Education for Sustainable Development

Background

Through the integration of sustainable development into all aspects of students' education and learning, we can support individuals to develop the attitudes, skills, and knowledge needed to make informed decisions on the social, economic, cultural, and environmental problems we face, and empower them to act upon these decisions. Frameworks to support this include Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and, widely used in Scotland, Learning for Sustainability (LfS).

Policy developments, such as the QAA and Advance HE guidance on ESD published in 2021 and Scottish Government's refreshed Learning for Sustainability Action Plan launched in 2023 highlight that governments and education agencies see the benefit and need for integrating sustainability into learning and teaching.

The EAUC ESD Topic Support Networks are run in association with Learning for Sustainability Scotland and their Higher and Further Education Task Group.

If you would like to join the mailing list for this group, please email scotland@eauc.org.uk.

Next Meeting

The next ESD TSN event will take place in autumn 2024. 
To stay informed about future events and developments, please ensure you are signed up to the  Education for Sustainable Development JISCMail List - to sign up, get in touch with scotland@eauc.org.uk.

Contact Information

Co-Convenors for the Education for Sustainable Development TSN are:

Christine Calder, Dundee and Angus College, email: c.calder@dundeeandangus.ac.uk

Scott Strachan, University of Strathclyde, email: scott.strachan@strath.ac.uk

Rehema White, University of St Andrews, email: rmw11@st-andrews.ac.uk  

Previous Meetings

2024
Sustainability Competencies, Skills, and Graduate Attributes - 2nd May
For all materials, presentations, and recording, please click here.

2023
Nature & Climate Confident: Integrating environmental sustainability into learning and teaching - 14th November
For all materials, presentations, and recording, please click here.

Student-led approaches to ESD - 24th April
For all materials, presentations, and recording, please click here.

2022
Strengthening and Supporting Approaches to ESD in Universities and Colleges, 21st November
For all materials, presentations, recording and minutes, please click here.

Whole Institution Approaches to Implementing Education for Sustainable Development, 26th April.
For all materials, presentations, recording and minutes, please click here.

Preparing the Ground: Getting Started with ESD in your University or College, 20th January.
For all materials, presentations, recording and minutes, please click here.

2021

Using COP26 to engage students with climate change and sustainability, 17th August.
For all materials, presentations, recording and minutes, please click here.

Interpreting and Implementing the QAA Guidance on Education for Sustainable Development, 27th May
For all materials, presentations, recording and minutes, please click here.

QAA Consultation on new ESD Guidance
This meeting was to collate responses to a consultation. Minutes were not taken as it was a summary of opinions however the consultation response can be viewed here.

2020

Health and Wellbeing for staff and Students, 20th October 
This meeting was recorded due to Covid and is available in full here

2019

Evaluating ESD in the curriculum – looking at why and how, 13th November, Edinburgh
All materials, presentations and minutes available on the Sustainability Exchange.  

Exploring alternative and innovative pedagogy and assessment methods, Monday 20 May 2019, Edinburgh
All materials, presentations and minutes available on the Sustainability Exchange.
 

2018

Embedding Sustainability in Vocational Courses: ESD Topic Support Network Meeting, 17th April 2018, Edinburgh
For all materials, presentations and minutes, please click here.

Measuring Sustainability in the Curriculum Workshop with LfS Scotland, CDN, Wednesday 10th January 2018.
For all materials, presentations and minutes, please click here.

2017

Embedding the SDGs in FHE - Education for Sustainable Development TSN with LfS Scotland, Tuesday 9th May 2017
For all materials, presentations and minutes, please click here.

2016

Further Education: Linking Curriculum, Campus and Community, Tuesday 10th May 2016
For all materials, presentations and minutes, please click here.

Higher Education: Interdisciplinarity and Sustainability Teaching, Friday 18th March 2016
For all materials, presentations and minutes, please click here. 

2015

Further Education: ESD in FE & Sustainable Construction TSN at South Lanarkshire College, Thursday 10 December 2015
For all materials, presentations and minutes, please click here.

Higher Education: Engaging with External Communities, Thursday 16 April 2015
For all materials, presentations and minutes, please click here. 

Further Education: Eco Salons and College Sustainability, Tuesday 17th March 2015
For all materials, presentations and minutes, please click here.

2014

Higher and Further Education, Thursday 4th December 2014 
For all materials, presentations and minutes, please click here. 

Higher Education, Thursday 26th June 2014
For all materials, presentations and minutes, please click here. 

Further Education, Thursday 29th May 2014
For all materials, presentations and minutes, please click here.

2013

Higher Education, Friday 6th December 2013 
For all materials, presentations and minutes, please click here.

Further Education, Friday 13 September 2013
For all materials, presentations and minutes please click here.

Wednesday 26 June 2013 - Embedding ESD into the curriculum at North Glasgow College
For details, presentation and resources please visit the Sustainability Exchange here.

2012

Friday 1 June 2012 - 'Liberating the Curriculum' at Scotland's Colleges, Stirling
For details, presentations and minutes, please click here.