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What is in a Label?

Various names have been used by policy-makers and educators to acknowledge the shift towards sustainability in Environmental Education. ARIES uses the term Education for Sustainability (EfS), which is an internationally recognised term. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is also widely used, especially in view of the Decade on Education for Sustainable Development.

Sometimes, the terms 'Environmental Education' and others listed in the box are used interchangeably to describe similar work. Sometimes there are differences in the focus and approach of initiatives.

Some use the term learning rather than 'education' to define their work because often education is associated with schools, whereas the broader concept of learning refers to it taking place at all levels and in all contexts - outside schools, within workplaces, in the community.

Many use the term sustainability rather than 'sustainable development'. In Australia, the term 'sustainability' has gained greater currency as it is seen as more relevant to a country which has already 'developed'. However, critics are concerned that the issues relating to planning, consumption and broader quality of life associated with 'development' are overlooked in preference for ecological and resource management issues.

Many retain the word Environmental Education because they believe that 'Education for Sustainability' is Environmental Education but with a more specific focus. They perceive it as a new approach to Environmental Education. Others who choose to use the term 'Education for Sustainability' believe that it is important to move away from traditional Environmental Education practices which have focused on creating positive environmental experiences with nature, developing ecological knowledge and changing values and attitudes of individuals. Rather the focus is more on lifestyle choices and acting for systemic rather than individual change needed to move to a sustainable society.

The term sustainable education puts the emphasis on the quality of education and suggests the need for culture change in education, based around an ecological and systemic view. This term has mostly been used to refer to formal education. Many use the term sustainable futures to emphasise the importance of futures thinking and looking forward through a process of education.

The term learning for sustainability is understood to be an approach to Environmental Education and has been used by ARIES in its 5 volume series entitled 'A National Review of Environmental Education and its Contribution to Sustainability'. It is treated synonymously with the terms 'education for sustainability' or 'education for sustainable development'. The authors distinguish between education about sustainability (developing understanding and awareness) and education for sustainability (the process of engaging people in actions toward sustainability). Learning for sustainability aims to go beyond individual 'behaviour' change and seeks to engage and empower people to implement systemic changes.

The text of this section has been adapted from Tilbury, D. and Cooke, K. (2005) A National Review of Environmental Education and its Contribution to Sustainability in Australia: Frameworks for Sustainability. Canberra: Australian Government Department of the Environment and Water Resources and Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability. If you wish to cite or refer to this text in another document please acknowledge the original source. Download the document here

'Environmental Education for a Sustainable Future'

Environment Australia (2000) Environmental Education for a Sustainable Future: National Action Plan Canberra: Australian Government.

Woods, P. (2004) 'Environmental Education for a Sustainable Future: Formal Schooling' Curriculum Leadership 2(21): 1-3.

'Learning for Sustainability'

NSW Government (2002) Learning for Sustainability: NSW Environmental Education Plan 2002-05 Sydney: NSW Council on Environmental Education.

Government of Canada (2002) A Framework for Environmental Learning and Sustainability in Canada. Ottawa: Government of Canada.

Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment (PCE), NZ (2004) See Change: Learning and education for sustainability. Wellington, New Zealand: PCE.

'Education for Sustainability'

Huckle, J. and Sterling, S. (1996) Education For Sustainability. London: Earth Scan Publications.

University of New South Wales (UNSW) (1999) Education for Sustainability. Kensington, Australia: UNSW Institute of Environmental Studies.

Tilbury, D. and Wortman, D. (2004) Engaging People in Sustainability, Commission on Education and Communication, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK.

'Education for Sustainable Development'

IUCN Commission in Education and Communication (CEC) (2003) What is Education for Sustainable Development?

United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) (2004) United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development 2005-2014: Draft International Implementation Scheme, Paris: UNESCO.

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (2005)UNECE Strategy For Education For Sustainable Development. CEP/AC.13/2005/3/Rev.1. Vilnius, 17-18 March 2005: UN Economic and Social Council.

'Education for a Sustainable Future'

Fien, J (2001) 'Educating for a sustainable future' in J. Campbell (Ed.) Creating our Common Future: Education for Unity in Diversity. London: UNESCO & Berghahn Books.

'Sustainable Education'

Sterling, S. (2001) Sustainable Education: Re-visioning learning and change. Devon, United Kingdom: Green Books.

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