ESD Academy

Open Access ressources for designing and delivering education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

The ESD Academy is designed to strengthen teachers’ competencies in Education for Sustainable Development. It offers practical courses and learning pathways that support educators in designing ESD training, exploring the GreenComp framework, and driving sustainable change in teaching and institutional practice. Through the Academy, TEACH4SD supports upskilling, knowledge sharing, and the broader integration of ESD across vocational and higher education. All resources on the platform are open source.

Designing for ESD

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) calls for educators to develop and apply pedagogical approaches to teach the key sustainability competencies needed to take action and tackle real-world challenges, including addressing the knowledge dimension, affecting attitudes and achieving skills.
In this course you will learn about designing for ESD and be facilitated in making pedagogical decisions for designing educator training for ESD
Estimated time to explore the course: 120 min.
We recommend that the design process introduced in the course is done in collaboration with a colleague.

Explore the need for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), reflecting on how to move beyond unsustainable teaching practices.

Get step‑by‑step support for designing an ESD educator training course, guided through the key stages of WHY, WHO, WHAT, and HOW.

Find inspiration for planning and implementation, including real‑world insights and reflections.

Launch the course

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Learn about GreenComp

Online courses based on the European framework GreenComp – a reference framework for sustainability competences. The courses provide educators with introductions and inspiration for teaching using GreenComp.

Learning pathway

As educator, you play a central role in shaping how future professionals think and act. Your work goes beyond the classroom: it can influence how your institution evolves, how learners engage with real-world challenges, and how communities transition to more sustainable future.

Online evaluation tool

To guide your evaluation process, it is essential to think about how the assessment can foster not just knowledge, but also the development of key competences for sustainability such as valuing nature, systems thinking, and collaboration.

“TEACH4SD ESD Academy digital resources and online courses”

The ESD Academy is being developed throughout the project period. More online courses and resources will be added continuously.