UNESCO Looks Beyond 2030 to Reinvent Education for a More Sustainable World

Christopher Castle, UNESCO’s Director of the Division for Peace, Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship Education, said the central question is no longer limited to defining ESD as it exists today.

With the 2030 Agenda entering its final years, UNESCO is beginning a wider conversation about what Education for Sustainable Development should become in a world shaped by climate pressure, social division, technological change and growing uncertainty. The discussion recognises that education cannot prepare learners for tomorrow by relying only on today's knowledge, since young people will need the confidence, judgement and practical skills to navigate challenges that may still be difficult to predict.

This work will support preparations for UNESCO's World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development, scheduled to take place in Nairobi, Kenya, in January 2027. It will also feed into international discussions about the future of education and the Sustainable Development Goals after 2030, keeping learning at the centre of efforts to build fairer, safer and more sustainable societies.

Munich experts explore what future-ready education could look like

The Global Expert Symposium on ESD Beyond 2030 was held in Munich, Germany, on 1 and 2 September 2026, bringing together specialists and practitioners from governments, universities, civil society, youth groups and international organisations. UNESCO co-hosted the consultation with Germany's Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth and the German Commission for UNESCO.

Participants were invited to look beyond immediate education priorities and consider how learning systems might respond to different social, environmental and economic futures. Foresight plays an important role in this process because it allows decision-makers to examine possible developments, recognise emerging risks and opportunities, and think carefully about choices that must be made before new pressures become crises.

Christopher Castle, UNESCO's Director of the Division for Peace, Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship Education, said the central question is no longer limited to defining ESD as it exists today. He stressed the need for creativity, foresight and a willingness to challenge familiar assumptions while developing a stronger vision for education beyond 2030.

Learners need the skills to understand change and shape it

Education for Sustainable Development helps learners examine the connections between environmental protection, economic choices and social well-being instead of treating these areas as separate subjects. It develops systems thinking, anticipation, collaboration and critical reflection, giving people the ability to understand complex problems, consider the consequences of different choices and act responsibly in their communities.

The approach also connects sustainability education with peace, human rights, global citizenship, health and well-being. These links matter because climate disruption, inequality, conflict and public health challenges often influence one another, requiring learners to understand both their immediate surroundings and the wider systems shaping their lives.

Dr Petra Bahr, State Secretary at Germany's Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, described education as the key to addressing shared global challenges. She said ESD provides people with cognitive, social and emotional tools that allow them to move beyond watching change unfold and become active participants in sustainable transformation.

Munich recommendations will help shape the Nairobi conference

Ideas developed during the Munich consultation will contribute to a UNESCO position paper titled 'Munich Foresight: Recommendations for Education for Sustainable Development Beyond 2030.' The document will help guide discussions at the Nairobi World Conference and support the broader international debate about how education and the Sustainable Development Goals should develop after the current 2030 framework reaches its conclusion.

The process draws from the 2023 UNESCO Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights and Sustainable Development, the ESD for 2030 Framework, ESD-Net and the Greening Education Partnership. These initiatives provide a foundation for integrating sustainability into teaching, school management, educator training, public policy and community participation.

UNESCO's work places learners at the heart of sustainable change, recognising that education must do more than explain a rapidly shifting world. Future education systems will need to help people question assumptions, imagine better possibilities and turn knowledge into responsible action, ensuring that the generations who inherit global challenges are also equipped to reshape them.