The Politics of EU towards Environmental Education and Sustainable Development

Abstract

Although there are many ways to overcome environmental problems, the threat of climate change and resource depletion, which has become a global problem, forces countries to make common policies. However, some economic costs that occur at the same time prevent countries from adopting sustainable environmental policies. Therefore, this article, which emphasizes environmental education, includes examples of cooperation between countries on environmental protection and sustainable development.Environmental policies and development policies in the member states of the European Union are also among the subjects to be examined. In this way, the level of environmental policy in countries with different foreign policy priorities could be observed. The EU, which has rapidly developed its environmental policies with the effect of globalization, sets an example in this regard. Therefore, the research, it is aimed to discuss the place of environmental protection policies in the education system in European Union (EU) countries. It is seen that the current education system does not adequately focus on climate change. It has been determined that the environmental policies carried out to overcome the negative effects of environmental problems cannot be integrated into the education system or their sustainability cannot be ensured. If it is desired to have environmentally sensitive societies: It is important to improve the curriculum and analyze the international repercussions of climate challenges on education. Indeed, education is one of the most important stages of this informing process. In this article, “globalization” will also be discussed together with the EU's environmental policy and education system. Furthermore, it will be analyzed which subjects are included in the curriculum and what the differences are between European countries. There are three main titles in this study in which qualitative research method is preferred: “Introduction”, “The Effects of The Globalization on Environmental Problem”, “Environmental Education in EU and Sustainable Development”. As a result, in the light of the information obtained, it is seen that the effort to integrate the environmental policies of the European Union into the education system in economic, social, and political life dimensions continues. Considering the EU's 2030 and 2050 sustainable development goals; in addition to a sustainable environmental education policy, investments should be made in sustainable energy and sustainable urbanization policies.