Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has an important role to play in helping people to understand and accept the need for significant changes to the way the country operates socially and economically, and the changes needed to ensure a sustainable future for everyone. It can also make an important contribution in helping people to understand and agree to make the kinds of behavioural changes necessary to make sustainability work. Informed choices can only be made by people who understand the problems and dilemmas and who know the cost of whichever course of action is decided upon.
The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), the lead agency for the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) states:
“Education for Sustainable Development allows every human being to acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary to shape a sustainable future.
Education for Sustainable Development means including key sustainable development issues into teaching and learning; for example, climate change, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity, poverty reduction, and sustainable consumption. It also requires participatory teaching and learning methods that motivate and empower learners to change their behaviour and take action for sustainable development. Education for Sustainable Development consequently promotes competencies like critical thinking, imagining future scenarios and making decisions in a collaborative way.
Education for Sustainable Development requires far-reaching changes in the way education is often practised today.”
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see how Walsall Adult and Community College are putting to policy into practice an embedding sustainability.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight, see how Coleg Gwent has made a pledge to embed sustainable development as a core principle of the college.
In this EAUC Member Spotlight see how City College Norwich segregates waste on site, in an unconventional, significant cost saving way.
A report from Somerset College which saw them complete a first assessment of a wide range of environmental indicators.
Am example of a staff newsletter sharing sustainability news
Lauder College has built a unique construction workshop (ECOspace) and training centre for educating students in environmental best practice for the construction industry.
A case study of Elmwood College which used the golf course and farm as living/working educational resources to increase environmental awareness.
This case study explores how the Wheeltop Project of Beaumont College uses ICT to support the learning and development of physically disabled students.
Elmwood College has adopted an innovative approach for meeting the requirements of the ISO14001 Environmental Management Standard. It uses curriculum as a mechanism for...
EAUC Member, Wiltshire College, is a large General Further Education College in the South West region. It has a commitment to Sustainable Development and has been working to...