This document discusses education for sustainable development (ESD). It emphasizes that ESD is needed to help citizens learn how to achieve sustainability and address complex global problems. ESD aims to stimulate an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to developing the knowledge and skills needed for a sustainable future. It promotes participatory, lifelong learning across formal, non-formal, and informal education to change values and behaviors towards sustainability.

2. “EDUCATION IS THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPON YOU CAN USE TO
CHANGE THE WORLD.”
-NELSON MANDELA.

3. EDUCATION IS ESSENTIAL TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. CITIZENS OF THE
WORLD NEED TO LEARN THEIR WAY TO SUSTAINABILITY. OUR CURRENT
KNOWLEDGE BASE DOES NOT CONTAIN THE SOLUTIONS TO CONTEMPORARY
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIETAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS. TODAY’S
EDUCATION IS CRUCIAL TO THE ABILITY OF PRESENT AND FUTURE LEADERS AND
CITIZENS TO CREATE SOLUTIONS AND FIND NEW PATHS TO A BETTER FUTURE.

5. • ESD PROMOTES EFFORTS TO RETHINK EDUCATIONAL
PROGRAMMES AND SYSTEMS THAT CURRENTLY SUPPORT
UNSUSTAINABLE SOCIETIES.

6. • ESD AFFECTS ALL COMPONENTS OF EDUCATION: LEGISLATION,
POLICY, FINANCE, CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION, LEARNING,
ASSESSMENT, ETC.

7. • ESD CALLS FOR LIFELONG LEARNING AND RECOGNIZES THE
FACT THAT THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF PEOPLE CHANGE OVER
THEIR LIFETIME.

8. • ESD HAS ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS THAT CAN BE
IMPLEMENTED IN MANY CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE FORMS.

9. Education For Sustainable Development:
• IS BASED ON THE PRINCIPLES AND VALUES THAT UNDERLIE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT;
• DEALS WITH THE WELL-BEING OF ALL FOUR DIMENSIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY – ENVIRONMENT,
SOCIETY, CULTURE AND ECONOMY;
• USES A VARIETY OF PEDAGOGICAL TECHNIQUES THAT PROMOTE PARTICIPATORY LEARNING AND
HIGHER-ORDER THINKING SKILLS;
• PROMOTES LIFELONG LEARNING;
• IS LOCALLY RELEVANT AND CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE;
• IS BASED ON LOCAL NEEDS, PERCEPTIONS AND CONDITIONS, BUT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT
FULFILLING LOCAL NEEDS OFTEN HAS INTERNATIONAL EFFECTS AND CONSEQUENCES;

10. Education For Sustainable Development:
• ENGAGES FORMAL, NON-FORMAL AND INFORMAL EDUCATION;
• ACCOMMODATES THE EVOLVING NATURE OF THE CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABILITY;
• ADDRESSES CONTENT, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT CONTEXT, GLOBAL ISSUES AND LOCAL PRIORITIES;
• BUILDS CIVIL CAPACITY FOR COMMUNITY-BASED DECISION-MAKING, SOCIAL TOLERANCE,
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP, AN ADAPTABLE WORKFORCE, AND A GOOD QUALITY OF LIFE;
• IS INTERDISCIPLINARY. NO SINGLE DISCIPLINE CAN CLAIM ESD FOR ITSELF; ALL DISCIPLINES CAN
CONTRIBUTE TO ESD.

11. What Is Education For Sustainable Development?
EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
(ESD) PROCESSES EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR
STIMULATING A HOLISTIC, INTEGRATED AND
INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO
DEVELOPING THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS
NEEDED FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE AS WELL
AS CHANGES IN VALUES, BEHAVIOUR, AND
LIFESTYLES.

12. According To UNESCO, ESD Is About
Learning To:
• RESPECT, VALUE AND PRESERVE THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE PAST;
• • APPRECIATE THE WONDERS AND THE PEOPLES OF THE EARTH;
• • LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE ALL PEOPLE HAVE SUFFICIENT FOOD FOR A HEALTHY AND
PRODUCTIVE LIFE;
• • ASSESS, CARE FOR AND RESTORE THE STATE OF OUR PLANET;
• • CREATE AND ENJOY A BETTER, SAFER, MORE JUST WORLD;
• • BE CARING CITIZENS WHO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES LOCALLY,
NATIONALLY AND GLOBALLY.

13. THIS REPRESENTS A NEW VISION OF EDUCATION, A
VISION THAT HELPS PEOPLE OF ALL AGES BETTER
UNDERSTAND THE WORLD IN WHICH THEY LIVE,
ADDRESSING THE COMPLEXITY AND
INTERCONNECTEDNESS OF PROBLEMS SUCH AS
POVERTY, WASTEFUL CONSUMPTION,
ENVIRONMENTAL DEGRADATION, URBAN DECAY,
POPULATION GROWTH, HEALTH, CONFLICT AND THE
VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS THAT THREATEN OUR
FUTURE.

14. ESD Aims At Demonstrating The Following
Features:
• • INTERDISCIPLINARY AND HOLISTIC: LEARNING FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SHOULD BE
EMBEDDED IN THE WHOLE CURRICULUM, NOT AS A SEPARATE SUBJECT;
• • VALUES-DRIVEN: IT IS CRITICAL THAT THE ASSUMED NORMS - THE SHARED VALUES AND
PRINCIPLES UNDERPINNING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT - ARE MADE EXPLICIT SO THAT THAT
CAN BE EXAMINED, DEBATED, TESTED AND APPLIED;
• • CRITICAL THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING: LEADING TO CONFIDENCE IN ADDRESSING THE
DILEMMAS AND CHALLENGES OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT;
• • MULTI-METHOD: WORD, ART, DRAMA, DEBATE, EXPERIENCE, DIFFERENT PEDAGOGIES WHICH
MODEL THE PROCESSES. TEACHING THAT IS GEARED SIMPLY TO PASSING ON KNOWLEDGE
SHOULD BE RECAST INTO AN APPROACH IN WHICH TEACHERS AND LEARNERS WORK TOGETHER
TO ACQUIRE KNOWLEDGE AND PLAY A ROLE IN SHAPING THE ENVIRONMENT OF THEIR
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS;

15. ESD Aims At Demonstrating The Following
•F•e PaAtRuTrICeIsPA: TORY DECISION-MAKING: LEARNERS PARTICIPATE IN
DECISIONS ON HOW THEY ARE TO LEARN;
• • APPLICABILITY: THE LEARNING EXPERIENCES OFFERED ARE
INTEGRATED IN DAY TO DAY PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE;
• • LOCALLY RELEVANT: ADDRESSING LOCAL AS WELL AS GLOBAL
ISSUES, AND USING THE LANGUAGE(S) WHICH LEARNERS MOST
COMMONLY USE. CONCEPTS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
MUST BE CAREFULLY EXPRESSED IN OTHER LANGUAGES -
LANGUAGES AND CULTURES SAY THINGS DIFFERENTLY, AND
EACH LANGUAGE HAS CREATIVE WAYS OF EXPRESSING NEW
CONCEPTS.