University Essay: Education and Sustainability Relationship

This essay explores the critical relationship between education and sustainability, emphasizing the role of education in fostering a sustainable world as defined by Agenda 21 and the concept of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). It examines environmental conditions in Australia and globally, highlighting key challenges like climate change, habitat degradation, and unsustainable consumption. The essay analyzes the connection between education and sustainability, emphasizing the need for policies that address environmental changes. It also discusses the importance of environmental sustainability policies, objectives, and the role of education in mitigating environmental risks and promoting sustainability through efficient resource management and ethical practices. The essay concludes by advocating for global collaboration and integrated policy-making to address challenges and promote a sustainable future.

Running head: RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EDUCATION AND SUSTAINABILITY
Relationship between Education and Sustainability
Name of the student
Name of the University
Author note

1RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EDUCATION AND SUSTAINABILITY
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Education and Sustainability.......................................................................................................2
Relationship between key concepts of Education and sustainability.........................................4
Environmental Sustainability policy............................................................................................7
Possible Implications for Pedagogical Practice...........................................................................8
Ethically directed Studies..........................................................................................................10
Critical Analysis of Key Concepts in Education and Sustainability.........................................13
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................14
References:....................................................................................................................................16

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Introduction
Education of good quality is of supreme importance in creating a sustainable world. The
concepts regarding sustainable development was specified by Agenda 21 that was the action
programme in the 21st century and it was adopted by different government at United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development. Education in relation to sustainable development
lays emphasis on the development of knowledge, skill and values that will create a sustainable
world that would ensure the protection of the environment. It will promote social equity and
encourage the economic sustainability (Attfield, 2015). Concept of Education For Sustainable
Development (ESD) emerged from environmental education that particularly focused on
developing the skills and values within people so that they will be able to care for their
environment. The primary aim of ESD is to help people in making decisions and perform action
that will overall contribute in improving the quality of life without harming the planet. It aims at
integrating the values imbibed in sustainable development in all the levels of the learning process
(Malhotra, Melville & Watson, 2013).
Education and Sustainability
In the last five years or so management practices relating to environmental policies have
had much improvement in the state and the whole of Australia. Australia’s environment
comprising cultural and natural heritage of nature and Antarctic and marine environments are in
quite good condition. However, there are still quite a bit of areas where the environment is
deteriorating or poor. These are areas where population is dense near the coasts and also other
areas in urban Australia where human pressure is at its peak. These are also the areas where even
grazing is considered to be a threat to biodiversity (Sund & Öhman, 2014). Globally too, the

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threat to the environment looms large. Even though there are places which are adhering to
environment policies, there are places where it is in ruins. In the country, though the foremost
drivers of change are the growth in economy and population (McKinnon et al., 2014). The extent
of which these things can have an impact on a range of factors are: how many people live there,
or where and how they live, the technologies they use to get food, energy, materials and support,
the goods and services they produce, how they manage the waste they produce. The main
problems which are being faced by the environment in Australia today are the same ones which
were there in 2011, those that of climate change, land use change and habitat degradation and
fragmentation. In addition to there are the interactions between other pressures and these which
are resulting in a impact which is cumulative (Kabisch, Qureshi & Haase, 2015).
However, evidence shows that there are quite a few individual pressures on the
environment which have been cut down since 2011. These are the ones connected with poor
agricultural practices, the quality of air becoming poor, oil and gas exploration and commercial
fishing (Murray, Skene & Haynes, 2017). On the other hand however, other pressures like coal
mining, habitat degradation and litter along the coastal and marine environments, coal-seam gas
industries, invasive species and more traffic in the urban cities have increased. In some parts on
the environment in the country, the effective management and policies have very much
contributed to the outcomes for the people and the environment. Like for example, the watering
of the environment with the help of Murray-Darling Basin plan along with naturally occurring
floods have heavily added to the benefits in ecology and biodiversity (Knox, Marston & Imort,
2016). In the marine environment there is the formation of the National Offshore Petroleum
Safety and Environmental Management Authority which has helped in better offshore petroleum
management for the environment. This has led to the better understanding of impacts with more

