Innovation and Education for Sustainable Development - EcoRegion

3IntroductionImprintDear Reader,EcoRegion is an important project that supports the realisation of sustainabledevelopment approaches in the whole Baltic Sea Region and contributesto making it a sustainable and prosperous place.sustainable projectsRheinstraße 3412161 BerlinTel +49 (30) 832 1417 40Fax +49 (30) 832 1417 50info@sustainable-projects.euwww.sustainable-projects.euThematic PeriodicalEcoRegion PerspectivesThird Issue: Innovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPublisherCBSS-Baltic21Editorial teams.Pro – Angela Schultz-Zehden, Laura Delsa, Cecilia TorresResponsible partnerNorwegian Centre for Science EducationNina Elisabeth Hogmo and Mari Ugland AndresenIncentiveSince 2008, the Norwegian Centre for Science Education chairs the Baltic 21Education Sector Network, on behalf of the Norwegian Directorate for Educationand Training.May 2011DisclaimerThis periodical has been produced with the assistance of the European Union.The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the authors and can inno way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.Layout & design by:betzemeier usp design, www.betzemeier.comCover photo:© Frank Jonny BrennoISSN 1029-7790In recent years, progress has been made to advance sustainable developmentin the Baltic Sea Region. These efforts are now supported by the EcoRegionproject, which seeks to turn this area into the world’s first EcoRegion, whereeconomical growth goes hand in hand with environmental integrity andsocial justice.The project is based on the unique multi-stakeholder network of Baltic21, which was created for the realisation of the Agenda 21 for theBaltic Sea Region. By way of eight sectoral platforms, Baltic 21 memberscarry out joint actions and cross-sectoral activities to pursue SustainableDevelopment in the Baltic Sea Region and the implementation ofthe Council of the Baltic Sea States Strategy on Sustainable Development2010–2015. Furthermore the project is aligned with the Aalborg Commitments,through which regional governments voluntarily commit to definingclear targets and implementing concrete actions for SustainableDevelopment.Through the EcoRegion project, ten model regions prepare strategic sustainabilityplans and implement a selected set of concrete measures designed toreach these Sustainable Development targets. This process is supported bya capacity building programme on Integrated Sustainability ManagementSystems. Numerous workshops foster the inter-regional, cross-sectoral andsectoral-regional dialogue and understanding on Sustainable Developmentwithin the Baltic Sea Region. In addition, public materials, including a goodpractices database, provide information on how to foster Sustainable Developmenton a regional level.One of the publications produced by the project is the series EcoRegionPerspectives. It presents policies, projects and practices for the sustainabledevelopment of the Baltic Sea Region from various perspectives such as tourism,spatial planning and climate change.We hope this periodical will give readers an insight into the diversity and potentialof innovation and education for sustainable development, and trustthat you will find it both interesting and informative.Dörte Ratzmann,Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservationand Nuclear SafetyEcoRegion Project Lead PartnerInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

45ForewordContentDear Reader,The aim of education for sustainable development (ESD) is to empower peopleto participate in shaping a sustainable future. This requires a re-orientationof current education systems.ESD should develop individuals’ values, knowledge, skills and competenciesfor sustainable living and participation in society. ESD is characterized bycontextual and locally relevant learning. Although no universal model ofESD exists, there is broad agreement on the characteristics of such education:ESD should be interdisciplinary, holistic and value-driven. It should promotecritical thinking and problem solving, include a variety of learning and teachingmethods, and encourage participation and collaboration.The World Commission on Environment and Development already made therelationship between education and sustainable development explicit back in1987. In addition, an entire chapter in Agenda 21 was devoted to education,public awareness and training. The launch of the UN Decade of Educationfor Sustainable Development 2005-2014 re-affirmed the strong consensus inthe international community on the importance of education in the worktowards sustainable development. The overall goal of the Decade is to integratethe principles, values, and practices of sustainable development into allaspects of education and learning. Moreover, “Innovation and Education forSustainable Development” is one of four strategic areas of cooperation asoutlined in the CBSS Strategy on Sustainable Development 2010-2015.The aim of this issue of “EcoRegion Perspectives” is to embrace the diversityof views and approaches to ESD in the Baltic Sea Region. We have thereforecollected contributions by various stakeholders, including policy and educationprofessionals, as well as representatives from non-formal education sectorsand regions involved in sustainable development initiatives.In line with the characteristics of ESD, it is our hope that this issue will encouragedebate and bring forward discussions to support the implementationof ESD in the region.Enjoy the reading!Nina Elisabeth Høgmo and Mari Ugland Andresen,Norwegian Centre for Science EducationCBSS Expert Group on Sustainable Development -Baltic 21 / Education Sector Network69121417202224262831343740444649505457606264PolicyHalfway into the Decade of Education for Sustainable DevelopmentCooperation on Education for Sustainable Development in theBaltic Sea RegionWhat is the role of national governments?Challenges and opportunitiesMeeting the challenges of the 21st centuryReorienting school education: experiences from NorwayTransition or transformation? Tracing inclusive educationWalk the line: the challenge of collaborationDevelopment of university curricula and study materialThe Cemus model for student-run education for sustainabledevelopmentRural schools in LatviaCase studies and projectsWoodland education in the Lower Saxony State ForestsSocial partnerships of pre-schools as a means to support innovativeapproaches in children‘s education and upbringingGarden birdwatch in Nordic countriesBeagle: a Pan-European school project on seasonal changes in treesEnvironmental activities as a way to develop children’s commitmentThe Leonardo project AIREEnvironmental education for kindergarten and school children inKaliningradExperiences from sectors and regionsSpatial planning for educationCompetences needed for eco-innovations: lessons learned fromthe SPIN projectAbout the significance of local knowledge, education and innovationin agriculture for sustainable developmentFinding today the solutions for the sustainable land use of tomorrowIntroduction of environmental education into youth cultureEducation and innovation for sustainable development in Riga66AnnexReferencesPERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

12PolicyPolicy13What is the role of national governments?Walter Leal FilhoSenior Professor,Hamburg University ofApplied Sciences, GermanyEducation for Sustainable Development(ESD) is and will continue tobe vital for pursuing sustainability.The importance of ESD is particularlyrelevant in the Baltic Sea Region, aregion with a high concentrationof industrialised nations and whereawareness of environmental problemshas not always been translatedinto action. The goal of managingtoday’s resources so that they maybe available to future generations– as claimed by the concept of SustainableDevelopment – is not easyto reach. Indeed, in order to achievethis ambitious goal, it is importantthat government agencies and educationinstitutions become engagedin the sustainability debate, not superficiallyas it has largely been thecase until now, but in a deeper mannernot seen before. The heterogeneousnature of Baltic history andculture, combined with current financialconstraints, has had and stillhas an impact in the way countriesperceive environmental issues as awhole, which affects national perceptionsand interpretations of ESD.For example, in some Baltic countriesthere are extensive efforts towardsincorporating ESD into urban designand development in order to communicateeffectively solutions to planners,developers and policy-makers.It is regrettable, however, that suchefforts are still limited, since there isindeed a need for a new system thatuses sustainability and quality oflife, rather than GDP and shareholder‘sreturns as indicators of development.Although many Baltic countrieshave embraced the concept ofESD, the actual implementation isstill limited and takes place only unsystematicallyand irregularly.In addition, many Baltic countries donot have structures in place to supportit. This is partly due to the factthat in most cases there are no specificbudget provisions for ESD. Thelack of financial resources, however,is not the only problem. Further barriersto the implementation of ESDin both formal and non-formal educationinclude:• logistical problems (e.g. lack ofmeans to organise field trips)• difficulties in fitting ESD into curriculums• inadequate or limited teachertraining for ESD• limited teaching materials on ESDGenerally, to promote ESD in theBaltic countries, it is necessary toencourage people to live in a moresustainable way. Despite this mixedbackground, it is meaningful to talkabout “ESD in Europe”, as the Europeanregion has a history in thedevelopment of joint strategies topromote environmental education,and more recently, ESD.In 1991 the Pan-European “Environmentfor Europe” Ministerial Conferencewas held in Dobris, CzechRepublic. Many such conferenceshave been held at regular intervalssince then. The Fifth Environmentfor Europe Ministerial Conference,which took place in Kiev in 2003,called for and led to the emergenceof a UN Economic Commission forEurope (UNECE) initiative on ESD. Atthe Conference, all Ministers gavethe green light to draw up a regionalStrategy for ESD. Progress wasreviewed at the sixth Environmentfor Europe Ministerial Conference,which took place in October 2007in Belgrade, Serbia. At the SeventhEnvironment for Europe MinisterialConference, which will take place inAstana (Kazakhstan) in September2011, an assessment of the currentprogress will also be performed andfurther action will be agreed on.The implementation of a regionalStrategy for ESD in Europe has beena challenging exercise for all thoseconcerned. Both education per seand sustainable development arecomplex topics. Therefore, it was crucialto develop the Strategy througha participatory process involvinggovernments, UNESCO, NGOs andother stakeholders.In early 2005 in the Lithuanian capitalVilnius, Education and EnvironmentMinistries from across theUnited Nations Economic Commissionfor Europe (UNECE) countriesadopted the Strategy at their jointhigh-level meeting. Various stakeholders,including internationalorganisations, businesses, non-governmentalorganisations, regionalenvironmental centres and researchinstitutions took part in the meetingand provided valuable contributions.The Meeting also launched theUnited Nations Decade of Educationfor Sustainable Development in theregion.The objective of the Strategy is to incorporatekey themes of sustainabledevelopment in all education systems.These themes include a widerange of issues, including povertyalleviation, peace, ethics, democracy,justice, security, human rights,health, social equity, cultural diversity,economy, environmental protectionand natural resource management.For the implementation of the Strategy,UNECE countries agreed to developindicators, organise thematicand sub-regional workshops andcompile good practices in ESD. So, akey question is now:What should national governmentsin the Baltic do, in order to promoteESD?On a Baltic scale, the Baltic UniversityProgramme (BUP), one of the world’slargest sustainability networks, withover 200 member universities, givesinteresting examples of integrationof ESD in further education. Based atUppsala University’s Centre for SustainableDevelopment in Sweden,BUP runs educational programmesand projects which have a strongcross-sectoral nature, reaching planners,architects, engineers, teachersand other stakeholders, bringingsustainability closer to their professionsand, inter alia, to their professionallives. Some examples of whatnational governments can do are:• cater for a greater integration ofESD in professional education,• promote ESD in further educationprogrammes, not only in technicalfields but also in managementprogrammes or even business education,• provide more opportunities forteacher training, so that teachersmay feel more comfortable intackling matters related to ESD inschool programmes.This list is by no mean comprehensiveand is solely meant to illustratesome of the concrete activities thatmay be implemented. Unfortunately,many examples of ESD implementationin education programmes are,for various reasons, poorly or oftennot documented at all. However,the above-mentioned examples ofaction offer a snapshot of potentialbenefits derived from includingsustainability components in furthereducation schemes, such as improvedcompetitiveness and job creation,along with a better understandingof sustainability principles. In orderto realise the potential of ESD in Europe,it is necessary for national governmentsto act to address the barriersthat currently exist in relationto the implementation of ESD. Theycan concretely do so by:• producing a strategy, action planor guidance document on ESD toindicate the path a country intendsto follow• establishing a formal structure atthe ministerial or sub-ministeriallevel, which takes responsibilityfor coordinating ESD.;• making provision of financial supportto ESD initiatives in a structuredmanner, e.g. as part of annualor bi-annual plans.There is a lot of room for improvementsgiven the current level of emphasisplaced on ESD in the BalticSea Region. Overall, current trendsare positive: we can count on wellorganisedstructures and on institutionalsupport. It is now our task totake advantage of this momentumand push the cause forward, makingsure that the debate on ESD goeswell beyond a school or a higher educationcontext, and finds its waysto the heart of society.PERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

