This case study collection presents an interdisciplinary University College Dublin initiative exploring how key competencies for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) can be embedded in higher education teaching, learning and assessment. It introduces UNESCO’s sustainability competencies alongside metacognitive development and the I-SEE learning strategies: Introducing, Signposting, Enabling and Evaluating.

Four detailed case studies demonstrate how these approaches have been applied in clinical nutrition and dietetics, education, rural placemaking and public health nutrition. Using student-centred, collaborative, action-oriented and critically reflective approaches, the case studies engage learners with authentic, real-world problems. Each includes information on its context, intended learning outcomes, teaching and assessment strategies, impact and practical lessons, demonstrating how ESD can be made relevant across a wide range of disciplines, including subjects not traditionally associated with sustainability.