The planet is confronting a myriad of pressing and dramatic challenges incurred by the collective impact of humankind, ranging from radical climate change, poverty, and inequality to discrimination and violence. Education emerges as a powerful tool to empower policymakers, learners, and various stakeholders, fostering behavioural changes and transforming them into active agents of change for a more sustainable society. By instilling a deep understanding of environmental responsibilities, ESD serves as a catalyst for collective action, shaping individuals who not only comprehend the intricacies of sustainable practices but also actively contribute to preserving the environment for future generations.

Recognizing the pivotal role of education in shaping a sustainable society, UNESCO is steadfast in its commitment to supporting Member States through technical advice, capacity development, consultations, and knowledge exchange in support of country-led initiatives for ESD with special attention to equality, diversity, and inclusiveness.

This project is coordinated by UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok (UNESCO Bangkok), in close collaboration with UNESCO Regional Offices in Jakarta and Apia, with the support of Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) through the Japanese Fund-in-Trust (JFIT), to build momentum towards ESD for 2030 in the Asia-Pacific region.

Continued support has been provided to two specific countries, Tonga, and Indonesia, in mainstreaming ESD across learning systems. A series of cross-sectoral consultations and training workshops are being crafted at national levels in the two countries to build the capacity of ministries, civil society partners and youth advocates in planning and materializing the countries’ visions for ESD.

At the core of the initiative is a regional meeting that will highlight the latest research, country progress, youth voices, and partnership opportunities for Member States and educational stakeholders in translating their ESD commitments into concrete actions. With a thematic focus on ‘Mainstreaming Education for Sustainable Development in Learning Systems’, the meeting aims to take the national ESD efforts to a deeper level by identifying promising ways to integrate ESD into school curricula, pedagogy, and assessment frameworks, and exploring localized, practice based ESD models.

This project builds on and adds value to the global “Activating ESD for 2030” project that aims at strengthening ESD planned activities at global level, through:

a) empowering two countries in the Asia-Pacific region, Indonesia through targeted technical support to formulate a country level initiative that addresses the gaps between policy and implementation; and

b) knowledge exchange and the potential to contribute to the ongoing global discourse on transforming education, ensuring experiences and voices from the Asia Pacific region are part of the dialogue with other regions.