14Challenges and opportunitiesChallenges and opportunities15Meeting the challenges of the 21st centuryJakob GrandinProject Assistant,Uppsala Centre forSustainable Development,Uppsala University, SwedenAs the UN Decade of Education forSustainable Development is comingto an end, we need to gear up ourefforts and make sure that our actionsand goals are in tune with thescale of the transition to sustainability.The context is well known. Thecoming few decades – the activeprofessional lives of today’s pupilsand students – will mark some ofthe greatest transformations thathumanity has ever seen. The 21stcentury is an age of converging social,economic and ecological crises.Not only is the climate being alteredin catastrophic ways: the health ofmany essential ecosystem services isalso at stake. In order to preservea “planet similar to that on whichcivilization developed and to whichlife on Earth is adapted,” we needto drastically reduce global CO2-emissions and decrease the concentrationof CO2 in the atmosphere.Many of the rich countries are in themidst of an economic crisis, whilepoor countries suffer from what theWorld Bank calls “a global developmentemergency”. The demographicstructure of the planet’s populationsuggests that there will be around 9billion people on the planet by 2050,most of them in cities. Sustainabledevelopment is essentially aboutturning these trends and creatinga future that is attractive, sustainableand fair. Simply put, we need tomake possible for an estimated ninebillion people by 2050 to live decentlives that are not dependent on fossilfuels or on eroding renewableresources. This transition calls for athorough restructuring of our social,economic, technological and culturalsystems: a transformation of our societieson a scale comparable to theAgricultural and Industrial Revolutions.To cling on to the business-asusualin this context is not an option:it will drive societies and ecosystemsinto certain collapse.Education for Sustainable DevelopmentWhen working with Education forSustainable Development (ESD) weneed to keep the scale of this transitionin mind at all times. Throughits selection of particular knowledgeand skills, but also by promoting certainvalues and world-views, educationshapes our chances of making itthrough the transition to sustainabilitysuccessfully. Education is an essentialpart of the solution but also alarge part of the problem. When wework with adapting current educationto meet the needs of the 21stcentury, we need to ask questionssuch as: What skills and knowledgewill be needed in the transitionto sustainability? What values andworld-views? In what ways is educationcurrently promoting unsustainablepractices and behaviours andhow can that be changed? Systemthinking, collaboration and creativity,but also empathy and honesty,are some of the skills that are mostoften proposed as crucial for thetransition to sustainability. Whilethe list is incomplete, it can help usto start evaluating if our current curriculumis in tune with the needs ofthe future. Perhaps even more importantly,we need to keep in mindthat ESD involves substantially morethan simply supplementing existingeducational programmes with a fewnew perspectives or course modules:it demands profound changesin education’s form and in how it isISIS Pyramid Workshop: indicators, systems, innovations and strategies for sustainabilityorganised. This means that we needto reconsider the relations betweenteachers and students in the classroom,and work with participatoryand active forms of learning, wherestudents are regarded as co-producersof knowledge in a joint learningprocess rather than just consumersof knowledge. This is especially importantsince sustainable developmentis a generational issue that willaffect the youth of today more thanthe administrators and teachers thatusually define what is to be learnt.The Democratic Challenge of KnowledgeIntensive SocietiesThe increasing knowledge intensityof today’s sustainability challengesis potentially a democratic© Jakob Grandinproblem. Sustainable developmentcannot be left to a well-informedelite of “experts.” Democracies aredependent on a broad participationby informed citizens in a publicdiscussion on the goals, means andends of society. Now, as our societiesstand before the greatest transitionsince the advent of mass democracyin the early 20th century, thispublic discussion is more importantthan ever. The quality of this discussion– which determines the chancesof sustainability initiatives to gainpopular support – depends on whatphilosopher Arne Vetlesen refers toas “the lowest common knowledgedenominator” of a society. In otherwords, it is not sufficient that partsof the population are well informedPERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

16Challenges and opportunitiesChallenges and opportunities17Reorienting school education:experiences from NorwayISIS Pyramid Workshop: indicators, systems,innovations and strategies for sustainability© Jakob Grandinabout sustainability issues if otherparts are not. A number of currenttrends threaten to decrease the lowestcommon knowledge denominatorof our societies, ironically whenhigh quality information is moreavailable than ever before. One importanttrend is the increasing commercializationof media, with channelsbeing tailor-made for differentinterests and consumer segments.The same trend is to a lesser extentemerging within our educationalsystems, as schools are becomingprivatised – making excellent educationavailable for those with theresources to choose, but puttingthe access to high quality educationfor everyone at risk. The increasingdependence on social media andblogs for information is anothertrend that is making people activelychoose which information they wantto receive, which could lead to significantknowledge gaps in certainareas. More than promoting democraticvalues, the traditionally strongdemocratic component of ESD thereforeneeds to ensure that everyonehas a good enough understandingof sustainability to participate in apublic discussion on where our societiesare headed. It is essential thatsustainability becomes a core partof all educational programmes atall levels. To adjust to the new mediaclimate, critical thinking skillsare more important than ever, andalso skills to analyze the informationflow and choose relevant sources ofinformation. Reading, writing andarithmetic were promoted as coreskills in the education of the 20thcentury. Are there additional skills– such as system thinking, collaboration,critical thinking and creativity– that everyone needs to learn in orderto participate effectively in thesocieties of the 21st century?The Power of the Positive ExampleIn order to make change possible,educational institutions need toembrace the power of the positiveexample. Social psychologist HaraldWelzer suggests that change happensfrom changing organisationsand communities in order to createprototypes that people can learnfrom and get inspired by (and notby writing another sustainability report).To facilitate learning for sustainabledevelopment, the learningenvironments themselves must becomesustainable, both regardinguse of energy and materials, travelsand meetings but also in their organisationalstructures themselves.The growing number of universitypresidents committing to carbonneutrality in the United States isone example of how educationalinstitutions are starting to take thischallenge seriously. This also affectsteaching. While education has traditionallydealt with problems andfocused on problem solving, thetransition to sustainability calls forencouraging great amounts of creativityand engaging students andpupils in processes where new possibilitiesfor sustainable futures canbe formulated and evaluated. Theseprocesses could also help stimulatethe extraordinary leadership, globalresponsibility and optimism that thestudents of today will desperatelyneed in order to succeed with sustainabledevelopment in the comingdecades.ESD implies that school educationpursues a wider aim than in thepast: it prepares pupils for their roleas citizens and it educates FOR SustainableDevelopment rather thanjust ABOUT it. In brief, ESD calls fora reorientation of existing schooleducation.Challenges for ESDKey challenges include the establishmentof good learning arenasthrough collaboration, the developmentof abilities to communicateacross disciplinary and sectoralboundaries, and the considerationof pupils’ individual abilities. Pupilsand schools have to be active partnersin and contributors to sustainabledevelopment. Schools need tobe regarded as credible partnersand not as “recipients” of information.There is a need to examine locallearning systems and clarify rolesand responsibilities, as well as to indicateways for efficient cooperationof sectors.The learning cycle © Astrid SandåsSchool plans for ESDFurthermore, it is necessary to lookat the school itself: what should a localplan for ESD look like? The figurebelow shows such plan at the schoollevel.Plans at the school level are needed.They consist of the following elements:identification of issues, discussionon the competence to bedeveloped, decision on what learningarenas should be used, identificationof partners, collection ofbackground information, definitionof time schedules for the learningexperience, including reflection andreporting.Teachers argue that there is notenough time for planning, thatthere is no space for developing ESDcontents, that there is no experiencewith cooperation across disciplines,that reporting is too time-consuming,etc. In order to carry out ESDproperly, schools need to be learningorganisations.Astrid SandåsSenior Adviser,The Norwegian directoratefor education and training,NorwayPERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

18Challenges and opportunitiesChallenges and opportunities19School innovationThe aim of the EU Comenius LifeLong Learning network programme“SUPPORT: Partnership and Participationfor a Sustainable Tomorrow”was mainstreaming ESD in the educationalsector. In an external evaluationreport, Michaela Mayer stressesthe importance of school development.In fact, results of SUPPORTshow that ESD and school developmentcould be regarded as two sidesof the same coin. (See table below).ToolsAn interactive website, www.miljolare.no,was developed to giveschools concrete guidance in thearea of ESD. The goal was to establisha network that could provideacademic and methodological supportfor students by offering an action-orientedand interdisciplinaryeducation. The learning activities onthe website are based on the followingprinciples:• The activities are concrete and locallybased• Pupils and schools collaboratewith each other and with researchand management institutions whodevelop the activity and/or use theresults• The activities include suggestionsfor further work, discussion andreflection to develop insight andunderstanding• Pupils enter reports and results inthe form of text, data and photographsusing templates and electronicforms on the website. Theshared format and databases allowschools to study, discuss andcompare their results and reportswith those of other schools.The use of scientific tools in real-liferather than hypothetical situationsrepresents a “win-win” situation inwhich the results of pupils’ learningare of public interest and value.Pupils learn about science - but alsoabout how society works with sus-tainability issues at the local, nationaland international levels. Both pupilsand schools realise that they cancontribute to society and sustainabledevelopment.One of the challenges for implementingthe www.miljolare.no websitehas been to communicate adequatelythat it is a supportive framework,not a traditional set of ready-to-useclassroom materials. The educationalexperience cannot be prefabricated.Both the educational activityand the learning outcomes have tobe created through the work of theteacher, the pupil and all collaboratingpartners. The action learningcycle includes planning, carrying outactivities, observing, questioning,analyzing, discussing, reflecting andreporting.The potential for the work of pupilsand schools to benefit society needsto become more visible. Pupils andschools can become active partnersin and contributors to a positive andsustainable development.The challenge of mainstreamingThe central education authoritiesface several dilemmas when designingstrategies and instruments forESD. A so-called instrumental approachthat provides schools withready-to-use materials and activitiesmight appear visible and effective.More ambitious programmes requiringgreater preparation or time mayalso be offered, but fewer schoolsand teachers are likely to carry outthe activity and it is likely to beviewed as ineffective and unsuccessful.The dilemma is that “quick andeasy” activities tend to be less effectivein developing the needed competenciesat both school and pupillevels.Wals et al. contrast the learning impactof the so-called instrumentalapproach to ESD as follows: “Withinthe more instrumental approachesmuch time is spent on describingmeasurable outcomes in a SMARTway in that they need to be Specific,Measurable, Realistic, Time-specified(SMART). To have an exhaustivelist of indicators seems very handyfor becoming SMART in workingtoward a more sustainable world.Ironically perhaps, working in such away might take the learning out ofmoving toward a more sustainableworld, which is the key element of amore emancipatory approach.”www.support-edu.orgThe connection between school development and ESDSchool development is aimed at:Changes in the organisation of the schoolAnalyzes of the challenges related to schooldevelopmentEstablishment of routines for cooperationbetween teachersEstablishment of innovative learning arenasDevelopment of routines for reflection on thelearning and teaching processRecognition of the need for changes in theteaching and learning processESD asks forRoom for cooperation with external actorsMore cross curricular work and work oncomplex issuesCooperation between teachers fromdifferent subjectsUsage of innovative learning arenasReflection on the issues at stakeNew ways of teaching and learningThe Norwegian Environmental Education Network © Astrid SandåsPERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

