Board 3: Education for Sustainable Development

The Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by all 193 United Nations Member States in 2015. They are an urgent call for action. The Goals recognise that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education and reduce inequalities, all while tackling climate change and working to improve our oceans and forests.

“Sustainability is important in my teaching because it enables awareness of uneven global challenges faced by environmental crisis and builds in an environmental justice dimension. It allows for holistic, systemic thinking on environmental issues, and it equips learners to understand the interconnected dimensions of environmental change.”

Dr Trish Morgan, School of Communications

https://trishmorgan.ie/

"Within the BEd Programme, Education for Sustainability is a key framework in lots of the teaching in relation to Primary Geography Education. One example of this is a third year specialism module, where students undertake challenge-based learning to respond to the calls to action from the Children and Young People's Assembly in Biodiversity Loss. The students gain inputs from civil society organisations and governmental bodies, undertake a range of outdoor learning experiences, and develop their skills in using the latest digital technology to work collaboratively to develop innovative approaches to teaching primary age children about biodiversity loss."

“At a time when mis-information and dis-information abound, it has never been more important to ensure that our future scientists are socially responsible and aware of the broader societal implications of their decisions. Introduction of sustainable development elements in the scientific context helps to encourage students to think beyond their specific discipline and develop a more full understanding of their role in society.”

Dr Emma Coyle, School of Chemical Sciences

"Years ago, when sustainability in engineering was discussed, it was often framed as a 'good thing to do' or as a demonstration of corporate social responsibility. However, this is no longer the case. While it is still beneficial for an enterprise's public image to be seen as proactive in sustainability, the motivation has shifted. The consequences of years of inaction have brought environmental impacts to everyone’s doorstep. The breadth and scope of the effort required—not to reverse the damage already done, but merely to prevent further harm—are truly monumental and demand an 'all hands on deck' approach."

Dr Greg McNamara, School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering

"In the BSc. in Digital Business and Innovation, we engage students in real-world experiential learning. Embedding ESD principles into our teaching and learning practices has epitomised this. Our ongoing collaborations with industry partners leading in the ESD field allows us to combine theoretical knowledge with practical application in a way that prepares our students for the complexities of real world sustainable innovation."

Dr Cliona McParland, Work, Psychology and Strategy Group

“My teaching introduces critical perspectives on the Sustainable Development Goals and related paradigms, in an attempt to highlight the need for more radical and socially transformative approaches to global injustices such as climate change and world poverty.  Using real world examples rooted in students’ everyday realities, we consider their positioning  as “implicated subjects” (Rothberg, 2019) in ensuring that another world is possible.