The report on United Nations Decade on Education for Sustainable Development (UNDESD) has highlighted major trends that have advanced ESD over the period of ten years.

I) ESD, an enabler for sustainable development

1. Education systems are addressing sustainability issues: ESD provides a renewed vision and purpose to tackle social, economic and environmental challenges that the world faces today and in the future.

2. Sustainable development agendas and education agendas are converging: Greater attention is now being paid to education, training and public awareness as essential mechanisms to support the implementation of major environmental conventions and agreements.

II) Importance of stakeholder engagement for ESD

1. Political leadership has proven instrumental: Support by the government is absolutely essential in helping create and promote a favourable environment for the spread of ESD

2. Multi-stakeholder partnerships are particularly effective: Knowledge exchange and collaboration among UN agencies is supporting the inclusion of education in the Post-2015 Development Agenda and SD goals processes

3. Local commitments are growing: In the National Workshop on Building Capacity for Localising SDGs, Bhubaneshwar, India (2018) it was highlighted that there is a need to localize SDGs at the district and panchayat levels and make it a buzzword there. Once SDGs become a buzzword, they will automatically gain momentum. Lessons from every level and area of education have reinforced the importance and benefits of providing a local context for ESD.

III) ESD is galvanizing pedagogical innovation

1. Whole-institution approaches practice ESD: The mainstreaming of sustainability into all aspects of education including curriculum, facilities, interaction with surroundings have helped learners to contribute to sustainable development.

2. ESD facilitates interactive, learner-driven pedagogies: The creation of a participatory learning process is helping transform learners into individuals who are questioning, critically analysing and then making decisions. Research suggests that the provision of an ESD-induced learning environment has made learners more aware of their responsibility of the world around them.

IV) ESD has spread across all levels and areas of education

1. ESD is being integrated into formal education: Policy makers have recognised the early stage of learning as the foundation of Sustainable Development. They see young children as ‘agents of change’ within their families and communities. Hence, increasing policy attention is being paid to the integration of ESD in primary and secondary education.

2. Non-formal and informal ESD is increasing: There is an acknowledgement that ESD is not just limited to portals of formal institutions but penetrates into everyone’s daily life. Hence a comprehensive learning environment should be created not just in educational institutions but also families and communities.

3. Technical and vocational education and training advances sustainable development: International sustainable development policy and planning and technical and vocational education and training policy and planning are now aligning to pave the way for new research and capacity building efforts.