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Environmental Education as a Driver for Sustainable Development Goals

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Environmental Education as a Driver for Sustainable Development Goals
Dr. Prabuddh Kr. Mishra, Department of Geography, Shivaji College, University of Delhi,
E mail- prabuddh@shivaji.du.ac.in, Contact: 09711440385.

Introduction
Voices around the world are demanding leadership on education, poverty, inequality and
climate change. To turn these demands into actions, world leaders gathered on 25 September,
2015, at the United Nations in New York to adopt the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development. The 2030 Agenda comprises 17 new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
and 169 targets, which will guide policy and funding for the next 15 years to be implemented
by “all countries and all stakeholders, acting in collaborative partnership.”, beginning with a
historic pledge to end poverty everywhere permanently and set out quantitative objectives
across the social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development
framework for shared action “for people, planet and prosperity”. These goals and targets are
“global in nature and universally applicable, taking into account different national realities,
capacities and levels of development and respecting national policies and priorities.” A set of
indicators and a monitoring framework will also accompany the goals. The indicators are
defined by the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on SDG Indicators (IAEG-SDGs), which will
present its recommendations to the UN Statistical Commission in March 2016.

The concept of the SDGs was born at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development, Rio+20, in 2012. The objective was to produce a set of universally applicable
goals that balances the three dimensions of sustainable development: environmental, social,
and economic. The SDGs replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which in
September 2000 rallied the world around a common 15-year agenda to tackle the indignity of
poverty. The MDGs established measurable, universally-agreed objectives for eradicating
extreme poverty and hunger, preventing deadly but treatable disease, and expanding
educational opportunities to all children, among other development imperatives.

With the job unfinished for millions of people—we need to go the last mile on ending
hunger, achieving full gender equality, improving health services and getting every child into
school. The SDGs must finish the job that the MDGs started, and leave no one behind. The
SDGs build on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), eight anti-poverty targets that
the world committed to achieve by 2015. The MDGs, adopted in 2000, aimed at an array of

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issues that included slashing poverty, hunger, disease, gender inequality, and access to water
and sanitation. Enormous progress has been made on the MDGs, showing the value of a
unifying agenda underpinned by goals and targets. Despite this success, the indignity of
poverty has not been ended for all.

The new SDGs, and the broader sustainability agenda, go much further than the MDGs,
addressing the root causes of poverty and the universal need for development that works for
all people. UNDP Administrator Helen Clark noted: "This agreement marks an important
milestone in putting our world on an inclusive and sustainable course. If we all work
together, we have a chance of meeting citizens’ aspirations for peace, prosperity, and
wellbeing, and to preserve our planet." The SDGs will now finish the job of the MDGs, and
ensure that no one is left behind.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals form a cohesive and integrated package of global
aspirations the world commits to achieving by 2030. Building on the accomplishments of
their predecessors the MDGs, the SDGs address the most pressing global challenges of our
time, calling upon collaborative partnerships across and between countries to balance the
three dimensions of sustainable development - economic growth, environmental
sustainability, and social inclusion (The United Nations, 2015).

Fig 1. Sustainable Development Goals

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 Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere
Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote
sustainable agriculture
Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong
learning opportunities for all
Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for
all
Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and
productive employment and decent work for all
Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable indus-
trialization and foster innovation
Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries
Goal 11: Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for
sustainable development
Goal 15: Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems,
sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land
degradation and halt biodiversity loss
Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development,
provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive
institutions at all levels
Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global
partnership for sustainable development

The SDGs Agenda responds to these compound challenges, and is therefore broader and
more complex than the MDGs. Most importantly, it adopts sustainable development as the
organizing principle for global cooperation, meaning the combination of economic
development, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability. Hence, the overarching
name “Sustainable Development Goals,” as the key message to the world community.
Furthermore, the SDGs and related agenda apply to all countries, developed and developing
alike. The post-2015 agenda calls for actors to move away from business-as-usual (BAU)
approaches towards the sustainable use of resources and peaceful and inclusive societies
(Sustainable Development Solutions Network, 2013).The outcome document for the SDG
Agenda synthesizes the breadth of these issues by declaring that the SDG framework will
stimulate action on five key themes: people, planet, prosperity, peace, and partnerships which
are shown in fig 2. The benefits for goal based planning complement international
conventions and other tools of international law by providing a globally shared normative

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 Fig 2. Sustainable Development: key themes

framework that fosters collaboration across countries, mobilizes all stakeholders, and inspires
action. Well-crafted goals are able to accomplish a shared narrative of sustainable
development and help guide the public understands of complex challenges. Unite the global
community and mobilize stakeholders. Community leaders, politicians, government
ministries, academics, nongovernmental organizations, religious groups, international
organizations, donor organizations, and foundations will be motivated to come together for a
common purpose around each SDG, support long-term approaches towards sustainable
development and Define responsibilities and foster accountability (Sustainable Development
Solutions Network, 2013).

