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Transitioning towards ESD: A Steady Progression or a Paradigm Shift?
Paul OFEI-MANU*，** and Satoshi SHIMANO*
Abstract： This commentary discusses education for sustainable development (ESD) in relation
to the state of the planet and a number of immediate challenges that are confronting its successful
implementation during the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development slated to come to an end
in 2014. They are the current economic crisis and its effect on sustainability (hence ESD); the link of
the crisis to the present education system(s); and the tools needed to measure the progress of ESD
implementation.
Keywords : challenges, ESD, implementation, transition

1. Looking at the larger picture: Still businessas usual?

On the ground however, the state of planet continues
on the same trajector y: the sustainability of theIt has been over forty years since the United Nations

environment with respect to 1) advances in technology,

Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm

economic growth, agricultural productivity, access toin 1972 and twenty years since the United Nations

education and clean air and water in many parts of theconference on Sustainable Development in Rio deworld are progressing unevenly, 2) enhancing quality

Janeiro in 1992 when concern about the state of theeducation, eliminating war, resolving ethnic tensions

planet was firmly put on the global agenda. It was during

and all forms of conflict are in the state of inertia and, 3)

the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro that chapter

there is considerable decline in how global and regional

36 of agenda 21 highlighted the role of education to

ecosystems are protected, how other natural resources

promote sustainable development. This role of education

particularly the non-renewable ones are managed, andas education for sustainable development (ESD) was

how social justice and economic equity is achieved.

then strengthened at the World Summit on Sustainable

Additionally, with the planet cur rently operating

Development in 2002 in Johannesburg during which

beyond its carrying capacity three of the nine planetary

several preparations were made to launch the UN Decadeboundaries identified have exceeded their safe limitsof Education for Sustainable Development (DESD)(Ofei-Manu and Didham, 2012 and all references therein).

(2005-2014). At the recent United Nations Conference

Regrettably, the world’s current education systems areon Sustainable Development (Rio+20) Conference inincapable of reversing this trend let alone embracing theJune 2012, the outcome document adopted at the summit

idea of a paradigm shift. Albert Einstein once pointed

restated the importance of ESD: by promoting it andout that “we cannot solve problems by using the same

integrating sustainable development more actively intokind of thinking we used when we created them” (Jucker,

education beyond the Decade (UNGA, 2012) which is2011: 41). A new system of education in ESD, not as add-

less than two years from now.

on subject but as an educational foundation from which
all disciplines and other aspects of education emerge and*Miyagi University of Education, Environmental Education Centre, Sendai; **Institute of Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Hayama－ 75 －

Transitioning Towards ESD: A Steady Progression or a Paradigm Shift?

converge could be the educational approach and medium

everywhere including the recently held 2013 World

as proposed by Freire in which societies and their

Economic Forum in Davos is “the economy, stupid”.

institutions of learning can become dynamically aligned

Currency wars are looming on the horizon due to theto enable the recreation of society to support the framing

slow recovery and what central banks are resortingof a better, more sustainable global trajectory (Ofei-Manu

to is allowing inflation to spur growth after interest

and Didham, 2012).

rates have been driven down to almost zero in mostdeveloped countries with no end in sight. With humanity

2. Challenges facing ESD implementation

still reeling from the effects of the economic downturn

Eight years into the implementation of the DESD andwhich began in 2008, there are now noticeable signs ofwith less than two years remaining, how has the DESD

a “push back” on some of the gains made so far on the

fared? Although not going to be addressed here, howsustainability agenda. And there is the tension between

have other global initiatives from Agenda 21 aimed atthose who think that the economic crisis has brought theaddressing the plight of the planet in general done?

opportunity for us to begin to systemically address the

How have the various challenges (see Ofei-Manu

issue of sustainability which means taking a fundamental

and Didham, 2012) facing ESD implementation been

look at our ecological crisis and the educational

addressed? Acknowledging that to be able to reorient

systems. Their opponents on the other hand think thathuman behaviours towards more sustainable lifestyles

the economy must be fixed first, forgetting that theand practices or whether ESD should focus on critical

economy is not all that generous to the environmental

thinking and other components of quality education tosustainability agenda even when it is booming. It appears

build capacity comprise the fundamental challenges,

the environment is always the first casualty when the

we hereby discuss briefly three other challenges facing

economy is in crisis. The tragedy is that as we put these

the ESD-based sustainability transition. They are 1)

urgent sustainability issues on hold to attend to thethe adverse effects of the current economic crisis on

economic mess which is largely man-made, althoughsustainability (hence ESD), 2) how this crisis relates

individuals are forced by the hard times to resort to moreto the present education system(s), 3) and the current

sustainable lifestyles, political leaders and business inambiguity surrounding the progress made with respect toparticular are tempted to go back to business as usual to

ESD implementation. How we deal with these challenges

our unsustainable practices just to salvage the economy.

and possibly others will determine whether we are going

Recently, there has been some backtracking on theto make a slow, steady progress or a paradigm shiftenvironment on all fronts regarding governmental andtowards sustainability using ESD.

particularly business programs and strategies and evenscaling back on already underfunded R&D on the very

3. Current economic crisis and its effect on
the sustainability agenda

technologies expected to wean us from fossil fuels, themajor sources of atmospheric CO2.

