Learning for sustainability: partnerships for the goals (original) (raw)
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The Current State and Challenges to Advancing Sustainability Science and Education
2019
Key circles and players in the global community, including the general public, policy makers, and scientists, have become convinced by the mounting scientific evidence over the past three decades that the viability of life on earth is seriously threatened by the accelerating pressures from population growth and urbanization rates, expansion in energy-intensive production and consumption activities, climate change, etc. The world has responded in various ways to these risks, recognizing the need for urgent action to prevent or ameliorate the expected disastrous consequences of crossing the boundaries of natural limits. Commitment to the emergent sustainable development (SD) agenda through several global initiatives, protocols, policy measures, and action programmes and strategies has, as a result, dominated the international political and professional debates and cooperative interactions. Examples of such responses include major intergovernmental processes such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and its protocols (Kyoto, Paris, etc.), Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA), Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), protection of biodiversity and combating desertification protocols, and UN Declaration on Sustainable Development, among others.
Westminster. 2 The Future We Want 229. We reaffirm our commitments to the right to education and in this regard, we commit to strengthen international cooperation to achieve universal access to primary education, particularly for developing countries. We further reaffirm that full access to quality education at all levels is an essential condition for achieving sustainable development, poverty eradication, gender equality and women's empowerment as well as human development, for the attainment of the internationally agreed development goals including the Millennium Development Goals, as well as for the full participation of both women and men, in particular young people. In this regard, we stress the need for ensuring equal access to education for persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, local communities, ethnic minorities and people living in rural areas. 230. We recognize that the younger generations are the custodians of the future, as well as the need for better quality and access to education beyond the primary level. We therefore resolve to improve the capacity of our education systems to prepare people to pursue sustainable development, including through enhanced teacher training, the development of curricula around sustainability, the development of training programmes that prepare students for careers in fields related to sustainability, and more effective use of information and communication technologies to enhance learning outcomes. We call for enhanced cooperation among schools; communities and authorities in efforts to promote access to quality education at all levels. 231. We encourage Member States to promote Sustainable Development awareness among Youth, inter alia, by promoting programmes for non-formal education in accordance with the Goals of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. 232. We emphasize the importance of greater international cooperation to improve access to Education including through building and strengthening education infrastructure, increasing Investment in education particularly investment to improve the quality of education for all in Developing countries. We encourage international educational exchanges and partnerships, including the creation of fellowships and scholarships to help achieve global education goals. 233. We resolve to promote Education for Sustainable Development and to integrate Sustainable development more actively into education beyond the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005Development ( -2014. 234. We strongly encourage educational institutions to consider adopting good practices in sustainability management on their campuses and in their communities with the active participation of inter alia students, teachers, and local partners, and teaching sustainable development as an integrated component across disciplines. 235. We underscore the importance of supporting educational institutions, especially higher educational institutions in developing countries, to carry out research and innovation for sustainable development, including in the field of education, to develop quality and innovative programmes, including entrepreneurship and business skills training, professional, technical, vocational training and lifelong learning, geared to bridging skills gaps for advancing national sustainability. 3 A new global partnership: eradicate poverty and transform economies through Sustainable Development (The Report of the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda).
Education to Face the Wicked Challenges of Sustainability
Journal of Social Sciences, 2011
Problem statement: The nature of sustainable development requires new paradigms for education. Issues of sustainability are 'wicked problems' that do not lend themselves to conventional didactic approaches. The challenge for higher education is to examine interdisciplinary approaches to global societal responsibility and, within this, issues of education for sustainable development. Approach: A project, sponsored by the Royal Academy of Engineering, developed a course unit in sustainable development across several disciplines. The approach was initially pedagogic in nature, with a strong evaluative theme. At the same time, a Delphi study was undertaken by the same team and this interrelates with the main project. The focus of the action research was a series of 'wicked' problems that would provide real-world challenges with no simple answers. Results: The project was evaluated in a number of ways, not least the pre-and post-testing of students' attitudes and approaches, but also using nominal group techniques. The project demonstrated that an interdisciplinary PBL approach succeeded in deepening the learning of the students as well as developing key skills. Conclusion: The use of collaborative, group-based approaches, notably PBL, offers a key way of approaching the design of curricula for sustainable development and other areas of global societal responsibility that hinge on 'wicked problems'.
Education for Sustainability: Connecting with Signs of Hope
Environmental discourses in science education, 2023
In 2017 when this project began, hardly a week went by without some headline or another testifying to environmental justice issues. For example, "Storms hit poorer people harder from superstorm Sandy to Hurricane Maria" (Sellers, 2017) and "Urban noise pollution is worst in poor and minority neighborhoods and segregated cities" (Casey et al., 2017). We saw regular headlines about climate change, such as, "Federal scientists call the warming of the Arctic 'unprecedented over the last 1500 years'" (Mooney, 2017) and "2017: The year climate change hit" (Banos Ruiz, 2017). We also saw headlines reporting attacks on science and scientists. "Climate scientists face harassment, threats and fears of 'McCarthyist attacks'" (Milman, 2017). These attacks led to "Tens of thousands march[ing] for science and against threats to climate research" (Cushman, 2017). Fast-forward 5 years to the completion of this project and the headlines for 2021 show problems still abound, but some signs of hope are recognized. For example, "How much air pollution do you live with? It may depend on your skin color." (McCormick, 2021) contrasts with the "EPA gets serious about environmental justice" (Macfarlan et al., 2021). "Climate change [is] widespread, rapid, and intensifying-IPCC" (IPCC, 2021) contrasts with, "COP26 news: Coal phase-out boosts
Education for Climate Change, Environmental Sustainability and World Peace
Social Science Research Network, 2021
Climate change is a burning issue the world has been facing day to day. The rising of global temperature 1.5 0 C extremely worrying for humanity's future on this planet. Natural and human activities are the root causes of it. Its effect is alarming and threaten to the globe. Education is a vital element to resolve the climate change issues. It helps people to make understand the impact of global warming, increase climate awareness among people, encourages changing in their attitudes and behavior and adopt to climate change related trends. Education also encourages them in decision making, problem solving, resolving conflicts and building peace culture. It plays a vital role in adaptation and mitigation in climate change of communities, and empower human being for sustainable life. The development of material life leads to erosion of values, increasing of unconsciousness, disorder in family, society, and nation as well as in globe. Awakening of consciousness is barely needed to protect the beautiful lovable Earth from its all misshappenings. Education will prepare all of societies to combat the challenges of climate change and make people and growth of economies with the knowledge and competencies as conscious citizens in shaping green environment, low GHGs emission and climate-resilient societies. UNESCO, World Bank, UNDP, UNFCCC, WCPA and other leading organizations are taking extensive measures with long-standing climate action expertise, combined with our global, regional and country's cooperation. Quality education can provide a holistic and humanistic vision of worldwide, social and economic development, poverty eradication, peace building and sustainable life. Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship emphasises on the transformation and developmenttransformation of knowledge, values, attitudes, consciousness and behaviours and development of a range of skills. The amalgamation of matter and spirit will provide sustainable and peaceful life. Technology of consciousness will lead the planet Earth towards sustainable and peaceful life.