20Challenges and opportunitiesChallenges and opportunities21Transition or transformation?Tracing inclusive educationEgil StofringAssociate Professor,Lillehammer UniversityCollege,NorwayIntroductionThe focus of this article is school andeducation ‘for all‘ from the perspectivesof transformation and sustainabilityin local communities. From mypoint of view these perspectives mayinform the examination, implementationand innovation in education. Ihighlight this due to the observationthat when talking about inclusionin education, the rhetoric of officialpolicy is taken for granted. Researchersoften seem to abandon a bit toofast the questions belonging to attitudesand value system of the inclusionidea and the basic assumptionsconnected to this idea as well. If weaccept the principle of inclusion toguide development in education,it is my opinion that we have to beconcerned about the connected valuesboth in the school system, in thesociety in general and in the localcommunity of the school. We shouldbe aware that education seems torecreate and reproduce the statusquo of a society. On the other handit also has a role to play for progressand prosperity (Lipsky et al, 1990).Local knowledgeDuring the last years there has beenan increase in refreshing criticalvoices questioning the processes ofknowing and validating knowledgeand disseminating it across nationaland global spaces. What constitutesvalid knowledge and how should thisknowledge be shared internationallyand globally is a subject continuallydebated. There is no academicclosure on this subject. Histories andexperiences of historically subordinatedpeople’s knowledge havebeen left out of academic texts andclassrooms or have been erased outof them. As we are now witnessing`a crisis of knowledge`, there are increasingdemands for transformingour way of understanding knowledge,learning and teaching.As a result of colonial, patriarchal,corporate, exploitative, and oftenecologically destructive developmentmodels, the body of knowledge associatedwith the long-term occupancyof a certain place, is conceptualisedas indigenous knowledge (Dei 2002).The concept of indigenous knowledgemay be introduced to examinethe implications of local understandingof nature, society and culturefor the development process. Indigenousknowledge differs from conventionalknowledge because of anabsence of colonial and imperial imposition.The notion of indigenousnessis central to power relationshipand dynamics in society. Indigenousknowledge affirms that the interpretationand analysis of social reality issubject to different and sometimesoppositional realities. Indigenousknowledge systems and traditionsmay also contain sites and sourcesof cultural disempowerment for certaingroups, particularly women andethnic or cultural minorities.Archie Mafeje (1992) points out howthe indigenisation of the intellectualdiscourse in Africa reminds Africanintellectuals of the guiding principlein the Socratic thought, ”knowthyself”. There he finds that thereis a ground for a new reconstructionand self-realisation. The African-Canadianprofessor in sociology,George J. Sefa Dei shares this opinion(Dei 2002: 71), and he moves abit further:`indigenous knowledge as knowledgeaccumulated by a group ofpeople, not necessarily indigenous,who by centuries of unbroken residencedevelop an in-depth understandingof their particular place intheir particular world`.These thoughts remind us of theBrazilian social reformer and educator,Paulo Freire. It is Freire‘s opinion(1970) that the critical consciousnessof the cultural and historical roots ofpeople, as it is expressed and understoodfrom the perspectives of thepeople themselves, is the foundationof their cultural emancipation.His central message is that if peopleonly learn to the extent of establishingparticipatory relationships withthe outside world, they graduallybecome dependent and oppressed.Under such circumstances their abilityto revitalise and maintain themselvesculturally, socially and economicallythrough a self determinedprocess of education is significantlydiminished, and gradually destroyed.The interest in indigenous knowledgeis quickly growing in Westernsocieties, and is manifested in severalacademic and cultural projects(for example: Stephen 1996; Warrenet al. 1995; Schoenhoff 1993).Views on developmentInclusion is often exemplified asviewing diversity in terms of teachingand sharing knowledge aboutthe contributions of diverse culturesto enrich plural communities. Thisfalls within purview of multiculturalperspectives of schooling. “Difference”and “voice” when acknowledgedor taken up in schooling, addressvarious relations to the normsand values of the dominant society.Generally, inclusive schooling in thisapproach has the educational agendato develop better intergroup communications,enhance cooperationand tolerance for people of diversebackgrounds, and foster respect forsocial difference. There is a kind ofromantisation of “the other” withoutnecessarily centering marginalisedgroups in the dominant culturesof schooling. They remain peripheralto dominant educational discoursesand practice. This approach to exclusiondoes not lead to equity, nordoes it challenge power, identity orrepresentational issues in education.In fact, the approach fails to rupturedifference as the context for powerand domination in school society.My judgment is that many of the researchand pedagogical practice initiativesare within this perspective.The second approach to inclusionadopts “diversity as a critical perspective”,where schooling is seenas racially, culturally and politicallymediated experience. This approachdeals directly with marginalizationand exclusion in school contexts bycentering all human experiences inthe process of learning. In the analysis,the focus is placed on the twinnotions of power and domination inorder to understand and interpretsocial relations and structures.It seems to be a critical integrativeperspective on schooling andeducation that is able to cultivatenew knowledge and oppositionalscholarship. This is an approach ofcritical examination of the differenthistories and experiences of dominationand subordination in pluralcommunities. The emphasis here ison transformative educational practices,which would ensure that studentsare equipped to challenge andresist dominance and oppression inthe multivariant forms of racism,sexism and heterosexism, classicismand abilism.Critical educational practices dealspecifically with the understandingof and resistance to hierarchies andsystems of domination that permeatesociety and systematically exploitand control people. The critical approachto inclusion has a transformativeeducational and social agenda.It focuses on the asymmetrical powerrelations between and among socialgroups within the school system, andseeks a redistribution of power toensure fair representation, not onlyof the actors themselves, but also ofthe subject’s knowledge production.To support the idea of inclusion itseems to be of importance to worktoward a critical integrative frameworkon these subjects.www.imfn.netwww.unesco.org/mabPERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

22Challenges and opportunitiesChallenges and opportunities23Walk the line: the challenge of collaborationKatrine Dahl MadsenPh.D. Fellow, The DanishSchool of Education,University of Aarhus,Denmark“Sustainable development is aboutcoping with risks even though ourknowledge is uncertain. It is aboutdifficult and complex issues. Thechallenge of education is to motivatepeople to not react by neglectingthese demanding and unpleasantmatters but by creating spaces,and by facilitating processes, characterisedby critical, innovative and actionoriented social learning.”(Laessoe, 2009)IntroductionThis short article will discuss perspectivesfor Regional Centers of Expertiseas platforms for mutual learning.The article is based on a currentPh.D. project, which focuses on howEducation for Sustainable Development(ESD) takes form as a didacticalpractice in collaborative processesamong researchers and teachers,based on interviews in Ireland andDenmark.Regional Centers of ExpertiseUN Regional Centers of Expertise onEducation for Sustainable Development(RCE) emanate from the ideathat actors within formal, non-formaland informal education meetand collaborate on developing ESDregionally by ‘sharing informationand experiences”. In order to leavespace for regional variations, the aimof the RCE framework is broadly definedas follows: “RCEs aspire to archivegoals of the UN Decade of Educationfor Sustainable Development(DESD, 2005 to 2014), by translatingits global objectives into the contextof the local communities in whichthey operate.” (www.ias.unu.edu).Today, there are about seventy RCEsall around the world. RCEs are oftenanchored at a university, thereby offeringuniversities a unique opportunityto collaborate with other actorspracticing ESD, such as schools,museums, companies and NGOs. Assuch, the RCEs often work more likea network than a center. Indeed, theideal of ‘sharing information andexperiences’ raises the question ofhow to learn from each other’s experienceswhile working within so verydifferent practices.As part of this Ph.D. project, tworesearch and development projects,with the aim of integrating ESD inprimary and secondary schools in Irelandand Denmark respectively, werestudied. The projects were based onprinciples of participation on twolevels: both among researchers andteachers, and among teachers andpupils. As the researchers invited theteachers to participate in the developmentprojects, the intention wasnot to offer some kind of ‘finishedESD package’, but to introduce variousways of doing ESD in schools andto support the teachers’ own developmentof ESD teaching. As such,both projects were formed aroundthe ideas of dialogue, participation,experimentation and ownership. Theresearchers did introduce the teachersto certain key principles and issuesof ESD, partly inspired by theUN definition of ESD, partly drawingon existing theory within ESD,and finally framed within nationaleducation traditions. On one handthe researchers intended to introducekey principles and ideas of ESD,and on the other hand they wishedto work with open-ended processeswhere you never know the result inadvance, linked to the participatoryapproach – a tricky balancing act,as stressed by one of the Danish researchers.Challenges and PerspectivesWhile teachers and researchers formpart of different practices, navigatingwithin different contexts, newpractices are also established asthey struggle together with ESD inschools.When describing the collaboration,teachers use words and phrases like;‘an eye opener’, ‘turned my way ofthinking upside down’, ‘rewarding’,’developing, ‘fun’, ‘creating spacefor discussion in a busy day filledwith practical demands’ and ‘it isnice that the researchers face our realityin school’. However, interviewswith teachers and researchers alsopoint to a number of issues, whichchallenge the collaborative processeson ESD.Common for the teachers in Denmarkand Ireland who participatedin these projects was an initial andpersonal interest in sustainable developmentand environmental issues,which they all find importantto integrate in school. ESD, as it waspresented by the researchers however,seems unfamiliar to the teachers.This includes new dimensions,perspectives and methods comparedto existing teaching practice, asstressed by one of the Danish teachers:‘...it is not a road which is made,sustainability in school...it is mostdefinitely not an asphalted road’.Some of the challenges stressed bythe teachers are the complexity ofthe concept and the open-ended natureof the questions raised. Teachersstress how the researchers’ visitsto the schools and their availability– physically and virtually – especiallyat the start-up have been crucial.This, however, indicates a dilemmain the collaboration: researchers aimto create an open and experimentalspace for innovation and reflexivity,while teachers seem to spend a lotof effort in decoding ‘the correct’way of doing ESD.Thus, what are the strengths of thecollaboration, in view of perspectivesfor social learning on ESD? One ofthe issues indicated by this researchis the importance of images. Imageswere used in various ways in the twoprojects - for instance at a start-upworkshop for teachers and researchersin Ireland. Here a number of imageswere placed on the ground,representing pollution, nature, thetwin towers collapsing, and manyother objects. The teachers weremeant to pick up a picture appealingto them and tell about the social,ecologic and economic dimensionsof ESD, based on their choiceof picture. The images here seemto exceed the teachers’ notion ofthe researchers having monopoly ofthe ‘correct’ knowledge and understandingof ESD. Further, the imagesseem to replace the teachers’ limitedlanguage on ESD, by allowing fortheir personal and professional associationsin relation to sustainabledevelopment.www.dpu.dkPERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

24Challenges and opportunitiesChallenges and opportunities25Development of university curriculaand study materialMaris KlavinsHead of department,University of LatviaJanis ZaloksnisDirector of the Centre foreducation for sustainabledevelopment,University of LatviaA clear obstacle to education forsustainable development is the slowprogress with introducing adequatestudy materials in university curricula.The need to advance environmentaleducation and education for sustainabledevelopment is stated in severalpolitical documents and declarationsby the United Nations, the EuropeanUnion, ministerial conferences (e.g.in the Bonn Declaration), regionalinitiatives and NGOs.Nevertheless an aspect of major concernremains the “training of trainers”and the introduction of environmentaleducation and education forsustainable development at the universitylevel. It should be recognisedthat in these fields progress is not asfast as it should be and that significantachievements are needed.This is a problem in Latvia. Until recently,only 1.5% of all universitystudents chose to attend courses onenvironmental science and sustainabledevelopment. In order to encouragestudents to study these subjects,the University of Latvia developedspecific university courses. The initiativewas supported by a project financedby Norwegian grants. “Newgenerations need to know what thereal state of the world is, and howto avoid possible difficulties in thefuture,” says Professor Maris Klavins,senior expert of the project.Publication of 8 textbooksThe main achievement of the projectwas the development of 8 academictextbooks on environmental andsustainable development aspects.The project was implemented inpartnership with the Baltic UniversityProgramme, a network of 220 universitiesin 14 countries in the BalticSea Region. During the course ofthe project, environmental scientistsand educators from several Europeanuniversities, including Hamburg,Oslo, Uppsala, Saint Petersburg, andTallinn, were invited to provide adviceon how to best teach environmentalscience.These consultations resulted in thedevelopment of 8 academic textbooks:• Environmental Education at Universities• Environmental Pollution and itsImpact• Environmental Technologies• Ecology, Nature Protection• Environment and Economy• Environmental Management• Environment and Sustainable Development”The textbook “Environment andSustainable Development“ was publishedin both English and Latvian,and was distributed to universitiesin the Baltic Sea Region, the USA,Australia, Africa and Asia.E-learning tools and teachingguidesThe project also included the developmentof curricula, e-learning toolsand teaching guides, as well as theorganisation of both national andinternational conferences to discussenvironmental education and introducethe educational package onenvironmental science and sustainabledevelopment resulting fromthe project.ConclusionThe introduction of education forsustainable development at universitylevel and the “training of trainers“support both research activitiesand sustainable development.Tailored study materials are necessaryto speed up the implementationof education for sustainabledevelopment. The above-describedproject shows that partnerships andcooperation of professionals fromdifferent fields and countries can ensurethe production of high qualityteaching materials.Presentation of the book “Environment and sustainabledevelopment” © Janis ZaloksnisPERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

