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Living sustainably

Sustainability education

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1. Where we are now: National Action Plan - Achievements to date

The Australian Government has long recognised the role of Education for Sustainable Development in securing a better future for the nation. In 1998 it took first steps to articulate national level commitment and conducted a national review of environmental education in Australia, which included a comprehensive consultative process with relevant stakeholders - in particular the Australian Association for Environmental Education (AAEE) and its State equivalents.

The review culminated in the release in July 2000 of the first National Action Plan for Environmental Education. Key initiatives of the Plan included:

• the establishment of the National Environmental Education Council (NEEC) in 2000, an expert advisory body to the Minister comprising people from a variety of sectors; its role is helping set priorities in Education for Sustainability;
• the establishment of the National Environmental Education Network (NEEN) in 2001, with representatives from Commonwealth, State and Territory environment and education agencies to promote better coordination of activities and which has had a significant role in the development of Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative;
• the implementation of a research program to improve the quality of environmental education and achieve better outcomes, through the establishment of the Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability (ARIES) in 2003 under a contractual arrangement between DEH and Macquarie University;
• better resourcing of environmental education (EE) through including provision for funding of EE and capacity building activities in all departmental funding programs - including Envirofund, regional NRM arrangements, and a small, targeted EE grants program;
• the establishment of an environmental education working group, the Environmental Education Forum, to coordinate education activities across the Australian Government Environment and Heritage portfolio and to develop an internal environmental education policy.

The following slide shows how these bodies work together:

It is significant that, since its release four and a half years ago, all the major initiatives of this first generation National Action Plan have now been met.

These initiatives are largely structural but they are significant in laying the foundation for increased focus and profile for Education for Sustainability. In addition the EE Section of DEH has been working to advance environmental education in practical ways, through support for programs like Sustainable Schools.

Overall, the emphasis has been on achieving systemic change and a move beyond awareness raising to promote long lasting attitudinal and behavioural change.

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