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 2030 position 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, localizing global goals, 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.

The UNESCO Chair at 91��ɫ 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.

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 91��ɫ, 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 91��ɫ on 13 July 2026. At the GHES II, organizing institutions 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 five key priorities across integrating 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.

Welcome to the October 2026 edition of the 91��ɫ UNESCO Chair Newsletter!

October brings two opportunities to reflect on the people and learning processes at the heart of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). World Teachers’ Day on 5 October reminds us of the essential role educators play in shaping learning, institutions and societies. World Environmental Education Day on 14 October honouring the global impact of the 1977 Tbilisi Conference draws attention to learning that helps people understand and engage with the environmental challenges affecting their communities and our shared future.

Both speak to a wider question running through this month’s newsletter: How can education enable people to understand change, participate in it and help shape what comes next? From ESD beyond 2030 and new UNESCO guidance to AI, justice, youth well-being and opportunities for action, October offers plenty to explore.

Charles Hopkins and Katrin Kohl
UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability, 91��ɫ

How can education systems move from commitments to stronger ESD practice?

UNESCO has launched three new guidance tools focused on whole-institution approaches, pedagogies and assessment. Developed through the Transforming Futures project, the tools draw on international expertise and action research involving 41 institutions across ten countries. The guidance offers practical support for education institutions seeking to embed ESD across learning and institutional practice.

What should Education for Sustainable Development carry into the next global education agenda? UNESCO’s latest update looks at the ESD Beyond 2030 expert symposium held in Munich, Germany, on 1–2 September 2026, where international experts explored emerging priorities, challenges and possibilities for the future of ESD.

For a closer look at the ideas emerging from this process, Katrin Kohl and Julia Heiss reflect on what ESD should carry beyond 2030 in a new NORRAG blog, exploring what should be retained, strengthened and reconsidered as the next global agenda takes shape.

In connection to ESD beyond 2030, we recommend reading this by David Donogue on the role of higher education for a world beyond 2030: With 2030 now approaching, what comes next in a very different world? What is clear is that higher education could and should play a greater role.

Two major OECD publications offer a timely picture of where education stands. PISA 2025 Results: Future-Ready Students learning attitudes, digitalization and AI, learning environments and students’ engagement with environmental challenges.

Education at a Glance 2026 provides the , comparing education participation, attainment, financing, outcomes and the organization of education systems. This year’s edition places a special focus on teacher shortages and how education systems can respond.

 1 October 2026 9am CEST | 5pm AEST

How can policymakers use evidence to strengthen climate education? The ClimateIQ: Policymakers Edition session, on 1 October 2026, at 3am EST | 9am CEST | 5pm AEST, will explore how education policymakers can access and use evidence to advance climate action and support meaningful outcomes for students, communities and the planet.

How can teachers help shape sustainability transformations and the education agenda beyond 2030? On 5 October 2026 at 9am EDT | 3pm CEST, the UNESCO Chair at Leuphana University Lüneburg will mark World Teachers’ Day with a , aiming to bring together teachers and teacher educators from different regions. The discussion will explore teachers as co-designers of sustainability transformations, with attention to the support, professional learning and enabling conditions needed for this role.

 5 October 2026 9am EDT | 3pm CEST

How should education systems govern Artificial Intelligence (AI) while protecting the public purpose of education? UNESCO has launched a , inviting experts, academics, government officials and other stakeholders to contribute to a series of papers addressing AI governance, learner safety, equity, human agency and institutional decision-making. Feedback will inform policy briefs planned for Digital Learning Week 2027. Contributions are invited by 15 October 2026.

Bridge 47 continues its Post-2030 Conversation Series, exploring what comes next for Global Citizenship Education, Education for Sustainable Development and lifelong learning beyond the current SDG framework. Following September’s conversation on life skills and SDG 4.7, the will take place on 20 October 2026, from 8am EDT | 2pm CEST.

20 October 2026 8am EDT | 2pm CEST

 3-6 November 2026

The International Forum on Global Citizenship Education, Partnerships and Peace, hosted by the in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea and Salzburg Global, will on 4 November 2026 at Schloss Leopoldskron in Salzburg. Against a backdrop of global uncertainty and challenges to international cooperation, the Forum will bring together key stakeholders to explore how education, global citizenship, partnerships and peace can help shape a shared vision for education beyond 2030.

for the International Association of Universities 17th General Conference, taking place from 3 to 6 November 2026 in Perth, Australia. Under the theme The Value of Universities in the Era of AI, the conference will bring together higher education leaders to examine the changing role and responsibilities of universities in an AI-shaped world.

