| dc.description.abstract | A Better Tomorrow
Begins Today
Rapid, sweeping, and long-lasting change is altering our planet’s environment in an unprecedented
manner, while societies are undergoing profound shifts in their demographic makeup and social
and economic fabrics. Political agreements, financial incentives or technological solutions alone do
not suffice to grapple with the challenges of sustainable
development. It will require a wholesale change in the way
we think and the way we act – a rethink of how we relate
to one another and how we interact with the ecosystems
that support our lives. To create a world that is more just,
peaceful and sustainable, all individuals and societies
must be equipped and empowered by knowledge, skills
and values as well as be instilled with a heightened
awareness to drive such change. This is where education
has a critical role to play. Education for Sustainable
Development (ESD) is about shaping a better tomorrow
for all – and it must start today.
Political agreements,
financial incentives or
technological solutions
alone do not suffice
to grapple with the
challenges of sustainable
development.
From the Decade of ESD
to the Global Action Programme
In 2005, the United Nations (UN) Decade of ESD was launched to enhance the role of education
in promoting sustainable development. It has generated many success stories to be scaled up,
with many intergovernmental agreements on sustainable development now duly recognizing the
importance of education. At the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012 (Rio+20),
the international community agreed to “promote education for sustainable development, and to
integrate sustainable development more actively into education beyond the UN Decade of Education
for Sustainable Development” (paragraph 233). UNESCO, as the
designated lead agency for the Decade, has played a major role,
along with its partners, in bringing about the key achievements
of the Decade.
There is now a growing international recognition of ESD as
an integral element of quality education and a key enabler for
sustainable development. Both the Muscat Agreement adopted
at the Global Education For All Meeting (GEM) in 2014 and the
proposal for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) developed
by the Open Working Group of the UN General Assembly on
SDGs (OWG) include ESD in the proposed targets for the post 2015 agenda.
In 2013, the 37th session of the General Conference of UNESCO endorsed the Global Action
Programme (GAP) on ESD as the follow-up to the Decade (37 C/Resolution 12, see Annex). Building on
the achievements of the Decade, the GAP aims to generate and scale up concrete actions in ESD. The
present Roadmap communicates the GAP endorsed by UNESCO Member States to decision-makers,
stakeholders and actors, and provides suggestions for the implementation of the GAP, as well as
details on UNESCO’s role | en_US |
