Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has become hugely significant in the last ten years. We all want to do our bit to support the fight against climate change in society and education should be at the forefront of this. If we educate young people about sustainability, there is much more chance of a different and more hopeful future.
As UNESCO say in their ESD for 2030 programme: ‘The way we live is not sustainable. Humans are depleting the planet’s resources. Climate change is affecting us and all species, damaging ecosystems and leading to unprecedented environmental degradation. Learning is key to finding solutions and creating a more sustainable world.’
The government launched the ‘Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy’ in 2022, aligned with the ESD for 2030 programme. The five steps involved are:
- Appointing youth focal points (university students working alongside the Department for Education.
- Attending COP28 – theme was ‘green skills and learning’.
- Developing climate action plans for all schools, nurseries and colleges.
- Expanding the Climate Ambassador scheme – free support and guidance to all UK teachers and educators.
- Launching the National Education Nature Park – a digital platform to support young people to engage with nature in their local area.
What can we do in the classroom?
When teaching young people about ESD, we need to educate them about climate change and sustainable consumption, amongst other issues such as poverty and the global economy. This can be done from a very early age, with appropriate vocabulary and resources. We must promote interactive and collaborative strategies, such as critical thinking and decision making. There can be no definitive curriculum – it must feed into everything we do. If we take a look at some possible themes, we can reflect on how this would fit into the topics being taught:
- Natural resources management
- Food and farming
- Cultural diversity
- Leadership and change
- Biodiversity
- Climate change
- Globalization of economy
- Health and well being
- Travel and transport
- Consumerism
- Ethical tourism
- Human rights
There will be some subjects, such as Life Skills, Geography, Biology and Economics, that this fits neatly into and not many changes would need to be made. In other subjects, the links may not be so obvious, however they can still be made. It would be critical to have the list of possible topics for ESD when planning a scheme of work – also assemblies, form time, tutor time and any other time where a group of young people come together pastorally.
How can we build on this to develop sustainable thinking?
Every teacher can develop a sustainable classroom, outside of any specific curriculum area. You could work towards developing a zero-waste classroom. This would focus on reducing, re-using and recycling materials. Using digital platforms rather than paper-based resources would help. If possible, composting and recycling systems could be established.
Plants contribute towards a calm and attractive learning environment and they are also environmentally helpful in improving air quality – it would be very simple to introduce some indoor plants and give learners the responsibility of caring for them.
Young people will know a great deal about climate change already and will come up with their own ideas – this could lead towards developing a ‘green team’ or an ‘eco team’, where they put forward a plan for the year focused on developing sustainability.
There will already be programmes/awards in place in most settings for arriving at school/college in a ‘green’ way or carrying out activities such as switching all lights off, looking at food miles and so on. If this doesn’t exist in your setting, you could introduce it – there are so many ideas and schemes available online.
We all want learners who are independent thinkers and proactive learners. This topic is something that is crucial for society, therefore a great one to discuss with your learners and build on – every little helps and everyone can do something to contribute to a brighter future.
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