Education for Sustainable Development in Switzerland

This is the Swiss web portal for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). The English service provides information and ressources on behalf of Switzerlands contribution to the international ESD community. The web portal is run by éducation21, the Swiss national competence centre for ESD.  Please visit our German, French or Italian pages for full information on national programmes.

ESD in Switzerland

Sustainable Development is a fundamental precept established both in Federal and Cantonal Constitutions of Switzerland. In its Sustainable Development Strategy 2016 – 2019, the government (Federal Council) defines the global policy. The Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) is in charge of Switzerlands participation in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

ESD figures in the Agenda 2030 under SDG 4.7 and is part of the regional curricula of primary and secondary school levels in all Swiss language regions. An interdisciplinary approach striving for competencies serves as a common ground of the specific structures in each region.  ESD is part of a common declaration of the Swiss Confederation and the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education. éducation21 is the national competence center in charge of ESD on primary and secondary level and provides services mainly for teachers, schools, teacher education institutions, NGOs and officials.