“Sustainability? Never heard of it!”: Some basics we shouldn’t ignore when engaging in education for sustainability

Presents the results of an Internet survey of all the humanities faculties in Germany, Switzerland, The Netherlands and the UK and of a review of the international debate both on sustainability in general and education for sustainability in particular. Argues for a complex, transdisciplinary and broad approach to education for sustainability (EfS). Such an approach has to acknowledge the relative relevance of education within contemporary society, along with other “educators” such as the media, the economy and the shadow curriculum of institutional practice. It has to be fully aware of the reasons and the extent of the unsustainability of our current situation, but it also has to sketch out what a sustainable society might mean. Only on this basis can we then develop effective and sensible proposals for EfS. Ends with ten practical strategies to further EfS in higher education institutions.