United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development(2005-2014)

International Implementation Scheme

2005
UNESCO Education Sector

ED/DESD/2005/PI/01
United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development (2005-2014):
International Implementation Scheme

U N E S C O

October 2005

.
.

The authors are responsible for the choice and presentation of the facts
contained in this document and for the opinions expressed therein, which are
not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization.

Section for Education for Sustainable Development (ED/PEQ/ESD)Division for the Promotion of Quality Education,
UNESCO,
7 Place de Fontenoy,
75352 Paris 07 SP, France
fax: 33 1 45 68 56 35
email: esddecade@unesco.org
web: www.unesco.org/education/desd

Cover design: Helmut Langer
Printed in UNESCO’s workshop.

Contents

I. Objective of the International Implementation Scheme

5

II. The United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development

6

A. Goals of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development

6

B. Sustainability issues

7

C. Values

7

D. Linking the Decade to other international educational priorities

8

III. Responsibility for the Decade – a partnership/alliance approach

9

A. Partners

9B. UNESCO’s leadership role15

IV. Key milestones

16

V. Implementing the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development

16

A. Seven strategies for moving forward

16

B. Putting the seven strategies into practice22

C. Infrastructure to support the DESD

23

D. Resources for the DESD

24

Annex I – Background of Education for Sustainable Development

25

INTERNATIONAL IMPLEMENTATIOIN SCHEME

United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development (2005-2014):
International Implementation Scheme

I. Objective of the International Implementation Scheme
In December 2002, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted
resolution 57/254 to put in place a United Nations Decade of Education for
Sustainable Development (DESD), spanning from 2005 to 2014. UNESCO wasrequested to lead the Decade and develop a draft International Implementation
Scheme (IIS) for the Decade. This document fulfils the request for an IIS and is
the result of extensive consultations with United Nations agencies, national
governments, civil society organizations and NGOs, experts and specialists.
Starting with an initial consultation with United Nations partners in
September 2003, UNESCO shared a framework for the IIS worldwide. Morethan two thousand contributions were received, many of these representing theconsolidation of opinions of hundreds. The draft Scheme was widely circulated
and eventually reviewed by leading academics and experts in the field, before it
was submitted, in July 2004, to the High-Level Panel on the Decade, which
advises the Director-General of UNESCO on this topic. It was presented at the59th session of the United Nations General Assembly (New York, 18-19
October 2004), and then at the 171st session of the UNESCO Executive Board(Paris, April 2005).
The IIS sets out a broad framework for all partners to contribute to the
Decade. It is a strategic document that focuses primarily on what nations havecommitted to achieve through the DESD and under UNESCO’s leadership. It
summarizes the goals and objectives of the Decade, and its relationship toother key education movements. It emphasizes the importance of partnershipin the eventual success of the Decade and outlines how these might contributeat all levels – community, national, regional, and international. It outlines
UNESCO’s leadership tasks. The IIS also lists key milestones for the DESD. It
then lays out seven strategies for moving forward with ESD and describes how
this wide range of partners can develop contributions based on their particular
contexts. Those not familiar with the background of the Decade or Educationfor Sustainable Development are referred to Annex I of this document, which
provides a succinct summary of key trends as well as other importantbackground information.
The IIS should foster collective ownership of the DESD. The IIS describes
pathways forward in the hope that it will stimulate imagination, creativity, andenergy to make the DESD a success. It is envisaged that regions and nations
will create plans, strategic approaches, and timetables on the basis of theframework provided by this International Implementation Scheme.

5UN DECADE OF EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

II. The United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development
A. Goals of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable
Development
The United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development is acomplex and far-reaching undertaking.
The environmental, social, andeconomic implications are enormous and touch many aspects of life of theworld’s population. The overall goal of the DESD is to integrate the principles,values, and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of educationand learning. This educational effort will encourage changes in behaviour thatwill create a more sustainable future in terms of environmental integrity,
economic viability, and a just society for present and future generations.
The basic vision of the DESD is a world where everyone has theopportunity to benefit from education and learn the values, behaviour andlifestyles required for a sustainable future and for positive societal
transformation.
The primary goal for the DESD is laid out in the United Nations General
Assembly resolutions 59/237 in which the General Assembly “encourages
Governments to consider the inclusion … of measures to implement the
Decade in their respective education systems and strategies and, whereappropriate, national development plans”. Furthermore, the General Assembly“invites Governments to promote public awareness of and wider participation in
the Decade, inter alia, through cooperation with and initiatives engaging civilsociety and other relevant stakeholders, especially at the beginning of theDecade”.
Within the broad goals established by the General Assembly, subgoals forthe DESD at the national level are to:Provide an opportunity for refining and promoting the vision of andtransition to sustainable development – through all forms of education,
public awareness and training.
Give an enhanced profile to the important role of education and learningin sustainable development.
The objectives for the DESD are to:facilitate networking, linkages, exchange and interaction among
stakeholders in ESD;
foster an increased quality of teaching and learning in education forsustainable development;
help countries make progress towards and attain the millennium
development goals through ESD efforts;
provide countries with new opportunities to incorporate ESD into
education reform efforts.
Recognizing that how sustainable development, and related educational
processes are attained will vary from context to context, these objectives will
share the key tasks for UNESCO to perform in support of Member States
through its role as lead agency of the Decade. UNESCO’s leadership role and,6

INTERNATIONAL IMPLEMENTATIOIN SCHEME

in fact, the task of Member States are also defined by the four major thrusts ofeducation for sustainable development:
improving access to quality basic education;
reorienting existing education programmes;
developing public understanding and awareness.
providing training.1
To set the stage for understanding the IIS, three areas require brief
discussion. These are sustainability issues that need to be included in
educational activities, the role of values in ESD, and the linkages between the
Decade and other educational initiatives.
B. Sustainability issues
ESD prepares people of all walks of life to plan for, cope with, and find solutions
for issues that threaten the sustainability of our planet. Many of these key
issues were identified at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and further
reaffirmed by the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in
Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2002. Understanding and addressing these
global issues of sustainability that affect individual nations and communities areat the heart of ESD. These issues come from the three spheres of sustainable
development – environment, society and economy. Environmental issues likewater and waste affect every nation, as do social issues like employment,
human rights, gender equity, peace and human security. Every country also
has to address economic issues such as poverty reduction and corporate
responsibility and accountability. Major issues that have grabbed global
attention such as HIV/AIDS, migration, climate change and urbanization involve
more than one sphere of sustainability. Such issues are highly complex and will
require broad and sophisticated educational strategies for this and the next
generation of leaders and citizens to find solutions.
Educating to deal with complex issues that threaten planetary
sustainability is the challenge of ESD. Education reform alone will notaccomplish this. It will take a broad and deep effort from many sectors ofsociety.
C. Values
The ways countries decide how to approach sustainable development will beclosely linked to the values held in these societies, for it is these values thatdefine how personal decisions are made and how national legislation is written.
Understanding values is an essential part of understanding an individual’s own
worldview and that of other peoples. Understanding your own values, thevalues of the society you live in, and the values of others around the world is acentral part of educating for a sustainable future. Each nation, cultural group,
and individual must learn the skills of recognizing their own values andassessing these values in the context of sustainability.
United Nations history carries with it a host of values related to humandignity and rights, equity, and care for the environment.
Sustainable
1

These are discussed in greater detail in the last part of this IIS.

