Robert J. Didham, INN’s UNESCO Chair in Education for Sustainable Lifestyles, was one of the researchers leading UNESCO’s Transforming Futures project, which was carried out between 2024 and 2026. The project’s aim was to strengthen the knowledge and capacity of institutions and individuals to change practices that promote sustainability and high-quality education.
Action research is crucial
In 2025, 41 schools (primary schools, secondary schools and higher education institutions) in ten countries – Brazil, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Germany, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Romania and Slovenia – tested and implemented a pilot project using the guidance tools within their local contexts. The tools were developed on the basis of literature reviews, consultations with an international advisory group and action research carried out through the global network ‘ESD for 2030’.
The results of this work were reviewed earlier this year, when UNESCO organised a global forum with national researchers and teachers from these schools to explore how the guidance tools could be improved and made more relevant to teachers. It turned out that action research was a crucial factor in developing high-quality guidance tools. Through the action research process, teachers and school leaders became researchers within their own institutions by planning, implementing, observing, reflecting on and further developing sustainability initiatives. Their experiences provided valuable documentation, case studies and insights that formed the basis for the final guidance tools and the accompanying policy briefs.
The project also fostered local and global communities of practice, strengthened teachers’ professional competence and inspired sustainability initiatives at school and community level that continue beyond the project’s implementation period.
INNs UNESCO Chair
Robert J. Didham, Director of CCL, has led INN’s work on this project since 2024 and he is the lead author of the guidance tool Enhancing pedagogies and competencies for sustainability. This guidance tool focuses specifically on cross-curricular sustainability competencies and presents a new pedagogical framework to support their gradual and step-by-step development. It frames competence development as a holistic, contextualised and long-term learning process, and offers a flexible pedagogical approach that can be adapted to different subjects, student groups and institutional contexts.
Robert was also part of the team of authors who established the guidelines for all three guidance tools and the framework for the action research.
Results
The project has resulted in the launch of three guidance tools focusing on key dimensions of education for sustainable development. In addition to the guidance tools, three policy documents have also been published – one linked to each tool – which will be sent to the ministries of education and the national UNESCO Commission.
The latest results also bring 10 country spotlights based on testimonials and reports provided by country teams and researchers. The 10 country spotlights are from Brazil, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Cuba, Germany, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, Romania, and Slovenia.
Collaboration with the international partner network
Several members of the international partner network of the UNESCO Chair on ESL have led and contributed to the development of the other two guidance tools.
The work on Enhancing pedagogies and competencies for sustainability was led by the UNESCO Chair and co-chairs of Reorienting Education towards Sustainability, Charles Hopkins and Katrin Kohl at York University in Canada, together with Isabel Toman and Hilligje van’t Land from the International Association of Universities (IAU). This guidance tool focuses specifically on the whole-institution perspective, with the potential to transform learning environments into living examples of sustainability by integrating Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into all aspects of education, curricula, governance, operations, teacher training and community engagement.
Assessing Learning in Education for Sustainable Development was led by Daniel Fischer, UNESCO Chair in Higher Education for Sustainable Development at Leuphana University of Lüneburg, in collaboration with Jordan King at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Aaron Redman at Arizona State University. This guidance tool focuses on assessment in ESD. Assessment within UBU has remained a critical gap and must reflect the transformative and inclusive nature of the discipline. Although the learning outcomes are well defined, there remains a critical gap regarding how they should be assessed.
The project was supported by the Japanese Government.
The International Partner Network of the UNESCO Chair on ESL
The International Partner Network (IPN) comprises 43 institutional partners in 29 countries worldwide. Most of the partners are higher education institutions. Through North-South and South-South cooperation, CCL builds partnerships across national borders and strengthens work within UBU. This network, together with INN’s UNESCO Chair in ESD, also comprises eight other UNESCO Chairs. Together, the partners in this network have established several successful collaborations.
Read more
- For more information about the project
- Download the guidance tools, policy documents or explore the country spotlights
Contact information
- robert.didham@inn.no
- Phone
- +47 62 59 79 63
Didham RJ (2026) A pedagogical framework for sustainability competencies: bridging theory and practice in education for sustainable development. Front. Educ. 11:1908784. doi: 10.3389/feduc.2026.1908784. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2026.1908784