Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a process that brings knowledge and practice together for implementing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Highlighted in SDG 4.7, ESD seeks to transform learning for all people so that the needs of all people are met within the means of the planet and its ecosystems.

ESD is a lifelong learning process, meaning that it applies to all settings for all people: including policy makers, scientists, students, researchers, educators, businesses and all other stakeholders.

ESD holistically transforms what, where, how, and why we learn by integrating key sustainable development issues into learning content, learning environments, pedagogy and learning outcomes to fundamentally shift behaviors and institutions toward sustainable development actions (see UNESCO’s “Education for sustainable development: a roadmap):

1. WHAT: LEARNING CONTENT 
ESD integrates sustainability issues enshrined in the 17 SDGs into all kinds of learning. It helps learners develop the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to actively contribute to environmental integrity, economic viability and a just society.

2. WHERE: LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
ESD takes a whole-institution approach to enable learners to live what they learn and learn what they live. Thus, ESD applies to all formal, non-formal or informal settings: vocational education, higher education, workplace training, public awareness education and more.

3. HOW: PEDAGOGY
ESD employs interactive, project-based, learner-centred pedagogy. It is a lifelong learning process that enhances cognitive, social and emotional and behavioural dimensions of learning.

4. WHY: LEARNING OUTCOMES AND SOCIETAL TRANSFORMATION
ESD empowers people to take responsibility for present and future generations and actively contribute to societal transformation. It enables the achievement of all SDGs to build a more sustainable world.

ESD is an internationally recognized process: 

• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is the lead UN agency in implementing ESD 
  • UNESCO led the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014)
  • UNESCO launched the global framework, “Education for Sustainable Development: Towards achieving the SDGs” in 2019. 
• The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) developed a regional ESD strategy and established a Steering Committee on ESD to support countries in implementing the strategy and integrating ESD into all forms and levels of their education systems, including vocational and adult learning. 
• The European Declaration on Global Education to 2050 includes ESD in realizing the SDGs. 

The Carpathian Convention, with its comprehensive focus on environmental conservation and sustainable development, naturally intersects with the principles of ESD. Article 13 of the Carpathian Convention states that the Parties shall pursue policies that: 

1. increase environmental awareness and public access to information on protecting and sustainably developing the Carpathians, and
2. guarantee public participation in decision-making and implementing the Carpathian Convention.

Awareness-raising and education are also highlighted in all the Convention’s existing Protocols, several strategic documents and Memoranda of Cooperation. These education-related references form a solid foundation for incorporating ESD more closely into the Carpathian Convention. These references also span various sectors, including forestry, tourism, climate change and more, highlighting the applicability of ESD to build capacity, disseminate information and generate public support in these sectors. 

1. WHAT: LEARNING CONTENT 
ESD in the Carpathians should be rooted in the unique features of the region and scientifically informed. With strong cultural traditions and traditional resource use, the Carpathians are a biodiversity hotspot with unique species and ecosystems and united by a common historical and socio-cultural background. These features should inform the Convention’s projects, meetings, programmes, curricula and more. 

2. WHERE: LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
ESD should be integrated into all Convention activities — from governmental meetings to the classroom — so that synergies are enhanced across Carpathian topics. Relationships need to be strengthened within the Convention and with external stakeholders so that various actors are aware of each other’s work and can better cooperate.

3. HOW: PEDAGOGY
ESD experts utilize various tools such as classroom teaching, interactive workshops, public awareness campaigns, summer schools and more to teach participants how to better conserve nature and develop sustainably in the Carpathians. 

4. WHY: LEARNING OUTCOMES AND SOCIETAL TRANSFORMATION
By integrating sustainable development issues specific to the Carpathians – like climate change, green energy, disaster risk reduction, biodiversity, rural depopulation and social cohesion – into learning content, pedagogy and the learning environment, individuals and communities (from governments to school children) are trained to find environmental, economic and social solutions for sustainable living.