Highlights
Education for sustainable development (ESD) too often depends on the enthusiasm of individual teachers, reaching some learners inconsistently and never at the scale needed to address climate change and biodiversity loss. Evidence from Yokohama, Japan, suggests that whether ESD takes hold depends less on individual teacher expertise than on whether schools embed it in curricula, leadership and culture. The whole school approach empowers teachers by integrating sustainability into every dimension of a school's operations.
Recommendations
- Embed ESD formally in national curriculum frameworks and school-level management plans.
- Invest in professional development for teachers, focused on global sustainability and ESD pedagogy.
- Secure dedicated teacher planning time and provide accessible ESD resources.
- Adapt ESD frameworks to local cultural and institutional contexts to ensure community ownership and relevance.