7

UN DECADE OF EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

development takes these values a step further and extends them between
generations. With sustainable development comes valuing biodiversity andconservation along with human diversity, inclusivity, and participation. In theeconomic realm, some embrace sufficiency for all and others equity of
economic opportunity. Which values to teach and learn in each ESD
programme is a matter for discussion. The goal is to create a locally relevant
and culturally appropriate values component to ESD that is informed by theprinciples and values inherent in sustainable development.
D. Linking the Decade to other international educational priorities
The DESD starts at a time when a number of other, related international
initiatives are in place, and the GA resolution asked UNESCO to ensure“additive” linkages among them. Thus, it is essential to situate the Decade withrespect to efforts in which the international community is already engaged. In
particular the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) process, the Education for
All (EFA) movement, and the United Nations Literacy Decade (UNLD) haveclose links with aspects of the DESD. All agree on the central importance ofbasic education and the need to extend and enhance its quality.
The eight goals and 18 targets of the Millennium Development Goals
constitute an over-arching framework for international development
cooperation, agreed at the level of the United Nations. The provision ofprimary education and gender equality in education are the two areas
where the MDGs overlap with the EFA agenda – other aspects of basic
education, such as literacy, quality and non-formal education, are implied
as conditions for the realization of the MDGs.
The six EFA goals are concerned with extending the reach of basic
education to every child and adult and with the nature of such provision –it should be available to both female and male learners of all ages,
offering relevant learning and life skills and striving for ever-increasing
quality. While basic education is clearly intended to have a positive
impact on the quality of life and on deprivation, the nature of this impact –and the content of education, which might be most appropriate toachieve it – is a broader question. In other words, the role and provisionof education are central, and this drives the EFA agenda forward; theunderlying purpose of education is either assumed or considered to be amatter for wider socio-political debate.
The UNLD situates itself within the EFA movement, where literacy is athread through all the six goals and a condition for their attainment. As a
key instrument of learning, it must be factored into the realization of all
forms and stages of education. There is no meaningful access to
structured learning opportunities without close attention to the acquisitionof literacy of sufficient quality. In some respects, the UNLD goes beyond
the educational process, by demonstrating strategic links to otheraspects of life – the acquisition and uses of literacy have an impact on
mother and child health, on fertility rates, on income levels, as well as onless tangible effects such as an increase in self-confidence, initiative,
participatory citizenship and cultural self-esteem.
What is the place of the DESD in relation to these significant international
initiatives? It is clear that the concept of sustainable development goes beyond
8INTERNATIONAL IMPLEMENTATIOIN SCHEME

education and touches upon all aspects of the social and institutional fabric. In
this sense, sustainable development provides a way of articulating the overallsocial project and aim of development, alongside other over-arching concepts
such as peace and human rights and economic viability. Education forsustainable development focuses therefore on underlying principles and values
conveyed through education and is more concerned than the other three
initiatives with the content and purpose of education, and, more broadly, oflearning of all kinds. Conceiving and designing ESD also challenges all formsof educational provision to adopt practices and approaches, which foster thevalues of sustainable development. Thus, ESD also addresses pedagogicalprocesses, the validation of knowledge and the functioning of education
institutions.
To summarize:
the MDGs provide a set of tangible and measurable development goals
within which education is a significant input and indicator;
EFA focuses on ways of providing quality educational opportunities toeveryone,
the UNLD concentrates on promoting the key learning tool for all forms ofstructured learning; andthe DESD promotes a set of underlying values, relational processes andbehavioural outcomes, which should characterize learning in all
circumstances.

III. Responsibility for the Decade – a partnership/allianceapproachWith the announcement of the Decade in December 2002, many individuals,organizations, and networks from the educational community stepped forwardwith enthusiasm and optimism to volunteer to work on the DESD. With them
they brought expertise, time, energy and resources – including financial
resources. The resources assembled by governments and stakeholders will
largely affect the success of national responses to the DESD. The most crucial
element to the Decade’s success is the scope of the human resources brought
together, including these enthusiastic volunteers and others who have much tooffer, but have not stepped forward yet.
As the agency designated to take the lead in coordinating the Decade,
UNESCO has to build broad ownership at the very start, through a clear
articulation of the value added by each partner. It also has to build momentum
and participation and sustain the same throughout the Decade. The section
below provides the partnership framework of the Decade, which also serves asa means for identifying the full range of partners that will work together and with
UNESCO to realize the aims of the Decade. This is followed by a summary of
how UNESCO will lead the Decade.
A. Partners
As Table 1 shows, there are partners at all levels – subnational (local,
community), national, regional and international, and from all spheres –9

UN DECADE OF EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

governmental, civil society and NGOs, and private. The list will be added to or
modified during the process of implementation of the Decade.
Table 1: A sample list of potential partners in DESD
Governmental
provincial/state/dist
rict departments ofeducation anddevelopment
sectorsmunicipal
authorities
schools, adultlearning
programmes
national
government
departments ofeducation anddevelopment
sectors
universities andresearch institutes
EFA networks

Civil society & NGOs
Community-basedorganisations
local sections ofNGOsfaith-based groups
village development
committees
adult learning groups

Privatelocal businessclans andfamilies
individuals

national NGOs andNGO coalitions
branches ofinternational NGOs
faith-basedorganisations
teachers’
associations andtrade unions

private sectorbusinesses
business
associations

Regional

regional intergovernmentalgroupings
regional EFA
networks

regional CS andNGO groupings andnetworks

regional businessassociations

International

CSD
EFA High-Level
and Working
GroupsUNDG member
agencies
UN agencies andBretton Woods
institutions
Millennium Project
Task Forces
official/semi-official
watchdog bodies

sustainable
development
education networks
NGO UNESCO
Liaison Committee
CCNGO/EFA
Global Campaign for
Educationinternational
environmental NGOsinternational
associations ofbusinesses (eg inthe extractive
sector)
TNCs (eg media
corporations)

Subnational

National

With such an enormous and diverse group of potential partners, there is aneed to focus on networks and alliances. Participation, ownership andcommitment will build the Decade’s momentum. How can this be promoted?
What mechanisms can be identified to structure the necessary communicationand dialogue? Leadership and inputs at all levels are necessary to initiate suchprocesses.
This section makes several proposals in response to these questions,beginning with a focus on mechanisms which will give voice to the local level –10

