Education for sustainability

What is it?

There are several  founding principles, which place scholarly teaching and learning at the heart of the educational mission. The vitality of teaching and learning depends on the balance of scholarship across research, teaching and outreach, the whole spectrum of academic work described by Ernest Boyer (1990) - discovering, integrating, applying and sharing knowledge.

Why is it important?

The biggest impact universities can have on the future of our planet is through approaches to learning and teaching that equip graduates with the skills they need to actively contribute to economic, social and environmental sustainability in all facets of life. This can be achieved through active participatory learning, creation of shared experiences and the development of a collective vision of sustainability, which ultimately will help reshape the world.

Education for Sustainability (EfS) motivates, equips and involves people in reflecting on how they currently live and work. This assists them in making informed decisions and creating ways to work towards a more sustainable world. EfS aims to go beyond individual behaviour change or single actions, and seeks to implement systemic change within schools, universities, technical colleges, government, business, industry and society at large.