Education for Sustainable Development

Sustainable development is the need to integrate social, environmental, and economic concerns so as to arrive at development paths which meet the needs of present generations, without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Education for sustainable development is a vision of education that seeks to balance human and economic well-being with cultural traditions and respect for the Earth's natural resources. It emphasizes aspects of learning that enhance the transition towards sustainability including future education; citizenship education; education for a culture of peace; gender equality and respect for human rights; health education; population education; education for protecting and managing natural resources; and education for sustainable consumption. Education for sustainable development has come to be seen as a process of learning how to make decisions that consider the long term future of the economy, ecology and social well-being of all communities. Building the capacity for such futures-oriented thinking is a key task of education. Education for sustainable development must explore the economic, political and social implications of sustainability by encouraging learners to reflect critically on their own areas of the world, to identify non-viable elements in their own lives and to explore the tensions among conflicting aims. Development strategies suited to the particular circumstances of various cultures in the pursuit of shared development goals will be crucial. Educational approaches must take into account the experiences of indigenous cultures and minorities, acknowledging and facilitating their original and important contributions to the process of sustainable development.