INTERNATIONAL IMPLEMENTATIOIN SCHEME

a “bottom-up approach”. Tables 2 through 5 provide suggestions at the
subnational (community), national, regional and international levels.
Subnational (community) level
The term “community” is used here in a broad sense to indicate those whoshare a common milieu and therefore face an interlocking set of challenges insustainable development. Table 2 illustrates examples in terms of action andbroader cooperation.
Table 2: Subnational (community)-level cooperation
Actors at community Working individually to:level
Community-based
integrate ESD into
institutions andregular learning activities
organisations suchand programmes
as schools, school
identify and implement
support groups,
learning strategies
culturalassociations, youth
organisations,cooperatives, faithbased groupings,
self-help groups,
development
committees

Cooperating in ad hoc orformal local groupings to:
identify local sustainable
development challenges
integrate local knowledge
and skills into ESD
exchange ESD
experiences and learn
lessons for better practiceNational level
The Decade exists as a result of the requests of national governments bothwithin the United Nations General Assembly and at UNESCO. Strong support
for ESD at the United Nations Commission for Sustainable Development (CSD)
meetings shows that governments from around the world recognize theimportant roles of education, public awareness, and training for sustainable
development. Making the DESD a success, however, will depend largely uponactions taken by governments within their own countries. While the IIS does notsuggest that national DESD plans are limited to government ministries, thesegovernment departments do have a major role to play in order to ensure theanticipated outcomes.
It is clear that input and leadership will be required to establish and initiate
such processes. Input can be provided as governments and civil society
networks distribute, in appropriately modified form for national circumstances,
the guidance materials produced internationally – their principal emphasis will
be how to generate local debate and identify locally relevant issues.
Government departments at local level as well as civil society organizations
could give leadership in forming ad hoc groupings. Table 3 illustrates many
ways in which such important input and leadership can be provided. However,
the importance of locally relevant action in ESD means that no one pattern canor should be mandated.

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UN DECADE OF EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Table 3: National-level cooperation
Actors at national
level
Education ministry
and other relevant
ministries

Working individually to:provide a national policy
framework for ESD
budget and mobilise
resources
support sub-national
departments
foster public awarenesson ESD and SD

Working together as annational ESD task force to:debate and recommend
ESD policy options whichreflect local-level
experience andchallenges
integrate ESD into EFA
and UNLD planning in thecontext of the EFA forum

NGOs, NGO and civilsociety networks andalliancesfacilitate exchange andinformation sharing
among their members
about ESD practices andexperiences

Media groups andagencies

integrate ESD and SD
awareness building intomedia strategies

identify research issues in
ESD and plan cooperative
research projects

Private sector
companies and tradeassociations

provide a forum toidentify SD challenges
they face, and identify
necessary learning
needs

identify capacity-building
needs and the actor bestplaced to meet themprovide a forum forexchange of experience,
positive and negative, in
ESD

develop relevant
monitoring indicators for
ESD

At national level, the objectives of an integrated approach to the DESD
from government ministries at all levels are to:declare ESD a priority and where possible to incorporate it into nationalsustainable development plans and national education plans;align policy, mandates, and other such frameworks to support ESD;
enable widespread awareness and understanding of education forsustainable development;
assist educators and trainers with the relevant knowledge andinformation to address ESD;
promote research and development for ESD;
build cooperative networks of human and financial capital.
Building a national plan is an important initial step in creating a national
response to the DESD. One approach includes building inter-ministerial(health, employment, environment, education, finance, statistics, planning, andresource management, etc.) teams or committees. In this approach, the whole
government addresses issues for a more sustainable future and education forsustainable development. This approach is desirable because education forsustainable development is the responsibility of all ministries, not simply one or
two ministries, such as education or environment.

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INTERNATIONAL IMPLEMENTATIOIN SCHEME

Regional level
Wider regional groupings for ESD will be useful coordinating bodies also.
However, since EFA regional forums exist (or at least EFA regional meetings
take place), it would be best to organize ESD regional groups in conjunction
with them. Since ESD draws potentially on a wider range of actors/sectors, thiswould have the advantage of including such participants in the EFA meeting.
(Indeed, cross-sectoral links are a key concern of EFA). Examples of regional
processes are illustrated in Table 4.
Table 4: Regional level cooperation
Actors at regionallevel

Working individually to:

National government
representatives(see national level)

Regional
intergovernmentalorganisations

support national-level
policy-making
foster exchange ofexperience andinformation

Regional civil society
and NGO networks,
coalitions andalliances

foster exchange andlearning among member
networks andorganisations

Regional mediagroupings

share media strategies
for SD and ESD

Regional private
sector associations

promote cooperation ofprivate sector with otheractors in ESD

Regional
representatives ofinternational agencies

learn and communicate
common lessons fromcross-national
experiencefacilitate cross-national
exchange on ESD

Regional
representatives ofbilateral cooperationassess ways to support
national and regional
ESD initiatives

Working together as aregional ESD group to:

conduct regional
consultations on priorities
for DESD
share policies, practices,knowledge and progress
identify common
challenges
learn from diverse
strategies
forge consensus onregional challenges andactionorganise cross-national
training and capacitybuilding

United Nations Regions are also working on Decade efforts in acollaborative manner. For example, the Asia-Pacific region held a major
planning meeting in Bangkok in 2004 and held a regional launch of the Decadein Nagoya, Japan in June 2005. The United Nations Economic Commission for
Europe (UNECE) has been working on the DESD for several years and held its
regional launch of the Decade in Lithuania, in March of 2005. The UNECE
region has the following as the aim of their implementation strategy:

13

UN DECADE OF EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT“The aim of this Strategy is to encourage UNECE member States
to develop and incorporate ESD into their formal education
systems, in all relevant subjects, and in non-formal and informal
education.”
The Latin America and Caribbean Region (LAC) has developed its
Regional Plan and the other United Nations Regions are under way. These
United Nations Regional Strategies take into account the overarching goals of
the Decade and build regionally relevant approaches to address the realities ofneeds, priorities, and resources in their respective regions.
The IIS encourages all regions to assemble representatives of every
nation in the region and other appropriate stakeholders to not only prepare a
strategy for the DESD but to also be a catalyst in its implementation. A
Regional Strategy could include a general plan of action, aims and objectives,
key themes or priorities for the region, expected outcomes, mechanisms for
coordination and cooperation, roles and responsibilities, avenues for monitoringand evaluation, and resources – both financial and human. The Regional
Strategy could also include provisions for revision throughout the Decade.
International level
There are already several forums where ESD issues can and should beprominently and regularly on the agenda. For example, the Commission for
Sustainable Development (CSD), relevant conferences of all United Nations
agencies, programmes and organizations, NGO networks and various EFA andliteracy meetings. These are depicted in Table 5.
Table 5: International cooperation
Actors atinternational level
International Ad hoc
Working GroupIntergovernmental
agencies(United Nations andothers)14

Working individually to:gather information on
developments in ESD
and emerging priorities
promoting DESD

contribute to Inter-Agency
Task Force
integrate ESD planning
into relevant work plans
and initiatives
participate in internationaland regional forums

Working together invarious forums to:advise UNESCO on
developments andemerging priorities in ESD
assist UNESCO in forming
partnerships anddeveloping projects insupport of DESD
keep ESD high on the CSD
agendamobilize political will andstrengthen mutualcommitment, through
CSD, or an Inter-Agency
Task ForceINTERNATIONAL IMPLEMENTATIOIN SCHEME

