Learning for Sustainability Scotland is Scotland’s UN University-recognised Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE) on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). These Centres are a global network of 200 local ESD hubs and, through multi-stakeholder partnerships across formal and non-formal education, they foster learning and action for a more sustainable world.

We were delighted to participate in the recent Global RCE Conference; which brought together RCE members and key stakeholders from all over the world to exchange knowledge, celebrate achievements and shape the future of ESD.

About the Conference

This event was the 14th Global RCE Conference, and it was held on 21-23 October 2025 in Okayama, Japan: home to one of the first ever RCEs to be established, back in 2005. The conference provided an opportunity to reflect on the network’s accomplishments to date and its efforts to advance UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 (Quality Education); which is essential to achieving the other UN SDGs.

With the theme “Rethinking Learning for a Sustainable Future: 20 Years of Action and Innovation”, this conference was a cause for celebration: commemorating both the 20th anniversary of the Global RCE Network and the 50th anniversary of the United Nations University. It also comes at the midpoint of the implementation timescale of two important international frameworks for ESD; namely the RCE Roadmap 2021–2030 and the ESD for 2030 framework.

A publication marking the 20th anniversary of the Global RCE Network through stories, insights and analyses from RCE initiatives worldwide was launched at the conference. Delegates also adopted the 2025 Okayama Declaration: RCEs’ Collective Commitment for Sustainable Futures;  reaffirming the Global RCE Network’s commitment to harnessing education as a transformative force for societal change.

Click here to read an initial summary of the Conference. A full summary from the organisers will be available soon.

                                                                   

RCE Scotland at the Conference

We were delighted to be amongst the RCEs selected to present and share at the Conference.

On Day One, Betsy King, Advisor to the European RCE Region and our former Development Manager, was part of a Plenary Session reflecting on 20 years of the RCE Network. She was joined by her fellow Regional Advisors from across the other three Regions of the RCE Network: namely Africa, Americas, and Asia-Pacific.

Day Two saw Scotland’s RCE Youth Co-ordinator, Alyson MacKay; who is also the Youth Co-ordinator for the European RCE Region, sharing an insightful and thought-provoking overview of the ‘Why Not Scotland?’ film screenings and community-based discussions she organised across Scotland this year. This was as part of a Plenary Session that brought together the Regional Youth Co-ordinators from the four regions.

Later that same day, Betsy King and Kirsten Leask, RCE Scotland Project Manager and Co-communicator for the RCE Europe Network, shared a Thematic Presentation on ‘Building a movement for change: Advocating for Learning for Sustainability in Scotland’ as part of a Breakout Session on the UNESCO ESD for 2030 priority action area  ‘Advancing Policy’.

They followed this with a Capacity-Building Workshop: ‘Learning beyond 2030: Weaving ESD across the everyday’; which was delivered in partnership with colleagues from RCE Fryslân, Netherlands; and RCE Basque Country-Navarre. Globally, the UNESCO ESD for 2030 roadmap and its Priority Action Areas provide an important foundation for learning.

Building on this we collectively explored how, beyond 2030, we can weave ESD across the everyday, for everyone. In this workshop, using ‘Futures thinking’ approaches, we encouraged the imaginative capacities of participants to fundamentally rethink education in order to place ESD at its heart.

Double Award recognition for RCE Scotland

The conference also included recognition ceremonies of the RCE Awards and ESD Okayama Awards, celebrating exemplary projects from across the world that demonstrate meaningful impact in promoting sustainability through education. 

We are delighted to share that RCE Scotland received two RCE Awards in the ‘Outstanding Flagship Project: Non-Youth-Led’ Award category.

The first, ‘Weaving ESD across Initial Teacher Education’ was for our collaborative work with colleagues from the Universities of Stirling, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and the General Teaching Council for Scotland, on Scotland’s National Framework for Learning for Sustainability in Initial Teacher Education. The second was for ‘Advocating for Learning for Sustainability in Scotland’: in recognition of our ongoing partnership-driven work in supporting Scotland’s national policy work in this area.

 We will share more about these Awards in due course, but we would like to thank UNU-IAS for this prestigious recognition of our work to make Learning for Sustainability part of the everyday for all educators and learners across Scotland.

Beyond the Conference

The Conference organisers ensured that our time in Okayama afforded us an insight into real-life learning opportunities. On the final day, we joined field visits across the city; engaging with a local school (Kyokuso Elementary School), university (Okayama University) and kominkan (community learning centre) to experience first-hand how the city integrates ESD into daily life. These insights were truly inspiring; and our warmest thanks goes to the children and young people, educators, and organisations who gave so generously of their time and answered our many questions!

The hospitality afforded to us by our Japanese colleagues was wonderful – and the way in which aspects of traditional Japanese culture were woven across the proceedings was truly inspiring.

We were welcomed by local schoolchildren, who greeted us with smiles and origami gifts as we arrived; and we were then treated to an amazing opening ceremony where local students created an SDGs-themed banner of hope and inspiration through a combination of dance and calligraphy.

Joining a traditional Japanese tea ceremony gave us a fascinating insight into this enduring tradition, and the Welcome Reception on the evening of Day One showcased amazingly talented local traditional food, musicians and dancers (with many of the Conference delegates joining in…!).

The final day’s tours included more opportunities to engage with traditional crafts and aspects of Japanese life; including a visit to the beautiful Okayama Korakuen gardens, the chance to try our hands at making a bell from Bizen pottery, and a guided Zen meditation session; before a final reception within the 16th-century Okayama Castle – a fitting finale to a truly inspirational Global RCE Conference.

Thank you – and next steps

Our warmest thanks goes to all of the children and young people, students, educators, community organisations, UNU-IAS staff, fellow RCEs, the Japanese Ministry for the Environmentand others from the city of Okayama and beyond who made this Conference such a success. We’re looking forward to building on and strengthening the many connections and conversations we made – and to the next 20 years of the Global RCE Network.