Education for Sustainable Development
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) empowers people with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to change the way they think and act towards a sustainable future.
UNESCO aims to transform society by changing what, where and how we learn in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, and meet the global challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss. It seeks to improve access to quality education on sustainable development at all levels and in all social contexts. ESD reorientates education so that individuals of all ages are encouraged to be responsible actors and change-makers, who resolve challenges collaboratively and contribute to creating a more sustainable world.
Learn more about UNESCO’s work on Education for Sustainable Development : https://en.unesco.org/themes/education-sustainable-development
Unplastify
To unplastify the world, we need to change our relationship with plastic. To take us one step closer and reduce single-use plastic, Agustina Besada and Rocío González set up Unplastify, an Argentine social enterprise focusing on local action and systemic change.
Bee the Buzz of the Reserve
Fusing climate-smart technologies, sustainable education and the green economy, Otis Jeffers is championing bees at the UNESCO St Mary’s Biosphere Reserve on the Caribbean Islands of St Kitts and Nevis.
Energieke Scholen (Energizing Schools)
What if students could help make their schools greener and more energy efficient? This is exactly what the Energieke Scholen (Energising Schools) programme is doing in the Netherlands.
Sustainable Product Design
To bring to life the importance of sustainability in every aspect of our lives, Filimon Diamantidis, a technology teacher from Athens, invites his students to design and build green products.
Proyecto Tití
The cotton-top tamarin is emblematic of the rich biodiversity in Colombia’s tropical north. To protect this endangered species and support local livelihoods, Proyecto Tití have developed an integrated approach involving communities.
The future is green
Mohammed Adnan El Guennouni is convinced that education can make the future greener. To bring this belief to life, he launched a citizen’s initiative encouraging young Moroccans to learn new skills through growing plants.
Terre d’école
As well as vegetables, Terre d’école also cultivates academic learning, ancestral knowledge and environmental understanding. In the heart of the Congo, this programme aims to help children succeed at school, while also raising awareness about environmental challenges.
Sustainable High School
In Costa Rica, two high school students, Fabricio Madrigal and Andrea Sanclaudio, launched an initiative to help young people play an active, hands-on role in sustainable development.
Classroom Africa
By supporting schools and training teachers, Classroom Africa raises awareness about the importance of protecting the environment, while involving the wider community in local conservation initiatives.
Université des Colibris (Hummingbird University)
For the Colibris citizen’s movement, giving as many people as possible the knowledge to lead a greener way of life is essential for the ecological transition. To achieve this, the association set up the Université des Colibris (Hummingbird University).
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