ESD


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EVENTS

Education for Sustainable Development

“Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)” is a concept that goes far beyond environmental education. ESD is the educational process of achieving human development (“the three pillars of human development” proposed by UNDP: economic growth, social development, and environmental protection) in an inclusive, equitable and secure manner. It thus includes education for poverty alleviation, human rights, gender equality, cultural diversity, international understanding, peace and many more. UNESCO proposed that the vision of education for sustainable development is a world where everyone has the opportunity to benefit from quality education and learn the values, behaviour and lifestyles required for a sustainable future and for positive societal transformation. For more information, please visit the UNESCO website on education for ESD.

Why ESD?

The concept of sustainable development touches upon all aspects of the social and institutional fabric. In this sense sustainable development provides a way of articulating the overall social project and aim of development. Since the Earth Summit in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, there has been increasing recognition of the critical role of education in promoting sustainable consumption and production patterns in order to change attitudes and behavior of people as individuals, including as producers and consumers, and as citizens. If other related international education initiatives look at education as a fundamental human right and focus on providing educational opportunities to everyone and reducing illiteracy, ESD focuses on the underlying principles and values conveyed through education and the content and purpose of education. Chapter 36 of Agenda 21specifically discusses re-orienting education towards sustainable development, and encompasses all streams of education, both formal and non-formal, basic education and all the key issues related to educating for sustainable human development.

What are the main challenges of education for sustainable future?

In spite of multiple efforts to strengthen ESD, many challenges remain. In particular, there is a need:

to integrate sustainable science and education;
to strengthen co-ordination and collaboration between different levels of education for SD; and
to mitigate information and knowledge gaps between different parts of the world.

United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014, DESD)

In December 2002, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the resolution 57/254 on the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) and designated UNESCO as lead agency for the promotion of the Decade.

The Decade aims to integrate the values inherent in sustainable development into all aspects of learning to encourage changes in behaviour, which will enable a more viable and fairer society for everyone.

During this decade, education for sustainable development will contribute to preparing citizens better prepared to face the challenges of the present and the future, and decision-makers who will act responsibly to create a viable world. Thus, five kinds of fundamental learning will be enhanced: learning to know, learning to do, learning to be, learning to live together, and learning to transform oneself and society.