Thinking Globally about ESD

UNU Global Seminar 7th SessionSendai, Japan

Charles Hopkins

UNESCO and UNU Chairs in ESD

York University, Toronto, Canada

ESD is bigger than any one of us or our institution acting as we presently think we should

but

Hopefully, ESD is not bigger than all of us and our institutions working together as we could !

Source: UN Population Division 2004; Lee, 2003; Population Reference Bureau

Our pressures on the planet have increased with our numbers

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

500 600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 2100

Year

1 billion (1800)

4 billion (1975)

2 billion (1920)

6.5 billion (2005)

science

Time

What is increasing,becoming more abundant?

Trends

What is decreasing,becoming more scarce?

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

500 700 900 1100 1300 1500 1700 1900 2100

Year

$1 trillion in 1900

$10 trillion in 1967

$52 trillion in 2003

World GDP (trillion 1990 dollars)

Source: DeLong 1998

We’re generating great wealth but paying a great price

• Great wealth without FCC – Full Cost Accounting

An Additional Challenge

Provide for 50% more people using:

• less water

• less land

• fewer ocean food resources

• six times the energy – (carbon free)

• address new emerging issues as they arise

The 4 Major Thrusts of ESD

• 1 Public awareness and understanding

• 2 Access to quality basic education

• 3 Reorienting existing education

• 4 Training programs for all sectors

Agenda 21 -92, UNESCO-96, UNCSD -98, JPOI-2002

• Public Awareness and UNDERSTANDING

1st Thrust - Public Awareness and Understanding

e.g. Climate Change

4 Levels of ESD Engagement in

Formal Ed

• 1 - dedicated individual

• 2 - whole-school approach

• 3 – whole-system approach

• 4 - international initiative

Global Systemic Challenges to

Moving ESD Forward

• vision and awareness

• policy or mandate

• society’s expectation

• funding and resources

• leadership and training programs

• crowded curriculum

• lack of research base

• few indicators of success

Good News HeadlinesGood News Headlines

1. Consumer lifestyles are changing

2. Renewable energy market exploding

3. Financial investors waking up

4. B-schools waking up to sustainability

5. Sustainability reporting becoming normal

6. EU leadership

7. US cities, states and institutions are proactive

Swedish ESD Contents

• Human rights

• Gender equality

• Health

• Governance

• Climate change

• Sustainable urbanization

• Poverty reduction

• Intercultural understanding

• Natural resources

• HIV/AIDS

• Peace and human security

• Rural development

• Disaster prevention

• Corporate responsibility

• Personal accountability

Traditional Ecological

Knowledge

Source: Hart, S. and Milstein, M. 2003. “Creating

Sustainable Value”

TomorrowTomorrow

TodayToday

ExternalExternalInternalInternal

Growth Path & Trajectory

Innovation &Repositioning

Cost & RiskReduction

Reputation & Legitimacy

•EMS•Greening•Pollution Prevention (P2)•Eco-Efficiency•Risk Management•Environmental Management•ISO 14001•Waste Reduction•Resource Productivity

•Sustainable Development•Base of the Pyramid•Urban Reinvestment•Brownfield Redevelopment•Inclusive Capitalism•Community Capitalism•Civic Entrepreneurship•Radical Transactiveness•B24B

•Corporate Social Responsibility•Industrial Ecology•Stakeholder Management•Life-Cycle Management•Design for Environment (DfE)•Green Design•Corporate Citizenship•Full Cost Accounting•Take-back•Transparency•Corporate Governance

•Clean Technology•Eco-Effectiveness•Biomimicry•Leapfrog Technology•Sustainable Technology•Knowledge & Service Intensity•Cradle to Cradle•Closed Loops•Restorative Technology•Systems Thinking

The Planet is Changing

• However, as the only animal (we assume) that has both a sense of history and the ability to project into the future, and as the only ethical animal, what should we do about the changes we are currently observing?

• Especially human induced change

WHAT WILL BE THE PURPOSE OF YOUR HUMAN POTENTIAL ?

• To compete internationally

or

• To collaborate to build a more

sustainable future?