Embedding sustainability in the curricula

The increasing socio-economic and environmental challenges are reshaping all sectors, with education being pivotal in fostering a sustainable future. To address this, UNESCO introduced Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), an interdisciplinary learning approach that equips students with the values, knowledge, and skills necessary to tackle local and global issues. In addition, higher education institutions are moving towards integrating sustainable development goals (SDGs) in the curricula as they help students understand global challenges and promote a cohesive approach to sustainability.

Nevertheless, integrating ESD into curricula faces several obstacles, such as insufficient detailed guidance for its implementation in educational settings, resistance to change, and limited financial resources. Therefore, there is a pressing need for comprehensive guidance on implementing ESD, particularly within higher education contexts.

This presentation shows a framework when embedding ESD in the curricula that is applicable for business studies and other disciplines. 

The learning outcomes of this presentation are:

• Understand Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and its importance in higher education
• Analyse the nine-stage framework for embedding ESD in higher education
• Apply the ESD framework in a module at the Westminster Business School
• Examine learning activities, assessment and training opportunities to support the implementation of ESD
• Matching Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with learning content by using AI