UNESCO2(DESD Lead Agency)

promotion and capacitybuilding for ESD and
DESD within and across
UNESCO sectors
advocacy andcommunication withinternational community
building partnerships andcollective momentum

Civil society and NGO
networks

promote interregional
exchange and learning
inform members of ESD
developments

Bilateral andmultilateraldevelopment
agencies

integrate ESD into
programmes andbudgets
promote research in ESD

integrate ESD into EFA
agendas (Monitoring
Report, High-Level andWorking Groups)
foster global exchange ofpractice, policy andprogressorganize international,
regional and subregional
capacity-building
workshops, andconferences to advance
DESD and ESD

Keeping with the principles of sustainability, stakeholders of all varieties
will be invited to participate in a transparent process to formulate each nation’s
response. Stakeholders of all kinds have the right to take part in the Decadefrom the initial stages of visioning to implementation. The organizers of theDecade, whether appointed by a government or hired by a national committee,
have the responsibility to ensure that stakeholders from majority and minority
groups alike are invited to join the public participation processes. The
organizers also have the responsibility to make the planning process inclusive,
democratic, and transparent, not secretive. It is the organizers responsibility toreport back to stakeholders through regular reports. The reports should reflect
stakeholders’ inputs and opinions, acknowledging that they were heard andtheir efforts validated. Through ongoing stakeholder participation, energy andenthusiasm for ESD will continue through the Decade and beyond 2014.
B. UNESCO’s leadership role
UNESCO’s role as lead of the DESD will be fully in line with UNESCO’s
functions as laboratory of ideas, standard-setter, clearing house, capacitybuilder and promoter of international cooperation. UNESCO will be proactive,
and all of the parts of the Organization will work together in an intersectoral
manner, to demonstrate the strong leadership and coordination role atinternational level that UNESCO can and will play to ensure efficiency andsuccess to the Decade. The Organization will use its DESD coordination roleto:catalyse new partnerships with the private sector, with youth, and withmedia groups;
encourage monitoring and evaluation;encourage a research agenda and serve as forum for relevant researchon ESD;2

See following section for more details on UNESCO’s role.

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UN DECADE OF EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

serve as forum for bringing together important stakeholders in the
Decade such as: representatives of key multinationals, faith-based
institutions, youth associations, indigenous people, etc.;
share good ESD practices;
link Member States that have put in place ESD curricula, policies,
research, etc., with those Member States that are requesting help;
convene flexible working groups on particular topics; andfulfil its strategic role with regard to ESD.

IV. Key milestones
The Decade is a commitment that will be implemented by Member Statesaccording to their priorities and approaches. It also represents a common
understanding, as outlined in the relevant GA resolutions, to work towards
common goals and objectives. Thus, it is important that some common
milestones be identified that can be addressed by all actors. These include:
clearly identifiable plans and/or activities in place in Member States;
identified focal points in Member States with reporting responsibilities;
regional plans or strategies. These may also be present at subregional
levels;indicators of progress and mechanisms for monitoring their achievement;
identified sources for technical assistance and examples of goodpractice;
information sharing on relevant research, development and innovation;
modalities for fostering partnerships;
provision of guidance in key areas;
mid-Decade and end-of-Decade reports to the GA.
UNESCO, in its international coordination role, will work with all partners todevelop means and timelines (where appropriate) for the above.

V. Implementing the United Nations Decade of Education for
Sustainable Development
This section focuses on how nations, groups and individuals can undertake theirappropriate roles in being actors in the Decade by contributing to the milestones
listed above. It addresses the Decade’s implementation strategies, examples ofapplying them, and infrastructure and resources for the Decade.
A. Seven strategies for moving forward
The global consultation to prepare the International Implementation Scheme led
to identifying the following seven strategies as essential for moving forward withcreating regional, national, and sub-national implementation strategies andplans. All seven should be thoughtfully incorporated into the initial process tocreate an implementation plan, and again all seven should be part of any
16

INTERNATIONAL IMPLEMENTATIOIN SCHEME

implementation plan. Through incorporating these strategies, such as public
consultation, organizers will discover that many educational programmes
related to education reform, corporate training, and public information
campaigns already exist.
The DESD is in part about integrating andcoordinating the activities from these various existing efforts in the threespheres of sustainable development and the four thrusts into the overall ESD
plan.
Moving forward will require a wide range of activities – from preparing
media releases to funding proposals; from hosting meetings to producing
detailed action frameworks; from staging events to adapting existing curricula.
As most countries’ DESD action plans will involve voluntary participation, theneed for coordination and follow-through will be crucial. UNESCO has
produced a more detailed list of suggestions titled “Guidance for the Preparationof National Launches and Activities of the United Nations Decade of Educationfor Sustainable Development” that can be found on the UNESCO website(www.unesco.org/education/desd) to assist in the early stages of planningnational or local implementation strategies.
While the range of activities will vary widely, stakeholders can apply thefollowing seven strategies both in their own institutional frameworks and in the
networks and alliances in which they function:
vision-building and advocacy;
consultation and ownership;partnership and networks;
capacity-building and training;
research and innovation;use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs);monitoring and evaluation.
1. Vision-building and advocacy
In order to create ESD programmes, people must envision what it means to live
within environmental limits, to interact in peaceable, equitable, and just ways,
and work sustainably. Building visions of a more sustainable world enables
ESD to take root in local communities. ESD efforts can capitalize on the visionbuilding that has already been undertaken in developing local Agenda 21s inmany countries and communities. Most importantly, awareness should result inan understanding that the actions of an individual or a group can affect the livesof others and the social, economic, and environmental situations locally andabroad.
Beyond envisioning a sustainable future, the success of the DESD
requires widespread advocacy to promote ESD. Advocacy should take place at
all levels and involve all stakeholders. Governments and civil society should
maintain a permanent dialogue in which issues are aired and where common
agendas are forged through ongoing conversation, debate, and mutual learning.
Because of its broad and deep impact, the media has a very important role toplay in advocating for a more sustainable future. Media can share informationand knowledge thus raising public awareness. The media can also change

