Moving Beyond the EE and ESD Disciplinary Debate in Formal Education

Many educators think of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) on a disciplinary level—what is Environmental Education's (EE) contribution to a more sustainable future? Briefly, we describe differences and similarities between EE and ESD. Next, we examine four levels of activity—disciplinary, whole school, educational system, and international—that are necessary for progress in ESD. At the disciplinary level we outline some of the contributions of geography and workplace education to ESD. At the international level, we describe three transboundary educational issues—HIV/AIDS, education of girls and women, and education for and about refugees—which require multinational responses. It is apparent that more than a disciplinary approach to ESD is needed in the formal sector. Effort on all four levels and cooperation between levels is important for education to fulfil its role of moving communities and nations toward a more sustainable future.