ESD and Creating a Sustainable Future

Implications and Opportunities:

The Bonn Declaration 2009

Charles Hopkins

UNESCO & UN University Chairs

York University, Toronto, Canada

From: Steffen et al. 2004

From: Steffen et al. 2004

Source: UN Population Division Population Reference Bureau

Our pressures on the planet have increased with our numbers

1 billion (1800)

4 billion (1975)

2 billion (1920)

6.6 billion (2008)

$1 trillion in 1900

$10 trillion in 1967

$70 trillion in 2008

World GDP (trillion 1990 dollars)

Source: CIA World Fact Book

We’re generating great wealth but paying a great price

• Great wealth without FCC – Full Cost Accounting

Time

What is increasing, becoming more abundant?

Trends

What is decreasing, becoming more scarce?

The Next Generation Challenge

Provide adequately for 50% more people:• using less water• using less land• using fewer ocean food resources• leaving a smaller, less toxic waste streamwhile• tripling the global energy – (carbon free)• addressing new issues as they emerge• developing employable skill sets

The Evolving Concept of Sustainable Development

• environment• economic• social/culture Sustainable Development

Plus concepts of:• Intergenerational responsibility• Need verses greed /equity• Social justice, etc• Enough, For All, Forever

Many Initiatives Necessary for SD

• Good legislation/governance• Economic incentives• Overcoming corruption • Environmental protection• Human rights/security• Infrastructure (roads to banking) • 40 issues identified in Agenda 21• Education, Public Awareness and Training is key Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

ESD

ESD is the contribution that the world’s

• education,

• public awareness/understanding, and

• training systems

can make to create a more sustainable future.

UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005 to 2014)

• UN General Council Resolution Dec. 2002• UNESCO is the lead UN Agency• Mainly a coordinating role • Integrate with other Decades and programs• Mainly up to each country / state / institution /….• Much good news/progress

The 4 Major Thrusts of ESD

• 1 Public awareness and understanding• 2 Access to quality basic education• 3 Reorienting existing education• 4 Training programs for all sectors

Agenda 21 -92, UNESCO-96, UNCSD -98, JPOI-2002

Roles of Education for Sustainable Development1 Raising the Level of Public Awareness/Understanding

• Build public understanding• Informed citizenry – political support

& preparation for democratic change• Wise consumers• Raising the level of the discussion• Changing lifestyle where possible

Public Awareness: e.g. Climate Change

Non-Formal Ed and ESD

• Government Agencies• NGO’s• Faith-based institutions• Zoos, Botanical Gardens• Corporate trainers

Organizations with a message to tell• Deal largely with PA and training

Contribution of Higher Ed and CCs

• Need to understand the impact• Historical perspective• Futures perspective• Develop the skills to manage SD• Assist society to cope with SD

(i.e. research, measuring, training etc.)

Roles of Education for Sustainable Development

2-Access/Retention in Quality Ed.

• What is “quality education”?

• Is access really enough or do we strive for retention and successful lifelong learning?

Access and Retention Issues

• 90 million children ages 6 to 11 never attend school in the developing countries

• 90% of school aged are in developing/emerging nations

• Millions more are “under- educated” in both the South and the North

Northern Problem As Well

• Hard to serve students suffer• Preferred learning style other than reading• Poverty related issues• Irrelevant curricula• Home/family related issues• Student/school conflict

Facilitating Adaptation Through Higher Education

• Accessing higher education• Knowledge-based society• Life-long learning• Technology transfer• Capacity building• Provide pre-service and in-service

assistance relating to both civil society and industry needs

• Questioning basic metaphors

3rd Role: Reorienting Existing Education

Most Educated nations =

deepest ecological footprint

We launch the Handprint, as a tool to indicate to ourselves the ESD actions we take. It is a tool that measures action at the individual, community, national and global level.

www.handsforchange.org

Reorienting Existing EducationMeans Addressing:

• Buildings• Curriculum• Practices and actions• What we value • What we evaluate• Modeling sustainability

Higher Ed

• Many Roles for Higher Ed• 1% - 90%• Better “metrics”/ research• Need to see the “bigger picture”• Sharing of data• Ecologically oriented fiscal reform• Develop and use regulatory tools• Link the disciplines (environment and health)

The 4th Role of ESD - Training

• Training in sustainable development

- (public and private sectors alike)• HE and especially teacher education • Capacity building – agriculture etc.• Technology transfer between nations• Implementing innovative practices

Source: Hart, S. and Milstein, M. 2003. “Creating Sustainable Value”

TomorrowTomorrow

TodayToday

ExternalExternalInternalInternal

Growth Path & Trajectory

Innovation &Repositioning

Cost & RiskReduction

Reputation & Legitimacy

•EMS•Greening•Pollution Prevention (P2)•Eco-Efficiency•Risk Management•Environmental Management•ISO 14001•Waste Reduction•Resource Productivity

•Sustainable Development•Base of the Pyramid•Urban Reinvestment•Brownfield Redevelopment•Inclusive Capitalism•Community Capitalism•Civic Entrepreneurship•Radical Transactiveness•B24B

•Corporate Social Responsibility•Industrial Ecology•Stakeholder Management•Life-Cycle Management•Design for Environment (DfE)•Green Design•Corporate Citizenship•Full Cost Accounting•Take-back•Transparency•Corporate Governance

•Clean Technology•Eco-Effectiveness•Biomimicry•Leapfrog Technology•Sustainable Technology•Knowledge & Service Intensity•Cradle to Cradle•Closed Loops•Restorative Technology•Systems Thinking

Strengths Model: a starting point

• No single discipline/group/teacher/employee can do it all

• Every discipline/group/teacher/employee can contribute something

• Some individuals or sectors can take lead roles in directing/managing the reorientation

• Leadership and coordination of these “strengths” are key as we “learn” our way forward

•

Traditional Ecological Knowledge

Systemic Issues and Challenges to Moving ESD Forward

Lacking• vision and awareness• policy or mandate• society’s expectation• funding and resources• training programs• crowded curriculum• research base

New Learning Perspectives

• Traditional – Learning as “acquisition” model

Knowledge, solutions, true/false right/wrong

• Plus – Learning as “participation” model”

complexity, reflexive, reflection, negotiation

• And – Learning as a “response model" ambiguity in world, taking charge-life, tolerance, engagement

W

I

C

K

E

D

N

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SU N C E R T A I N T

Y

low

high

high

tradition

al

Traditional

Plus

POST

Tradition

al

UNU Regional Centre of ESD Expertise

Outcomes• Improved academic outcomes• More knowledgeable/supportive citizenry• More sustainably oriented production and consumption• Perhaps a shift in behaviour as learning is relevant and in scale etc.• Process is crucial

Messengers

Non Formal Formal Informal

Ngo’s Tertiary Media

Zoo/etc Secondary Peers

Gov Agencies

Elementary Society

Corp Training

Preschool Life Exp.

Information

Sources

Regional/National

Local Government

Private Sector

Research (HE, NGO) etc.

Bonn Declaration: Mid point of UNDESD

• What has been accomplished?

• What is the vision?

• What needs to be done?

Bringing Bonn to the world

• What are the opportunities ?

• What are the obligations ?

A Question for All Societies

What should our citizens:• know,• be able to do,• and value,throughout their lives?

Implications for life-long learning and training needs ofsociety are the responsibility of the current society

The Generational ChallengeProviding adequately for 50% more people:• using less water• using less land• using fewer ocean food resources• Leaving fewer ecological footprintswhile• tripling global energy supply – (carbon free)• addressing new issues as they emerge• Developing employable skill sets