17UN DECADE OF EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

attitudes, mobilize support, and in the end alter policies. The media holds apivotal advocacy position for ESD.
2. Consultation and ownership
An international decade provides the opportunity to develop worldwide
momentum in ESD; however, such momentum will be built and maintained tothe extent to which stakeholders at every level create and own the vision for
ESD.
Ownership by stakeholders depends on consultation and wide
participation in visioning, policy formulation, planning, and implementing.
Governments have a particular responsibility to initiate public participation
processes and establish forums for hearing a wide variety of opinions from all
stakeholders. Public participation not only improves the quality of governmental
decisions, but also effectively resolves conflict among competing interests,
builds trust in institutions, and educates and informs the public. Consultation
should include:transparent and widely advertised processes of public participation anddecision-making.
processes to solicit input from civil society and private sector
stakeholders and to incorporate their responses and desires into national
plans and initiatives;
orderly debate and committee work;ongoing contact with stakeholders involved in the visioning and otherprocesses and providing progress reports regularly;
timely publication of government reports, policy proposals and budgetaryprovisions;Public awareness campaigns that invite feedback and comment;
Commissioned relevant research and its transparent use in evidencebased policy-making.
These processes apply at national and sub-national levels. Similar
consultation mechanisms are used both at regional and international levels.
3. Partnership and networks
Education for sustainable development is fundamentally cross-sectoral andengages a wide variety of institutions. The effectiveness of the DESD will
depend on the strength and inclusiveness of the partnerships, networks, andalliances that develop among stakeholders at all levels. From the outset, DESD
partners must look outward, seeking to make connections with initiatives,
programmes, groups, and networks to promote, plan, and implement ESD.
Particular attention must be paid to connecting national governments with their
populations because of their central coordinating role and ability to allocate
resources. Civil society networks with their grass-roots connections can enable
ESD messages to fan out to local levels and to inform formal mechanisms. The
Decade will be more successful if partners build on existing networks andprojects, building synergy and cooperation.
The diversity of perspectives represented by partners means that there will
be multiple entry points for participation in the Decade; where one comes in18

INTERNATIONAL IMPLEMENTATIOIN SCHEME

from an environmental perspective, another may be concerned with sustainableeconomic growth and yet another with sociocultural perspectives. The added
value of the Decade is that it recognizes that these perspectives are linked andit provides a place where these interests can collectively shape the common
endeavour of ESD.
A key aspect of partnerships and networking will be the regular andsystematic exchange of experience and information with regard to ESD. This
will be an essential feature of the coordination of the Decade at each level, andparticularly at regional and international levels. Knowing what others are doingaround the world is a significant source of learning and innovation, andfrequently an encouragement and motivational force to persevere in the longterm.
4. Capacity-building and training
DESD will require a variety of capacities. The partners and networks involvedin the effort have the necessary skills and knowledge to make the Decade a
success; it is a matter of sharing them effectively. Partners from a variety offields that contribute to ESD (e.g., environmental education, population
education and consumer education) have expertise in all the capacity-building
skills (e.g. strategic planning, networking, materials development andevaluation) that ESD players need, and the Decade provides an opportunity fordeveloping mechanisms for learning from one another.
One major group that is worthy of special mention in terms of capacitybuilding and training are teacher educators along with pre-service and inservice teachers. Through many contact hours in the classroom, the world’s 60
million teachers mould the knowledge base and worldviews of millions ofchildren. If pre-service and in-service teachers learn to weave ESD issues into
the curriculum and to use pedagogical techniques associated with quality ESD,
then the next generation will be capable of shaping a more sustainable world.
5. Research, development and innovation
Research and Development. By applying what we already know fromeducational research and best practices to inform ESD, the educational
community can make rapid progress in the initial stages of the Decade andensure greater quality.
Knowledge societies around the world can provide the content for ESD.
Traditionally there is a lag of about 10 or more years for new discoveries to beincorporated into school curricula and other educational programmes. The
DESD gives the educational community the incentive to incorporate the mostrecent information and research into programmes.
DESD efforts need to be informed by research and development. Many
research and development agendas will be necessary to address the needs ofbasic education, higher education, training, public awareness, media, etc.
Research and development efforts to support the DESD have many purposes,
such as to:gather baseline information and creating longitudinal studies to evaluate
the affect of new ESD programmes;
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UN DECADE OF EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

gather data to share with politicians and ministry officials to show that
ESD programmes are effective and worthy of funding;document successes to replicate them and document failures, so as not
to repeat them;use data rather than assertions to help construct arguments that ESD isgood education;
identify appropriate ESD pedagogy;
advance the conceptual and theoretical development of ESD;
identify linkages between ESD with other aspects of learning (e.g.
literacy, numeracy, natural science, social science) and with modes ofdevelopment intervention (e.g. sectoral projects, community
mobilization);increase research on quality teaching and learning approaches for ESD
to help learning become more transformative in nature.
Innovation. Ultimately, the DESD aims for ESD to be implemented inthousands of local situations. This will involve the integration of ESD into a
multitude of different learning situations. No standardized programme can orshould be proposed. A number of processes already exist to help communities
create locally relevant and culturally appropriate ESD programmes, such as:processes used to identify community sustainability goals such as thoseused by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives(ICLEI) to help communities around the world create local Agenda 21s;
processes to reorient education to address sustainability in locally
relevant and culturally appropriate fashion, such as those used in the
Education for Sustainable Development Toolkit (www.esdtoolkit.org);
possible pedagogical methods such as those featured in Teaching and
Learning for a Sustainable Future on the UNESCO website(www.unesco.org/education/tlsf);
ways of fostering links between the learning situation (school, adultprogramme, etc.) and the community, such as monitoring environmental
change – for example, those used in the United Nations Decade of
Water;
processes of public participation for integrating indigenous, traditional,
and local knowledge and culture into ESD programmes;
building upon the learning from years of environmental, health, peace,
economic, human rights, and development education networks aroundthe world that for many years have used innovation to deliver valuable
services in difficult situations.
Other processes and cultural variations of those listed above, can be
developed as needed. All will require innovation to capture the uniqueconditions and infuse them into ESD programmes.
6. Use of Information and Communication Technologies
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are the lifeblood of any
large international initiative such as a United Nations Decade. DESD will make
optimum utilization of ICTs as means of linking distant partners, storing data,
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INTERNATIONAL IMPLEMENTATIOIN SCHEME

and sharing information rapidly. Also, ICTs will facilitate administering large
logistical enterprises. Beyond these uses, ICTs have particular links andimplications with ESD:
ICTs are central to basic knowledge economies where wealth isgenerated by the transfer and use of information in ways that use fewer
natural resources – such as paper, ink, and energy for transporting
copies – than earlier methods. In itself, this is a factor in the moresustainable use of the environment, and therefore a key lesson in ESD.
ICTs offer new learning modes and spaces. Distance learning has long
been dependent on radio, TV and postal systems. The Internet offers
new options and interactivity. This represents an opportunity for thewidespread dissemination of ESD in ways that offer options of individual
pace, assignments and assistance from an instructor.
Where ICTs are accessible to learners, they can serve to provide spacesforglobaldialogue.
The
Small
Islands
Voice(www.smallislandsvoice.org), for example, links the general public andyouth of island communities of the Caribbean, Indian Ocean and thePacific, sharing experiences and concerns and building consensus andmutual support for sustainable development.
Foster life-long learning skills in that students search for and findinformation, sort it for relevance, ask questions and synthesize, thus
learning to be independent learners.
However, ICTs are far from being universally available – cost,
infrastructure, energy supply, and Internet connections – both by telephone andwireless – are all factors, which mean that the digital divide is by no means
bridged. While innovative ways will be sought to make ICTs increasingly
accessible during the Decade, in many places older technologies will continue
to reach many people. In addition, the importance of local knowledge insustainable development implies that local and creative use of information
technology systems will be part of a dynamic ESD – the active generation, use
and sharing of knowledge, rather than merely a passive acceptance of otherpeople’s knowledge found on the Web and other ICTs.
7. Monitoring and evaluation
Monitoring and evaluation will become key strategies to ascertain the changes
and impact of the Decade. An initiative as long and as complex as a Decademust benefit from adequate processes of monitoring and evaluation from thestart. Without that, it will be impossible to know if the Decade is making a
difference and what that difference is. A key aspect of monitoring andevaluation will be the identification of suitable and relevant indicators at every
level – local, national, regional and international – and for each initiative andprogramme.
As the Decade puts major emphasis on cooperation through the
integration of ESD concerns into existing networks and alliances, each groupingshould set up its own objectives, outcomes and indicators within the Decade
framework. Thus monitoring and evaluation will take place at many levels,
national, regional, local, institutional, etc. and will be an integral part of new
initiatives and directions, which the Decade may stimulate. Both qualitative and21

