UNESCO’s new guidance on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) offers environmental educators a helpful way to think beyond simply teaching students about environmental issues. The three publications focus on the institution, teaching, and assessment. The tools, piloted in schools and education institutions across 10 countries, feed into the preparations for the 2027 World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development. Together they provide a framework for making sustainability education more meaningful and connected to real life.

The publications are: 

• Driving sustainability in education through a whole-institution approach.
• Enhancing pedagogies and competencies for sustainability.
• Assessing learning in Education for Sustainable Development.

These resources offer practical ways to connect what happens in the classroom with what happens across the broader school or learning community. They encourage educators to create learning experiences that build environmental knowledge, critical thinking, collaboration, problem-solving, and the confidence to engage with real-world sustainability challenges.