Education for sustainable development
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is UNESCO’s response to the urgent challenges facing our planet. Human activities have changed the Earth’s ecosystems so much that our survival is at risk, and these changes are becoming harder to reverse every day. To prevent global warming from reaching catastrophic levels, we urgently need to take action.
Education for Sustainable Development empowers people with the knowledge, skills, values, attitudes and behaviors to live in a way that is good for the environment, economy, and society. It encourages people to make smart, responsible choices that help create a better future for everyone.
UNESCO’s ESD for 2030 programme produces and shares knowledge, offers policy guidance and technical support to countries, and implements projects on the ground. It fosters peer learning and innovation through information, networks and partnerships.
Within this framework, UNESCO hosts the Secretariat of the Greening Education Partnership which aims to strengthen countries’ capacity to provide quality climate change education and ‘green’ every aspect of learning.
The way we live is not sustainable: Humans are depleting the planet’s resources. Climate change is affecting us and all species, damaging ecosystems and leading to unprecedented environmental degradation. Learning is key to finding solutions and creating a more sustainable world. We must learn to live for our planet!
Country initiatives on education for sustainable development
Member States are encouraged to develop and implement ‘country initiative’ to mainstream ESD in the country’s efforts made for pursuing sustainable development.
Stories
Publications
News
Monitoring SDG 4: education for sustainable development
Resources from UNESCO’s Global Education Monitoring Report.