Education for environmental sustainability covers a fundamental aspect of the Agenda 2030, but should also be seen in the context of a broader approach of education for sustainability, encompassing – in addition to environmental protection in light of planetary boundaries – aspects of social equality, prosperity and well-being. These aspects need to be seen with their interlinkages, which requires system thinking, and inter- and transdisciplinary learning. Promoting education for environmental sustainability should entail initiatives to break down silos between different education levels and sectors while maintaining autonomy for individual institutions.
In the context of the upcoming Council Recommendation on Education for environmental sustainability, LLLP and other civil society organisations under the umbrella of SDG Watch Europe have put forward a joint statement highlighting these crucial issues.
When it comes to addressing global problems such as climate change or environmental sustainability, a holistic approach is key. Bridging the formal, non-formal and informal sectors will be crucial to achieving the Council Recommendation and the Agenda 2030 goals. Learning can happen anytime, anywhere. In this sense, lifelong and lifewide learning must be at the centre of the debate on achieving sustainable societies and all learning sectors should have a voice in this debate. Cooperation between these sectors is therefore key to unlocking the innovation required to tackle the related environmental, economic and social challenges. This cooperation can support institutions in the process of transforming learning and training environments and the integration of sustainability principles into all education and training settings (from early childhood to adulthood and into old age).