 3-6 November 2026

The World Environmental Education Congress (WEEC) 2026 Virtual Conference under the theme Reconnect with Earth, will from 17–20 November 2026, bringing together the global environmental education community to exchange research, experiences and ideas for action. The programme includes presentations and posters in English, French and Spanish, alongside a Youth Conference. Conference content will remain accessible online throughout the event, supporting participation across time zones.

How can AI help advance equality in higher education? The World Access to Higher Education Day 2026 (WAHED26), on 24 November 2026, will explore how AI can support access, participation and student success while addressing the risk of creating new barriers to opportunity.

The will bring together higher education leaders, policymakers, students and practitioners to connect AI, advocacy and action in advancing equitable higher education.

 24 November 2026

How can AI contribute to a more inclusive and sustainable future? The UNU Macau AI Conference 2026 will take place 25–26 November 2026 in Macao SAR, China. Organized by the United Nations University Institute in Macau, the will bring together researchers, policymakers, industry leaders and practitioners to explore AI governance, sustainability, digital inclusion and the societal implications of rapidly evolving technologies.

How can education foster hope, renewal and meaningful change in challenging times? On 1 December 2026 in Liverpool, United Kingdom, TEESNet 2026 will bring together educators, researchers and practitioners to explore transformative approaches to education and the role of learning in shaping more sustainable and equitable futures.

 1 December 2026

Save the date: The next UNESCO World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development will on 13-15 January 2027 in Nairobi, Kenya, hosted by UNESCO and the Government of Kenya.

At the midpoint of the , the Conference will take stock of progress, address emerging priorities and help shape the future of ESD beyond 2030. Expected outcomes include a Nairobi Consensus and the outcome of UNESCO’s Munich Symposium on ESD beyond 2030.

The Learning Planet Festival is preparing a new format for January 2027, following a 2026 edition that featured more than 800 events and 500 partner organizations, reaching participants from over 190 countries. The 2027 Festival will feature a focused programme around mental health and well-being, peace and global citizenship, and climate and sustainability, with youth agency connecting the three areas.

The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed 2027–2036 as the International Decade of Culture for Sustainable Development, with UNESCO leading its implementation. The aims to strengthen the role of culture across development policies, investment and international cooperation.

Spanning both the final years of the 2030 Agenda and the beginning of the global framework that follows, the Decade also brings culture directly into the growing conversation about priorities beyond 2030.

Economic uncertainty, conflict, climate change, inequality and digital transformation all shape how young people live and learn.

A from the United Nations Youth Office and UNU International Institute for Global Health calls for a more connected approach to youth mental health and well-being, linking education with wider social, economic and environmental conditions.

A examines the evolution of global education agendas through the experience of SDG 4. Edited by Brent Edwards, Amber Webb, Niaz Asadullah and Husaina Kenayathulla, the book brings together diverse perspectives on global education governance, financing, indicators and inequalities. What can SDG 4 teach us about translating global education goals into policy and practice, and about shaping future education agendas that respond to learners and education systems?

What role can education play in building fairer societies and strengthening access to justice? A new Global Education Monitoring Report publication explores the connections between education, legal empowerment and people-centred justice.

The report highlights education’s role in helping people understand their rights, navigate legal systems and participate in shaping fairer societies, while also strengthening the professional capacity of justice institutions.

Looking for practical ways to strengthen community engagement in higher education? This new Community Engagement Toolbox  resources and tools to support universities in developing, assessing and embedding community engagement across their institutions.

The SDSN Global Schools Program and the G20 Global Land Initiative at UNCCD have  Land Action Labs, a one-year global pilot connecting education with practical land restoration. The initiative aims to engage 500 educators and 20,000 students across 20 countries, supported by learning resources, training, a global community of practice and selected mini-grants for school projects. 91��ɫ's UNESCO Chairs Charles Hopkins and Katrin Kohl serve on the Global Advisory Committee, supporting the initiative as it develops its educational approach and resources.

The UNESCO Chair in Reorienting Education towards Sustainability contributed to the development of Driving sustainability in education through a whole-institution approach, co-authored by UNESCO Co-Chairs Charles Hopkins and Katrin Kohl, together with Isabel Toman and Hilligje van’t Land of the International Association of Universities.

Developed through research, international consultation and action research across ten countries, the three tools bring evidence and practice together to help institutions advance ESD in their own contexts. The tools are now freely available through UNESCO and are intended to be used, adapted and further developed through practice.

The project began with a literature review on "whole-school and WIA sustainability learnings and practices across all levels of education" with the aim of identifying patterns that support institutional transformation. This literature review, "," outlines the ‘WIA Building Blocks’ model.