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5.1 Introduction
Education lies at the heart of Sustainable Development (SD) and is the fundamental
medium through which Sustainable Development is imagined and implemented.
Although education impacts stakeholders at the global, regional, local and individual levels, it has proven to be the most difficult to legislate, ratify, implement and
manage. The challenge does not lie in the promotion and implementation of key
education sustainability strategies. The challenge lies in securing investment, interest and motivation to implement ESD. This requires a better understanding of limiting and fostering factors that prevent key stakeholders from collaborating towards
education for sustainable development. Following Healey (2006), Minnery (2007)
and Franco (2014), stakeholder networks involve both collaboration and conflict.
These two aspects impact the effectiveness of sustainability initiatives and therefore
the level of relevance and success of these initiatives. Therefore, this chapter raises
the question of stakeholder collaboration for Education for Sustainable Development
as a constituent component of collaborative governance (Minnery 2007; Franco
2014). Qualitative analysis of key policies and strategies for implementation and
complexities in collaboration processes highlight key gaps and inconsistencies in
imagining global policies at the regional and local levels. Thus, this chapter proposes key changes for indicators that measure and monitor the implementation of
ESD at the regional level. It also addresses the key systemic and structural limitations that prevent the SDG 4 targets from being implemented by key actors in a
multi-stakeholders collaboration scenario.
This chapter is structured as follows: The first section presents a literature review
of key ideas and perspectives on ESD since 2005. This is followed by a policy
review of ESD strategies at the global, regional, local and individual level. This section also presents a timeline of evolving strategies developed to manage changes in
politics, society, environment and the economy. It also looks at the role of stakeholders in actioning the SDG 4 targets with respect to ESD. The third section delves
into the key challenges that ESD has faced since 2005 and presents limiting and
fostering factors in multi-stakeholder collaboration for ESD. The chapter finishes
with recommendations for impact sustainability.
5.2 The Governance of ESD: A Review of the Literature
ESD is a fundamental entity which must be ingrained into the mentality of key
actors engaged in collaborative governance for ESD. Promoting greater participation in this field requires theoretical as well as practical frameworks that empower
key stakeholders engaged in collaboration for ESD. Theoretically, ESD presents
key interlinkages with pedagogical approaches to understanding and imparting ESD
practices and values. We see the interlinkage between institutional ethos and thematic interest with regard to implementing ESD initiatives. 2005 to 2014 was
I. B. Franco and E. Derbyshire
5.1 Introduction
Education lies at the heart of Sustainable Development (SD) and is the fundamental
medium through which Sustainable Development is imagined and implemented.
Although education impacts stakeholders at the global, regional, local and individual levels, it has proven to be the most difficult to legislate, ratify, implement and
manage. The challenge does not lie in the promotion and implementation of key
education sustainability strategies. The challenge lies in securing investment, interest and motivation to implement ESD. This requires a better understanding of limiting and fostering factors that prevent key stakeholders from collaborating towards
education for sustainable development. Following Healey (2006), Minnery (2007)
and Franco (2014), stakeholder networks involve both collaboration and conflict.
These two aspects impact the effectiveness of sustainability initiatives and therefore
the level of relevance and success of these initiatives. Therefore, this chapter raises
the question of stakeholder collaboration for Education for Sustainable Development
as a constituent component of collaborative governance (Minnery 2007; Franco
2014). Qualitative analysis of key policies and strategies for implementation and
complexities in collaboration processes highlight key gaps and inconsistencies in
imagining global policies at the regional and local levels. Thus, this chapter proposes key changes for indicators that measure and monitor the implementation of
ESD at the regional level. It also addresses the key systemic and structural limitations that prevent the SDG 4 targets from being implemented by key actors in a
multi-stakeholders collaboration scenario.
This chapter is structured as follows: The first section presents a literature review
of key ideas and perspectives on ESD since 2005. This is followed by a policy
review of ESD strategies at the global, regional, local and individual level. This section also presents a timeline of evolving strategies developed to manage changes in
politics, society, environment and the economy. It also looks at the role of stakeholders in actioning the SDG 4 targets with respect to ESD. The third section delves
into the key challenges that ESD has faced since 2005 and presents limiting and
fostering factors in multi-stakeholder collaboration for ESD. The chapter finishes
with recommendations for impact sustainability.
5.2 The Governance of ESD: A Review of the Literature
ESD is a fundamental entity which must be ingrained into the mentality of key
actors engaged in collaborative governance for ESD. Promoting greater participation in this field requires theoretical as well as practical frameworks that empower
key stakeholders engaged in collaboration for ESD. Theoretically, ESD presents
key interlinkages with pedagogical approaches to understanding and imparting ESD
practices and values. We see the interlinkage between institutional ethos and thematic interest with regard to implementing ESD initiatives. 2005 to 2014 was
I. B. Franco and E. Derbyshire