26Challenges and opportunitiesChallenges and opportunities27The Cemus model for student-run education forsustainable developmentCoursework groupCoursecoordinatorsJakob GrandinProject Assistant,Uppsala Centre forSustainable Development,Uppsala University, SwedenStudentsThe Cemus model © Jakob GrandinSupportorganisationat CemusGuest lecturersToday’s societies face challenges thatput new demands on education andhow it is organised. In this context,the Cemus model for student-run,interdisciplinary education for sustainabledevelopment is particularlyinteresting. Cemus at Uppsala Universityemploys students as coursecoordinators with the task of planningand running a university coursein close collaboration with seniorresearchers and university teachers.This creates interdisciplinary andcreative learning processes and givesstudents a unique and active role inshaping their own education. Thecourses have proved to maintain ahigh academic standard, and student-runcourses are offered frompre-graduate to graduate levels.The idea that students should takean active part in creating their educationis of course not new. Alreadythe early medieval university systemin Italy was based on students activelychoosing their teachers. Today’ssustainability crisis is bringing newimportance to this, as sustainabledevelopment is a generational issuethat will affect the students of todaymore than the teachers and administratorsthat usually define what isto be learnt. Cemus was founded onthe initiative of students at UppsalaUniversity and the Swedish Universityfor Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in theearly 1990s. Students came to Uppsalaexpecting to gain an interdisciplinaryunderstanding of global environmentand development issues,but no such courses were offered atthe time. Subjects that did not belongto a specific discipline were nowhereto be found: the large, pressingissues of our time were not takenup anywhere. The students contactedthe university administration andtalked to key people at differentdepartments. They proposed a new,interdisciplinary course about globalenvironment and developmentissues. The president of the universityagreed, and furthermore, gavethe students the task of planningthe course. The resulting course, Humanity& Nature, was an immediatesuccess, with around 150 studentstaking the course in the first years.The successful model was based onstudents defining what they wantedto learn, experienced academicsfrom Uppsala’s two universitiessupporting them in the process, andengaged guest lecturers invited toteach from all over Sweden. Eveninglectures allowed students from alldisciplines to participate. Discussionand mutual exchange of ideas betweenstudents and teachers was acentral part of every lecture. A centrefor student-run education wasfounded at Uppsala University andSLU, which eventually became Cemus.Over a 15-year period, Cemushas grown to the size of an ordinaryuniversity department, offeringsome 20 different courses; it also hasa research forum and serves as anarena for sustainability initiatives.The Cemus model for education hasfour key components:• Student Course Coordinators. Twoor three students are employed byCemus to plan, administrate and runa university course as a project. Thecourse coordinators plan the generalstructure of the course, put togethera reading list, and invite guest lecturers.They lead seminars and handlethe administration of the course.• Course work group. For eachcourse, a work group is formed whichconsists of researchers, teachers andsometimes also practitioners fromdifferent fields and subjects. Thecourse coordinators work in closecollaboration with the work groupthroughout the planning process.The work group comes up with suggestionsfor literature and possiblelecturers, and gives feedback on thecourse coordinators’ proposed structure,literature and schedule. Thecourse work group is responsible forthe examination of the course.• Guest lecturers. The backbone ofthe course consists of a multidisciplinarylecture series. The course coordinatorsinvite guests from differentacademic subject areas as well aspractitioners to teach in the course.The guests are invited to Cemusbecause they are passionate abouttheir subject and because of theirknowledge and their pedagogicalcompetence. This results in engaginglectures and a participatory discussionclimate.• The Cemus administration supportscourse coordinators in their work. Itconsists of a Director of Studies, anContentThe Cemus model © Jakob GrandinEducational Coordinator, Project Assistants,and a Programme Directorwith experience from both teachingand research.There is an inherent value in gettingstudents actively involved in creatingtheir education. The work withcourses at Cemus brings togetherstudents in their capacity as coursecoordinators with researchers anduniversity teachers in a commonwork process. This leads to mutuallyenriching encounters between researchersand students. Cemus is alsoactively stimulating interdisciplinarityat Uppsala’s two universities. Thecourse work group brings togetherteachers and researchers from variousdisciplines that would otherwisenot meet, take part in each other’sresearch, or share their perspectives,which potentially catalyzes furtherinterdisciplinary research and education.The courses at Cemus alsoserve as meeting places for studentsfrom different disciplines, and theirexchange of perspectives serves as acentral part of the learning process.As the Cemus model for education isFormbased on guest teachers rather thanbeing locked into a department’s arrayof available lecturers, it opensup for interdisciplinary courses witha range of perspectives that are simplynot possible within a regular universitydepartment’s structure. At itsbest, Cemus is an intense and creativelearning environment, whichencourages citizenship, a sense ofglobal responsibility, critical thinking,and the creativity that is neededto make our societies sustainable.Encouraging and catalyzing similarinitiatives plays an important role inimplementing education for sustainabledevelopment in the Baltic SeaRegion.Note: Parts of this article are basedon the author’s chapter in Hald (ed.)(2011). Transcending Boundaries:How CEMUS is Changing How WeTeach, Meet and Learn, publishedby Cemus, Uppsala University. Thebook can be ordered free of chargeby contacting info@cemus.uu.se.For more information, visit www.csduppsala.uu.se/cemus.PERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

28Challenges and opportunitiesChallenges and opportunities29Rural schools in LatviaAnna LaizaneTeacher,Riga Ezerkrastu SecondarySchool, LatviaThe aim of this article is: 1) to givean overview of the concept of “ruralschools” and 2) to describe Latvianrural schools with a view to ESD(Education for Sustainable Development)and within the sustainabilitytriangle.Latvian rural schools play a very importantrole as establishments foreducation, upbringing and socializationfor the majority of rural inhabitantsin Latvia. According to researchon rural basic schools, the contemporaryrural school has become aninwardly inclusive environment. It isan educational environment for thedevelopment of human personalityand local rural community.A. Laizane and I. Katane define arural school as “an educational establishmentthat is located in thecountry for educational, culturaland social needs of rural communities”.Nowadays the rural school, asan open educational environment,searches for new opportunities,priorities and directions for sustainabledevelopment. According to I.Katane and A. Laizane rural schoolsSocietyThe Sustainability Triangle © Arnold TukkerEnvironmentare often the only education environmentsin Latvian regions. Theytherefore carry the responsibility forthe education of the whole local ruralcommunity and are formal andnon-formal educational environmentsfor pre-school children, pupilsand their families, educators and thewhole rural community in the contextof life-long learning.Latvian rural schools can be consideredto be at the centre of thesustainability triangle as they contributeto environmental, social andeconomic development.The first component of the sustainabilitytriangle is environmental development,which was introducedto Latvian rural schools via the EcoschoolsProgramme and optionalcourses.Eco-school is an international programmeof environmental and sustainabledevelopment education forschools.Thirty-two Latvian schools,including 20 rural schools, wereawarded with the internationallyrecognisedtitle of “Eco-school” andEconomyZante Primary School: an Eco-school in Kandavas District in Latvia © Anna Laizanereceived the Green Diploma for theirengagement in the field of sustainabledevelopment and environmentalprotection. The Environmental EducationalFund coordinates the EcoschoolProgramme; and the LatvianEnvironmental Protection Fund andSIA ‘Latvia Statoil’ support it financially.The first optional education programmeis “mazpulki”. Mazpulki isan organisation of youngsters establishedin 1929 with the aim topromote the interest of young peoplein agriculture. The work of theorganisation is led and coordinatedby the Latvian Mazpulki board. Incooperation with other educationalestablishments, local municipalitiesand businessmen, mazpulki supportsenvironmental protection, facilitatesdemocratic development and civilsociety, and takes care of the preservationof cultural values. Currentlythere are 202 mazpulki in Latvia.The second optional programme isenvironmental education. The conceptof environmental education(EE) refers to “organised efforts toteach how natural environmentsfunction and, particularly, how humanbeings can manage their behaviourand ecosystems in order tolive sustainably”. The term is oftenused to imply education within theschool system, from primary to postsecondary.However, it is sometimesused more broadly to include all effortsto educate the public and otheraudiences, including print materials,websites, media campaigns, etc. Relateddisciplines include outdoor educationand experiential education.Interviews with principals in ruralbasic schools and managers of regionaleducational boards (Laizane,2010) showed that rural schoolsturned into multifunctional centresand offer social development, whichPERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

30Challenges and opportunitiesCase studies and projects31Woodland education in the Lower Saxony StateForestsis the second component of thesustainability triangle. The conceptof rural schools as multifunctionalcentres appeared in 2009 in relationwith the project ‘Opportunity forSchool Changes’, financed by the SorosFoundation. The project providesfinancial support to 53 rural schoolsand supports them to become multifunctionalcentres. A. Laizane statesthat multifunctional centres are centresthat are able to perform manyfunctions connected with social,cultural and educational processesfor all members of the rural communitywilling to study and obtainnew skills. For example, Petera primaryschools’ multifunctional centrewas opened in January 2010 in theJaunpiebalga district. This centreoffers monthly activities for adultsin the field of entrepreneurship,psychology, emotional upbringingof children, ethics and various hobbygroups for schoolchildren andyoungsters, such as floristic, feltingand painting. There is also a gym anda computer hall, as well as self-helpcentres to support the local community.Thus, multifunctional centres inrural primary schools offer variousformal and non-formal programmesfor all members of the community,making their lives more interestingand challenging.The third component of the sustainabilitytriangle is economic developmentof rural schools. This derivesfrom participation in variousprojects, such as ‘Opportunity forSchool Changes’, as well as incomefrom school services (rent of premises,copying of necessary materialsfor schoolchildren, hostels), donationsfrom physical and juridical persons,and budget allocations frommunicipality and state. Latvian ruralschools should increase cooperationwith the community’s authoritiesin the sector of economic develop-ment. With reference to Lisa Hinz(Hinz, 1993), school classrooms andfacilities are valuable resources forcommunity education and training.Teachers and administrators arehighly educated people. Students area resource and opportunity, and oftenalso a significant segment of thecommunity population. Many communitymembers have experienceand skills as local entrepreneurs andservice-providers. Local businessesmay have modern equipment availableto teach students new skills.Generally, Latvian rural schools areon the right path to satisfy the ruralcommunity’s educational andsocial needs and interests. Latvianrural schools work within the sustainabilitytriangle via Eco-schools,multifunctional centres of rural primaryschools, and cooperation withthe municipality, local entrepreneursand service-providers.The TaskThe Lower Saxony State Forests isthe largest woodland owner in thestate and has the task of not onlymanaging and maintaining forestsbut also of educating the public andmaking people aware of this particularlybeautiful part of the regionallandscape. The area is characterisedby a functioning and sustainable useof resources dating back almost 300years. In this context, forest managersfulfil the important role of intermediariesbetween people andwoodlands. These forests can beseen as an important educationalresource, which can help to makethe concept of sustainability understandableto future generations.ObjectivesThe Lower Saxony State Forests is amodern public enterprise with numerousresponsibilities. Forest managementand timber harvesting arejust as much a part of its mission asare nature conservation, the provisionof information and educationalwork. Forestry education hasparticular significance as it involvesmore than just the provision ofknowledge and information: it offersa unique opportunity to involvechildren, young people and adults,offer them a better understandingof the complex concept of sustainabilityand bring them closer to nature.Here sustainability is not justconsidered in relation to the use ofresources, but also in relation to theeducational work dealing with economic,ecological, social and culturalaspects. The main aim is to create astrong and lasting appreciation forforests and to encourage people,and particularly young people, totake on responsibility for nature.The approachThe woodland itself is considered asRainer KöpsellProject manager,Environmental Educationand Communication,Lower Saxony State Forests,GermanyEnvironmental Development• Eco-schools• Interest related education: mazpulki(in Latvian); environmental educationLatvian Rural SchoolsSocial Development• Rural schools asmultifunctional centresEconomic Development• Communities and schools canwork together on economicdevelopmentLatvian Rural Schools in the Sustainability Triangle© Anna Laizane© Rainer KöpsellPERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

