The ESD imperative

Abstract

It is a privilege to introduce this booklet, which highlights the Centre for Environmental Education and Research’s (CEER) vision and offers an overview of its wide-ranging activities. CEER fuses together two terms that feature often in national and international fora: Sustainable Development and Education. Sustainable development is development that is about making life better for everyone. Sustainable development forms the core of the 2030 Agenda (UNESCO) and the economic, social and ecological dimensions of sustainable development have now been balanced and visualised through the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which place the fight against poverty and sustainable development on the same agenda for the first time. Our vision is to have enough, for all, forever. One way to achieve this is through education. The formation of pro-environmental values, the changing of behaviour and individual and collective action are the overarching themes of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). CEER does research on the best ways to foster change agents and cultivate change. It is also involved in policy formulation with government entities and private industry. The Centre also spearheads a number of initiatives in education, both in formal settings, like schools, and within the community. My youngest son sometimes asks me if it is too late to save the planet. No Jacob, it is not too late. We can still save the planet for you and the generations that will come after you. And ESD is one way to achieve this. [Excerpt]