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or multidisciplinary collaborative work with social and economic content (Scott and
Gough 2003). This way of describing sustainable development by the three interconnected, hierarchically equal and mutually important dimensions of the environment, economy and society is often referred to as the ‘three pillars’ of sustainability
(Giddings et al. 2002). This was emphasised in the Rio+20 meeting (United Nations
Conference on Sustainable Development), where a new integrated agenda beyond
2015 was proposed to ensure the promotion of an economically, socially and environmentally viable future for the planet, as explicated in the Sustainable Development
Goals (UN 2015). Accordingly, the sustainable development agenda should fully
integrate ‘the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development in a coherent, holistic, comprehensive and balanced manner’ (UNEP 2015,
p. 3). This way of understanding and working with sustainability around the three
dimensions has become a global benchmark and a common ground for most sustainability initiatives worldwide. The main idea is that sustaining the environment
and ecosystems needs to be based on considerations of social and economic
development.
Education for Environmental Citizenship is defined by ENEC (2018) as ‘the type
of education that cultivates a coherent and adequate body of knowledge as well as
the necessary skills, values, attitudes and competences that an Environmental
Citizen should be equipped with in order to be able to act and participate in society
as an agent of change in the private and public sphere, on a local, national and global
scale, through individual and collective actions, in the direction of solving contemporary environmental problems, preventing the creation of new environmental
problems, in achieving sustainability as well as developing a healthy relationship
with nature. Education for Environmental Citizenship is important to empower citizens to exercise their environmental rights and duties, as well as to identify the
underlying structural causes of environmental degradation and environmental problems, develop the willingness and the competences for critical and active engagement and civic participation to address those structural causes, acting individually
and collectively within democratic means and taking into account the inter- and
intra-generational justice’ (ENEC 2018).
From the above description, it is evident that there are some similarities between
Education for Environmental Citizenship and Education for Sustainability. Both
aim at the same type of action abilities and to bring about environmental and social
sustainability, but there are some possible differences in the overall teaching
emphases.
There are, however, some differences between Education for Environmental
Citizenship and Education for Sustainability. Historically, the weakest dimension in
Education for Sustainability has been societal, where social justice issues have been
inadequately addressed (Du Pisani 2006). The knowledge of how to democratically
change a society and the social justice effects of those changes on the local and
global society have, at least at the beginning, not been sufficiently emphasised in
Education for Sustainability, as its roots lie in environmental education with a partly
narrower focus on environmental protection and conservation of resources (Bolscho
and Hauenschild 2006). These sociopolitical dimensions are emphasised in
10 Education for Environmental Citizenship and Education for Sustainability
or multidisciplinary collaborative work with social and economic content (Scott and
Gough 2003). This way of describing sustainable development by the three interconnected, hierarchically equal and mutually important dimensions of the environment, economy and society is often referred to as the ‘three pillars’ of sustainability
(Giddings et al. 2002). This was emphasised in the Rio+20 meeting (United Nations
Conference on Sustainable Development), where a new integrated agenda beyond
2015 was proposed to ensure the promotion of an economically, socially and environmentally viable future for the planet, as explicated in the Sustainable Development
Goals (UN 2015). Accordingly, the sustainable development agenda should fully
integrate ‘the economic, social and environmental dimensions of sustainable development in a coherent, holistic, comprehensive and balanced manner’ (UNEP 2015,
p. 3). This way of understanding and working with sustainability around the three
dimensions has become a global benchmark and a common ground for most sustainability initiatives worldwide. The main idea is that sustaining the environment
and ecosystems needs to be based on considerations of social and economic
development.
Education for Environmental Citizenship is defined by ENEC (2018) as ‘the type
of education that cultivates a coherent and adequate body of knowledge as well as
the necessary skills, values, attitudes and competences that an Environmental
Citizen should be equipped with in order to be able to act and participate in society
as an agent of change in the private and public sphere, on a local, national and global
scale, through individual and collective actions, in the direction of solving contemporary environmental problems, preventing the creation of new environmental
problems, in achieving sustainability as well as developing a healthy relationship
with nature. Education for Environmental Citizenship is important to empower citizens to exercise their environmental rights and duties, as well as to identify the
underlying structural causes of environmental degradation and environmental problems, develop the willingness and the competences for critical and active engagement and civic participation to address those structural causes, acting individually
and collectively within democratic means and taking into account the inter- and
intra-generational justice’ (ENEC 2018).
From the above description, it is evident that there are some similarities between
Education for Environmental Citizenship and Education for Sustainability. Both
aim at the same type of action abilities and to bring about environmental and social
sustainability, but there are some possible differences in the overall teaching
emphases.
There are, however, some differences between Education for Environmental
Citizenship and Education for Sustainability. Historically, the weakest dimension in
Education for Sustainability has been societal, where social justice issues have been
inadequately addressed (Du Pisani 2006). The knowledge of how to democratically
change a society and the social justice effects of those changes on the local and
global society have, at least at the beginning, not been sufficiently emphasised in
Education for Sustainability, as its roots lie in environmental education with a partly
narrower focus on environmental protection and conservation of resources (Bolscho
and Hauenschild 2006). These sociopolitical dimensions are emphasised in
10 Education for Environmental Citizenship and Education for Sustainability