UN DECADE OF EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

quantitative evaluation methods will be necessary to track the DESD as well as
longitudinal and community-wide studies.
Monitoring and evaluation can be expensive. Each ESD effort must
balance the responsibility of collecting enough information to show that
progress is being made and that ESD is effective at reaching goals against thecost. The education community cannot afford to put ESD programmes in place
without evaluating them, however, it must minimize the expenditures that it doesmake.
As part of this process, UNESCO will work closely with other international
monitoring initiatives, including the EFA Global Monitoring Report, the United
Nations Literacy Decade monitoring initiatives and the ongoing monitoring of theMillennium Development Goals. The results of monitoring and evaluation will
be used for the assessment and reorientation of programmes during the courseof the Decade, in order to ensure ongoing relevance and effectiveness.
B. Putting the seven strategies into practiceTable 6 was created to assist nations to incorporate the seven strategies
described above into the process to create an implementation plan for ESD bygiving examples.
Table 6: Incorporating the seven strategies
Strategy
Vision-Building and
Advocacy

Consultation and Ownership

Partnership and Networks

Examples• Lobby to embed ESD in government policies anddevelopment plans.
• Establish a need for ESD by promoting the benefitsof ESD.
• Model transparency and inclusivity in conducting
public participation events.
• Open the DESD consultation processes to allinterested organizations and individuals.
• Identify roles and responsibilities for stakeholders.
• Actively seek a wide range of stakeholders.
• Identify existing advocates and work in unison.
• Identify partners and networks in all four thrusts of
ESD.

Capacity-building andTraining• Address professional development needs at alllevels including leadership.
• Build upon existing actors and expertise including
NGOs, private sector, and civil society.
• Link to ongoing local and national sustainability
initiatives.

Research, Development andInnovation• Develop ESD materials to fill curricular gaps anddevelop associated assessment instruments.
• Create research and development agendas for all
four thrusts of ESD.
• Disseminate ESD research, development andinnovative practices to practitioners.

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INTERNATIONAL IMPLEMENTATIOIN SCHEME

Information &Communication
Technologies

Monitoring and Evaluation• Explore how sustainable development messages
can be infused in games and popular culture
through ICTs.
• Use ICTs in training and in-service professional
development activities.
• Use ICTs to reach geographically isolated
populations.
• Develop indicators to assess the impact of the
DESD.
• Gather baseline data and set up longitudinalstudies.
• Use data from EFA and other initiatives to trackprogress.

C. Infrastructure to support the DESD
Key elements of an appropriate infrastructure will need to be defined either
initially or in conjunction with partners depending upon the national context. In
many countries, the United Nations Regional community has already paved theway with ESD strategies. An example of possible elements of DESD
infrastructure at the national level is given below in Table 7.
Table 7: Possible elements of DESD infrastructure
Infrastructure elements
Leadership

Examples• Chair or Co-Chairs elected by the committee
members or appointed by government.
• Transparent decision-making processes.
• Articulate leader with ESD experience.

Governance structures• Bylaws and charters that are open to the public.
• Democratic processes of governance.
• Representation of the breadth of ESD.

Administrative support• Office and equipment to support the staff.
• Responsive to public needs.
• Adequate staffing.

Human resources

Financial resources

Material resources• Balanced representation of environment, society,and economy.
• Capable of influencing leaders, media, private
sector, etc.
• Sufficient staff to coordinate volunteers• To hire paid staff.
• For travel to engage partners and present a casefor DESD.
• To monitor progress and publish reports.
• Access to Internet, DESD publications, etc.
• Information on national and local sustainability
issues.

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UN DECADE OF EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT• Office equipped
volunteers.

Operating procedures

Accountability

Evaluation, tracking andreportingVision-building

Engagement and retention

toaccept

paid

staff

and

• Clear mandate regarding the scope of the work.
• Clear understanding of roles, rights andresponsibilities.
• Due process for partner disagreements.
• Ensuring delivery of funded projects.
• Solid fiscal accounting practices.
• To partners and stakeholders.
• System for recording DESD activities.
• Monitoring and evaluating the impact of DESD
activities.
• Liaison with national and international monitoring
units.
• Input from a wide range of civil society.
• Access to accurate sustainability issue researchand information in all three spheres.
• Address all four thrusts of ESD.
• Actively seek members from all sectors of civilsociety.
• Celebrate and thank members for successes.
• Manage volunteers to consider their available
time in assigning realistic workloads.

D. Resources for the DESD
Implementing the DESD will require leadership, planning and resources – bothhuman and financial. So far, much of the financing of the DESD is coming
through reallocating resources from existing initiatives and few new resources
have been allocated. While the initial work of the Decade has begun in thismanner, this cannot sustain the momentum of DESD, which has wide- and farreaching implications. The IIS urges governments and other potential funding
sources to assess the existing resources and needs related to ESD in theirjurisdictions and to reallocate existing resources and find ways to create new
resources.
Even with linking existing programmes to ESD, a need for new resources
exists. Additional human resources and funding will be necessary to augment
current resources. For example, engaging the world’s nearly 60 million
teachers and countless non-formal educators in professional development tolearn pedagogy and best practices associated with ESD is expensive, butnecessary. Governments are faced with setting funding priorities and balancing
competing demands. In the case of the DESD, the short-term demands forfunding the start-up of the Decade will be offset by the long-term gains increating a more sustainable future.