Education and SDGs

Education has been identified as an essential component for sustainable development
worldwide. The role of education can also positively influence the management of the
world’s increasingly stressed natural resources through the incorporation of successful
techniques of environmental education. Environmental education provides students with the

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knowledge, skills, and experiences essential to become successful community leaders, as well
as making intelligent decisions pertaining to the management of their natural resources.

Education has made many valuable contributions to societies and development globally, and
is recognized for the important role it has in improving livelihoods worldwide. Quality
education should prepare societies to actively participate in global politics and economics, as
well as provide people with the skills necessary to make informed decisions and take
responsible actions. Throughout the world, societies have recognized education as a key
component of sustainable development. Sustainable development has been promoted since its
inception over 30 years ago as an effective means to abate the degradation of human and
environmental systems. Sustainable development concentrates on aspects of the economy,
society and environment in order to achieve its goals (Hart, 1997). However, it can be an
often misused or overused statement in the endorsement of policies worldwide, drawing
attention away from the 3 original environmental intentions of the strategy and focusing more
attention on the social and/or economic aspects. The economic, social, and environmental
aspects of sustainable development and policy formation should be equally represented and
balanced (Hart, 1997).

Environment Education and SDGs

SDGs 4 stand to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong
learning opportunities for all. Achieving inclusive and quality education for all reaffirms the
belief that education is one of the most powerful and proven vehicles for sustainable
development. This goal ensures that all girls and boys complete free primary and secondary
schooling by 2030. It also aims to provide equal access to affordable vocational training, and
to eliminate gender and wealth disparities with the aim of achieving universal access to a
quality higher education. Ensure all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote
sustainable development, including through education for sustainable development and
sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-
violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity.

This particular goal cut across all the SDGs horizontally and emerged as one of the most
important goal for the achievement of SDGs collectively. As education and human resource
development is the key of this goal the different areas related to education viz; education for
sustainable development, environmental education, peace education, vocational education,
higher education etc. for everyone cutting across all section of society is must for the success

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of SDGs. In this regard Environment Education (EE) and Education for Sustainable
Development (ESD) is one defined field of specialization which directly deals with
environmental conservation and protection without a doubt. The concerned organizations
responsible to put into practice the courses and the curriculum in our education systems
would very well list down the initiatives undertaken by them towards achieving this. With
such overt attention and energy invested to achieve this goal, it is naturally expected that such
efforts would bring about environmental literacy and the result would be reflected in our
attitude towards the environment and in addressing environmental issues.

The Role of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)

In 2012, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the UN Sustainable Development
Solutions Network (SDSN) to mobilize global scientific and technological expertise to
promote practical problem solving for sustainable development, including the design and
implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Following their adoption, the
SDSN is now committed to supporting the implementation of the SDGs at local, national, and
global scales.
To this end, SDSN works with partners in academia, government, business, civil society, and
the United Nations to promote practical solutions for sustainable development. We mobilize
universities and other knowledge institutions around the world for the implementation of the
goals and promote the exchange of lessons and learning.
The SDSN is governed by a remarkable Leadership Council comprised of some 100 global
leaders on sustainable development from science, civil society, business, government, and
international organizations.
SDSN Priorities

Support for the SDGs

The SDSN provides analysis and technical recommendations to support the implementation
of the 2030 agenda, drawing on our global network and the Leadership Council. In particular
the work focuses on integrated sustainable development pathways, data, monitoring and
review, financing for development, and the climate change agenda.
A global network of problem solvers
More than 20 National and Regional SDSNs have been launched, mobilizing and
empowering universities and other knowledge institutions in support of the SDGs. With more
than 350 member institutions from over 80 countries, we are building a global network of
problem solvers. Our technical expertise is organized across Thematic Networks that foster
collaboration and knowledge sharing among expert communities. In addition, SDSN Youth
mobilizes young people around the world to prioritize the SDGs and to promote practical
youth-led solutions.
Solution initiatives and long-term pathways
Thematic Networks and National and Regional SDSNs are committed to finding novel
solutions — often using modern technologies or new business models. This includes helping
countries chart long-term pathways for achieving the SDGs. One example, the Deep
Decarbonization Pathways Project, supports countries in mapping out how they can transform
their energy systems to promote economic growth and reduce emissions, to keep the rise in
global temperatures to less than 2°C, as agreed by all countries.

