Education for Sustainable Development

The importance of ESD is underlined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s August 2021 report which warns climate change is widespread, rapid and intensifying, although a sustained reduction in emissions could limit it. UNESCO continues its sustained efforts to progress ESD to achieve the goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. 

NCCA provides a range of curriculum supports for ESD which include the following.

- The 2018 NCCA report identifies opportunities for building on existing ESD practice and potential  links between subjects in primary and post-primary schools, and themes in the Aistear. It describes how sample learning outcomes align to the sustainable development goals.

- Outdoor learning is positively associated with ESD, providing opportunities to connect learning with the local environment. NCCA has published a series of webinars on Outdoor learning in the primary school.

- Examples of student work are available across junior cycle subjects to support teacher professional development (e.g. in Science, Business Studies, and Geography), many of which relate to ESD.