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Annex I – Background of Education for Sustainable
Development
For those less familiar with the evolution of the DESD and its origins, thissection provides, very briefly, that background. It summarizes the origin of
ESD, demonstrates the critical links between quality education and ESD,
outlines the four major educational thrusts of ESD, and lists ESD’s key
characteristics.
A. Origins of Education for Sustainable Development
Education for sustainable development has its roots in the history of two distinct
areas of interest of the United Nations – education and sustainable
development.
In 1948, the Declaration of Human Rights stated, “Everyone has the rightto education”. This right to an education was reinforced by the Convention on
the Right of the Child (CRC) in 1989, which declares that primary education
should be compulsory and available free to all. The CRC further states thatchildren may not be excluded from any right, including education, based on
race, sex, disability, economic status.
In 1990, the Jomtien Declaration on Education for All (EFA) declared,“Basic education should be provided to all children, youth and adults. To thisend, basic education services of quality should be expanded and consistentmeasures must be taken to reduce disparities”. (World Declaration Education
for All, 1990, Article II – Shaping the Vision). The Declaration also points out
gender disparity and how to address it. “The most urgent priority is to ensure
access to, and improve the quality of, education for girls and women, and to
remove every obstacle that hampers their active participation. All genderstereotyping in education should be eliminated.” (World Declaration Education
for All, 1990, Article III – Universalizing access and promoting equity).
Furthermore, international development targets (IDT) have beendeveloped related to quality education. The Dakar Framework for Action lists
six important educational goals. The sixth is “Improving all aspects of thequality of education so that recognized and measurable learning outcomes areachieved, especially, in literacy, numeracy and essential life skills”. The
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) also address education. MDG 2 is to“Achieve universal primary education”. The corresponding IDT states “Ensure
that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to completea full course of primary schooling”. MDG 3 is to “Promote gender equality andempower women”. The corresponding IDT states, “Eliminate gender disparity inprimary and secondary education, preferably by 2005, and in all levels of
education no later than 2015” (United Nations Millennium Project, 2005).
Furthermore, the UNGA declared 2003 to 2012 to be the United Nations
Decade of Literacy (UNLD). Obviously, the importance of education for all has
been addressed by the United Nations repeatedly over its entire history.
Sustainable development has its roots in United Nations history in theenvironmental movement. Much of today’s work in sustainable development
can be traced back for several decades. Many milestones have marked the25

UN DECADE OF EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

journey towards sustainable development including the landmark 1972 United
Nations Conference on Human Environment in Stockholm, which led to theestablishing of many environmental protection agencies and the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP). Nations realized that the widespread growthof environmental degradation needed international attention and collaboration
rather than national approaches and solutions. While some attention was
attached to the social and economic issues inherent in these environmental
issues the focus was largely on addressing the ecological impact of everincreasing unrestricted development. Within 10 years of Stockholm the world
was realizing that treating environmental concerns in isolation of development
needs, such as grinding poverty for a large segment of humanity, was not going
to serve either the environment or people. Hence, by the mid 1980’s the United
Nations launched a search for a larger strategy to address both the needs ofsociety and the environment. In 1987 with Our Common Future, the Report ofthe Brundtland Commission, sustainable development was endorsed as an
overarching framework or construct for future development policy at all levels ofgovernment.
From the time sustainable development was first endorsed in 1987, theUnited Nations General Assembly explored the parallel concept of education to
support sustainable development. From 1987 to 1992, the concept ofsustainable development matured as committees discussed, negotiated, andwrote the 40 chapters of Agenda 21. Thoughts concerning education andsustainability were initially captured in Chapter 36 of Agenda 21, “Promoting
Education, Public Awareness, and Training”. In addition, education as anenabling or implementation strategy was embedded in each of the 40 chaptersof Agenda 21 and each of the negotiated Conventions arising from the Earth
Summit. As well, every one of the nine major United Nations Conferences of
the 1990s that further addressed and refined sustainability issues, identified
education in its broadest terms as crucial in implementing the Conference
action strategies.3
The Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in
2002, helped in deepening the commitments towards sustainable development
at all levels, from the local to the global. The Summit proposed the Decade of
Education for Sustainable Development (DESD), signaling that education andlearning lie at the heart of approaches to sustainable development.
The DESD is the next step in the long United Nations history of supporting
both education and sustainable development. The DESD ties the ongoinginterest in education to the current overarching theme of sustainable
development. It is a powerful concept that could ignite the interests of people
around the world to use education as a tool to shape a more sustainable future.
The recently published Millennium Ecosystem Assessment states that
action taken to date is insufficient at best. More informed and strategic
measures are needed to address the goals of poverty and hunger alleviation,
improved human health, and environmental protection.

3

The nine post Rio conferences: World Summit for Children, 1990; World Conference on Education for All, 1990;
International Conference on Population and Development, 1992; United Nations Global Conference on the Sustainable
Development of Small Island Developing States, 1994; World Summit for Social Development, 1995; Fourth World
Conference on Women, 1995; Second UN Conference on Human Settlements, 1996; World Food Summit, 1996; andWorld Education Forum, 2000 (UNESCO 2002).

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INTERNATIONAL IMPLEMENTATIOIN SCHEME

B. Quality education
EFA and the MDGs introduced the concept of quality education into their goals
and international development targets. Providing any education, regardless ofquality, is not the goal. A myth exists that access must come before quality.
Both can occur simultaneously. A large debate continues about what a quality
education is.
“Quality has become a dynamic concept that has constantly toadapt to a world whose societies are undergoing profound socialand economic transformation. Encouragement for future-oriented
thinking and anticipation is gaining importance. Old notions ofquality are no longer enough … despite the different contexts there
are many common elements in the pursuit of a quality education,
which should equip all people, women and men, to be fully
participating members of their own communities and also citizensof the world” (Ministerial Round Table on Quality Education,
UNESCO, 2003, p. 1).
At this point in time, quality education has essential characteristics thatcan be implemented in many culturally appropriate forms.
Quality education:
supports a rights-based approach to all educational endeavours.
Education is a human right, and therefore quality education supports allof the human rights;
is based on the four pillars of Education for All – learning to know,
learning to do, learning to live together and with others, and learning tobe (Delors, et al., 1996);
views the learner as an individual, a family member, community member,and a global citizen and educates to create individual competency in all
four roles;
upholds and conveys the ideals of a sustainable world – a world that isjust, equitable, and peaceable, in which individuals care for theenvironment to contribute to intergenerational equity;
takes into consideration the social, economic, and environmental
contexts of a particular place and shapes the curriculum or programme toreflect these unique conditions. Quality education is locally relevant andculturally appropriate;
is informed by the past (e.g. indigenous and traditional knowledge), isrelevant to the present, and prepares individuals for the future;builds knowledge, life skills, perspectives, attitudes and values;
provides the tools to transform current societies to more sustainable
societies;
is measurable.
C. Education for Sustainable Development
Education is held to be central to sustainability. Indeed, education andsustainability are inextricably linked, but the distinction between education as
we know it and education for sustainability is enigmatic for many. ESD carries
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UN DECADE OF EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

with it the inherent idea of implementing programmes that are locally relevant
and culturally appropriate. All sustainable development programmes, including
ESD, must consider the three spheres of sustainability – environment, society(including culture), and economy. Because ESD addresses the local contextsof these three spheres, it will take many forms around the world.
Education for sustainable development is based on ideals and principles
that underlie sustainability, such as intergenerational equity, gender equity,
social tolerance, poverty alleviation, environmental preservation and restoration,
natural resource conservation, and just and peaceable societies. The Rio
Declaration contains 27 principles of sustainability. For example:
people are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony withnature;the right to development must be fulfilled so as to equitably meetdevelopmental and environmental needs of present and future
generations;
eradicating poverty and reducing disparities in living standards in
different parts of the world are essential to sustainable development(Keating, 1993).
These principles can help governments, communities, and school systems
identify knowledge, principles, skills and values on which they will create ESD orreorient existing education to address sustainability.

