National Council on Education for Sustainability
About the Council
The National Council on Education for Sustainability is a central element of the Living Sustainably: the Australian Government's National Action Plan for Education for Sustainability.
Purpose
The purpose of the Council is to raise the profile of education for sustainability and provide expert advice to the Australian Government, in particular on how Australians can move beyond environmental awareness to informed action.
Members
Council members are drawn from a range of sectors. It is chaired by Greg Bourne, President, WWF.
Meeting summaries
Meetings are held three times a year. At each meeting, members are updated on key developments in the school, industry and further and higher education sectors. Other agenda items that are revisited each meeting include the Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability (ARIES) research and the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD). The summaries listed below highlight some of the key issues raised within the individual meetings.
Terms of Reference
The Council is a non-statutory body providing expert advice to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts and the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts on the effectiveness and profile of the Australian Government's education for sustainability activities and issues nationally.
The Council is responsible for:
- maintaining an overview of national education for sustainability programs and materials;
- identifying priority education for sustainability issues for national action;
- identifying priority education for sustainability research needs in Australia;
- providing strategic advice on the education for sustainability activities of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts Portfolio;
- providing advice on the forward work plans of the Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability;
- advocating practical education for sustainability in all spheres of education and formal training in vocational, business and industry and community education sectors; and
- providing annual reports to the Minister with recommendations for further implementation of the National Action Plan.
The Council meets at least twice each year. Council members are appointed for a term of two years and are remunerated in accordance with the appropriate determinations of the Remuneration Tribunal.
NCEfS Secretariat
To contact the Council or for further information, please contact:
National Council on Education for Sustainability
Secretariat
Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts
GPO Box 787
Canberra ACT 2601