The 7th Education International (EI) World Congress meeting in Ottawa, Canada, from 21nd to 26th July 2015:
1. Considering that there is an urgent need to stabilise the world’s environmental situation, marked by climate change at an unprecedented pace, a serious loss of biodiversity and the scarcity of water resources caused by human activity;
2. Considering also that a change of direction is needed in order to achieve a sustainable development model fit to meet present needs without endangering the capacity of future generations to meet their needs;
3. Recognising that education for sustainable development (ESD) is recognised in numerous intergovernmental agreements as being essential to implementing sustainable development ;
4. Recognising also that the Comité syndical francophone de l’éducation et de la formation (CSFEF) recommends the formal integration of sustainable development education and training in government strategies and action plans on sustainable development and would like ESD to play a major role in education, and be integrated as a cross-cutting theme in school and after-school programmes and activities.
5. Recalling earlier resolutions adopted by Education International, notably:
a. The Resolution on Education for Sustainable Development at the Fourth World Congress of Education International held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 2004;
b. The resolutions on education on climate change at the Sixth World Congress, held in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2011;
6. Considering that the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) concluded, at the UNESCO World Conference on ESD in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with an invitation to governments to intensify efforts to strengthen the integration of ESD in education and training policies ;
The Congress urges States:
7. To take note of the Aichi-Nagoya Declaration on ESD and implement its recommendations;
8. To implement, at their level, the Global Action Programme on Education For Sustainable Development as a means of ensuring their follow-up to the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development after 2014, as approved by UNESCO Member States, the aims and objectives of which are as follows:
a. Redirect education and learning such that everyone is given the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes required to be able to contribute to sustainable development;
b. Give a bigger role to education and learning in all action plans, programmes and activities aimed at promoting sustainable development.
9. Congress encourages EI affiliated organisations to raise their members’ awareness of environmental issues and take steps in order to :
a. Integrate ESD into trade union action and demands;
b. Lobby governments to meet their responsibilities.