32Case studies and projectsCase studies and projects33© Rainer Köpsellan educational resource. As a networkand complex system, it servesas a paradigm and provides insightsinto a fascinating world, which isoften unknown to modern people.Children and young people in particularshould be stimulated to think ina long-term and holistic way and toact accordingly in the future. Modernforest education brings peopletogether in the woods environmentor introduces nature issues toschools. The topics are delivered inan action-oriented way.A constant exchange between forestryexperts and educators is importantfor the success of the teachingaims. Extensive experience in environmentaleducation and gradualintroduction of new teaching concepts,such as education for sustainabledevelopment (ESD), global learningand social learning, help achievelong-lasting effects.60 years of experienceThe experience of the Lower SaxonyState Forests goes back to the earlyyears of forestry education. Morethan 60 years ago, young peoplewere helping to restock forest areas,laid bare as a consequence ofover-use. From this activity, the firstforestry youth missions developed.In the Harz district, the first German‚Forest Youth Hostels‘ were createdfrom original tent camps.While at that time the concept offorest education was not known, agreat deal of activities took place,which today would be understood assuch. Through the daily work, youngpeople learned about the woods andnature’s interrelationships. Throughthe experience, many of them developeda particular sense of communityand a sense of responsibilityfor this precious environment. Theconcept of forest youth hostels thenspread outside of Lower Saxony.In order to respond more effectivelyto people interested in this aspectof education, ten Woodland EducationCentres were founded in theLower Saxony State Forests areas atthe beginning of 2010. These werebased on earlier forest youth hostelsand other pedagogical facilities. Therange of activities is constantly beingexpanded and modernised.The workersIn the Woodland Education Centresof the Lower Saxony State Forests,education-trained forestry workerswork together in teams. They organisewoodland-relevant environmentaleducation within their particularareas of responsibility, the so-calledEducation Regions, and they cooperatewith schools and other educationproviders. In the practical workof the missions, experienced foresterstake on the task of looking afterthe pupils or young adults. Certifiedwoodland educators who work freelancefor the Lower Saxony State Forestssupport the educational teams.The woodland as an educational resourceHumans and forests are the main focusof woodland education. Woodlandsare as interesting and variedas the people who have lived fromthem and with them for centuries.Thus, they are an ecological, commercial,social and cultural reflectionof human society.In the area of the Lower Saxony,there is a great variety of forestforms: spruce woods in the Oberharz,beech forests in the Weserbergland,pine and birch woods in theheathlands extending to the humidforests of the region around Oldenburg.These forests teach us about thevariety of animals and plants, thecommercial uses of timber resources,the regional history of the forests aswell as the protection of valuablehabitats. They also teach us abouttheir role in water and climate protection.The Woodland Education CentresWith ten Woodland Education Centres,Lower Saxony is well above averagecompared with other federalstates in its number of available centers.These centres provide coursesof different durations according tohow well equipped they are, rangingfrom one to several days. Thecentres with options for overnightingoffer optimal conditions forschool classes and youth groups tostay for several days or weeks, duringwhich important experience ofgroup dynamics and social learningcan be gained. Almost all centres arelocated in attractive woodland areasand the buildings are equippedaccording to modern youth hostelstandards.The futureForest are varied, colourful and attractive,and there is always somethingexciting to experience anddiscover. Unfortunately, these daysmany people are increasingly losingcontact with them. Some childrenand young people have never beento a forest or had the opportunityto create a connection to these environments.Contributing to changingthis patters is what the Lower SaxonyState Forests hopes to achieve.© Rainer Köpsell© Rainer KöpsellPERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

36Case studies and projectsCase studies and projects37Garden birdwatch in Nordic countriesName of theorganisationNGO “KeepSt. PetersburgTidy”NGO “Friendsof the Baltic”ChildrenEnvironmentalCenter of GUP“VodocanalSt. Petersburg”Social partnerships of kindergartensTheme forcooperation• Sustainable WasteManagement• Global Climate Change• SustainableConsumption• Healthy Lifestyle• Sustainable WasteManagement• Energy• Water• Global Climate ChangeTitle of projector programme• “Eco-Schools/Green Flag”international programme• “Learning about Forest”international programme• “Sustainable Consumption”international project• “HSBC and Eco-SchoolsClimate Initiative”international project• “SPARE” internationalprogramme for schools• “Coming to visit a Drop”project for children.Forms ofco-operation• Training seminars forteachers• Study visits for teachers• Actions arranged and heldtogether• Conferences• Contests for teachers, children,parents with children• National and internationalnetworking• Informational support• Information seminarsfor teachers• Training seminars forteachers• Running project togetherfor children and parents• Interactive awareness risingprogrammes• Actions arranged and heldtogetherBirds are everywhere. Most peopleare able to identify a few species,and surprisingly many knowquite a number of bird species. Thebirds best known to the man in thestreet are the ones found in the immediatesurroundings of the home.When developing bird monitoringcampaigns with the intent to havea wide segment of the populationreport back species observations, itis important to tap into the knowledgethat already exists in the targetgroup. By selecting well-known birdspecies abundant in residential areasas focus species, the basis is laid forgenerating interest and activity andmaximising participation. Creatingan opportunity for the target groupto draw on pre-existing knowledgeis likely to instill an added incentiveto take part, and to lower thethreshold to actively contribute. InNorway, an estimated 400 000 personsare involved in bird feedingduring the winter, and they buy 15000 tonnes of bird food yearly. It isreasonable to assume a similar birdfeedingactivity in Sweden, Finlandand Denmark. If a campaign is establishedthat successfully taps into thisenthusiasm, there are good chancesthat it will be a success.What to do?In the Nordic Garden Birdwatch participantsare encouraged to monitorthe birds on their feeders duringthe last weekend of January. Participantsare asked to note the maximumnumber of each species thatare observed along with the typeof food on the feeder, temperature,and depth of snow cover. Participantsreceive user access to an onlinedatabase, to which they uploadFrode FalkenbergProject manager,Centre of Schools’ ScienceEducation,University of Bergen,Norwaysponsible for taking care of it. Aftera while the kindergarten took partin the International Tree PlantingDay. In St. Petersburg the action wasorganised by the NGO “Keep St. PetersburgTidy“, the CoordinationCenter for International Researchand Educational Programmes of St.Petersburg Government, the HotelsClub and the Rezidor Hotel Group.NGOs do not only help educationalestablishments to support the continuousdevelopment of teachers’potential, but also promote participationin international educationnetworks. They act as coordinatingbodies for international cooperationand educational projects. Cooperationbetween educational establishmentsand non-governmental organisationsensures reviving of professionalcommunities and networksand is able to influence content,structure and design of education ingeneral and ESD in particular.www.eco-schools.orgwww.fee-international.orgThe distribution of Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) during the gardenbirdwatch in Norway in January 2011 © Lars LofaldliPERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

38Case studies and projectsCase studies and projects39© Frode Falkenbergtheir results along with the map coordinatesfor their feeder. When thedata is uploaded, results are instantlypublished on a publicly accessiblewebpage (in Norway and Denmark).Here, species observations are listedin tables and plotted on nationaland regional maps. There is also theoption to compare results betweenyears, and participants immediatelyget to see their own results in thecontext of other contributions.Partners and data flow in NorwayThe Garden Birdwatch is a collaborationbetween the Norwegian OrnithologicalSociety, who are responsiblefor the promotional activity,and the Centre of Schools‘ ScienceEducation at the University of Bergen,who are responsible for thetechnical solutions (database andweb interface) and for providing relevantbackground material on thewebsite. The campaign is run on theplatform ”Miljolare.no“, which is aNorwegian school resource on Educationfor Sustainable Development.At the end of each season, an expertevaluates the quality of the data andvalidates it. Erroneous observationsare removed and borderline observationsare corrected or deleted in adialogue with the reporter. The largevolumes of data reported throughoutthe campaign are then exportedto the Species Maps section of theNorwegian Biodiversity InformationCentre, http://artskart.artsdatabanken.no,which serves as the officialNorwegian biodiversity inventory.They are here made available forresearchers, management and thegeneral public together with similardata from other sources.ParticipantsAnyone may participate in The GardenBirdwatch. Participants belongto all ages: from kindergarden, toschool age up to senior citizens.This does produce a heterogeneousdataset with a certain amount oferroneous observations, and eventhough the quality control takescare of most mistakes, it should bekept in mind when using the datasetthat it is likely to contain some errors.When focusing on general patternsof abundant species, the largevolume of reported observationsdoes, however, dilute the effect ofa few misidentified species. In January2011 observations were reportedfrom more than 5 200 gardens inNorway, and we estimate that atleast 14 000 persons took part in thecampaign.GoalsThe foremost goal of such a campaignis to contribute to the participants‘knowledge on the biodiversityin their local surroundings, andto provide an opportunity to put thisinto a wider context. Further, thecampaign provides the opportunityto reflect on the connectedness ofbiodiversity and climate. How do climaticvariations affect over-winteringof populations of garden birdsin the short and long term? Whenobserving birds on a feeder, it isnatural to consider several ecologicalaspects: Why do different speciesprefer different food? Why do somespecies arrive in a flock, whereasothers appear solitary? Why do somespecies return every year, while otherspecies are only seen occasionally?The abundance of the various speciesmay be compared throughout© Frode Falkenbergthe years, and variations may havedifferent causes. Such questionsstimulate reflection and contributeto a fruitful learning atmosphere inthe classroom.Nordic cooperationThe Garden Birdwatch is carried outin the last weekend in January in allthe four Nordic partner countries.The reporting process is handledslightly differently in the differentcountries. Norway and Denmarkhave a fairly similar database solution,where all the reports becomepublicly available on the web immediatelyafter upload. In Sweden andFinland the reports are not instantlyavailable on the web, but here theyproduce a report on the contributedbird observations at the end of thecampaign period. Norway is so farthe only one to export the observationdata directly to the national biodiversityinventory archive (SpeciesMaps section of the Norwegian BiodiversityInformation Centre, http://artskart.artsdatabanken.no). Theadvantage of this is that the datasetbecomes available for a range of researchand management institutionsand can be viewed together withsimilar species observations from differentsources.ResultsThe massive participation in thiscampaign provides an abundanceof observations and interesting patternsemerge from the dataset. Aspreviously mentioned, it is importantto document variations between theyears. By relating the dataset to climaticconditions, food availabilityand other ecological constraints, excitingpatterns may be revealed. Thispotential will be reinforced as thetime series becomes longer. In thefuture, the Garden Birdwatch will beone of the most important sourcesfor documenting fluctuations inover-wintering bird populations.© Frode FalkenbergPERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

40Case studies and projectsCase studies and projects41Beagle: a Pan-European school projecton seasonal changes in treesGaute GrønstølProject manager,Centre of Schools‘ ScienceEducation, University ofBergen, NorwayBEAGLE - “Biodiversity Education andAwareness to Grow a Living Environment”was a EU Comenius projectwith a consortium of partners fromUnited Kingdom, Poland, Germany,Hungary, Slovakia and Norway. Theaim of the project was to improvethe quality of learning outside theclassroom, to enhance students‘ motivationto learn, and to help youngpeople to reach a better understandingof sustainable management ofnatural resources. The collaborationwas initiated in 2009, the year of theDarwin anniversary, and the projectran throughout 2010, the United Nations‘International Year of Biodiversity.We wanted to develop a Pan-Europeanresource for schools, anchoredin a website that could workas a hub for the schools‘ investigations.On the website, schoolsshould find guides on how to carryout the project and how to uploadand share their results. Further, wewanted to formulate the project insuch way as to encourage pupils toexamine characteristics of their localnatural surroundings first hand. Weconsidered it important that pupilswould carry out real tasks in theirlocal surroundings and not exerciseswith a known result. We tried to formulateactivities in a way that wouldmake the pupils‘ findings useful, andwe designed the methods in suchway that the quality of conclusionswould increase with the accumulationof data. The focus was thus notrestricted to the process of investigationbut also included the documentationand sharing of findings. Priorexperience has taught us that takingpupils‘ results seriously feeds positivelyback to their motivation andstrengthens their sense of ownershipof the project.A wider aim was that this schoolproject might cultivate pupils‘ skillsand motivation to engage actively inlocal democratic processes concerningsustainable management of naturalresources. We decided to targettwo key communities of users: Europeanteachers and pupils betweenthe ages of 10-15 years old.After an initial discussion, we decidedto focus the project on trees.Trees are quite suitable objects forout-of-classroom learning. They donot move around, they can often befound close to the school, and theyprovide many important ecosystemservices: they produce oxygen, preventerosion, and serve as hosts fora large amount of organisms. Treesmay also be used as indicators ofenvironmental health and ecosystemstate, and are good models fordemonstrating important conceptslike for instance ecological niches. Inour view a school project focused ontrees should work as a good way toapproach important sustainability issues,like for instance managementof natural resources and mapping/monitoring of biodiversity. Usingtrees as a focus for learning providesmany opportunities to meet curriculardemands both in natural and socialsciences.Acknowledging that the study ofseasonal variation, or phenology, is agood way to approach the problemof climate change (“Does the springarrive earlier this year than previousyears?“), we decided to make sea-sonal variations in trees the focusof the school project. As the projectwas Pan-European, we chose six treespecies that have a wide distributionin Europe (Figure 1), and decided toask the schools to investigate andreport via the website the dates ofonset of six phenophases: budburst,first flowering, first leaves unfolding,first ripe seeds/berries, first leavesbeing shed, and when all leaves hadturned brown or yellow.A flowering Horse Chestnut Bud. © beagleproject.orgWe developed the website beagleproject.orgto host the schoolproject. Here we offer teacherguides, identification keys for trees(Figure 2), photo guides, supportingactivities on biodiversity and the roleof trees, and more. The website isavailable in all six partner languages(English, German, Polish, Hungarian,Slovakian and Norwegian). Teacherssign up and request login accessfor their school on the website andthey use this to post results (registrationof trees with map coordinates,dates of phenophase onset, photosand more). Teachers may also generatepupil login codes so that pupilsindividually can enter their findings.The website makes use of a databasethat receives and automaticallypublishes uploaded data in a resultssection. The results section has variousviews that allow the schools andthe general public to compare andreflect on the reported findingsand to see when different seasonalstages of the tree cycles occur acrossEurope. These include graphical representationsof phenophase dates,animated maps, and an extensivephoto gallery, currently exhibitingmore than 4 000 photos uploadedby schools.Even though one might not be ableto confirm or reject the thesis ofclimate change from the data uploaded(very long time series wouldbe required for this), we think thatFig. 1Leaves of the six focus tree species in beagleproject.org:Oak (Quercus sp.), Beech (Fagus sylvatica),Horse Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), Birch(Betula sp.), Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) and Lime(Tilia sp.) © beagleproject.orgPERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