The current quest for sustainability through embeddingMore worrisome, the enthusiasm of ESD donor countries

education, the life line of the economy in all spheres

and other entities could start to wane if it has not alreadyof life cannot be extricated from the reality of thestarted. The effect on ESD programs already under-

financial crisis which has adversely affected not only

funded will be devastating. As countries and companies

the financial industry but the entire global economic

conveniently renege on pledges made on CO 2 cuts

system. Consequently, what has been ruling the airwaves

because they will affect the economy, the planet howeverof late and driving the global socio-political discourse

refuses to negotiate with our humanity’s “timeline－ 76 －

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and schedule”. By pumping nearly 90 million tonnes ofduring on-the-job training after which these graduates

CO2 daily into the atmosphere, putting a cap on rise inare asked to go and manage the global economy/finance.

temperature at 2℃ above pre-industrial levels in order

One fundamental question then is what has been theto manage to operate within the planetary boundaries is

educational philosophy of this system(s) and as a result

almost out of reach.

the worldview of its graduates sitting behind the wheel

One thing scientists do not do very well is advocating forof the global economy? Because the type of learning

the stark scientific evidence they have gathered with theembedded in these education systems are premised

taxpayer’s money with regard to the planet’s decreasing

on a worldview of an economic growth that is touted

resilience that grows stronger with each passing time.

as unlimited, although it cannot really survive without

During one of the largest gathering of global change

the planet’s finite resources. The consequence is thescientists leading up to the Rio+20 Conference dubbed

perpetuation of such unsustainability by the products

Planet Under Pressure 2012, a 14-point State of the(graduates) of such education systems that need toPlanet Declaration was issued covering the risks,

exploit the planet’s resources directly or indirectly toopportunities, our responsibilities and the consequences

further maintain the status quo of their lifestyles(Ofei-

for not responding to the call to action and change theManu and Didham, 2012). TES arguably has served

course for this planet. Whether the important outputs

its purpose, albeit satisfactorily in the era of small

from this conference made any significant impact on the

population, abundant natural resources and a relatively

Rio+20 Summit outcomes is debatable. It is therefore

small percentage of the global population that impacted

time for prominent environmental scientists (including

the environment with large, unsustainable ecologicalformer skeptics like Professor Richard Muller), andfootprints. However, because TES’ standard assessment

proponents of sustainability/ESD to start making use

approach of mostly pen and paper tests often lacks theof the media and directly take their case to the public

skills that performance-based assessment provides,

about the urgency of time. A presentation by Professor

the 21st century (skills) education system (21CE) –Johan Rockström at TED Global in 2010 is one such gooddeveloped by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills forexample.

conceptualising different skill types important for college
and workforce (Kay, 2010) emerged. TES, in addition

4. Current economic crisis and the link to thepresent education system(s)to leaving behind millions of uneducated because they
could not afford it could not also meet the demands ofIronically, this crisis occurred at the time the global

the economic system as it produced students that lackfinancial/economic systems were (and still are) managed

the some of necessary skills That not to say 21CE can orby the brightest from the best schools worldwide inwill solve the problem of inaccessibility to education justthe context of the present education standards. The

like TES. for the jobs available. 21CE whose components

economic crisis has therefore revealed the equalinclude skills that are considered important for reasons

importance of one’s worldview in relation to one’s

including educational and employment outcomes among

knowledge and skills. In the traditional education systemothers, however fails to address or is silent when it(TES), students are taught to seek to gain comparative

comes to the fundamental issue of sustainability of theadvantage over their peers, aim to outcompete them

future of humanity. Furthermore, it does not go far

and get ahead of them as this brings with it big rewards

enough to develop the extra skills that are required toin the form of big paychecks and bonuses in the future.

shape one’s worldview of the planet as much as ESD

This sort of ethos shrouded in greed is strengthened

does.

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Transitioning Towards ESD: A Steady Progression or a Paradigm Shift?

