History of EFS

History of Selected Events & Declarations Related to Education for Sustainability

Year | Event/Declaration
1962
 Publication of Silent Spring by Rachel Carson helps launch the modern environmental movement
1970
 Earth Day founded by Senator Gaylord Nelson
1972
 The Limits to Growth by Dennis Meadows et al. published by the Club of Rome
1983
 A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform, the National Commission on Excellence in Education. 
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/NatAtRisk
1987
 The Brundtland Report, Our Common Future, World Commission on Environment and Development  Stated and popularized the concept of sustainable development  http://www.worldinbalance.net/agreements/1987-brundtland.php
1990
 The Talloires Declaration, University Presidents’ Conference, France  First official statement by university administrators committing to sustainability in higher education   http://www.ulsf.org/programs_talloires.html  
1991
 Halifax Declaration, Conference on University Action for Sustainable Development, Canada  http://www.iisd.org/educate/declarat/halifax.htm
1992
 Agenda 21: Programme of Action for Sustainable Development Report of the United Nations Conference on Environmental and Development,Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June
1993
 Kyoto Declaration, Ninth International Association of universities Round Table, Japan  http://www.unesco.org/iau/sd/sd_dkyoto.html
1994
 National Forum on Partnerships Supporting Education about the Environment, National Science and Technology Council  http://www.gcrio.org/edu/pcsd/intro.html  
1994
 Blueprint for a Green Campus, Yale University Campus Earth Summit  http://www.princeton.edu/~rcurtis/earthsum.html
1995
 Education for Sustainability: An Agenda for Action (President’s Council on Sustainable Development) 
http://www.gcrio.org/edu/pcsd/toc.htm
1997
 Thessaloniki Declaration, International Conference on Environment and Society – Education and Public Awareness for Sustainability  http://www.minenv.gr/4/41/4101/e410109.html
2000
 Earth Charter, Born out of an initiative at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit  http://www.EarthCharter.org
2000
 United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Final Report of the World Education Forum, Dakar, Senegal, 26-28 April http://www.unesco.org/education/wef/en-docs/findings/rapport%20final%20e.pdf
2002
 Report of the World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, South Africa, 26 Aug - 4 Sept, 2002
http://www.un.org/events/wssd/
2002
 International Union for Conservation of Nature Commission on Education and Communication Conference 
http://www.iucn.org/cec
2002
 Adoption of the Draft Resolution on the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, at the United National General Assembly, 20 Dec, 2002  http://www.gdrc.org/sustdev/un-desd/un-resolution.html
2003
 National Conference on Science, Policy, and the Environment: Education for a Sustainable and Secure Future, National Council for Science and the Environment, 30-31 Jan, 2003
2005
 The U.N. Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) begins, with UNESCO as the lead agency.  The Decade seeks to integrate the principles, values, and practices of sustainable development into all aspects of education and learning, in order to address the social, economic, cultural and environmental problems we face in the 21st century.
2006 
 The first Campus Community Partnerships in Sustainability Conference is held at Berea College
2008
 The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) is established to empower higher education lead the transition to a sustainable future.
2009
 WCSD – World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development - Bonn 31 March – 3 April 2009
http://www.esd-world-conference-2009.org/en/home.html
2009 
 The Copenhagen Climate Change Conference was held.  No formal pact was adopted, however a non-binding Copenhagen Accord was drated by the US, China, India, Brazil and South Africa that recognized climate change as one of the greatest challenges of the present day and that action to keep temperature increases below 2 degrees C should be taken.
2010 
A Global People's Conference on Climate Change was held in Cochabamba, Bolivia on Apr 19-22, 2010 with 35,000 delegates from indigenous peoples, social movements and organizations from 140 countries participating.  A People's Agreement on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth was created.