42Case studies and projectsCase studies and projects43this is a stepping stone for pupilsto understand sustainable developmentissues like climate change andsustainable management of biodiversity.When studying the resultssection of the website, it is evidentthat the earliest spring phenophasetransitions (e.g. bud burst and firstflowers of Horse Chestnut) is foundin Central-/East Europe. Next in lineare the more western parts of Europe(United Kingdom) and a coupleof weeks later the same transitionsare observed further north in Scandinaviaand the Baltic region. Whilealready quite good, the data set willimprove further as more results arecollected over the coming years. Inthe course of the project we havecollaborated with researchers whohave commented on the uploadedresults, both on a national and Europeanscale. All findings of the schoolsare available on beagleproject.org.We carried out a survey among teacherswho participated in the projectand the feedback was good. 84 %of 120 respondents reported thatparticipation in the BEAGLE projectimproved their skills and interest indelivering out of classroom learning.Further, 78% responded thatthey improved their understandingof sustainability, and 80% improvedtheir understanding of climatechange. 84% responded that theBEAGLE website was user-friendly,had a clear structure and all necessaryinformation to involve students,and finally 98% of the teachers expressedtheir interest to continueobservations and involving new studentsinto the project activities.Although beagleproject.org is developedas a stand-alone school resource,each of the BEAGLE partnerorganisations carried out teachertrainings on tree phenology.The project for developing beagleproject.orghas ended, but the websiteis still operational and open forsign-ups. Currently (March 2011),446 schools with 884 classes from18 countries have signed up for theproject, and so far a total of 993Fig. 2 Key to the six tree species with details on species-specific traits relevant for identification and determinationof the phenophase. © beagleproject.orgtrees and 2310 phenophase dateshave been registered on the website.Schools from any European countryare most welcome to sign up, participationis free and the website willbe running for at least until 2015. Ifnon-partner countries wish to translatethe beagleproject.org websiteinto their own languages, this canbe arranged.www.beagleproject.orgPERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

44Case studies and projectsCase studies and projects45Environmental activities as a way to developchildren’s commitmentErika KarlssonKeep Sweden Tidy, Sweden“You‘re wasting energy!”Presenting the big picture of a sustainablesociety in terms of a preschoolchild‘s everyday life is a hugechallenge. Ekebyhovs Preschool onthe outskirts of Stockholm has beentackling the energy issue for months.The knowledge has reached the children,together with a sense thattheir actions make a difference.Children with hope for the futureEkebyhovs Preschool is one ofaround 2,000 preschools and schoolsin Sweden working with the GreenFlag Award Scheme (InternationalEco-schools). The aim of all GreenFlag activities is to give children theoptimism and competence to worktowards long-term sustainable development.As important as the disseminationof knowledge, equallyimportant is to get children participatingin the goals so that childrenand educators can work together towardsthe sustainable developmentof day-to-day operations. Preschoolsand schools alike establish an environmentalcouncil comprising representativesfrom both staff andchildren/students. Together, they setgoals for running the business in asustainable fashion, goals that everyonecontributes to achieving.Competent educators make competentchildrenFor several years, Keep Sweden Tidyhas provided teaching materials andtraining to educators, enhancingtheir knowledge of sustainable developmentand teaching them howto integrate that knowledge intoboth educational and business operations.Since 2009, we have trainedteachers from 600 Swedish schoolsand preschools as part of the projectCommunicating Environmental Actionto Children and Youth (COM-U),co-financed by LIFE+. Many of themhave gone on to use the Green FlagAward scheme to help establish andstructure their sustainability projects.We can follow their progress via regularreports that are submitted forreview in order to retain the GreenFlag certification. Here we can seehow teachers manage to inspireeven the youngest children and capturetheir willingness to learn andparticipate.Spreading the wordAn important part of the Green Flagprogramme is the reporting of results,both internally and to the widercommunity. Every school and preschoolmust have a plan on how topresent their work to, for instance,parents and other staff. A politicianfrom the local municipality will alsobe chosen to receive outreach reportsregarding the activities undertaken.Via COM-U, schools and preschoolsalso have the opportunity toexchange their experiences at networkingmeetings, where educatorscan share their ideas and thoughts.Children also play an important rolein the dissemination of information.Teachers have regular progressmeetings with parents regardingactivities, but it is the children whospread the change. By reflecting onwhat they have learned, or by beinggiven responsibility for routine taskssuch as turning off lights in emptyrooms, knowledge spreads beyondTraining for educators in Salem © Keep Sweden Tidythe educational establishments. Occasionally,the information can reacheven further. This happened whenEkebyhovs Preschool conducted anelectricity-free day, an experiment,which subsequently won the praiseof teachers and parents at otherpreschools. On that day, all lightswere turned off, the dishwasher wasturned off, the children helped cookfood outdoors and all staff had toboil their coffee on a camp stove.The electricity-free day was a greatsuccess and it is a good example ofhow children can get involved in thegoals of the establishment while simultaneouslylearning that they canaffect something as abstract as energyconsumption.Thanks to this active outreach, resultsoften feature in local mediatoo. This spreads the word aboutworking towards sustainable developmentfar beyond the four wallsof the individual establishment andeveryone involved can see that whatthey do is important not only for thefuture, but for the community hereand now.Educators at the “inspiration meeting” in Täby© Keep Sweden TidyGrowing potatoes at Tomtebogards preschoolin Umea © Keep Sweden TidyPERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

46Case studies and projectsCase studies and projects47The Leonardo project AIREDorlies Radike-ThielProject manager,Friedrich-List-Schule, Berlin,GermanyThe European educational projectAIRE (Adapting and Installing an internationalvocational training forRenewable Energy) aims to developEuropean standards for vocationaltraining on Renewable Energy.These standards refer to knowledge,skills and competences that the candidatesdispose of after their training.Friedrich-List-Schule, for example,chose the VET 1 programme for electriciansas a basis and the transnationalproject partners defined specialareas, such as wind, PV 2 , solarthermal energy, safety, processes andcustomer services. Technical Englishwas considered an added communicationskill. Also, entrepreneurshipand business were included in thesetup of the AIRE certification.The AIRE concept is meant to be applicablein different countries even ifthe training schemes vary considerably.The city of Berlin is the lead partnerin the project. Other partnersare from Spain (Navarra), Denmark(Randers), Belgium (Antwerp) andTurkey (Izmir). In order to extendthe network, partners started a Leonardoda Vinci mobility project,“AIRE plus“, which gives the opportunityto trainers, teachers andstakeholders involved in training forrenewable energy and energy managementto visit potential partners,lighthouse projects for renewableenergy, and energy managementand educational institutions in manyother European countries. The AIREproject started in October 2009 andwill finish in September 2011 with afinal meeting in Berlin.Many results have been accomplishedso far. For example, a concept forthe European AIRE certification anda draft for AIRE learning outcomeswere developed. The certificate willlook like a report card and will indicate:• The EQF 3 level of the candidate• The respective NQF 4 level in thecandidate’s home country• The accredited training providers,which confirm that the candidatehas met the requirements of thelearning outcomes as defined inthe “Module” catalogue• The legal basis for this certificationand the signature and stampof the VET provider who issues thebasic certificate• The signature and stamp of a superiorbody• The signature and stamp of aninternationally recognised body,which is responsible for the accreditationof training providersand the quality assurance of theAIRE setupFor the student, this AIRE certificatecan be used like a dossier. Additionalcertificates and documents can easilybe incorporated and/or collectedtogether with the AIRE certificate.In such way, there will be a standardisedmethod of making qualificationstransparent for both thelabour market and further traininginstitutions.For the training providers, the AIREconcept suggests certain lines oftraining, which may not have beencovered at the school or companybefore. It involves quality improvementfor the training provider, additionalnew courses, cooperationwith other training providers, andrecognition of certificates which aredelivered by other institutions. Theseother training providers can be AIRESolar panel in Pamplona © Project AIREpartners who train the same type ofprofession, or institutions, which offerspecialised courses, such as safetyand rescue courses for wind turbines.As a result institutions, which are familiarwith the AIRE system can easilycombine trainings on a Europeanlevel.Learning outcomes necessary for theAIRE certification differ according toEQF levels. At present they are availablein English. Everybody can lookup what the minimum requirementsare in a catalogue. Of course, thiscatalogue does not imply that thecandidate cannot have any otherqualifications. It only reflects whatthe AIRE partners guarantee.For the quality assurance, AIRE hascontacted institutions like Zentralstellefür die Weiterbildung im Hand-In the nacelle of Niels Rasmussen’s wind turbine © Project AIREPERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

48Case studies and projectsCase studies and projects49Environmental education for kindergarten andschool children in KaliningradSolar Thermal Classroom Device© Project AIREwerk (Central Agency for ContinuingVocational Education and Trainingin the Skilled Crafts) and DeutscheGesellschaft für Sonnenenergie (GermanAssociation for Solar Energy).Hopefully one of them will sign acontract soon and thus support theproject. The European Committe forStandardization (CEN-CENELEC) hasshown interest in contributing todefining AIRE as a European normor standard.In order to put the AIRE conceptinto action and to build up mutualtrust among the AIRE partners onthe quality of training outcomes,the Berlin partner school OSZ TIEM 5sent students to the AIRE partnersfor a work placement. This allowedpartners to get a very direct impressionof the quality of the trainingprovided. In an official event, theyoungsters received their Europassmobility documents. The Europeanprogramme LEONARDO DA VINCIfunded these placements.The project also included the developmentof suggestions on suitableteaching material and workshopequipment for students. To this aim,AIRE took advice from experts andrelevant institutions. Even thoughcompanies offer equipment or productinformation, they tend to be veryreserved when it comes to sharingtechnical secrets with the students.In the long run, there will also besolutions for digital learning material.The AIRE “module” catalogueof learning outcomes serves as a basisfor the development of adequatelearning units.The partners in Berlin and Navarraalready had specialised training forrenewable energy before the startof the project and thus already have“AIRE classes”. Nevertheless, bothhave started to make adaptationsin order to fit within the agreedstandards, either stressing Englishclasses more than in the past or focussingon new contents. Thanks tothe partner school in Navarra, AIREhad an impact on Spanish legislationfor VET for renewable energies. InOctober 2010, TRADIUM, the Danishpartner in Randers, started its firstAIRE classes. The Danish system foreseesmore company-based trainingphases, but even though the trainingis very specific, it can still fulfilthe AIRE standards.AIRE project partners are very keenon enlarging the network of usersand gaining recognition at an expertlevel. The LEONARDO DA VINCItransfer of innovation project AIREis partner project of “SustainableEnergy Europe“, organised by theEuropean Commission, DG MOVE.It was also officially accepted bythe UNESCO as a project of the “UNdecade of Education for SustainableDevelopment 2005 – 2014”. Duringthe “European Sustainable EnergyWeek 2011“ AIRE was presented atthe Berlin office in Brussels. The finalAIRE meeting will take place in Berlinon 22 September 2011.www.aireweb.eu1 VET - Vocational Education and Training2 PV – Photo Voltaics3 EQF – European Qualifications Framework4 NQF – National Qualifications Framework5 OSZ TIEM Oberstufenzentrum TechnischeInformatik, Industrieelektronik und EnergiemanagementGerman-Russian experienceexchange in KaliningradGenerally speaking, kindergartensin the Russian city of Kaliningradare not named, but numbered. Thisis a very different approach to thatof the forest kindergarten of Lennebergwaldnear Mainz, where thechildren of the forest kindergarten“Die Bäumlinge“ play in the woodsfrom Monday to Friday. In this waythey learn how to interact with natureand about the changing seasons.The concept of the Mainz forest kindergartenand other environmentaleducation issues for preschool andschoolchildren were discussed in anumber of German-Russian experienceexchanges which were organisedin cooperation with the GermanEnvironment Ministry, the KaliningradEducation Ministry and theChildren‘s Centre for EnvironmentalEducation and Tourism in Kaliningrad.So far, two environmentaleducation seminars have taken placein Kaliningrad since 2008, and moreare planned. These seminars are beingheld in the context of the UNdecade for sustainable education.At the heart of the exchange is thequestion of how to explain to childrenthat environmental protectionis a responsibility extending beyondnational boundaries. The conceptof forest kindergartens particularlyhighlights contact with nature as afundamental aspect of education.The children‘s interaction with natureand the changing seasons isobserved, providing impetus forfurther work with each child. Suchan approach is foreign to the Russianpartners, as is the idea of maleeducators working in kindergartens.The term environmental educationin Russia primarily relates to communicatingecological knowledge, andcontains a highly moral aspect in thesense of an environment-oriented“instruction“.The aim of the exchange is to promoteenvironmental awareness inkindergarten and school childrenthrough hands-on examples andprojects. Tree planting, joint excursionsto the Curonian Spit and BMUeducational materials in Russianprovided the Russian partners with apractical basis for addressing the issueof environmental education.The networking of German and Russianexperts has led to numerouscooperations. The Russian partnersplan to set up a regional committeeon “education for sustainable development“in Kaliningrad in order tofulfil the need for regional networkingamong the environmental players.In Rybatschij a “green school“will be established. Another initiativeis currently underway which isalso being supported by the GermanFederal Foundation for theEnvironment (DBU). This initiativeoriginated in the environmental educationseminars. The DBU project“Lernlandschaften für Nachhaltigkeit“(learning landscapes for sustainability),brings together schoolsand other educational organisationsin the Kaliningrad region with partnersfrom northern Lower Saxony.The participants discuss sustainabilityeducation in practical forestry,exchange ideas on sustainable mealsin schools, and familiarise Russianteachers with ecological field studiesand nature camps as environmentaleducation instruments. The GermanDörte RatzmannFederal Ministry for theEnvironment, NatureConservation and NuclearSafety, GermanyCo-author:Martina KarbowskiFederal Ministry for theEnvironment, NatureConservation and NuclearSafety, Germanyproject partners will be able to bringa range of useful ideas from Kaliningradwith regard to sustainableschool meals, which enjoy a highlevel of acceptance in Russia.From the results so far, it can be concludedthat the environmental educationexchange between Germanyand Russia holds a great deal of potentialfor further interesting andinnovative activities in which bothparties can learn from each other.PERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

