Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) sees education as the key to unlocking progress in all the global development goals. It teaches individuals to make informed decisions and take action, both individually and collectively, to change society and protect the planet. It equips people of all ages with the knowledge, skills, values, and ability to tackle issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, overuse of resources, and inequality that impact the well-being of people and the planet.
ESD is a powerful strategy to transform education, covering what we learn, how we learn it, and the environment in which we learn. It is a lifelong learning process that is an integral part of a quality education.
Members can access materials relating to this area of work on our Membership Resources Site.
Our resources are designed to support institutions in delivering ESD in their curriculum and quality processes.
See the guidance created from QAA-funded Collaborative Enhancement Project 'Green Skills for Green Jobs', published 20 October 2026.
The ESD guidance (2021), co-written with Advance HE, is intended to be of practical help to members working with students and staff to foster their knowledge, understanding and skills in the area of sustainable development. A separate member resource, Education for Sustainable Development - Student Resource, supports students actively engaging with their institution and students' union about ESD.
Short, practice-based case studies are intended to inspire others through providing practical examples of ESD activities - from single workshops to long-term community engagement projects.
We support a number of Collaborative Enhancement Projects which develop further insights and outputs related to ESD.
This video outlines what ESD looks like within the higher education sector. It also suggests how students can support this work within their own institutions, linking to other useful sources of information.
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