Partly due to its well defined content compared to ESD,

tools. Consideration ought to be given to the assessment

the embrace of 21CE by countries with what qualify

approaches employed particularly in 21CE some of which

presently as good education systems mainly based onmight be useful in informing the development of ESD

international assessment results poses difficulty for theassessment tools which is currently ongoing. Below are

sweeping adoption of ESD especially if the desire for thesome of newly developed tools and frameworks acrosscontinuation of the current economic system persists

scale in the Asia-Pacific region for ESD measurement.

and the popularity of 21CE in these countries increases.
Then there will be no urgency to change or reorient the• Astrolabe: The Asia-Pacific ESD Astrolabe wascurrent systems of education. Even if there is politicallaunched in 2011 as a tool for ESD capacity building

and societal will for such a change, therein lies theand initiatives coordination “to determine the position

tension of how to disengage and dismantle these systemsof ESD in the national context, the Astrolabe assists

and structures of education, the economy and the socio-

countries in taking stock of ESD linkages in national

politics which have taken a long time to build. With

policy, mapping current ESD-related activities andpower dynamics in the mix, creating a sizeable population

identifying key actors and their scale and scope ofof ESD literate people and entities is not necessarily ainvolvement in ESD” (UNESCO BKK, 2013).

guarantee for the needed transition as a few powerful

The next batch of results on ESD assessment/evaluationsocio-political or corporate elites can use their influence(except the last one) are products of a collaborative

to obstruct changes.

project between the United Nations University Instituteof Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS) and the Institute

5. Measuring the progress of ESD implementation

for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) in close

For ESD to assume the position as the quality educationcooperation with UNESCO Asia and Pacific Regional

for the future by reorienting and possibly “reconstituting”

Bureau for Education.

some aspects of the existing education systems towards• ESD monitoring and evaluation framework: This

sustainability and with solid evidence base that canframework has been developed to coordinate thefirmly document and establish it without doubt, further

strategic identification of ESD reporting criteria

research will have to be conducted including developing

as an initial proposal for establishing indicators fortools capable of assessing the progress made on its

monitoring progress, for learning and improvement andimplementation so far especially as the end of theto influence future policy and practice. The indicators

Decade in 2014 draws closer. The more these tools areare ready to undergo further refining after which they

able to assess and evaluate the qualitative aspects ofwill be piloted in several countries.

education and learning, with regard to content, process• Good practice models: These were identified in ten

and outcomes, the greater the chance they will be able togood practice cases submitted by the Regional Centres

contribute to the paradigm shift towards ESD. Focusingof Expertise (RCEs) for analysis to identif y thetherefore on the Asia-Pacific region, nearly eight years

important criteria for ESD qualitative achievements.

after the launch of DESD, in spite of the progress madeThe findings from the case studies highlight fivein several fronts in the region (Wals, 2010), there has

innovative models of ESD good practice that canreally been no systematic way to evaluate the regionalbe implemented elsewhere in addition to providing

implementation of ESD across multiple countries anda window into the dynamics of ESD activities

scale it down to the local level until recently when

implemented by the RCEs.

attempts have been/are being made to develop such

• ESD learning performance framework: The overall－ 78 －

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第 15 巻 (2013)

objective of this aspect of the research was to identify

and content) can provide meaningful tools to re-address

the important elemental characteristics of ESD thatthese types of normative conventions with a flexibility

support effective learning performance subsequently,of contextualisation for various factors and scales (Ofei-

develop a learning performance assessment framework

Manu and Didham, 2012 and several references therein)

for ESD good practice implementation and assessment

keeping in mind that no clear national milestones werebased on these components. This framework thus

set by UNESCO that may be used to determine whether

provides a comprehensive approach to understanding

ESD implementation has been successful or not.

both the processes and contents involved in strategic

Although a steady transition rather than a paradigm

ESD practice. For details on good practice models andshift seems to be the obvious practical choice in the

ESD learning performance framework, see Ofei-Manu

face of the current economic crisis, climate change/

and Didham (2012).

sustainability scepticism and apathy, real and actionable• At the national level, following several governmental

commitment by all members of the global community

policy plans to promote ESD integration into formal

rather than tinkering at the edges of sustainability as

education, the National Institute for Educationalsome beneficiaries of business as usual would prefer,

Policy Research of Japan (NIER) has developed awill not do. It is hoped that irrespective of the speed

framework comprising six concepts, seven abilities

of change towards ESD, the basic vision of the DESD

and attitudes and three guidelines on linkages for ESD

that rests on the principle of using quality education as

implementation in all schools (Kadoya and Goto, 2012;

an effective carrier to effect change in people’s values,

Okamoto et al, 2012).

attitudes and lifestyles to ensure a sustainable future andthe emergence of just societies (UNESCO, 2009) will

It should be noted that the list here is not exhaustive andnot be lost. Rather, it will be channelled into developing

there are developments of similar tools elsewhere, someand fostering a worldview of people that perceives andknown and other unknown by the authors.

understands the urgency of present unsustainable stateof the world that must change course and therefore even

6. Conclusion

be willing to trade off some present conveniences to

The planet is faced with several sustainability challenges

avert a harsher future reality.

which cannot be solved solely by advances in technology,
legislative instruments and policy frameworks (Wals,

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