• Change text size
• Skip to content

Living sustainably

Sustainability education

• About us
• Contact us

• Environment home
  • Atmosphere
  • Biodiversity
  • Coasts and marine
  • Heritage
  • Land
  • Parks and reserves
  • Human settlements
  • Water
  • EPBC Act
  • Arts and culture 

• Sustainability education
  • ARIES
  • AuSSI
  • Grants
  • National Action Plan
  • National Council
  • National Network
  • UN Decade
  • Publications

2. DESD and its Aims

It is with these initiatives firmly in place - as well as the enormous array of activities on the ground at the state and community level - that we find ourselves at the beginning of the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. The Decade centres on the collective pursuit of a global vision, linked to shared objectives.

Global vision for DESD:
The vision of education for sustainable development is a world where everyone has the opportunity to benefit from quality education and learn the values, behaviour and lifestyles required for a sustainable future and for positive societal transformation. From the UNESCO International Implementation Scheme - October 2004

Governments around the world have been invited, under the banner of the Decade, to strengthen their contribution to sustainable development through a focus on education. How this vision will translate from country to country will obviously vary. In Australia the opportunity to enhance existing on ground environmental efforts through a greater emphasis on the principles and benefits of education for sustainability is considerable.

Proposed DESD objectives:

1. give an enhanced profile to the central role of education and learning in the common pursuit of sustainable development;
2. facilitate links and networking, exchange and interaction among stakeholders in ESD;
3. provide a space and opportunity for refining and promoting the vision of, and transition to, sustainable development - through all forms of learning and public awareness;
4. foster increased quality of teaching and learning in education for sustainable development; and
5. develop strategies at every level to strengthen capacity in ESD.

From the UNESCO International Implementation Scheme - October 2004

The Decade is timely given pressing environmental issues such as natural resource management, biodiversity, salinity and water quality.

The significance of these issues is reflected in the Australian Government investment in various environmental policies and programs like the $3 billion Natural Heritage Trust and the $1.4 billion National Action Plan for Salinity and Water Quality.

Of note is the Government's new $2 billion Australian Water Fund including $200 million for a Communities Program that contains specific funds earmarked for educating the community about sustainable practices.

There is much work being done through partnerships between the community, state and national agencies. However, these activities need to be supported by effective community education processes if the benefits of these programs are to last into the future.

How can the UN Decade of ESD help us to achieve our aims?

The UN General Assembly has an already crowded agenda. As well as a Decade of Education for Sustainable Development the years 2005-2014 are also the International Decade of Action 'Water for Life'. We need to be particularly careful to ensure our engagement with the DESD is meaningful to ensure the scepticism that sometimes surrounds International Decades, Years and Days is not justified in this case.

Activities must be carefully crafted to have longevity and real impact. Our focus must be on strategic investment of resources that will bring lasting change - rather than isolated actions with little chance of ongoing support. Partnerships and the sharing of information will be crucial to create maximum impact and to avoid unnecessary duplication.

To address these concerns UNESCO, as UN lead agency responsible for the Decade, has put together an International Implementation Scheme. Importantly, the focus of the Scheme is on advocacy, communication and networking directed at facilitating all educators to include sustainable development concerns and goals in their own programs.

Ultimately what will be achieved rests with individual nations and their desire to focus on practical initiatives with real outcomes.

• Next
• Contents
• Previous