Sustainability

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This landscape report provides an overview of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) practice across the higher education sector in Ireland. It draws together publicly available institutional strategies, HEA Performance Framework Agreements 2024–2028, Climate Action Roadmaps and ESD to 2030 progress reports to outline current approaches to embedding ESD.

Structured as a series of institutional case studies, the report highlights how ESD is being addressed across teaching and learning, research, engagement and whole-institution practice, and identifies opportunities for collaboration and shared learning across the sector.

The HEA Education for Sustainable Development Spotlight Series 2025: Case Studies Compendium brings together 115 case studies from higher education institutions across Ireland. It showcases how universities and colleges are integrating sustainability and the UN Sustainable Development Goals into teaching, research, curriculum design, assessment practices and community engagement. It offers a comprehensive picture of national ESD activity and provides an accessible resource for educators and policymakers seeking examples of practice-based innovation.

These presentation slides, created and delivered by Dr Alex Ryan (Learning Energy) for the Advancing Quality and Leadership in Sustainable Higher Education workshop hosted by the Higher Education Authority (HEA), introduce the principles and practice of Anti-Greenwash Education within the context of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

The slides outline findings from the QAA-funded project Students Driving Curriculum Quality for Sustainability and provide a visual summary of how student-led approaches can strengthen transparency, quality, and credibility in sustainability education. They include key concepts, activity prompts, examples of course evaluation frameworks, and student feedback on applying ESD quality principles.

The workshop offered a structured overview of how institutions can embed authentic, evidence-based ESD across courses and policies, connecting workshop learning to wider sector priorities and the Government of Ireland’s ESD to 2030 Strategy.

This curated collection includes key materials, toolkits, and reports from the Anti-Greenwash Education initiative, developed to support quality, transparency, and integrity in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). It provides direct access to the education kit, training resources, worked examples, film series, sector review, and action guidance, along with related reports and international frameworks informing current ESD policy and practice.

The resource is designed for students, course representatives, and staff engaged in sustainability education and quality enhancement. It connects practical learning tools with wider evidence on ESD trends, student demand for sustainability, and institutional quality frameworks, offering an overview of current developments in the field.

This resource was shared as part of the Advancing Quality and Leadership in Sustainable Higher Education workshop hosted by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and facilitated by Dr Alex Ryan. The workshop supported Irish higher education institutions in strategically implementing high-quality ESD in alignment with the Government of Ireland’s ESD to 2030 Strategy and the HEA’s ESD programme objectives.

This Toolkit was created by students at University College Dublin, for students, to break down sustainability in a way that’s simple and easy to understand. Climate change is something that affects all of us—no matter what you’re studying, where you’re from, or what you do. It’s here, and it’s impacting our world—but many of us aren’t sure what we can do about it.

The purpose of this toolkit is a starting point for what students need to learn about living more sustainably on and off campus. We hope it’ll inspire students to take small steps that make a big impact, and they can do it all at their own pace. You can access the Moodle page to view the Toolkit. There are also Zip files of the SCORM packages used to create the Toolkit (Part 1 and Part 2) that can be downloaded and imported into a Virtual Learning Environment.

• Part 1: Climate Change → Watch short Youtube videos followed by a little quiz to brush up on your sustainability knowledge.
• Part 2: What Can You Do? → Find tips and tricks to incorporate sustainability into your day-to-day life, this is a resource tool to help you get started!

The “Recycling Art” project engages children in transforming waste into creative toys, fostering sustainable living habits and environmental consciousness in line with SDG 13, through imaginative and fun activities.

Recycling art

CC BY-SA