The Earth Charter and the Practice of Education for Sustainable Development

Qudsia Kalsoom

doi:10.1108/978-1-83608-752-620251020

The Earth Charter and the Practice of Education for Sustainable Development

Qudsia Kalsoom (Lead / Corresponding author)

Education Community Social Work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review

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Abstract

We are living in a fragile world which is facing complex social, environmental and economic problems. These problems are viewed by many as outcomes of the crisis of values. Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has emerged as a hope in the past three decades to address the crisis of values and promote pro-sustainability practices. Similarly, The Earth Charter provides a shared vision of basic values that are needed to provide an ethical foundation for the emerging world’s community. This chapter discusses intersections between ESD and The Earth Charter and suggests that ESD can occur as a transformative educational practice if it is informed by the principles of The Earth Charter. The chapter also suggests that The Earth Charter should be used as a framework for teacher education architecture (including programme standards, curricula, teaching standards, and hidden curricula) to promote ESD-practices at pedagogical and institutional levels. Wider ESD-practices in teacher education are necessary to create enabling conditions for student teachers to develop competencies and agency for ESD.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Education for Sustainable Futures
Subtitle of host publication	Global Citizenship and the Earth Charter
Editors	Douglas Bourn, Mirian Vilela, Namrata Sharma
Place of Publication	Leeds
Publisher	Emerald
Chapter	15
Pages	173-183
Number of pages	11
ISBN (Electronic)	9781836087540, 9781836087526
ISBN (Print)	9781836087557
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-83608-752-620251020
Publication status	Published - 6 Oct 2025

Keywords

education for sustainable development
Sustainability future
sustainability actions
Sustainability values
teacher education
Transformative education

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Social Sciences

Access to Document

10.1108/978-1-83608-752-620251020

Author accepted manuscriptAccepted author manuscript, 284 KBLicence: CC BY-NC

Cite this

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The Earth Charter and the Practice of Education for Sustainable Development. / Kalsoom, Qudsia (Lead / Corresponding author).
Education for Sustainable Futures: Global Citizenship and the Earth Charter . ed. / Douglas Bourn; Mirian Vilela; Namrata Sharma. Leeds: Emerald, 2025. p. 173-183.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review

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The Earth Charter and the Practice of Education for Sustainable Development

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Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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