University of Birmingham launches global green education blueprint

Experts at the University of Birmingham have launched a comprehensive blueprint and call to action for policy makers to embed sustainability as a key part of education in schools and universities around the globe.

The University’s sustainability education policy brief aligns with UNESCO’s Education for Sustainable Development (ESD for 2030) programme which prioritizes five key areas: policy, learning environments, educators, youth, and local communities.

The policy brief was revealed today (10 June) in Paris, as Birmingham experts attended the UNESCO High-Level Celebration of the 50^th Anniversary of the Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) and 60 years of UNESCO Water Sciences.

The blueprint sets out comprehensive policy recommendations to support the transformation of sustainability education – both in the UK and globally – summarised below:

UK Policy Recommendations

• Align curriculum development with the three pillars of sustainability (environmental, economic and social) across all major academic discipline areas in primary, secondary, and Higher Education – monitoring progress annually.
• Create a single standardised language, methodology and competencies framework to broaden understanding of sustainability in education and professional training.
• Invest in mandatory professional development, training programmes and resources for all educators on cross-disciplinary sustainability education and competencies.
• Embed sustainability education directly into the reformed standardised initial teacher education curricula developed by the Department for Education in England.
• Establish education networks to deliver recommendations and support schools in developing their Climate Action Plans.

International Policy Recommendations

• Work together as an international community to learn from one another – bridging gaps and ensuring a common language is used from early years to higher education.
• Support education at a global scale by developing resources appropriate for local contexts and presenting country-specific case studies in local languages.
• Provide frameworks that incorporate cultural and language needs - informed and developed by Indigenous Peoples to ensure a collaborative approach.
• Encourage global cooperation between higher education institutes to ensure students can operate in an international context.
• Align education activities with UNESCO’s agenda to address the urgent call for investment in women's and girls' education in Africa.

Julia Myatt, Professor and Director of Sustainability Education at the University of Birmingham, commented: “The University of Birmingham’s initiative aims to create a clear pathway from school to higher education and employment, ensuring future generations are climate literate.

“With 70% of university students globally advocating for the inclusion of sustainable development in all disciplines and 84% of young people expressing concern about climate change, this initiative is timely and crucial.”

Despite the inclusion of climate change education in many countries, the focus often remains narrowly on environmental aspects, overlooking the social and economic pillars of sustainability and vitally, the skills needed to navigate the interconnections between them.

Professor David Hannah, Deputy-Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Sustainability) and Director of the Birmingham Institute for Sustainability and Climate Action, commented: “Sustainability challenges are complex and interconnected. Interdisciplinary education empowers students to think holistically, act collaboratively, and innovate responsibly for a more sustainable future and we are pioneering this approach at Birmingham.

“There remain major challenges in embedding sustainability as a core element of education across all levels and subjects in an interdisciplinary way. Our policy recommendations offer a strong framework to support this critical transformation for the future.”