Education for sustainable development: a roadmap

UNESCO has been the lead United Nations agency on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) since the United Nations Decade of Education (2005-2014). ESD is widely recognized as an integral element of Agenda 2030, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), and a key enabler of all the other SDGs.

This roadmap sets out the urgent challenges facing the planet and explores the next step UNESCO is taking in responding to them through education, detailing new emphases and actions. To build on the Global Action Programme (GAP) (2015-2019) and contribute to Agenda 2030 and its 17 goals, the Education for Sustainable Development: Towards achieving the SDGs (ESD for 2030) framework was adopted. This framework aims to increase the contribution of education to building a more just and sustainable world. ESD for 2030 will step up actions on five priority action areas, emphasizing ESD’s key role in the successful achievement of the 17 SDGs and the significant individual and societal transformations required to address urgent sustainability challenges.

This publication clearly outlines what Member States must do in relation to each priority action area:

• For priority action area 1 on policy, ESD must be integrated into global, regional, national, and local policies related to education and sustainable development.

• For priority action area 2 on education and training settings, attention is required to promote the whole-institution approach to ensure that we learn what we live and live what we learn.

• For priority action area 3 on building capacities of educators, the focus is on empowering educators with the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes needed for the transition to sustainability.

• For priority action area 4 on youth, young people must be recognized as key actors in addressing sustainability challenges and the associated decision-making processes.

• For priority action area 5 on local level action, the importance of actions in communities is emphasized, as they are where meaningful transformative actions are most likely to occur.

The roadmap also highlights key areas for implementing the ESD for 2030 framework. Country initiatives on ESD for 2030 will lead the mainstreaming of ESD in education and sustainable development. The new framework aims to encourage strong leadership from Member States and diverse stakeholders from education and sustainable development communities through the ESD for 2030 Network (ESD-Net) at global and regional levels. Communication and advocacy efforts, including the UNESCO-Japan ESD Prize, will be strengthened. The framework will be implemented through evidence-informed approaches, tracking issues and trends in education and sustainable development, and mobilizing resources by leveraging the inter-sectoral, multidisciplinary nature of UNESCO and its diverse partners. Various efforts to monitor progress will be pursued with the aim of achieving SDG target 4.7 by 2030.