As the world approaches 2030, important questions are emerging about the future of education and its contribution to sustainable development. What should be carried forward? What needs to change? And how can education help people and societies shape more sustainable, peaceful and just futures? Where will SDG 4 go in a potential new framework or agenda?
The UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability at York University contributes to these international discussions through research, policy development and global partnerships. Our current work focuses on advancing Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), strengthening the societal role of higher education and connecting international expertise to inform the agendas beyond 2030.
ESD Beyond 2030: Contributing to UNESCO's Future Vision
The UNESCO Chair contributes to UNESCO's international foresight process on the future of Education for Sustainable Development.
Co-Chairholder Katrin Kohl serves as commissioned consultant and draft author of UNESCO's ESD Beyond 2030position paper. The work draws on international expertise, peer review and consultations, including the Global Expert Symposium held in Munich, Germany, on 1–2 September 2026.
The emerging vision explores how ESD can build on its achievements while responding to changing global realities. Central considerations include connecting individual learning with collective action and institutional and systemic transformation, engaging diverse knowledge systems and strengthening education's contribution to sustainability across all generations.
The process contributes to preparations for UNESCO's World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development, 13–15 January 2027, in Nairobi, Kenya, and wider discussions on the future global education agenda.
Documents and resources
What Should ESD Carry Beyond 2030? | Reflections by Katrin Kohl and Julia Heiss, NORRAG, September 2026
UNESCO: Beyond 2030, Shaping the Future of ESD | Munich consultation and outlook
UNITWIN Network: Renewing Our Shared Vision for ESD
The UNESCO Chair at York University is a founding partner of the UNITWIN Network on Education for Sustainable Development and Societal Transformations (UNiESD&ST), connecting UNESCO Chairs and academic partners across world regions.
In December 2023, the Network issued Our Shared Vision for Education for Sustainable Development during the ESD-Net Global Meeting in Tokyo, Japan. The Statement positioned ESD as integral to quality education, a key enabler of the Sustainable Development Goals and an educational approach supporting societal transformation.
As discussions on education beyond 2030 advance, the Network has prepared an updated joint statement to reflect emerging priorities and strengthen its shared understanding of ESD's future contribution to inform the World Conference on ESD in Kenya. This work connects the perspectives of UNESCO Chairs and their partners to international discussions on the next phase of ESD.
Documents and resources
Global Higher Education Symposium: Strengthening Higher Education's Global Role
Higher education has a crucial role in shaping sustainable development, including its contributions to knowledge, democratic societies, innovation and institutional transformation. Initiated by the UNESCO Chair at York University, the Global Higher Education Symposium (GHES) brings international partners and networks into dialogue on strengthening higher education's role in the global agenda.
Building on the first symposium in 2025 and a subsequent global consultation, the second symposium (GHES II) convened at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 13 July 2026. It launched Building Sustainable Futures: A Consensus Statement on the Unique Position of Higher Education in the Pursuit of Solutions.
Co-Chairholder Katrin Kohl was among the three drafting authors, working with Amber Webb (SDSN) and Noah Sobe (UNESCO). Developed with international partners, the Consensus Statement identifies priorities across sustainability, democratic values, inclusion and diverse knowledge systems, responsible innovation and AI, and systemic changes in governance and funding.
The Statement provides a shared foundation for strengthening higher education's contribution to sustainable development and emerging post-2030 priorities.
Documents and resources
Download Building Sustainable Futures: Global Higher Education Consensus Statement (PDF) | July 2026
GHES II: United Nations Academic Impact | Symposium outcomes and international partnerships
Continuing the Conversation
These initiatives reflect our commitment to positioning education as central to sustainable development, within the current 2030 Agenda and beyond. We will continue to share publications, policy contributions and opportunities for dialogue as international discussions progress.
Contact: unescochair(at)edu.yorku.ca