"I want you to act. I want you to act as if the house was on fire. Because it is”
Greta Thunberg, World Economic Forum, 2019.
Photo by Narcisa Akico, Pexels
There are many debates about the concept of sustainability and its associated term sustainable development. The Brundtland Report ‘Our Common Future’ (1987, p.16) has provided the most used, and generally agreed upon definition of sustainable development as meeting ‘the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’.
Sustainability is not limited to acting on climate change and managing natural resources. Sustainability encompasses the interrelationships and interdependencies of environmental integrity, social justice, and economic prosperity.
One of the challenges people have with relating to sustainability lies in its complexity. It is not a stand-alone subject that can be studied to find solutions to problems. Awareness of sustainability often emerges from dialogues and interactions taking place in education and through partnerships. This is commonly referred to as Education for Sustainable Development.
UNESCO defines Education for Sustainable Development as follows:
"Education for sustainable development empowers learners to take informed decisions and responsible actions for environmental integrity, economic viability and a just society, for present and future generations, while respecting cultural diversity. It is about lifelong learning and is an integral part of quality education" (UNESCO, 2021).
For students, go to the Sustainability for your Studies section to find out more about how you can:
