The document discusses barriers and deficits to implementing education for sustainable development (ESD). Some of the main barriers identified include ESD being seen as too demanding, requiring too much work, and a lack of time and money. There is also a perceived lack of reform to education systems and a lack of integration of ESD into policy. A survey of experts identifies a need to increase public awareness, strengthen ESD by focusing on issues like climate change, and involve organizations from different sectors more in ESD efforts. Mobilizing more resources for ESD at national levels is also seen as important.

1. Barriers and Deficits with Implementing ESD
An Analysis for Isolating Efficient Strategies to Cope with Global Changes
environmental
economic
cultural
Conference on Education and Climate Change in The Danish Embassy 20 Nov. 2009
© dg-system: Dieter Gross (SFI), Berlin dieter.gross(at).t-online.de

2. Behavior change is seen by many experts as more
important than technology in addressing climate change
ESD
15 %
Behavior change is 9% Technology is more
much more important important
What is the relative importance of technology versus
behavior change in addressing climate change over the
next five years?
7%
25 % Technology is slightly
Behavior change is 45 % more important
slightly more Both are equally
important important:
technology and
behavior change Climate Change
The Sustainability Survey 2009 Report on Climate Change, Global Expert Insight: 1.385
responses/ SustainAbility and GlobeScan

3. WHICH ARE THE MAIN BARRIERS FOR
IMPLEMENTING ESD IN 2008 ? At the practice level
TOO DEMANDING
Main Deficits
Governments have not
14,8
adapted their legislation
TOO MUCH WORK and policy frameworks to
27,9 the needs of ESD
There is no real
LACK OF TIME rethinking of education
itself, only social
32,8
aspects are added to EE
LACK OF
REGARDED AS MONEY
IRRELEVANT 34,4 54,1
STAKEHOLDERS OF THE
NO QUICK
BENEFIT NATIONAL DECADE ‘lost in
36,1 space’ 37,7
Barriers and Deficits With Implementing ESD
http://www.desd.sustain-future.org/int_jap_compilation_survey%20results_dg.pdf

4. 4 Pillars:
Strategies to Cope with
SOCIETY Global Changes
by changing the mental mode
and action attitude
ENVIRONMENT
ECONOMY
integrative thinking –
1 in order to master
What kind of
complex challenges
4 economy?
What kind of 2 global thinking
environment?
3 Value orientation
What kind of society?
E E Competence in accepting
responsibility
DECISION-MAKING STRUCTURES
Which Goals?
Which are the
Drivers?
DANKE !
S

5. Survey Europe Asia Africa LA NA Oceania
Action Goals 09 65 23 3 7 8 5
“It does seem that
UNESCO reports keep
saying much the same
things, but don’t
go after the reasons,
and beyond 2014 the recommendations
DESD near are often not
implemented”
future *
+
Action +
a
Goals
at policy b
10% - 100%
level
Survey
experts
m
g

6. q) Engage the expertise available within the UN system to strengthen
ESD in key sustainable development conventions for example focussing
on climate change 01.10.2009/ 110 respondents
30% 66% of respondents = this goal
might be realized to 70% and more
25,6%
25%
% of
respondents
20,0%
20%
17,8%
15%
12,2%
10%
8,9% 8,9%
5%
2,2% 2,2% 2,2%
0%
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
degree of realization in %

7. Climate, 01.10.09 EUROPE 42,3%
% respondents
all
33 APEC
110 13
30 Conference
Media should support under-
25 standing of sustainability issues
by increasing public awareness
– contribution of media, how
20 much?
biodiversity
desertification
15
media and
10
climate change
5
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
to strengthen ESD by focussing on climate change

8. Increase public awareness and understanding about sustainable development
and ESD, by mainstreaming and expanding the learning and insights gained in the first
five years of the UN DESD into public awareness policies and programmes and
various forms of informal learning.

9. Politicians and the media should convince the public that ESD is the key to
cope with the negative consequences of globalization; Germany
% respondents
MEDIA; Survey: 01.10.09:
30 total 110 , Europe 33 , Japan 13
Unless all understand the concept no progress can be
made and no others will follow with commitment ; Australia
25 25,8 Are the media the signposts and catalysts
23,8 to sustainability?
20
15
More engagement from
the media, a fact largely
overlooked ; Germany
10
5
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

10. 28.09.09 38,5
110/33/13 Develop and
% respondents
implement
ESD through
30 The first Stock coordinated
Exchange in policies that also
Europe, 1309 involve business and
25 Bruges the corporate sector
20
15 “ESD should …become an integral part
in the training of leaders in business
and industry. The latter has been little
10 emphasized in the DESD so far”
UNESCO, 2009
5
X
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

11. Action Goal (c) of UNESCO’s Declaration for the Second
Half of the DESD: Mobilize adequate resources and
funding in favour of ESD, in particular through integrating
% respondents
30 into national development policy and budgetary
frameworks; 01.10.09
All: 110
In most countries across the world, the availability of public budgets and/or economic
25 incentives is either non-existent or minimal at best …
raising funds for ESD activities and projects is key to ensure
the successful achievement of the DESD, UNESCO 2009
20
81,4% of respondents/ 50% and less
Europe: 33
15
18,6% of respondents/ 60% and more
10
Japan 13
5 raise public
awareness
10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

12. What is most urgent to solve at the policy level ?
83 comments, 25.09.09
# That sustainable development is taken
# orientation for policy makers, Philippines
seriously at all levels, but particularly at the
centers of political and economic power.
If those sectors are refocused under a
sustainability perspective, ESD won`t have an
uphill battle anymore, Switzerland
ESD
The roadmap for the Second Half of the Decade

13. How to awake and strengthen public awareness on ESD?
86 comments, 25.09.09
# I don’t think UNESCO has had significant impact on # I am not sure public awareness is key. The
things, at least as far as is apparent in headlines. history of Environmental Education shows
Perhaps behind the scenes there have been that awareness does not necessarily lead to
pressures usefully brought to bear, UK action. The deal is to practice sustainability
on all levels, Switzerland
# to integrate an environmental consciousness
into all public media, New Zealand
# intensive campaigning using mass media, India
ESD
Roadmap

14. Action Goals: Summary: SURVEY (big picture)
satisfactory international results STRATEGY Action Goals: these are dependent on
promotion and support because
Drivers they will be realized to less than a half
****global syndromes: adequate resources
strengthening ESD by focussing on e.g.
climate change: 78% of respondents climate change
think will be realized to 60% and more NGOs business and corporate sector
scientific communities
Youth at the national level
** *integrate ESD by involving
NGOs and development partners integrate ESD/ curricula
* * approaches that involve the business civil society, implement ESD
scientific communities media media
*Youth engage the commit- public awareness curricula /integrated and systemic
ment, solidarity and potential of youth and policies
their organisations and networks in gender equality
enhancing ESD
Booster public awareness policies
training of business leaders
refocussing by priority ranking
EVALUATION OF UNESCO’s ACTION GOALS by 111 experts

15. Summary: SURVEY (to-do list)
DEFICITS WHAT TO DO?
The public has not been linked to the process of raise public awareness
implementing ESD by making use of the media
(after capacity-building)
There is no real rethinking of education and form partnership with other
stakeholders: especially at the
Lack of political will and financial resources centers of economic power
Specific Barriers
training of administrators and
no support by administration reformof teacher education towards
ESD - focus on systemic thinking
Current Addendum: UNESCO global report on ESD, 2009
l
lack of human and financial resources difficulties in making linkages with ESD weak inter-sectoral collaboration
lack lack of appropriate tools for ESD and difficulties in assessing ESD

16. Which of the following outcomes of the COP-15 meeting in Copenhagen is most likely?
The Sustainability Survey 2009 Report on Climate Change, Global Expert Insight: 1.385 responses/ SustainAbility and GlobeScan
COP-15 is not expected to result in a sufficiently stringent climate change agreement
Thank you again
There will be an agreement that will be
sufficiently stringent to avoid major
damages 5
no international
12 agreement
82 an agreement but it will
not be sufficiently stringent
?