The World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development
pursued four main objectives: 1. To highlight the essential
contribution of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) to
all of education and to achieving quality education Why is ESD
relevant? ESD, which is relevant to all types, levels and
settings of education, is an approach to teaching and learning
based on the ideals and principles that underlie sustainability.
Since ESD engages with such key issues as human rights, poverty
reduction, sustainable livelihoods, climate change, gender
equality, corporate social responsibility, protection of
indigenous cultures in an integral way, it constitutes a
comprehensive approach to quality education and learning. By
dealing with the problems faced by humanity in a globalized
world, ESD will shape the purposes and content of all education
in the period ahead; ESD is, indeed, education for the future.
The World Conference will draw out the relevance of ESD to
education as a whole and its importance for im