50Experiences from sectors and regionsExperiences from sectors and regions51Spatial planning for educationJacek ZauchaProfessor,Gdansk University,Maritime Institute, PolandPiotr LorensProfessor,Technical University ofGdansk, PolandEducation is a core part of the conceptof sustainable developmentas it is a key element of its socialdimension. Education is also an importantsubject for spatial planningat different spatial scales: European,pan-European, national, regionaland local.European and Baltic Sea Region perspectiveRecently, education has gained importancein European spatial planning.This is mainly due to the factthat territorial cohesion became oneof the key objectives of the EU CohesionPolicy (Zaucha 2011). Territorialcohesion would be impossible withouta fair access to services of generalinterest. Such services are definedas “market and non-market serviceswhich public authorities class as beingof general interest and subjectto specific public service obligations”(CEC 2001). Services of general interestinclude electronic communications,postal services, electricity, gas,water, transport, labour market services,education, health care, childcare, social care, culture and (social)housing. Education is part of theseservices and access to education isconsidered an important indicatorof the degree of territorial cohesion.The updated Territorial Agenda ofthe European Union 2020 states that“accessibility of services of generalinterest, information, knowledge,and mobility are essential for territorialcohesion” (Hungarian Ministryfor National Development, VátiNonprofit 2011). Also article 16 ofthe EC Treaty confirms that servicesof general interest are shared valuesof the Union and promote social andterritorial cohesion (CEC 2001).The EU policy aims at “ensuring theprovision of [...] services of generalinterest to all citizens and enterprisesin the European Union” (CEC 2004).As underlined in the White Paperon Services of General Interest “citizensand businesses rightly expectto have access to affordable highqualityservices of general interestthroughout the European Union. Forthe citizens of the European Unionthis access is an essential componentof European citizenship and necessaryin order to allow them to fullyenjoy their fundamental rights. Forenterprises, the availability of highqualityservices of general interest isan indispensable prerequisite for acompetitive business environment.”(CEC 2004).Spatial planning is responsible fordeveloping a territorial approachtowards services of general interest.The Green Paper on Territorial Cohesion(CEC 2008) states that “access toservices of general economic interestsuch as health care or education is oftena problem in rural areas, wherefor example in remote regions, [...]43% of citizens live more than anhour drive from a university.” Thereforethe Territorial Agenda of theEuropean Union 2020 affirmed that“accessibility standards to services ofthe general interest should be set”(Hungarian Ministry for National Development,Váti Nonprofit 2011).For a long time VASAB raised theissue of education accessibility inspace. In the VASAB Long Term Perspective(LTP) education is explicitlymentioned as part of “action agendano. 5” concentrated on small andmedium sized cities and on the enhancementof their potential. Suchcities should become “importantcentres of innovations and specialisedservices, such as higher education[...]” (VASAB 2009). One of thepreconditions for this is the highquality of education services. The LTPbackground document shows a mapFig. 1 Car travel times to higher education facilities(Fig.1) with BSR deficits in access tohigher education (VASAB 2009a).The implementation of policies regardingboth spatial planning andservices of general interest is generallypart of EU Member States’© RRG 2008, RRG GIS DatabaseEwa GlazekInstitute for Development,Gdansk, PolandPERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

52Experiences from sectors and regionsExperiences from sectors and regions53responsibility. Therefore, it is worthnoting that the attention given tosuch services under spatial planningsystems differs among countries.Poland is implementing the EU andVASAB approach.Polish perspectiveThe recently elaborated Polish SpatialDevelopment Concept (Zaucha2010) pays a lot of attention to accessibilityto public services of generalinterest. Although territory specificstandards of accessibility to thoseservices have not been formulatedso far (Zaucha 2010,8) the problemwas addressed and relevant measureswere proposed under goal no.3, which is devoted to improvementof accessibility on different spatialscales. Among these measures, educationis explicitly mentioned as partof public services of general interest(Fig. 2, Fig. 3).Moreover, Polish national spatialplanning does not only consider accessto public services of general interestbut also its role in the developmentof networks and cooperationbetween urban nodes. The Ministryfor Regional Development has developeda study on these questionsand it seems that higher educationhas an immense networking potential(Fig. 4).Nevertheless the planning and developmentof educational facilities,especially in urban areas, encountersmany obstacles. For many decades,education in Polish urban planningused to be an issue of special attentionfor public authorities. In theSpatial accessibility to servicecentresAssessment of the spatial accessibility to service centresmeasured in travelling time.Thresholds define satisfactory and unsatisfactory accessibilityto service centres of different ranking (regional capitals,sub-regional cities, other county capitals).W: regional capitals (60 minutes threshold)G: sub-regional cities, including former regional capitals(40 minutes threshold)P: other county capitals (20 minutes threshold)Isochrones of travelling to WarsawBorders of functional market areas ofregional capitalsFig. 2 © Polish Ministry of Regional DevelopmentIsochrones of car travelling tocounty capitalsFig. 3 © Polish Ministry of Regional Developmentperiod after the Second World Warthe modernistic paradigm of spatialdevelopment was introduced. Despitechanging architectural trendsand fashions, the idea of an optimisedschool network was one ofthe key principles for planners. As aresult, the concepts of “neighbourhoodunits“ and “school units“, inventeda few decades before, wereimplemented in a massive scale. Atthe same time a regulation on distancesand infrastructure associatedwith particular types of educationalfacilities was introduced. The regulationwas included in the so-calledbuilding law and in spatial planningnorms, which had to be followed byplanners. This philosophy broughtabout the development of a densenetwork around schools and othereducational facilities. Many of themwere of uniform architecture, whichwas partly the effect of rigid designstandards and so-called “repeatable“projects.The change the political and economicsystems in 1989 affected theplanning paradigm. Although theregulations regarding the structuraland functional solutions ofthe buildings themselves still haveto be obeyed (although no typicaldesign solutions are introduced anylonger), the situation has changeddramatically in regard to the planningactivity. Nowadays the idea of“school units“ providing a schoolwith newly constructed apartmentsfor approximately 5.000 inhabitantsis not in use anymore, and - onthe contrary - planners are tryingto avoid introducing regulationsregarding the compulsory constructionof new schools in developingareas. And even if the sites for theseLegendState borderCounty borderProvince borderfacilities are provided, decision-makingon construction frequently takesmany years. It is generally perceivedthat children should be transportedto existing facilities by buses, insteadof developing new facilities in developingareas. Therefore it seemsthat the implementation of the EUapproach to services of general interestwill require a nation-wide debateabout relevant planning standardsfor different types of space, theresponsibilities of different levels ofpublic authorities, and territory specificmeasures for ensuring an adequateprovision of public services ofgeneral interest to all citizens. Thisin turn will enhance the sustainabledevelopment of the EU.Number of jointly implemented projectsFig. 4 © Institute of Geography and Spatial Organisationof Polish Academy of Science, Mr. P. SilkaPERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

54Experiences from sectors and regionsExperiences from sectors and regions55Competences needed for eco-innovations:lessons learned from the SPIN projectDaniel de GraafSPIN project manager,German FederalEnvironment Agency,GermanyThe EU project SPIN (Sustainableproduction through innovation insmall and medium enterprises) is anINTERREG IV B project part-financedby the Baltic Sea Region Programme2007-2013. Helping companies to operatemore profitably and to reducetheir environmental impacts by applyingeco-innovations is the key issueof the initiative lead by the GermanFederal Environment Agency.The project involves partners fromGermany, Poland, Lithuania, Estonia,Finland, Sweden and Denmark.SPIN uses different instruments tosupport matchmaking of demandand supply of eco-innovations, i.e.bringing together small and mediumenterprises (SMEs) in need of newSPIN: overview of project activities and aims© Project SPINtechnologies and processes (elicitede.g. by EU directives related toenvironment) with suppliers of sustainableinnovative solutions. Goodpractice examples and products forsustainable production are collectedin the SPIN database and matchedto the demand side in industry-specificSME workshops. In addition tobringing together businesses, thesematchmaking events allow deeperinsights into why companies aresometimes reluctant to introduceenvironmentally sound techniques.During a SPIN workshop entitled“commercial refrigeration with naturalrefrigerants”, companies fromSweden, Denmark and Germanypresented their refrigeration equipmentfor supermarket applications:instead of using hydrofluorocarbons(HFCs), they use natural refrigerantssuch as propane, ammonia or CO2.HFCs are very potent greenhousegases, which contribute to climatechange when applied as a refrigerant.This is due to the high leakagerate of refrigeration appliances ofapproximately 15% per year in Europe.For example, the standard refrigerantin supermarket applicationsis an HFC blend termed R 404A, exhibitinga global warming potential(GWP) of 3784 CO2-eq, i.e. it exhibits3784 times the greenhouse effect ofthe same amount of CO2 (GWP=1).Hence, a given charge of 200 kg ofR404A refrigerant would result inthe loss of 30 kg annually, correspondingto the emission of 113 tonsof CO2. This example demonstratesthat switching from HFC to naturalrefrigerants with negligible warmingpotentials means a big step forwardfor the environment. Althoughit is clear that action should be takenand a big debate about refrigeranthandling and leakage is going on inthe European refrigeration sector,there is only little progress in theapplication of natural refrigerantsin Germany, even though these applicationsare more energy efficientand have lower operating costs thanHFC equipment.One major reason for that lies in thelack of knowledge and training ofrefrigeration craftsmen, who installand maintain refrigeration facilities.Most of them were trained whenchlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), similarto HFCs in their characteristics, wherelargely used and natural refrigerantshardly played a role. Today, despiteenvironment friendly alternatives,which have also proven to be moreenergy efficient, craftsmen stick towhat they have been working withfor decades. Since it is them whochoose the equipment for their customerswho are in most cases not familiarwith refrigeration issues, it isnot expected that the situation willchange easily.A solution to the problem might bethat craftsmen associations begintraining their members on new, environmentallyfriendly techniques, inaddition to imparting more knowledgeon natural refrigerants duringapprenticeship. This may be supportedby taxation of HFC refrigerantsaccording to their warmingpotential – a measure already takenin Denmark. The example givenhere demonstrates that not only theavailability of eco-innovations, butalso the know-how of how to applythem is needed for their introductionand market penetration.SPIN has analyzed the needs of SMEssupplying or applying innovationsfor sustainable production. The anal-Model of a refrigeration machine © KälteConcept GmbH and Frigoteam GmbHAndré GreifProject Management Jülich,Forschungszentrum JülichGmbH, GermanyPERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

