The urgent need to effect a green transition necessitates participation by people of all ages and backgrounds, especially the youth, educators and local communities. UNESCO’s education sector proposes education for sustainable development (ESD) as a key response to this challenge:
ESD gives learners of all ages the knowledge, skills, values and agency to address interconnected global challenges including climate change, loss of biodiversity, unsustainable use of resources, and inequality. It empowers learners of all ages to make informed decisions and take individual and collective action to change society and care for the planet. ESD is a lifelong learning process and an integral part of quality education. It enhances the cognitive, socio-emotional and behavioural dimensions of learning and encompasses learning content and outcomes, pedagogy and the learning environment itself.
The SDGs, notably target 4.7 of SDG 4, call for all learners to acquire by 2030 the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development. Priority action areas identified in the UNESCO roadmap include integrating ESD in global, regional, national and local policies, promoting a systemic approach, empowering educators with the knowhow for promoting the green transition, recognising the youth as key actors, and supporting local community action. Attaining SDG 4 is crucial also for the other SDGs, including SDGs 14 and 15 that directly address biodiversity, as well as closely related SDGs 12 and 13.