D. Four major thrusts of Education for Sustainable Development
Chapter 36 of Agenda 21 identified four major thrusts of education to support asustainable future.
Improving access to quality basic education. The first priority of ESD
is improving the access to and quality of basic education. The content andyears of basic education differ greatly around the world. In some countries, forinstance, primary school is considered basic education. In others eight or 12
years is mandatory. Access to basic education remains a problem for many,
especially girls and illiterate adults. Over 100 million primary-school children
have never attended school and about 800 million adults are illiterate (EFA
Global Monitoring Report, 2004). In many countries, the current level of basic
education is too low, severely hindering national plans for a sustainable future.
It is this ESD thrust of basic quality education that most closely aligns itself to
EFA and the MDGs.
This thrust of ESD, however, is not limited to countries with low levels of
educational attainment. Each nation has its own issues related to providing
quality education to all. Too many children, youth, and adults are currently
underserved and have limited education opportunities even in countries thathave high levels of literacy and higher education. For example, drop out rates
may be high and access to lifelong-learning may be restricted.
Issues surrounding access to basic education are often considered as
issues for developing countries; however, there are equally important related
issues for the developed countries as well. Access is not necessarily as large
an issue but, retention in schools still looms. Too many leave school before
being prepared for the 21st century they will be living and competing in. In the28

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North, a secondary school leaving diploma gives only limited access to theshrinking labour market. Tracking student success by race, ethnicity or
preferred learning style shows weaknesses within school systems’ capabilities
to serve youth from the diverse backgrounds that are now living in major
northern cities.
Unfortunately, simply increasing basic literacy, as it is currently taught inmost countries, will not advance sustainable societies. Indeed, if communities
and nations hope to make progress towards sustainability goals, they must
focus on knowledge, skills, values, and perspectives that encourage andsupport public participation and community decision-making. To achieve this,basic education must be reoriented to address sustainability and expanded toinclude critical-thinking skills, skills to organize and interpret data andinformation, and skills to formulate questions. Basic education must also
include the ability to analyse issues that confront communities and should
enable individuals to make lifestyle choices that do not erode the natural
resource base or impinge on the social equity and justice of their neighbours.
Reorienting existing education programmes. More basic education as
it is currently taught will not create more sustainable societies. The conundrum
remains, that it is educated nations that leave the deepest ecological footprints,
using large amounts of resources and energy to support their lifestyles.
Creating a more sustainable future will not occur simply by increasing theamount of education; instead, it is an issue of content and relevance.
Questioning, rethinking, and revising education from pre-school throughuniversity to include more principles, knowledge, skills, perspectives and values
related to sustainability in each of the three realms – environment, society, andeconomy – is important to our current and future societies. This should be donein a holistic and interdisciplinary context, engaging society at large, but carriedout by individual nations in a locally relevant and culturally appropriate manner.
Developing public understanding and awareness of sustainability.
To make progress towards more sustainable societies requires a populationthat is aware of the goals of sustainability and has the knowledge and the skills
to contribute towards those goals. A knowledgeable citizenry supports a moresustainable society in several ways.
First, citizens through their daily
behaviours support government policy related to resource management andcivic conduct. Second, citizens can support measures related to sustainable
development and politicians who introduce and support enlightened legislation.
Third, citizens can become knowledgeable consumers who purchase goods
with low lifecycle impacts and who use their purchasing power to support
corporate social and environmental responsibility and sustainable businesspractices. An informed citizenry can help communities and governments enact
sustainability measures and move towards more sustainable societies.
Developing a knowledgeable citizenry will require a concerted effort withconsistent and realistic messages delivered to people of all ages. The use oflarge-scale media campaigns can address substantial segments of society.
Also, social marketing should be explored to deliver some of the more simple
behavioural-change measures. More comprehensive educational tools focusing
on the skills inherent in critical thinking and rational decision-making arenecessary to build a citizenry capable of thinking through some of the more
complex sustainability issues that face communities and nations.

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Providing training. All sectors – including business, industry, higher
education, governments, non-governmental organizations and community
organizations – should be encouraged to train their leaders in sustainability
issues such as environmental management, equity policies, etc., and to provide
training to their workers in sustainable practices. The development ofspecialized training programmes to ensure that all sectors of the workforce havethe knowledge and skills necessary to perform their work in a sustainable
manner is a critical component of education for sustainable development.
Currently the larger corporations, especially manufacturers, are reaping hugefinancial benefits from training measures introduced to address energy, water
and waste management issues. Addressing other environmental, social andhuman resources issues are proving to be rewarding. In fact some leading
schools of business include sustainable development as an integral part of thecurriculum. Nevertheless, 99.7% of the world’s businesses are the small- or
medium-sized enterprises (SME), which employ almost 75% of the world’s
workers. New approaches to reach SME need to be developed.
In order to create ESD programmes that contain the four thrusts, allsectors of the education community will have to work together in a cooperative
manner. Formal education (i.e., primary, secondary, post secondary and higher
education) will need to work closely with traditional partners from the non-formal
education sector (e.g. nature centres, non-governmental organizations, publichealth educators and agricultural extension agents) and with new partners fromthe informal education sector (i.e. the media including television, radio and print
such as newspapers and magazines). Because ESD is a life-long process eachof these sectors touch the lives of citizens at different ages.
E. Key characteristics of education for sustainable development
No universal models of ESD exist. While there is overall agreement on
principles of sustainability and supporting concepts, there will be nuanced
differences according to local contexts, priorities, and approaches. Eachcountry has to define its own sustainability and education priorities and actions.
The goals, emphases and processes must, therefore, be locally defined to meetthe local environmental, social and economic conditions in culturally appropriate
ways. Education for sustainable development is equally relevant and importantfor both developed and developing countries.
ESD has essential characteristics that can be implemented in many
culturally appropriate forms.
Education for sustainable development:is based on the principles and values that underlie sustainable
development;
deals with the well being of all three realms of sustainability –environment, society and economy;
promotes life-long 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 andconsequences;30

INTERNATIONAL IMPLEMENTATIOIN SCHEME

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, adaptable workforce and quality oflife;
is interdisciplinary. No one discipline can claim ESD for its own, but all
disciplines can contribute to ESD;
uses a variety of pedagogical techniques that promote participatory
learning and higher-order thinking skills.
These essential characteristics of ESD can be implemented in myriadways, so that the resulting ESD programme reflects the unique environmental,social and economic conditions of each locality. Furthermore, ESD increases
civil capacity by enhancing and improving the workforce, social tolerance,
environmental stewardship, participation in community-based decision-making,and quality of life. To increase civil capacity in these five areas, formal, nonformal and informal education must be combined.

31