Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in higher education equips learners with the knowledge, competencies and values to tackle interconnected global challenges, encompassing economic, social and environmental sustainability.
It enables learners to make informed decisions and take both individual and collective actions to transform society and protect the planet. It enriches the cognitive, socio-emotional and behavioural aspects of learning, covering not only the learning content and outcomes but also the teaching methods and the learning environment itself.
The framework is designed to be of value to a broad audience and can be particularly beneficial in:
- supporting course teams to understand ESD and adopt a consistent approach to integrating it across programmes, including supporting co-curricular and interdisciplinary opportunities
- helping students identify the necessary competencies for sustainable citizenship and fostering agency for a sustainable future
- supporting institutions to develop comprehensive approaches that encompass policy frameworks, interdisciplinary learning, engagement with community groups and stakeholders
- aligning strategy to create a sustainable learning environment.
The framework is part of the Essential Frameworks for Enhancing Student Success series.
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Related resources
Education for Sustainable Development Guidance
Jointly published by QAA and Advance HE, this guidance provides a framework and guidance to help staff in UK higher education institutions incorporate Education for Sustainable Development within their curricula.
Practice Guides to support Education for Sustainable Development
This set of ESD practice guides is part of a Collaborative Development Fund project and are intended to offer examples of activity already being undertaken in the UK higher and further education sectors to embed Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into teaching, learning and assessment. The guides complement guides published in 2021 by Advance HE and QAA, which can be found here.
The guides are focused on enabling student achievement/student engagement and on learning and teaching delivery. They will be published in three sets of five, leading up to Advance HE's Sustainability Symposium on 21 March 2024.
