Education for Sustainability (EfS)
Education for Sustainability (also known as Education for Sustainable Development) is an internationally recognised educational approach that moves beyond just imparting knowledge about the environment – educating about sustainability – to building people’s capacity for transformational change – educating for sustainability. It focuses on motivating and engaging people to help create a better future.
In recognition of the importance of Education for Sustainability, the United Nations declared 2005-2014 as the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.
Components of Education for Sustainability
1. Envisioning
Envisioning a better future (or Futures Thinking) creates a link between where we are now and where we want to be in the future, so we can plan a series of steps to get us there.
- It provides direction and energy to make changes by harnessing our deep desires.
- It identifies relevance and meaning for different people.
- We can explore how to achieve change.
- It results in ownership of visions, processes and outcomes.
If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people to collect wood, and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.
Attributed to Antoine de Saint-Exupery, French author and aviator
2. Systems Thinking
Systems Thinking can help us to understand the big picture we are working within, and to create solutions that go beyond just addressing the isolated symptoms of a larger problem.
- It recognises that the whole is more than the sum of its parts, and is a good way to understand and manage complex situations.
- It also helps us to identify connections and relationships within a particular system so we can create beneficial outcomes for the whole system.
- It shifts thinking from about ‘things’ to about ‘processes’.
- It integrates decision-making with adaptive management techniques.
For example: The best solution for a busy road might not always be to build another road.
3. Critical Thinking
Critical Thinking and reflection challenges us to examine and question the underlying assumptions that affect the way we interpret the world. For example, how we are influenced by media and advertising.
- It means not jumping to conclusions, but reflecting on our thoughts.
- It encourages us to look beneath the symptoms to identify the root causes of unsustainable practice.
- It enables us to see that people with different backgrounds might view a specific problem - and any possible solutions - from a completely different perspective.
- It can also stimulate us to examine what is going on in the world - and what we believe about it.
For example: We might question the assumption that all progress towards sustainability must inevitably be costly.
4. Participation
Participation goes beyond consultation, to empowering people by directly involving them in the decision-making process. Engaging people in decision-making creates a greater sense of ownership and commitment, both of which mean they are more likely to take action.
- It puts decision-making and responsibility for outcomes in the hands of participants.
- It builds capacity for self-reliance and self-organisation.
- When everyone is actively involved in the challenge, amazing results are achievable.
When the best developments are done, the people all say, "We have done it ourselves".
From Many Publics: Participation, inventiveness and change, State of Victoria.
5. Partnerships
Creating partnerships for change strengthens ownership of a problem and a commitment to sustainability amongst diverse stakeholders.
- Workloads are shared
- A greater skills base is accessed
- It promotes learning how to work together to build a shared vision of the future by combining knowledge, technology and resources.
- It also recognises that one of the best ways to understand different world views is to collaborate with people from different cultures and backgrounds.
For example: Working with other organisations in your supply chain can bring valuable sustainability outcomes for all.
We could always be doing more, innovating everywhere with pipelines, transport sharing, methane collection ...
From Many Publics: Participation, inventiveness and change, State of Victoria.
Learn more
Download a brochure about Education for Sustainability.
See UNESCO's Education for Sustainable Development website.