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J. Jodoin and J. Singer
Keywords Education for sustainable development (ESD) · Sustainable
development goals (SDGs) · English as a foreign language (EFL) · KPV-model
1 Introduction
The concept of “sustainability” has become ubiquitous in public debate, education,
policy negotiation, and news. It has become clear, however, that promoting technologies and policies are not enough to deal with climate change and other sustainability
issues such as poverty and gender inequality; efforts are required to educate citizens
and facilitate change in sustainability attitudes and behavior, as has been recognized
by educators and researchers involved in the field of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). ESD is a value-laden field and, at its core, is tasked with identifying
sustainability-related goals and working towards them in order to confront and solve
environmental and developmental issues (McKeown 2002, pp. 13–14). ESD was first
introduced by the World Commission on Environment and Development (1987), and
it gained great traction among policymakers and the general public during the United
Nation’s (UN) Decade of ESD (DESD) from 2005 to 2014. Since the Decade’s end,
ESD has continued to expand its reach, and it is now embedded within the United
Nation‘s agenda for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs. Of
interest is SDG #4.7, which states, as its sub-goal, that:
by 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development
and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace
and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s
contribution to sustainable development (United Nations 2015, p. 17).
This goal calls upon educators and knowledge facilitators to mainstream sustainability and other ESD content into their lessons, teaching materials and institutions.
Many universities in Japan and around the world are now including the SDGs in
their operational and academic planning (Grierson and Hyland 2012; Azapagic et al.
2005; Barlett and Chase 2013; Barth et al. 2016; Barlett and Eisen 2002). However,
other universities have faced tremendous challenges in integration of ESD across
disciplines and faculties, in part because ESD needs a community of practitioners
to be effective (Corcoran and Wals 2004; Stevenson 2006; Johnston 2013). Minster
et al. (2013) provide an example of successful integration in an engineering program,
due to the support of the wider engineering teaching community.
1.1 The Sustainable Development Goals
The SDGs represent a “universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and
ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity” (United Nations Development Programme 2018). Participation in the SDGs is an essential requirement of governing
J. Jodoin and J. Singer
Keywords Education for sustainable development (ESD) · Sustainable
development goals (SDGs) · English as a foreign language (EFL) · KPV-model
1 Introduction
The concept of “sustainability” has become ubiquitous in public debate, education,
policy negotiation, and news. It has become clear, however, that promoting technologies and policies are not enough to deal with climate change and other sustainability
issues such as poverty and gender inequality; efforts are required to educate citizens
and facilitate change in sustainability attitudes and behavior, as has been recognized
by educators and researchers involved in the field of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). ESD is a value-laden field and, at its core, is tasked with identifying
sustainability-related goals and working towards them in order to confront and solve
environmental and developmental issues (McKeown 2002, pp. 13–14). ESD was first
introduced by the World Commission on Environment and Development (1987), and
it gained great traction among policymakers and the general public during the United
Nation’s (UN) Decade of ESD (DESD) from 2005 to 2014. Since the Decade’s end,
ESD has continued to expand its reach, and it is now embedded within the United
Nation‘s agenda for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs. Of
interest is SDG #4.7, which states, as its sub-goal, that:
by 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development
and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace
and non-violence, global citizenship, and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s
contribution to sustainable development (United Nations 2015, p. 17).
This goal calls upon educators and knowledge facilitators to mainstream sustainability and other ESD content into their lessons, teaching materials and institutions.
Many universities in Japan and around the world are now including the SDGs in
their operational and academic planning (Grierson and Hyland 2012; Azapagic et al.
2005; Barlett and Chase 2013; Barth et al. 2016; Barlett and Eisen 2002). However,
other universities have faced tremendous challenges in integration of ESD across
disciplines and faculties, in part because ESD needs a community of practitioners
to be effective (Corcoran and Wals 2004; Stevenson 2006; Johnston 2013). Minster
et al. (2013) provide an example of successful integration in an engineering program,
due to the support of the wider engineering teaching community.
1.1 The Sustainable Development Goals
The SDGs represent a “universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and
ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity” (United Nations Development Programme 2018). Participation in the SDGs is an essential requirement of governing