BACKGROUND 

In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for all countries to achieve by 2030 in order to transform the world for a sustainable future. Education is acknowledged to be the most powerful means to raise awareness and knowledge about pressing global challenges that concern sustainability, amongst them human-induced climate change and global warming, environmental degradation, limited and recklessly exploited resources, poverty and unsustainable economic structures, demographic changes, etc. To facilitate the transition of the planet and the global society to a sustainable world, the SDGs demand that by 2030 “all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development…” (SDG 4 Target 7) and that “people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development” (SDG 12 Target 8).

In response to the challenges, faced by governments and populations around the world, a lot is being made to thoroughly equip education as a key enabler of the SDGs. But the problem is that the ESD (Education for Sustainable Development) efforts need education, which is sustainable itself. Focusing on education, SDG 4 stresses the criticality of ensuring high-quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. Much still remains to be done to consolidate the transformative potential of the relevant national and international stakeholders. 

OBJECTIVES 

• Raising global and national awareness of sustainable development challenges and the crucial role of education as a key enabler of the successful achievement of all the SDGs.
• Raising awareness of the existing European and global frameworks that are relevant for sustainable education.
• Bringing the problems of the Ukrainian system of education to the agenda of the international and national stakeholders in the sustainable education field.
• Bringing together the diversity of experiences from across the globe towards education for change and bringing in the element of quality improvement in education.

OUTCOMES 

• Global and national awareness about sustainable education as a key enabler of the successful achievement of all the SDGs is increased. The Conference participants understand the importance of education for sustainable development and increase their efforts in their professional capacities.
• A strong basis for efficient networking with the relevant national and international stakeholders including government agencies, academic and educational institutions, NGOs, experts, parents, and other active representatives of the public is established.
• The domestic discussion of sustainable education goals both in the academic and non-academic environments is vitalized. The world’s best practices in setting the key milestones to pass on the way to achieving the SDGs are adopted.