There is now widespread concern that the model of development that is evident across the globe is unsustainable. We are faced with the urgent need to recast our ways of living, away from ones that rely on the unsustainable consumption of resources, the degradation of ecosystems and the exploitation of people, towards a model that strives to enhance the well-being of all human beings within the limits of our planet. Sustainable development is described by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development as being underpinned by an ethic of solidarity, equality and mutual respect among people, countries, cultures and generations; it is development in harmony with nature, meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
While the need for sustainable development is clear, the ways to approach it may differ and will evolve. It is widely held that the development of sustainable societies is a continuous learning process and one in which issues and dilemmas are commonplace and appropriate answers and solutions may not be definitive Education should play an important role in enabling people to live together in ways that contribute to sustainable development. However, at present, education often contributes to unsustainable living. This can happen through a lack of opportunity for learners to question their own lifestyles and the systems and structures that promote those lifestyles. It also happens through reproducing unsustainable models and practices. The recastingof development, therefore, calls for the reorientation of education towards sustainable development. Even as education for sustainable development (ESD) raises awareness of the complexity and dynamism of issues, it also plays a key role in making sustainable development understood and that it is applied in a concrete way. ESD helps to develop the capacity for critical reflection and systemic and futures thinking, as well as to motivate actions that promote sustainable development. The development of a sustainable society should be seen as a continuous process of learning and change, involving a variety of actors providing guidance and leadership in formal, non-formal and informal learning. This requires a corresponding enhancement in the competences of educators, leaders and decision makers at all levels of education.
The competences in ESD described in this document are those of educators and not of learners, although both are intricately related. They go beyond the competences that individual educators would have in order to provide a good quality education in their discipline. This set of competences is not a “minimum standard” to be met by all educators, but rather a goal to which all educators should aspire. It is not intended to prescribe behavioural outcomes; it provides a framework for the professional development of educators and is of particular importance to individuals, groups and institutions that have a multiplier effect, such as educators of educators.
