We were delighted to recently work in partnership with colleagues from Education Scotland, GTC Scotland, the University of Edinburgh, and the University of Stirling to support Professor Daniella Tilbury’s recent paper and presentation on ‘Advancing Quality and Whole-System Coherence: Education for Sustainable Development in the United Kingdom‘.

This was shared at the 21st Meeting of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Steering Committee on Education for Sustainable Development from 20-22 May in Geneva, Switzerland.

UNECE Steering Committee for Education for Sustainable Development Meeting, May 2026

Click here to watch our contribution to the session chaired by Professor Tilbury.

This input was led by Dr Beth Christie (Director of Learning for Sustainability Scotland and Senior Lecturer at University of Edinburgh) and explores ‘Learning for Sustainability: Teacher Education Standards and Frameworks in Scotland’.

About Professor Tilbury and her work with the UNECE

Professor Tilbury plays a key role as the UK Government’s focal point to the UNECE; contributing to important conversations on the future of sustainability, education and international cooperation.

This most recent paper provides an update on the growing momentum to embed sustainability, climate and environmental priorities across education systems in the UK. While educational policy and responsibilities are a devolved matter across the four nations of the UK, a shared trajectory is emerging; supported by strengthened policy capacity, improved coordination across teams, and dedicated leadership within government.

Scotland and Learning for Sustainability: a joined-up, national approach

In Scotland, this is evidenced through ‘Learning for Sustainability’: an ongoing national policy commitment that has, since 2013, embedded five strategic aims across Scotland’s educational landscape, namely:

  • All learners aged 3-18 have an entitlement to Learning for Sustainability (LfS)
  • Every practitioner, school, and education leader should demonstrate LfS in their practice
  • Every setting should have a whole-setting approach to LfS
  • All settings’ buildings, grounds, and policies should support LfS
  • A strategic national approach to supporting LfS should be established.

The 2023 national LfS Action Plan: ‘Target 2030: A Movement for People, Planet, and Prosperity’ outlines 30 actions to be undertaken by some of the major national educational bodies in Scotland in support of this vision.

Making LfS part of the everyday for educators and learners

Professor Tilbury’s update to the UNECE focused on several vital elements of this Action Plan; namely the way in which Scotland is embedding LfS across key structures and frameworks such as the GTC Scotland national Professional Standards for teachers; and the National Framework for LfS in Initial Teacher Education; co-created in partnership with all eleven of Scotland’s ITE institutions and the Scottish Council of Deans of Education.

In 2025, a comprehensive national survey was undertaken by researchers and staff from the University of Edinburgh, University of Glasgow, University of Stirling, UCL, and supported by Learning for Sustainability Scotland, to understand the needs and opportunities to further support school teachers to embed LfS in their practice. Initial findings were published in early 2026 – Learning for Sustainability across Scotland: understanding opportunities to further support school teachers – and we are looking forward to working with colleagues across Scotland to progress this vital activity.

 [BC1]hyperlink to the video here?