What is Ed?

21/2/12

Guest speaker - Graham Allen Environmental Manager in Swansea Metropolitan University

The topic for this lecture was 'Education for sustainable development'.

He began the lecture by talking about Agenda 21, which is an action plan of the United Nations related to Sustainable Development. It was an outcome of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development held in 1992. It is a comprehensive blueprint of action to be taken globally, nationally, and locally by organizations of the UN, governments, and major groups in every area in which humans directly affect the environment.

He then discussed corporate responsibilities, which is an organisations positive impact on the society and environment. Some elements of this are:

× Corporate strategy
× Integrator
× Management
× Community
× Performance and impact
× Community
× Environment
× Market place
× Workplace - Health and safety, equality and diversity, high quality staff and staff performance and development.

Digression; Benefits of growth

× Creates employment
× Higher income
× Decrease in poverty
× Improved standards of living

And finally, he discussed the 5 themes for ESDGC (Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship).

× Links between society, economy and environment
× Needs and rights of both present and future generations
× Relationship between power, resources and human rights
× Local and global implications of everything we do
× Actions individuals can take in response to the implications