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Education for sustainable development
SDSN’s flagship online education initiative, SDSNedu, is training the largest-ever cohort of
students of sustainable development through free online courses from the world’s leading
experts. Uniquely, SDSNedu is operated through a consortium of institutions and works with
SDSN members around the world to integrate high-quality online education into universities’
curricula.

Source: SDSN, 2015

Environmental education is a multidisciplinary field, drawing from the social, physical and
biological sciences. According to the Environmental Education and Training Partnership,
( EETAP) environmental education encourages citizens to make knowledgeable and informed
decisions about their environmental behaviour based on the awareness, knowledge, skills, and
attitudes instilled in them (2000). Environmental education relies on both formal and non-
formal teaching techniques to accomplish the ultimate goal of encouraging citizens to make
informed and positive actions toward the environment. Environmental education makes use
of many disciplines, techniques, and resources to accomplish its goals. Since students learn
from an array of non-traditional, multiple intelligences such as naturalistic, interpersonal, or
intrapersonal, environmental education can be a strategy that bridges many learning styles.
Environmental education’s methodology and goals can be incorporated into SDGs objectives
for sustainable development in education. Education that focuses on sustainable development
and critical thought has an increased likelihood of success, and environmental education’s
multidisciplinary nature makes it an ideal strategy for development. However, environmental
education in the developing world often has different criteria for success because of different
socio-economic factors affecting populations. There is a strong need to link the ideals of
environmental quality, human equality and human rights together to increase the
effectiveness of environmental education and development.

Environmental education that stresses the preliminary variables of ownership and

empowerment are crucial in the promotion of education for sustainable development. The
increased participation of youth in environmental investigation and decision making can lead
to an increased sense of empowerment and achievement, thus contributing to sustainable
development and the objectives of educational reform. Therefore, if educational programs
want to accomplish the goals of both sustainable development and environmental education,
they should stress student participation and action in order to create stronger feelings of
ownership and empowerment in the learning process.

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For effective implementation and successful endeavour of SDGs, environment education
must be taught and our curriculum on environmental courses should focus on local
environmental issues which students face daily and empower them with the necessary skill to
resolve such issues. Mere discussing greater issues like global warming and climate change
will not bring fruitful results. Further, activities which involve exposure of the students to
nature must also form a regular feature in the curriculum. Frequent visit of students to nature
may instil interest to take up projects which will give positive results in safeguarding the
environment as a whole.

The Way Forward

Many factors are incorporated into environmental education programs that successfully
address both educational reform and sustainable development. The combination of the need
for improved education worldwide and rapid environmental degradation has led to increased
opportunities for environmental education programs to enhance both. Programs that focus on
familiar environments and communities promote student success and confidence on a local
scale, and provide the foundation for solving larger societal and environmental issues in the
future. Basing programs on sound structural processes supply students with an opportune
learning environment to develop the skills necessary for life. Finally, a commitment of time
for the long term development of the students, as well on resource conservation, provides
students with the opportunity to understand, investigate, and resolve issues they face.
However, changing or traditional political environments can directly or indirectly influence
the educational process, and need to be accounted for. In order for SDGs to meet its goals,
citizens worldwide must be provided with the skills necessary to face future challenges.
Using the environment as a unifying educational theme can be a successful strategy in
providing citizens with those skills.
Protection of environment is apparently considered to be an important goal under all stages of
education as envisaged by environment education for making SDGs a success. Special
courses have also been designed to achieve this goal worldwide; however, there is no visible
positive impact on the ground. Several reasons can be attributed for the prevailing situation,
which includes our lack of concern and commitment for the environment as an individual and
lack of skills to tackle environmental problems, due to ineffective environmental courses and
policies. To overcome such barriers it is essential to relook and redesign environmental
courses that are being imparted in the school and higher education. We cannot wait for the
Government to solve all environmental problems. Government takes decisions at the policy

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level. Often we may even sense a lack of commitment on its part. But ultimately it is we, the
citizens, who have to put the policies into practice. And for that matter every individual
action counts. Finally the dictum “think globally act locally” will going to deliver the very
notion of SDGs through environmental education.

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