The Case(s) of Environmental and Sustainability Education in the United Kingdom

The story of Environmental and Sustainability Education (ESE) in the United Kingdom (UK) is manifold in nature – with multiple initiatives interacting in the ebb and flow of its progress. The UK remains dis-united at an educational policy level, with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland leading the way in their recent emphasis on the importance of ESE in comparison to England.

The exciting potential for ESE change has historically been more consistently harnessed across the UK through the Third Sector helping to catalyse change across the public Education Sector. Charities, voluntary and community organisations, social enterprises and cooperatives have partnered with schools, colleges and universities to create important grassroots communities of practice for leading educational change. This has resulted in innovation and advancement in not only ESE but also the closely-related fields of Outdoor Learning, Development Education and Global Learning.

This chapter in its review of some of the key aspects of this devolved and bottom-up UK approach offers an emerging integrated model of deep learning for Environmental and Sustainability Education. This encompasses core ESE learning dimensions such as: solutions focused approaches to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); social learning through dialogue; experiential learning through place-based activation, and reflexive learning through contemplative engagement.