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Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) sees education as the key to unlocking progress in all the global development goals. It teaches individuals to make informed decisions and take action, both individually and collectively, to change society and protect the planet. It equips people of all ages with the knowledge, skills, values, and ability to tackle issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, overuse of resources, and inequality that impact the well-being of people and the planet.  

ESD advocates for learning that is: 

1. Cognitive: Improving how we think and understand information. 
2. Socio-emotional: Building social skills, empathy and emotional intelligence. 
3. Behavioral: Encouraging positive actions and behaviors. 

ESD is a powerful strategy to transform education, covering what we learn, how we learn it, and the environment in which we learn. It is a lifelong learning process that is an integral part of a quality education. 

UNESCO is the lead United Nations agency for ESD and is responsible for the implementation of ESD for 2030 framework to which countries committed in Berlin in 2021 (see the and key documents below). 

Government agencies, educators and civil society actors are invited to take action in the 5 key areas:  

• Advancing policy 
• Transforming learning environments 
• Building capacities of educators 
• Empowering and mobilizing youth 
• Accelerating local level action 

UNESCO supports countries to develop and expand educational activities that focus on sustainability issues such as climate change, biodiversity, disaster risk reduction, water, the oceans, sustainable urbanization, and sustainable lifestyles. Most importantly, ESD helps learners understand complex interconnectedness between those issues, and empower them to contribute to environmentally sound, economically viable and socially inclusive futures.   

UNESCO provides guidance and standards in ESD. It also tracks data on ESD and monitors progress on SDG Indicator 4.7.1, which measures how well global citizenship education and ESD are integrated into national education policies, curricula, teacher education, and student assessments. 

Read about the countries’ commitments to ESD during the (Berlin, Germany).

The climate change crisis represents one of the most serious threats to sustainable development and requires urgent action at the global, national and local levels. Climate change is linked with other issues related to biodiversity loss, health, food and sustainable production and consumption.  

Climate change education is a key component of ESD, as it helps people understand key issues, change attitudes and behaviors, and take action to limit climate change.  

UNESCO works to make education a more central part of the international response to climate change, in particular by gathering key players from governments, learning communities, civil society and the private sector around the Greening Education Partnership.  

UNESCO is also involved in the annual Conference of Parties (COP) where it advocates for the essential role of learning and greening education in tackling climate change.  

The Greening Education Partnership is a global  community of practice which aims to get every learner climate-ready. It aims to coordinate actions in climate change education and addresses four key areas: greening schools, curricula, teachers training and education system's capacities, and communities. The Partnership’s wholistic approach to climate change education is grounded in the ESD framework, which embraces cognitive, social and emotional and behavioral change, and addresses climate change from socio-economic and environment perspectives 

The Greening Education Partnership was launched during the UN Secretary General's Summit on Transforming Education in 2022, and the Secretariat is hosted by UNESCO. It brings together Member States, IGOs and other education stakeholders including civil society, youth, academia and the private sector. 

ESD, climate change education and greening education are interrelated and distinct.  

Education for sustainable development is an integral element of SDG target 4.7. It is a holistic approach to education that empowers learners of all ages with the knowledge, skills, values and agency to make informed decisions and act responsibly to protect the environment, promote just and equal economic development and societies.  

Climate change education is an important part of education for sustainable development and relates to how climate change and its implications is taught in different learning environments.  

The concept of greening education proposes a broader approach to climate change education, going beyond simply teaching about climate change to include also the learning environment, teacher preparation, communities and so on. Greening education is a comprehensive approach that equips learners with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to take meaningful action on climate change mitigation, adaptation, and resilience. 

Given the growing recognition of the complexity of and urgency of the climate crisis on all aspects of society, young people are calling for this more holistic approach to education related to climate change. The Greening Education Partnership uses a whole institution approach to respond to this.

1. Develop an ESD country initiative 

ESD means that the quality and relevance of education needs to improve so that learners are better prepared for global challenges.  

To advance this, UNESCO encourages Member States to develop ESDfor2030 country initiatives to mainstream education for sustainable development.  

Countries are also encouraged to join the ESD-NET global network, which is a community of practice to learn from and share with others based on best available data and evidence.  

2. Strengthen climate education 

Countries are also encouraged to join the Greening Education Partnership, which is based on ESD and proposes a broad approach to climate readiness, and adopt the Green school quality standard and the Greening curriculum guidance. 

The importance of education and training to address climate change is recognized in the , the  and the associated  which all call on governments to educate, empower and engage all stakeholders and major groups on policies and actions relating to climate change.  

3. Monitor progress 

ESD is one of the key pillars of SDG Target 4.7 and the newly adopted Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development. Countries are invited to monitor the implementation of the Recommendation, and contribute to strengthening the evidence base of ESD.

Every single person can take action in many different ways every day to protect the planet.  

1. Join the ESD-Net 2030 community of practice 

• To be part of the ESD-Net 2030 community of practice, subscribe to the ESD newsletter:  -  -   
• Interact with other members of ESD-Net through our  

2. Explore the resources 

91Â鶹¹ú²ú¾«Æ·×ÔÅÄ developed the ESD for 2030 toolbox to provide an evolving set of resources and tools that support countries, organizations and individuals to develop activities for education for sustainable development.  

3. Be part of the global greening education movement through the Greening Education Partnership 

Adopt the new Green school quality standard and the Greening curriculum guidance in your school or learning establishment.  

4. Join the latest campaigns 

UNESCO also supports advocacy activities, such as the  â€¯campaign, which encouraged individuals, schools and communities to reduce waste.  See also UNESCO’s Green Citizens initiatives which includes over 150 local initiatives from 65 countries.   

• (2020) 
• Declaration on the common agenda for education and climate change at COP28 
• (2022) 
•   
• Education for Sustainable Development: learning objectives 
• Green school quality standard: Greening every learning environment 
• Greening curriculum guidance: Teaching and learning for climate action 
• (2005-2014)