Introduction: As the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development comes to an end: what has it achieved and what are the ways forward?

Sustainable development is recognised as an issue of global concern. Learning and understanding to deal with the complex issues that threaten planetary sustainability is the challenge of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The basic vision for the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) was articulated by the International Implementation Scheme for the DESD. However, despite this support, there appeared to be only a slow and patchy engagement with ESD by schools in England, with individual examples of excellent practice often being the result of the interest and enthusiasm of individual teachers. Sustainability issues and ESD were still peripheral in English schools. The current coalition government in England states it is 'fully committed to sustainable development and the importance of preparing young people for the future'. In consequence, the proposals for a revised National Curriculum for England, put out for consultation in early 2013, do not mention ESD. The Sustainable Schools Strategy has also been brought to an end.