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3. Implementation: Australian Government approach to DESD

Given our existing commitment to Education for Sustainability, Australia is well positioned to respond to the Decade. In line with the UNESCO Implementation Scheme, we should be looking to opportunities for building national and international capacity and the mainstreaming of Education for Sustainability considerations through strategies such as:

• developing and expanding existing Australian Government priorities and programs;
• promoting and sharing successful Australian initiatives and expertise in education for sustainability;
• inviting national and international partnerships to strengthen and reorientate policies and programs; and
• undertaking a gap analysis and evaluation of work to date.

Some initial thoughts on how we might pursue these various strategies is provided in the following sections. Further development of these ideas will be based on consultation with various stakeholders such as the NEEC, NEEN and AAEE.

3.1 Developing and expanding existing programs

National Environmental Education Council (NEEC)

The NEEC will continue its role of identifying and advising the Minister for the Environment and Heritage on key priorities in Education for Sustainability, providing national leadership in this area.

In 2003 a number of Working Groups were formed in the sectors of School Education, Further and Higher Education and Industry. These involve experts from government, schools, industry and the broader community to assist in the identification of needs and development of projects in each sector. The School Education Working Group was responsible for the original recommendation for the National Environmental Education Statement that is currently being developed for DEH by the Curriculum Corporation. The Council and its Working Groups also play a central role in guiding the research program under ARIES, acting in conjunction with the Department.

The Decade will represent an opportunity to build on successes in the school sector with a focus on further and higher education, industry, and community. The Further and Higher Education Working Group is currently scoping strategic projects for the sector which include developing partnerships with key bodies such as the AVCC, the sharing of best practice, a sustainability toolbox for VET, and teaching awards recognising excellence in Education for Sustainability.

National Environmental Education Statement for Schools (NEES)

A National Environmental Education Statement for schools is currently being developed in consultation with the State and Territories and will be finalised in mid 2005. The launch of the NEES will be an opportunity to promote and continue to develop stronger partnerships between those working towards environment and education outcomes. The release of the Statement is not the end of the process and there will need to be consideration of how to ensure its objectives are taken up, such as the development of appropriate professional development programs. The Decade will provide the opportunity to highlight the role of educators and the need to explore ways to support them.

Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative

The Australian Government has provided $2 million in funding towards the development of a Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative to be rolled out across the State and Territories. This innovative program and its approach to implementing efficiencies into the management of school facilities and resources is exemplary. Through this initiative the whole school community is actively involved in making their school more sustainable, while teachers have much needed access to professional development in environmental education.

Following on from trials in New South Wales and Victoria agreements are going ahead in Queensland, the Northern Territory, the Australian Capital Territory, South Australia and Western Australia. While the implementation of sustainable schools in each State and Territory is different and responds to the demands of local education systems as well as the roles of participating NGOs, the program embodies a strongly collaborative approach.

In breaking down the silo mentality and approaching environmental and educational outcomes in a holistic manner, the Sustainable Schools Initiative puts into practice much of the thinking and strategies behind the Decade. The Decade represents an opportunity to continue to build this program, and to further explore innovative partnerships.

Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability (ARIES)

Macquarie University was contracted by DEH to set up the Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability (ARIES) to address the need for research into how to best achieve the change towards sustainability in individuals and organisations - over and beyond simply raising awareness. The research program is developed in conjunction with the Department, the NEEC and its Working Groups. With funding from the Australian Government of $2.3 million over three years it will support a range of projects with practical outcomes that are aligned to existing Government policies and programs. Opportunities to identify best practice, share findings and work collaboratively on research issues will be actively sought.

The release of the first ARIES reports will take place this year and coincide with the beginning of the Decade.

Initial projects include:

• A Review of Whole-School Approaches to Sustainability which examines the sustainable schools initiatives internationally.
• Status and directions for environmental education in Australia. The project identifies current needs against international developments and identifies best practice with concrete examples of how this can be transferred into planning and practice. The findings will inform the next stage in the development of environmental education in Australia.
• Industry Sustainability Toolkit. A review of existing resources and a stage two action research project to assist companies to engage more deeply in sustainability, in particular through TBL reporting.
• Education for and about Sustainability in Australian Business Schools. The project has involved Australia's top business schools - Melbourne Business School, Australian Graduate School of Management, the Macquarie Graduate School of Management and Graduate Business School of the University of Technology Sydney - to identify opportunities to build sustainability outcomes into MBA programs.

The findings of stage one of the Industry Sustainability Toolkit and the Education about and for Sustainability in Australian Business Schools research will be released in early 2005. The first report to be released by ARIES - A Review of Whole-School Approaches to Sustainability - is already available on the ARIES and DEH web sites.

3.2 Promotion and sharing of Australian expertise in Education for Sustainability

During the Decade, Australia's achievements, expertise and current endeavours in Education for Sustainability should be promoted and shared.

Increased publicity will help to raise the profile of Education for Sustainability as a mainstream issue, reaching new audiences who may currently think their actions are outside the arena of sustainability. More broadly, the majority of the population remains unaware of the true meaning of sustainability and how they can contribute to a sustainable future.

Promoting our achievements and sharing knowledge will add value to initiatives at the grassroots and regional levels. By disseminating information about our successes, communities can learn from other people's experiences and work from a common set of understandings. It will also lead to improved communication and opportunities for the cross pollination of ideas.

Promotion and sharing of information and best practice begins to address the need for capacity building and training. Sharing information on current projects will also assist in greater coordination, avoiding duplication of resources.

3.3 Partnerships

Partnerships are one of the seven strategies for implementing the Decade outlined in the International Implementation Scheme.

By working together, NGOs, voluntary organisations, governments and businesses have the opportunity to develop a shared vision, sharing resources and motivating change for the future. At the national level, existing partnerships established through, for example, the NEEC and NEEN, will continue to be developed.

Given the scope and nature of sustainability issues, countries acting in isolation are unlikely to affect lasting change. In recognition of the importance of international partnerships, the Australian Government is already actively developing strategic and targeted relationships with other key nations in the Asia-Pacific - part of the Government's ongoing support of, in particular, developing countries in the region.

Of particular interest to the DESD are our joint activities with Japan. In January 2005, DEH instigated a joint research initiative with the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies in Japan, known as IGES. A DEH representative will be collaborating on a project that will analyse the Australian experience in developing our National Action Plan for Environmental Education and how our experiences might be of use to developing Asian countries as they formulate their own national strategies.

The placement also presents an excellent opportunity to explore synergies between IGES's work and the applied environmental education research program being conducted by ARIES.

3.4 Gaps and evaluation

After almost five years of operation of the National Action Plan, it is appropriate to take a step back and to consider whether there are any gaps and/or further opportunities in the current national approach to Education for Sustainability.

Much has been achieved to date and recognition of where we have done well, in particular the outcomes in the schools sector, and where we have not made progress, offer important lessons for future approaches.

Apart from the approaches already underway to enact change within further and higher education, industry and formal education there are opportunities to work within and across levels of government.

Building awareness within and between portfolios in support of education for sustainability initiatives would also help to mainstream Education for Sustainability by recognising that all government portfolios have the potential to impact on the sustainability of Australia.

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