ESD and Creating a Sustainable Future Implications and Opportunities: The Bonn Declaration 2009

1. ESD and Creating a Sustainable Future Implications and Opportunities: The Bonn Declaration 2009 Charles Hopkins UNESCO & UN University Chairs York University, Toronto, Canada

2. From: Steffen et al. 2004

3. From: Steffen et al. 2004

4. Our pressures on the planet have increased with our numbers 6.6 billion (2008) 4 billion (1975) 2 billion (1920) 1 billion (1800) Source: UN Population Division Population Reference Bureau

5. We’re generating great wealth but paying a great price $70 trillion in 2008 World GDP (trillion 1990 dollars) $10 trillion in 1967 $1 trillion in 1900 • Great wealth without FCC – Full Cost Accounting Source: CIA World Fact Book

6. Trends What is decreasing,becoming more scarce? What isincreasing,becoming more abundant? Time

7. The Next Generation Challenge Provide adequately for 50% more people: • using less water • using less land • using fewer ocean food resources • leaving a smaller, less toxic waste stream while • tripling the global energy – (carbon free) • addressing new issues as they emerge • developing employable skill sets

8. The Evolving Concept of Sustainable Development • environment • economic • social/culture Sustainable Development Plus concepts of: • Intergenerational responsibility • Need verses greed /equity • Social justice, etc • Enough, For All, Forever

10. Many Initiatives Necessary for SD • Good legislation/governance • Economic incentives • Overcoming corruption • Environmental protection • Human rights/security • Infrastructure (roads to banking) • 40 issues identified in Agenda 21 • Education, Public Awareness and Training is key Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

11. ESD ESD is the contribution that the world’s • education, • public awareness/understanding, and • training systems can make to create a more sustainable future.

12. UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005 to 2014) • UN General Council Resolution Dec. 2002 • UNESCO is the lead UN Agency • Mainly a coordinating role • Integrate with other Decades and programs • Mainly up to each country / state / institution /…. • Much good news/progress

13. The 4 Major Thrusts of ESD • 1 Public awareness and understanding • 2 Access to quality basic education • 3 Reorienting existing education • 4 Training programs for all sectors Agenda 21 -92, UNESCO-96, UNCSD -98, JPOI-2002

14. Roles of Education for Sustainable Development1 Raising the Level of Public Awareness/Understanding • Build public understanding • Informed citizenry – political support & preparation for democratic change • Wise consumers • Raising the level of the discussion • Changing lifestyle where possible

15. Public Awareness: e.g. Climate Change

20. Non-Formal Ed and ESD • Government Agencies • NGO’s • Faith-based institutions • Zoos, Botanical Gardens • Corporate trainers Organizations with a message to tell • Deal largely with PA and training

21. Contribution of Higher Ed and CCs • Need to understand the impact • Historical perspective • Futures perspective • Develop the skills to manage SD • Assist society to cope with SD (i.e. research, measuring, training etc.)

22. Roles of Education for Sustainable Development2-Access/Retention in Quality Ed. • What is “quality education”? • Is access really enough or do we strive for retention and successful lifelong learning?

23. Access and Retention Issues • 90 million children ages 6 to 11 never attend school in the developing countries • 90% of school aged are in developing/emerging nations • Millions more are “under- educated” in both the South and the North

24. Northern Problem As Well • Hard to serve students suffer • Preferred learning style other than reading • Poverty related issues • Irrelevant curricula • Home/family related issues • Student/school conflict

25. Facilitating Adaptation Through Higher Education • Accessing higher education • Knowledge-based society • Life-long learning • Technology transfer • Capacity building • Provide pre-service and in-service assistance relating to both civil society and industry needs • Questioning basic metaphors

26. 3rd Role: Reorienting Existing Education Most Educated nations = deepest ecological footprint

27. We launch the Handprint, as a tool to indicate to ourselves the ESD actions we take. It is a tool that measures action at the individual, community, national and global level. www.handsforchange.org

28. Reorienting Existing EducationMeans Addressing: • Buildings • Curriculum • Practices and actions • What we value • What we evaluate • Modeling sustainability

29. Higher Ed • Many Roles for Higher Ed • 1% - 90% • Better “metrics”/ research • Need to see the “bigger picture” • Sharing of data • Ecologically oriented fiscal reform • Develop and use regulatory tools • Link the disciplines (environment and health)

30. The 4th Role of ESD - Training • Training in sustainable development - (public and private sectors alike) • HE and especially teacher education • Capacity building – agriculture etc. • Technology transfer between nations • Implementing innovative practices

31. Source: Hart, S. and Milstein, M. 2003. “Creating Sustainable Value” • Clean Technology • Eco-Effectiveness • Biomimicry • Leapfrog Technology • Sustainable Technology • Knowledge & Service Intensity • Cradle to Cradle • Closed Loops • Restorative Technology • Systems Thinking • Sustainable Development • Base of the Pyramid • Urban Reinvestment • Brownfield Redevelopment • Inclusive Capitalism • Community Capitalism • Civic Entrepreneurship • Radical Transactiveness • B24B Tomorrow Innovation & Repositioning Growth Path & Trajectory Internal External Cost & Risk Reduction Reputation & Legitimacy • Corporate Social Responsibility • Industrial Ecology • Stakeholder Management • Life-Cycle Management • Design for Environment (DfE) • Green Design • Corporate Citizenship • Full Cost Accounting • Take-back • Transparency • Corporate Governance • EMS • Greening • Pollution Prevention (P2) • Eco-Efficiency • Risk Management • Environmental Management • ISO 14001 • Waste Reduction • Resource Productivity Today

32. Strengths Model: a starting point • No single discipline/group/teacher/employee can do it all • Every discipline/group/teacher/employee can contribute something • Some individuals or sectors can take lead roles in directing/managing the reorientation • Leadership and coordination of these “strengths” are key as we “learn” our way forward

33. Traditional Ecological Knowledge

34. Systemic Issues and Challenges to Moving ESD Forward Lacking • vision and awareness • policy or mandate • society’s expectation • funding and resources • training programs • crowded curriculum • research base

35. New Learning Perspectives • Traditional – Learning as “acquisition” model Knowledge, solutions, true/false right/wrong • Plus – Learning as “participation” model” complexity, reflexive, reflection, negotiation • And – Learning as a “response model" ambiguity in world, taking charge-life, tolerance, engagement

36. high W I C K E D N E S S POST Traditional Traditional Plus traditional high low U N C E R T A I N T Y

37. UNU Regional Centre of ESD Expertise Outcomes • Improved academic outcomes • More knowledgeable/supportive citizenry • More sustainably oriented production and consumption • Perhaps a shift in behaviour as learning is relevant and in scale etc. • Process is crucial

38. Bonn Declaration: Mid point of UNDESD • What has been accomplished? • What is the vision? • What needs to be done?

39. Bringing Bonn to the world • What are the opportunities ? • What are the obligations ?

40. A Question for All Societies What should our citizens: • know, • be able to do, • and value, throughout their lives? Implications for life-long learning and training needs of society are the responsibility of the current society

41. The Generational Challenge Providing adequately for 50% more people: • using less water • using less land • using fewer ocean food resources • Leaving fewer ecological footprints while • tripling global energy supply – (carbon free) • addressing new issues as they emerge • Developing employable skill sets