ducation for sustainable development (ESD), also known as Sustainable Development Goal 4.7, plays a vital role in shaping sustainable societies. It encompasses critical topics such as climate change and disaster resilience, highlighting the transformative power of education. ESD will only be successful, however, if we are able to empower young people to take the lead on transformative, sustainable action. This means moving beyond rote learning and encouraging critical thinking and proactive problem-solving.
Around the world, universities have begun to recognize the importance of fostering sustainability on their campuses. Research in environmental education emphasizes that critical thinking and active problem-solving are crucial to enabling learners to effectively contribute to sustainable societies. Universities are forming research partnerships and introducing hands-on ESD courses that immerse students in real-world challenges. These courses utilize innovative teaching and learning methods to encourage students to envision future scenarios and make collaborative decisions. One best practice in ESD involves a human-centered design process that deeply engages students in environmental and community issues. This process includes empathizing with community problems, formulating clear problem statements, brainstorming effective solutions, crafting prototypes, and testing with the targeted users.
How Universities Educate for Sustainable Development
There are numerous successful ESD programs across the globe implementing this transformative approach. For instance, a university in Thailand offers an elective ESD class that empowers students to design inventions addressing social and environmental challenges. One project focused on creating durable, zero-waste shopping bags and recycling paper waste at a local print shop. These projects address SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), which includes targets focused on environmentally sound waste management through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse (targets 12.4 and 12.5). These examples vividly illustrate how students significantly contribute to sustainable development through creativity and innovation.
In Japan, a public university has employed the human-centered design process to tackle various challenges faced by farmers, with a focus on combating drought, aligning with SDG 15 (life on land). They developed an integrated platform providing accurate climate forecasts and drought predictions. The platform supports both experienced and novice farmers with a comprehensive guidebook and analyses of drought-resistant crops. It employs image processing technology to identify different soil types and offers tailored consultations based on specific parameters.
Designing ESD courses to be hands-on and human-centric allows students to deeply connect with their communities' challenges and their fellow residents. By understanding real-world challenges, defining their scope, and brainstorming innovative solutions, youth can gain a deeper understanding of socio-environmental challenges and generate creative ideas to address them. Enabling youth to actively engage in problem-solving equips them not only with essential skills but also with a sense of responsibility and agency in building a sustainable future. In a world facing complex sustainability challenges, these approaches pave the way for a brighter, more sustainable future led by a hopeful and empowered generation.
Editors’ Note: This article was included in our COP 28 special edition, which was published on November 21, 2023, and which you can find here. All articles were written with that publication time frame in mind.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations University.
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Empowering Youth to Become Sustainability Leaders
Photo by Suad Kamardeen on Unsplash
November 23, 2023
Education for sustainable development (ESD) plays a vital role in shaping our future sustainable societies. Designing ESD courses to be hands-on and human-centric allows students to deeply connect with their communities' challenges and their fellow residents, writes Sawaros Thanapornsangsuth.
E
ducation for sustainable development (ESD), also known as Sustainable Development Goal 4.7, plays a vital role in shaping sustainable societies. It encompasses critical topics such as climate change and disaster resilience, highlighting the transformative power of education. ESD will only be successful, however, if we are able to empower young people to take the lead on transformative, sustainable action. This means moving beyond rote learning and encouraging critical thinking and proactive problem-solving.
Around the world, universities have begun to recognize the importance of fostering sustainability on their campuses. Research in environmental education emphasizes that critical thinking and active problem-solving are crucial to enabling learners to effectively contribute to sustainable societies. Universities are forming research partnerships and introducing hands-on ESD courses that immerse students in real-world challenges. These courses utilize innovative teaching and learning methods to encourage students to envision future scenarios and make collaborative decisions. One best practice in ESD involves a human-centered design process that deeply engages students in environmental and community issues. This process includes empathizing with community problems, formulating clear problem statements, brainstorming effective solutions, crafting prototypes, and testing with the targeted users.
How Universities Educate for Sustainable Development
There are numerous successful ESD programs across the globe implementing this transformative approach. For instance, a university in Thailand offers an elective ESD class that empowers students to design inventions addressing social and environmental challenges. One project focused on creating durable, zero-waste shopping bags and recycling paper waste at a local print shop. These projects address SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production), which includes targets focused on environmentally sound waste management through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse (targets 12.4 and 12.5). These examples vividly illustrate how students significantly contribute to sustainable development through creativity and innovation.
In Japan, a public university has employed the human-centered design process to tackle various challenges faced by farmers, with a focus on combating drought, aligning with SDG 15 (life on land). They developed an integrated platform providing accurate climate forecasts and drought predictions. The platform supports both experienced and novice farmers with a comprehensive guidebook and analyses of drought-resistant crops. It employs image processing technology to identify different soil types and offers tailored consultations based on specific parameters.
Designing ESD courses to be hands-on and human-centric allows students to deeply connect with their communities' challenges and their fellow residents. By understanding real-world challenges, defining their scope, and brainstorming innovative solutions, youth can gain a deeper understanding of socio-environmental challenges and generate creative ideas to address them. Enabling youth to actively engage in problem-solving equips them not only with essential skills but also with a sense of responsibility and agency in building a sustainable future. In a world facing complex sustainability challenges, these approaches pave the way for a brighter, more sustainable future led by a hopeful and empowered generation.
Editors’ Note: This article was included in our COP 28 special edition, which was published on November 21, 2023, and which you can find here. All articles were written with that publication time frame in mind.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations University.
