Abstract
This paper explores the potential contribution of education to sustainable development. Drawing on recent evidence it argues that education could play a stronger role – a position reinforced by the new sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, securing this contribution will have to be achieved in an era where educational delivery will be increasingly impacted by climate/environment change. The paper explores the relationship between education and sustainable development through an Indian case study. It covers why education is important; impediments that reduce educational impact, and an innovative programme of environmental education that offers insight on ways forward.
Highlights
At the risk of oversimplification the conclusions of the seminal Stern Report (Stern, 2007) on how to address climate change can be distilled into three broad themes: carbon pricing, technological innovation/transfer, and behavioural change
While acknowledging the role of higher education this paper focuses on school education
India’s chief economic adviser, Arvind Subramanian, recently co-authored a book on climate change arguing that addressing climate change will require acknowledging some irrefutable facts – a need to live within a fixed carbon budget, and that while the ‘rich world’ is responsible for much of climate change to date, ‘emerging nations’ will account for the bulk of future emissions (Matto and Subramanian, 2013)
Summary
While acknowledging the role of higher education this paper focuses on school education It argues that while climate change presents significant challenges to education, education provides a powerful means through which to respond. As Stern (2007: xxvi) notes ‘Educating those currently at school about climate change will help shape and sustain future policy making, and a broad public and international debate will. As Stern (2015: 3) notes, ‘The challenges of development, growth, poverty reduction, and sustainability are deeply and intricately interwoven with those of mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. From here on the paper uses the generic term ‘environmental change’ to describe the combined impacts of human activity on the environment (and the people living in it) – anthropomorphic climate change is regarded as a ‘driver’ which in combination with other factors results in change in environmental conditions to which populations must adapt. What is clear, and what the following review of India’s environmental vulnerability seeks to establish, is how interconnected these issues are
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Development Education and Global Learning
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