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focus on industry compliance and increased levels in order of preparedness for events which are
unplanned (Shapiro & Stefkovich, 2016).
Relationship between key concepts of Education and sustainability
However, there are still a lot of key challenges which remain for the effectively managing
the environment in Australia. Firstly there is no overreaching policy that puts forth a very clear
idea of how to make sustainably manage Australia’s environment till the year 2050 (Wals et al.,
2014). Then there is poor collaboration or coordination of policies of management arrangements
or policies which are there in between sectors and between different managers. Also there are no
follow through from policy to action. Monitoring for long term and data needed for it are also
inadequate. The resources needed for restoration and the management of the environment are
also very inadequate. The understanding and managing these capacities to identify cumulative
impact are not proper and therefore it reduces the potential for proper management of these.
However to meet these challenges there is a need of policies especially designed keeping in mind
adaptive management actions which caters to drivers for the changes in environment and the
pressures relating to it (Kirton & Trebilcock, 2017). There should be natural leadership and
improved support that is needed for decision making. There should also be a more strategic
planning for a future which is sustainable and there should always be reliable sources relating to
financing. Globally too the context has not changed. First and foremost it is man that is
destroying the environment around him. There is pollution to look into firstly. Air, soil and water
takes thousands of years to recover and industry and exhaust from cars, buses and trucks are atop
in the list of pollutants. Nitrates, pollutants, plastic toxins are all jointly responsible for causing
pollution. While water pollution is caused by oil spills, urban runoff and oil spills, air pollution
happens when toxins are released into the air. Then there is Global warming which is a result of

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human practices like emitting greenhouse gases. Thirdly there is overpopulation which has lead
to scarcity of resources like water, food and fuel. Population explosion in developing cities and
countries are putting to test the already scarce resources. Intensive agriculture is too draining the
environment. The creation of plastics and the over consumption of resources have also led to a
crisis in disposal of wastes. Developing countries are quite well known for producing a lot of
garbage and throwing this waste in seas and oceans. Disposing of nuclear waste has tremendous
hazards connected with health. Plastic, fast food, packaging and cheap electronic wastes threaten
the well being of humans (Kazamia & Smith, 2014). Climate change is another problem which
has come up in recent years. It happens due to a rise in global warming. Climate change
adversely affects the environment. Also there is the loss of bio diversity due to human over
activity. This is leading to extinction of some species and a few other getting endangered. Eco
systems which have taken millions of years to perfect themselves are also in danger when
population of any species is decreasing (Parsons, 2015). Deforestation has also led to a change in
the environment. At present forests are covering 30 per cent of land but that is getting reduced
each day as the demand for more food and shelter takes place. Technological advancement made
along with global integration has led to gains in the arena of material wealth throughout the
world. It has however created a huge amount of pressure on the social and environmental
resources. Countries should collaborate in addressing climate change and the decision making
process should be able to address these problems. The sustainable development puts stress on the
long-term compatibility of economic, environmental along with the social dimensions in relation
to development (Graham & Thompson, 2014). An integrated network of institutions is highly
important for sustainable development. There should be coherent integration of policy across that
of social and economic sphere and the participation of civil society in policy making will help to

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a large extent. A challenge arises on account of unsustainable consumption and pattern of
production that has risen in developed countries. The developing countries are following this
pattern. Per capita emission of green house gas is 20-40 times more than that what is required for
the stabilization of the concentration of green house gas in the atmosphere. Per capita ecological
footprint is 4-9 times more than their bio-capacity in case of the developed countries. There
should be a global agenda that is effective or else the high-income households in both developed
and developing country will continue to take recourse to consumption practices that are
unsustainable (Gough, 2013). Hunger along with malnourishment has decreased in a large
number of developed countries however this problem is still existent in case of other countries
and nutrition security continues to be a distant dream for many household. Income inequality has
risen to a high level and is creating tension and social conflict in many countries. Inequality
results in undermining prospect in relation to inclusive growth and access of social protection.
Rapid population growth along with the ageing of population while on the one hand represents
the rising prosperity in some countries but on the other hand it puts stress on national along with
local infrastructure. It will adversely affect care-giving, health and education system of a
country. Rapid urbanization in case of the developing countries needs to undergo major changes
so that urban development can be designed and managed. Energy needs will remain unfulfilled
for millions of households if significant progress is not made that would ensure energy services
in the modern era. The re-emergence of financial crisis needs to be handled properly and it
should be directed in such a manner that would promote access in the area of long-term financing
that would help in achieving sustainable development. In order to be successful in addressing
these challenges it is extremely necessary that a global development agenda should be created
that would facilitate transformation in the particular way in which goods and services are

