AN OVERVIEW
The Australian Government has begun the process of developing a National Action Plan for Education for Sustainable Development (NAP ESD). The objective of the Plan is to contribute to the achievement of a more sustainable Australia through community education and learning.
The NAP ESD will supersede the existing National Action Plan for Environmental Education, released in July 2000. The existing Plan has lead to the implementation of a broad range of initiatives including establishment of the National Environmental Education Council (NEEC), National Environmental Education Network (NEEN) and Australian Research Institute in Education for Sustainability (ARIES). Development of programmes such as the Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative can also be attributed to the Plan.
The overarching framework for the NAP is Caring for our Future - The Australian Government Strategy for the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, 2005-2014. Within this framework the NAP ESD will build on current activities and broaden the focus to explicitly acknowledge the interconnected nature of the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.
The NAP ESD will identify a range of strategies and actions to enable the community to contribute to sustainable development. Specifically, the Plan will outline tasks for which the Australian Government will take responsibility, as well as provide national leadership in encouraging actions by others.
The process for developing the NAP will include an analysis of the current status and needs of the sectors involved in education for sustainable development (or education for sustainability and environmental education), as well as the identification of stakeholders that have not previously been engaged. It will focus on areas of greatest national need and impact.
UrbisJHD has been appointed as the consultant to assist the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Water Resources (DEW) with the development of the NAP. The Project Director is Roberta Ryan. The DEW contact is Joan Cornish.
THE PROCESS IN SUMMARY
Phase One – Scoping (December 2006 - February 2007)
Inception process in consultation with Project Steering Committee, NEEC and NEEN. Key Informant interviews. Draft Literature Review. Establish project website. Conduct survey on current situation.
Phase Two – Consultation (March - May 2007)
Disseminate discussion paper. Conduct State and Territory workshops. Present feedback from discussion paper and workshops to Steering Committee.
Phase Three – Drafting of National Action Plan (May - July 2007)
Submit draft action plan. Review by Steering Committee, NEEC and NEEN. Draft final.
Final approval to the new NAP will be given by the Australian Government Minister for the Environment and Water Resources.
HOW YOU CAN BE INVOLVED
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Keep your self and your organisation up to date through this webpage
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Complete the survey - this is now closed -
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Read and respond to the Discussion Paper
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Input to a workshop in your State
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