The silence around education for sustainable development must be broken

A review of two key reports prepared for the UN Secretary-General in the process of identifying the post 2015 sustainable development agenda has identified a silence. Neither report mentions Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). While this may be alarming, especially for those who have contributed to advancing ESD practice as part of the UN Decade of ESD (2005-2014), the article argues that at least the core principle of ESD - that any sustainable development agenda needs to acknowledge the interrelationship between the economic, social, environmental and governance dimensions of society - is identified in both reports. However, the article also argues that a truly global sustainable development agenda requires that we go beyond acknowledging that these dimensions are related. We must act to transform the very context that perpetuates unsustainable development. From the perspective of adult educators, any sustainable development agenda will need to be explicit about quality Lifelong Learning for all as a right. This can only be achieved through a truly global partnership approach. This is a learning and action agenda we cannot afford to be silent on.