"National Prize – Education for Sustainable Development" awarded for the first time

Today in Berlin, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the German UNESCO Commission awarded the "National Prize – Education for Sustainable Development" for the first time to ten initiatives, educational institutions and municipalities from eight federal states. The prize winners integrate education for sustainable development (ESD) holistically within their work.

Federal Minister of Education and Research, Bettina Stark-Watzinger explains. "The purpose of education for sustainable development is to enable people to think and act sustainably. This is more important than ever given the huge challenges we face such as climate change. This award ceremony is particularly important to me for this reason. It is intended to serve as support to those working with huge commitment to promote education for sustainable development. This is because training makes sustainable progress possible and will enable us to enter an era in which climate neutrality and sustainability are regarded as the norm. The annual award ceremony enables us to strengthen training for sustainable development and give it greater visibility. My congratulations to all prize winners."

"Sustainability and education belong together," emphasised Maria Böhmer, President of the German Commission for UNESCO. "Only if we organise education for all people on a consistently sustainable basis can we enable coming generations to live in dignity in an intact environment. The prize winners include universities who integrate education for sustainable development in teaching and research and organise their campuses on a sustainable basis, but also associations and schools who are initiating key changes at a local level. They are all notable for education concepts which are as varied as they are creative. I would very much like to thank and congratulate you all."

Background

The "National Prize – Education for Sustainable Development" is awarded as part of the UNESCO ESD for 2030 education programme. The total value of the award is €100,000. The prize winners are each awarded the sum of €10,000. The decision is made by an independent jury. In the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations, implementation of education for sustainable development is stipulated as a goal for the global community. The UNESCO ESD for 2030 education programme was launched in 2020 and aims to integrate ESD as a structural element within the entire education system.

In Germany, ESD is implemented on the basis of the Education for Sustainable Development national action plan. The Education for Sustainable Development office is based at the German Commission for UNESCO and is funded by the BMBF.