Green Skills for SDGs

In 2015, countries adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). On 1 January 2016 SDGs officially came into force. They call for action to promote prosperity and development while simultaneously protecting the planet. They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and address a range of social needs including education, health, social protection and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection (see https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/development-agenda/)

Education and training are central to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. UNESCO’s Strategy for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) aims to support the efforts of member states to contribute to the transition towards sustainable societies and economies (see https://unevoc.unesco.org/go.php?q=UNESCO+TVET+Strategy+2016-2021).
TVET, as a major supplier of the skilled workforce, is responsible for incorporating green skills into teaching and learning to work towards the realization of a sustainable future. Resources are aimed at developing generic green skills by exploring 21 concepts relevant to 10 SDGs.

The role of education and training in increasing people’s awareness and developing their capacity to live and work in ways that support sustainable development is widely accepted. In the Asian context, the growth of economies has been accompanied by high emissions of carbon dioxide, pollution, massive energy consumption and uncontrolled use of limited raw resources. Therefore, technical and vocational programs, driven by the shift to low-carbon and zero-waste economies, need to provide skills that enable people to understand and act in environmental friendly ways to accelerate the greening of industries.