of a “whole.”

Understanding local issues in a global context and recognizing that solutions to local
problems can have global consequences.

Realizing that individual consumer decisions affect and give rise to resource extraction and
manufacturing in distant places.

Considering differing views before reaching a decision or judgement.

Recognizing that economic values, religious values, and societal values compete for
importance as people with different interests and backgrounds interact.

Values within the Sustainability Paradigm

Throughout its history, the United Nations has been a champion of values related to human
dignity, fundamental freedoms, human rights, equity, and care for the environment. Sustainable
development takes these values a step further, extending them beyond the present generation to
future generations. Sustainable development means valuing biodiversity and conservation
along with human diversity, inclusivity, and participation. In the economic realm, some
embrace sufficiency for all while others uphold equity of economic opportunity. Another vehicle for
the values inherent in the sustainability paradigm is the Earth Charter, a declaration of
fundamental ethical principles for building a fair, sustainable, and peaceful global society.

Indicative list of ESD competencies

Acquiring knowledge. The ability to collect data and information in a largely self
organized and target-oriented manner from different sources and with the help of various tools; to
assess their quality and to construct knowledge that is helpful for the solution of issue-related
tasks.

Solving issues, problems, conflicts. The ability to contribute to the solving of issues,
problems and conflicts at the local, national and global level by overcoming excessive self-interest,
socio-cultural barriers, racism, ideological differences and violence through negotiating solutions.

Thinking critically. The ability to question norms, practices, opinions, attitudes, claims and
decisions – including self-criticism and the acknowledgement of misdoings – when reflecting on
unsustainable developments with the intention to contribute constructively to sustainable solutions.

Communicating and negotiating. The ability and readiness to communicate

constructively and effectively in spoken and written languages as a pre-condition for an effective
learning process and with the intention to negotiate over issues.

Dealing with systems. The ability to analyze systems and development processes; to
recognize interrelations between local, national and global levels of acting and to assess the effect
of human interventions.

Facing the future. The ability to analyze risks and to evaluate multiple futures, to link
innovations with sustainable development goals, to create individual and collective visions, to
assess the consequences of actions and decisions and to deal with uncertainty and changes.

Reflecting on values. The ability and willingness to reflect on own and others’ norms and
values, to negotiate sustainability principles and goals (in a context of conflicts of interest,
uncertain knowledge and contradictions) with a readiness to revise one’s own value system and to
ensure a balance between pluralism and universal values.

Participating and collaborating. The ability and readiness to participate in sustainable

transformation processes, to individually and collectively develop and implement ways of action
towards a sustainable development goal and to intensively and responsibly collaborate with
others.

Changing perspectives. The ability to reflect on others’ situations and feel empathy for
them, to critically reflect upon diverse perspectives and see things differently, to develop an
alternative frame of reference by changing one’s own previously unquestioned worldviews.

Thinking and acting inclusively. The ability to cooperate with people regardless of their
gender, religion, ethnic and social origin, cognitive, physical and psychological precondition and
the willingness to practice tolerance, to contribute to integration and appreciate diversity.

Showing solidarity and responsibility. The ability and willingness to develop an attitude
of global citizenship, to show solidarity for others suffering from inequity and to share the
responsibility