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produced, manner of creating jobs and managing natural resources (Cullingford & Blewitt,
2013).
Environmental Sustainability policy
The Environmental Sustainability Policy is a policy which has been designed for
improving the performance and mitigates environmental aspects which are of the highest risks in
the risk assessment. On the other hand, Australian Government Department of Human Services
environmental policy statement is commitment of the highest level to stake holder that the
department adheres to legal obligations applies a systematic environmental approach striving to
minimize pollution (Hodgson, 2016). The policy expands emphasizing on the policy statement
and brings out the environmental and sustainability context. The scope of the policy is that it is
based on high risk aspects of the environment which are very much identified in the
Environment’s Risk Assessment. The policy however does not cater to the welfare of staff of the
organization. The objective of the policy is to improve the department’s environmental
performance by complying with all government policies, legislation, planning instruments and
by meeting the obligations which are needed for Australian Government sustainability and
environmental reporting. The next thing is to minimize adverse environmental impacts by giving
responsibilities and meeting the necessary things needed for promoting sustainability. This is
done through effective and efficient economical procuring which includes assessment of
products on a life cycle basis and looking out for suppliers for responsibilities which are social.
Then it is done through managing the consumption of resources and demand which results in
better product utilization, financial performance and efficiency. It serves as an evaluation
measure or weighting for criteria of the environment (Law et al., 2014).

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Objective of this policy was also about improving the department’s environmental
performance by improving environmental standards, practices for use of energy, green house
gas emissions, principles and practices of energy use, ozone depleting substances, resource use,
materials selection and supplier, product, materials waste and resources recovery and water use
treatment. Environmental education is a complex study which covers a lot of different aspects
relating to the environment. This education gives people the mindfulness which is needed to
build organizations, see NGO exercises and make methodologies for planning urban (McClellan,
2016). They also guarantee future markets for businesses which are eco friendly. All these will
not only support environment but will also be good for the growth of the economy of a nation
too. Environmental education is usually taught in communities, schools or even in parks and
zoos for that matter. There are different policies for different countries and cities and schools. In
New South Wales, Australia the policy supports environmental education programs in schools
supported by the government. It provides guidelines on how to manage school resources keeping
in mind ecological sustainability and is a point from where one can start addressing issues
regarding global environment (Hussey, 2014).
Possible Implications for Pedagogical Practice
All schools will have to implement and develop a school environment management plan
which is quite meaningful in servicing the school community and is evaluated regularly. The
school environment management plan should: be incorporated into the whole-school plan. The
school administration and management should be linked with curriculum plans. Be organized
under the three focus areas of curriculum, resource and grounds management (Hansen & Wethal,
2014).The principal of the school will be responsible for implementing and developing the
management plan in his school. He should also monitor to check the effectiveness of the plan.

