EU Strategies and the Role of Education for Sustainable Development

Abstract

In June 2006 the European Union decided upon a new Strategy for SustainableDevelopment. Together with the Lisbon Strategy that was revised in 2005, there is nowsome coherence between the two strategies which had been conflicting before. Therenewed Strategy for Sustainable Development includes aspects of production andconsumption and promotes a knowledge society. The renewed Lisbon strategy lists ecoinnovationand environmental technology as one of the areas which are important forcompetitiveness. The Lisbon Strategy and the Strategy for Sustainable Development arenow seen to be mutually enforcing and complementary, with the Strategy for SustainableDevelopment focussing on a long-term overarching objective. One special item whichhas now been included in the EU Strategy for sustainable development is education forsustainable development, which provides an additional link to the Lisbon Strategy, whichfocuses on the knowledge society. The European Support Centre and the AustrianChapter of the Club of Rome have established a large European network onenvironmental education which is in line with the targets of the EU Strategy for Sustainable Development.