Education for Sustainable Development and the Question of 'Balance': A Case Study of the Pacific

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss the challenges for Education for Sustainable Development(ESD) with respect to achieving an appropriate balance between the three pillars ofsustainable development--economy, society and the environment. In order to do this, wefocus on specific concerns confronting a number of developing countries in the Pacificwhere unsustainable activities provide lessons for the implementation of ESD. ESDrequires commitment from governments, commercial operators including transnationalcorporations, and local communities to facilitate positive changes through developmentof sustainable practices. In addition, we examine links between ESD and EnvironmentalEducation (EE) and advocate that they have the potential to work together to bringabout the desired changes necessary to create a sustainable future.