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This is applicable for all school communities too. The education is based on the principles of
ecologically sustainable development in the NSW Protection of the Environment Administration
Act 1991 (Zsóka et al.,2013).Academic institutions as vital members of community will play a
key role will play a key role in educating citizens along with professionals. They will play an
effective role in co-creating community change by making suitable contribution to research and
human resources. Universities that are committed to the purpose of community engagement will
play a key role to build reciprocal partnership that would help in improving the creativity of
both. By taking recourse to collaborative interchange, the academy will become an active partner
searching for answers. The community will provide a context in providing civil discourse and it
would eventually lead to interactional creation in relation to knowledge (Melton et al., 2013).
Education that is engaged with the community will lead to exploration of intricate problems and
environmental sustainability will be the primary focus. Community building along with social
capital should support the process of learning. Interdisciplinary analysis is crucial for providing
different lenses that will be able to deconstruct the different approaches in relation to
environmental sustainability. Multiple academic disciplines will be able to provide the training
ground that would be able to balance consumption and conservation in relation to the
environmental resource. Each discipline will carry with it its own knowledge but an
amalgamation of all these will enable to increase the potential in relation to the problem solving.
Social workers will be able to bring commitment of human rights along with social justice.
Green practice of social work will be able to furnish valuable context that will enable cross-
disciplinary exploration (Stern, Powell & Hill, 2014). Business and economics will be able to
highlight on important issues that relates to the management and organization. This holds true for
social entrepreneurship where focus is laid on adapting such efficiencies that would be able to

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provide solutions to different kinds of concerns relating to the environment. Many researchers
have expanded work from that of a strict reviewing of climate change to a more dynamic
involvement with international development of policy (Kopnina, 2014). Internet search will be
able to reveal that interdisciplinary courses will be able to link up natural sciences, economics
along with that of public policy. An interdisciplinary approach will be able to prepare
practitioners for social work and conflict studies can be used to assess issues threatening the
environment. Cross disciplinary exploration will provide the base that would lead to the
development of the creative faculty. Different methods in relation to experience will help in the
reinforcement of learning regarding the important sustainable responses.
According to Arjen A.J. Walls, the goals in relation to environmental education should
not be determined with the help of outside experts but they should be determined by those people
who form an inseparable part of community and they should take the lead in framing the process
of education. The goals in other words should be determined from the inside. It should take into
account the social context and emphasis should be laid on gaining knowledge that will help in
shaping their life. Environmental education should help in developing the faculty of autonomous
thinking regarding issues that has a bearing on quality of life. There is a lot of injustice in
relation to sharing use of natural resources and students should be involved in solving the
challenges.
Ethically directed Studies
Carolyn Merchant has assessed the 20th century literature and called it “a grand narrative
of environmental endism” and this highlights the popularity of eco-criticism. The rising need of
ethically directed study reflects the growing urgency that shrouds the modern civilization and the
next generation should have heightened morality in relation to the environment. Classrooms are

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becoming the places where discussion regarding environmental sustainability and future states of
the humankind are made. This shift in education is termed as “the eco critical turn” and it is
extremely significant in the present century where problems regarding environment has risen to
such heights that it needs immediate attention and thinking. The movement towards the US
liberal style of education necessitates the humanity to make research on this cross-disciplinary
area that would help students in dealing with the problems of the real world. Raymond William’s
study on industrialism “The Country and the City” is largely held to be the forerunner in regard
to the environmental criticism in the world of today. The analysis of rural life and the change in
the city brought about by the advent of industrialism was the area under discussion of this book.
It offered valuable perspective on the relation between that of technology, population and
landscape. Environmental concerns have always troubled the literary world. “Bleak House”
written by Charles Dickens opens with the description of omnipresent fog that stands as a
symbol for the industrial pollutant that has spread in the 1850’s London. Dickens said that it
seemed as if the dark city was mourning on account of the sun’s death. This image is an apt
reminder about the anxiety of his contemporary in relation to the sun’s cooling that was voiced
by Herman von Helmholtz in his 1847 essay. Environmental issues are used in the present age as
content of education. Environmental education lays stress on the complex relationship between
that of population along with environment (Childers et al., 2014). Higher education enjoys a lot
of academic freedom and it has diverse skills that would help in developing innovative ideas that
would be able to highlight the challenges of society and to involve in bold experimentation that
would help in sustainable development. Education along with scientific preparation will be able
to focus on environmental status and it can be used as a tool for the constant development of
science and help in creating opinions in this particular area. Knowledge can be obtained from