Tomorrow Today

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take the form of leadership for change towards sustain-

able development.

Increasingly, notions of building social capital or

capacity for transition feature prominently in the goals

of ESD programmes. The notion of transition considers

the need for social adaptation to address current and

future socio-economic and environmental realities. It

involves civil society, governments and professionals

in projects that illustrate social practices more clearly

aligned with sustainability. These projects’ impacts are

assessed in terms of whether the ‘demonstration’ initia-

tives have influenced mindset and social practices.

Economic change

A large number of the case studies sought economic

change. These varied from improving the employ-

ability prospects of young people, to seeking cost

reductions in operational management, to providing

incentives and/or skills to develop local economies.

Many of these initiatives also sought improvement

in the management of existing human, financial and

natural resources, with the aim of reducing environ-

mental impact as well as expenditure.

Interestingly, there was a clear sense across these initia-

tives that it is important to develop economic literacy

alongside environmental literacy. The need to change

current models of economic practice and not just pursue

further economic development in line with existingmodels

also underpinned the ESD programmes featured. New

economic models, which were more responsible towards

people and environments, were often explored as part of

these initiatives. Such programmes often offered an oppor-

tunity for stakeholders to consider commercial ventures

aligned with sustainable development (e.g. organic

farming or ecotourism). Capacity-building for economic

change was a common feature of most programmes and

this involved the development of new skills and experi-

ences to support more sustainable forms of development.

The capacity-building components supported individuals

and groups to change their own practices as well as those

of the systems within which they operate.

Environmental change

Few of the ESD programmes reviewed measured their

success in terms of environmental outcomes. There

was a common understanding that there is a need to

change the way we think and act to address unsustain-

able development. Therefore, most programmes sought

primarily socio-economic or educational outcomes, as it

was understood that this would lead to environmental

change

in the long term.

Nevertheless, many of these initiatives did make direct

and indirect contributions to environmental change.

These contributions included improving environmen-

tal management practices of schools and universities;

protecting biodiversity and natural resources in small

rural communities; changing the consumer choices

of shoppers; reducing the environmental impact of

businesses; adoption of environment-friendly technolo-

issues are often intertwined, it is helpful to consider the dynamics

and priorities at each level.

Social change

A review of the case studies indicates that every project sought

social change

for sustainable development. Social change occurs

at a number of levels and in various contexts; for example, it can

range from changing consumer choices, to challenging business

practices, to rediscovering (or revaluing) traditional knowledge and

local languages. The ESD initiatives under review focus on particular

social groups such as business leaders, youth, students, farmers,

academics or vulnerable/socially excluded communities. They aim

to empower these groups through capacity-building to develop new

ambitions for the future and to engage in social change to achieve

them. These types of initiatives challenge visions, personal and

professional practices, and lifestyle and consumer choices.

At the heart of the ESD initiatives is an assumption that current

social frameworks and practices are exploiting people and their

environments. This means that the attainment of sustainable devel-

opment requires transformative change at the social and/or cultural

level. Some programmes and strategies explicitly refer to the creation

of social capital as a key outcome of ESD initiatives. This requires

building the confidence and skills to support engagement among

stakeholders, to improve their own and others’ lives, livelihoods

and environments.

Many initiatives encourage consideration of new social frame-

works, which link the protection of traditional cultural practices and

indigenous knowledge to the exploration of new economic markets

and technological innovations that are more beneficial to people

and to the planet. The type of capacity-building that is promoted is

often culturally sensitive and responsive to local needs and cultures.

Intercultural dialogue and respect for cultural diversity underpin

many of these efforts to promote ESD and these kinds of outcomes

are used to measure the success of initiatives.

Some ESD initiatives measured their success by assessing the

degree of participation by target groups in sustainable development

issues. Many such programmes prioritise citizen/employee/learner

participation and view active engagement in social issues as key

to the attainment of sustainable development. Other projects focus

upon engagement of organizations or institutions, and their goals

Everyone counts: all cultures contribute towards learning for a sustainable world