Johannesburg School children learning about agriculture and farming

Education for sustainable development

Empowerment through knowledge, skills and values to protect the planet

Education for sustainable development (ESD) is UNESCO’s education sector response to the urgent and dramatic challenges the planet faces. The collective activities of human beings have altered the earth’s ecosystems so that our very survival seems in danger because of changes more difficult to reverse every day. To contain global warming before it reaches catastrophic levels means addressing environmental, social and economic issues in a holistic way. UNESCO’s ESD for 2030 education programme aims to bring about the personal and societal transformation that is necessary to change course.  

UNESCO's Education for Sustainable Development newsletter

Sign up to receive our latest news on events, awards and competitions, as well as resources, best practices and stories from around the world.

Videos

Discover the projects awarded the UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for sustainable in 2021.

Berlin Declaration on Education for Sustainable Development; Learn for our planet: act for sustainability
UNESCO
2022
UNESCO
0000381228
Education for sustainable development: a roadmap
UNESCO
2020
UNESCO
0000374802
Learn for our planet: a global review of how environmental issues are integrated in education
UNESCO
2021
UNESCO
0000377362
Getting every school climate-ready: how countries are integrating climate change issues in education
UNESCO
2021
UNESCO
0000379591
Trash hack action learning for sustainable development: a teacher's guide
UNESCO
2021
UNESCO
0000375408