56Experiences from sectors and regionsExperiences from sectors and regions57About the significance of local knowledge,education and innovation in agriculture forsustainable developmentCompressor rack of a refrigeration machine (see above model) that operates with the natural refrigerantR723 (ammonia/dimthyl ether). © KälteConcept GmbH and Frigoteam GmbHysis showed that competences are amajor issue for SMEs when applyingsustainable innovations. Especiallyin small and micro enterprises, thereare often only a few key persons orthe company owner alone in chargeof innovation activities. As they haveto run the daily business, only verylimited time is left for acquiring informationon existing innovativesolutions or for planning their application.SMEs particularly lack informationand know-how on:• the actual environmental impactof their own activities• existing innovative solutions tomake their production more sustainable• the potential benefit includingcost savings and better performancefrom introducing innovative solutions• environmental and innovationmanagement within their own company• existing funding programmes andsupport measures for sustainable innovationsSPIN has also analyzed existing incentivesand support schemes forcompetence building of SMEs. Theseinclude workshop series, educationalprogrammes as well as financial supportschemes to hire external innovationexperts. Existing SME networks,such as sector associations, are keypoints to channel information andreach SMEs.Based on the analysis of barriers andincentives, SPIN will develop recommendationsfor policy makers toimprove framework conditions andsupport sustainable innovations inSMEs in the Baltic Sea Region. Knowingthat SMEs contribute to 64 % ofthe total environmental impact ofindustry in Europe, it is obvious thatit is environmentally relevant to createincentives for sustainable innovations.This is at the same time importantfrom an economic point ofview as SMEs form the backbone ofEurope’s economy, representing 99% of EU companies and contributingto a total of 54 % of the value addedin the EU. Matching supply anddemand of eco-innovations meansprivate profits and public benefits atthe same time.www.spin-project.eu.Fertile soils are one of the mostvaluable non-renewable resourceson earth and agricultural productionmust contribute towards improvementor preservation of theirnatural status without interferingwith other ecosystems. In addition,agricultural production must feedthe world population of tomorrowwith high quality food. Educationwill play a key role for the acceptanceand implementation of innovativetechnologies such as PrecisionAgriculture which is a promisingapproach for sustainable and profitableagricultural production.Environmentally sound food production– a balancing actCodes of Good Agricultural Practice(GAP) represent the statutary lawon management practices that canbe adopted to minimise the risk ofwater, air and soil pollution. The implementationof national GAP codesaims at reducing the discharge ofnutrients which is closely relatedto stocking densities in animal production,high and improper use offertilisers, reduction of risks relatedto the use of plant protection products,and promotion of biodiversity.Potential nutrient point sources are,for example, linked to manure storageand high densities of animals,problems which could be solved easilyby legal action. In comparison,it is much more complicated to reducenon-point nutrient losses dueto small-scale variability of pedogeneticfactors. The implementationof precision agriculture technologiesenables a truly balanced fertiliser inputat sub-field level which matchesthe spatial variability of soil featuresand which promises a significant reductionof diffuse nutrient losses.The overall implementation of GAPcodes requires a transfer of agronomicknow-how to the farmer andthis means that education and advisoryservices need to be intensified.Ewald SchnugHead of the Institute forCrop and Soil Scienceof Julius Kühn-Institute,GermanyBird’s eye view of spatial variability of soil and crop characteristics © Ewald SchnugPERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

58Experiences from sectors and regionsExperiences from sectors and regions59Silvia HaneklausSenior scientist, Institutefor Crop and Soil Scienceof Julius Kühn-Institute,GermanySite-specific nutrient management –an innovative technology for farmersand for the environmentThe environmental friendliness ofsite-specific nutrient management(SSNM) is evident: less fertiliser is appliedto areas with high vulnerabilityto nutrient losses. Even though onlyrarely experimental proof with directmeasurements is available in literature(Whitley et al., 2000), evidencefor the positive effects of SSNM isprovided when spatial nutrient balancesare established for systemswith and without applying SSNM(Haneklaus and Schnug, 1998) andwhen residual nutrients in soils areconsidered (Kitchen et al., 1995).SSNM is an information technologyapplied to soil use in agriculture(Haneklaus and Schnug, 2006) andthe degree of complexity of truly localresource management increasessignificantly for instance when nutrientfluxes are considered dynamically.Distance (m)Distance (m)From A to E – Advisory Services andEducationAgriculture was always a business inwhich low-educated people couldfind work and this aspect needs tobe taken into account when implementingnew technologies suchas Precision Agriculture. Althoughsuch modern technologies mightenable low-educated tractor driversto carry out high-tech operationsin the fields, highly accurate navigatingrobots might replace humanresources in the future (Haneklauset al., 2009). A socially just implementationof Precision Agriculturerequires that attention be paid tothe ‘local knowledge’ of farmers inorder to take advantage of inheritedinformation and data on subfieldlevel for individual farms. Thecombination with real-time transferof scientific achievements at schoolsand universities is the best way toimplement sustainability practices inagriculture.Fertiliser rates remainunder crop demandFertiliser rates exceedcrop demandFertiliser rates matchcrop demandDiscrepancy between site-specific nutrient demand and uniform fertiliser rates (adapted from Haneklausand Schnug, 2006) © Ewald SchnugTowards an alliance of local knowledge,advisory services and educationLocal knowledge can be defined asknowledge deriving from personaleducation and experience or inheritancefrom former generations. Inaddition, local knowledge is a newterm for information, which is availableon a farm, either in the form ofamateurish maps, field files and anyother form of data storage. Makingefficient use of local knowledge isa great challenge to the operationof Precision Agriculture technologieson all scales. The farmer himselfbecomes the biological interfacebetween his fields, crops and hardandsoftware components, respectively.Thus high-profile education atschools and universities is indispensableto acceptance and implementationof innovative technologiesand thus to sustainable agriculturalproduction, for instance through amore efficient use of fertilisers.An example is the current way ofsampling and processing information,which in its simplicity is stillfar away from the complex systemin which plant growth and environmentalfactors interact. In this context,a well-educated farmer mightinterpret complicated interactionscorrectly by decoding different, oftendiffuse information on the targetvariables.The understanding of the farmer asa biological interface adds one moreaspect of quality to Precision Agriculture,namely that of education.The better the education, the betterthe biological interface will performin adjusting fertiliser rates to thespatially variable needs of soils andcrops. Excellent education in SSNM isfor example a strategy to ensure thatknowledge is transferred most efficientlyfrom the book to the fields(Holt and Sonka, 1995; Krill, 1997;Mangold, 1995). According to recentpractice, decision makers either applystrategies for SSNM themselves,or transfer this task to machineryrun automatically by lower educatedoperators. Decision-making strategiescan be substantially improved ifnatural processes are better understoodand if this knowledge is consequentlytransferred into algorithms.Therefore this area of expertise is agreat challenge for future educationand advisory systems.In addition, new markets for externalservices will arise because of thesheer complexity of Precision Agriculturetechnologies, which comprisesdata collection, storage andprocessing, in addition to developingalgorithms for variable rate applicationswhen compared to theuniform rates used by standard machineryon big farms.www.jki.bund.deUtilization of local knowledge of farmers for implementingmodern technologies © Ewald SchnugJudith SchickJunior scientist, Institutefor Crop and Soil Scienceof Julius Kühn-Institute,GermanyPERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

60Experiences from sectors and regionsExperiences from sectors and regions61Finding today the solutions for the sustainableland use of tomorrowDaniel MolinClimate advisor,Akershus County Council,NorwayTor BysveenSpecial advisor,Akershus County Council,NorwayThe need for knowledge and newsolutionsIn the metropolitan region of Oslo/Akershus, transport is the main environmentalchallenge. Emissions fromprivate transport represent the majorityof climate gas emissions in theregion. The city of Oslo has 120.000more workplaces than workforcein the population. This entails substantialcommuting traffic from thesurroundings of Akershus and otherneighbouring counties.Since 1990 the region has introduceda road charge in order to get morefunding for transport investmentsin infrastructure. The region is nowin the third generation of the socalled“Oslo-packages”, where carusers have to pay a toll of 3 EUROin order to travel into the capital.This package will offer an additional56 billion NOK in the period up to2030. Thanks to a change in nationallaw, local authorities can use partof the generated funds for runningpublic transport. Local authoritiescould thus afford more sustainabletransport services. This policy hasbeen successful as there has been arise of 5,8% in public transport in2010. But the transport challengesare not solved and there is still aneed for more sustainable and environmentallyfriendly actions. Thegreat transport challenge calls forinnovative approaches and collaborativelearning processes in orderto come up with both suitable andsustainable solutions. The EuropeanSpatial Development Perspective(Potsdam 1999) stresses the needfor reliable criteria and indicators.The recommendation 172 states that“Spatial criteria and indicators arealso necessary in the developmentof long-term scenarios for spatialdevelopment”. In his speech to theCommittee of the Regions in February2011 in Brussels, the President ofthe EESC Steering Committee Europe2020 stressed the importance of the“collection of reliable and objectivedata”.Supporting the Regional PlanningInitiative on Land UseThe Eco Region project contributedto competence development andexchange of ideas and experiences.Thereby, the project helped explorethe structural relationships in theregion, intensifying collaborationamong regional stakeholders andstrengthening the sustainability dimensionin spatial development.The framework was provided by theongoing Regional Planning Initiativeon Land Use. The initiative was takenby the National Department for Environment.The municipality of Oslo,the County Council of Akershus andthe 22 municipalities in Akershusare participating in this planningprocess. The document “PlanningStrategy and Planning Programmefor Land-use and Transport in Osloand Akershus” aims to increase regionalcompetitiveness and supportsustainable development. The planshall clarify borders between landdevelopment and preservation. Astrategic map on land-use shall bedrawn and decided upon. The planshall be the basis for municipalplans on land-use and for prioritieson land-use and transport taken bythe county council and national sectorauthorities. Furthermore, it shallbe at the basis for binding commitmentson land-use and transport developmentin the region.Fast growth demand scenarios andsolutions on long-term land useThe county council of Akershus isresponsible for public transport, butit is also a planning authority whichsupports municipalities on land useissues.Both Oslo and Akershus are fastgrowing counties. Oslo has a ratherurban land use structure, while Akershusis more characterised by urbansprawl.The intention of the Regional PlanningInitiative on Land Use is to havea more centralised sustainable landuse. The land use planning processbetween Oslo and Akershus gatheredregional land use planningstakeholders, as well as financial andinfrastructure authorities such asRUTER (the Oslo and Akershus jointpublic transport company) and thesecretariat for the Oslo package (theregional toll ring funding scheme).A slight tendency to a more centralisedand sustainable location of inhabitantsThe EcoRegion project analysed landuse and household structures in Akershusin the period 2000 – 2010 inrelation to the growth of population,the number of houses and thenumber of workplaces. 1379 statisticalentities were involved.The territory was classified into• decentralised parts without publictransport• decentralised parts with publictransport• central parts with public transportGroup 1 experienced an increasein population of 13%, group 2 of15%, and group 3 of16%. The datashowed a slight tendency to a centralisedand sustainable location ofhouseholds. While elderly peoplein smaller households have boughtnew houses in urban zones, youngerhouseholds with children havebought the vacated old single housesin the decentralised parts of thecounty. These young households doneed many transport services.A small growth in centrality ofdwellingsAs a follow-up to the EcoRegionproject, a new study was commissionedto analyze the construction ofhouses in the three defined groups.Data show the location of 6 differenttypes of dwellings, ranging fromsingle houses to flats in blocks. Thedegree of centrality of such dwellingshas increased throughout theperiod. But on the other hand thisdevelopment is counteracted bya decrease in constructions in thesemi-central parts of the county andan increase in housing constructionin the least central group, quite contraryto what was wished.The centrality of workplaces is reducedThe developments in terms of workplacelocations are more problematic.Within the period 2000-2010,the least central group had a 69%growth in workplaces. The centraland semi-central group had growthsof 24% and 28% respectively. Butthe share of workplaces located inthe central, semi-central and decentralisedareas is both in 2000 andin 2009 respectively 46%, 28% and26%.Akershus is divided into four subregions.In the western part, thegrowth in workplaces is 36% greaterthan the growth in workforce between14 and 75 years. The volumeof commuters has grown and so havethe distances to be travelled. Is thisa sustainable development? For theother three regions, the growth ofworkplaces is much lower than thegrowth of workforce. They are stillmainly housing regions, serving otherregions with workforce. Taken together,the centrality in workplaceshas been a little reduced from 2000to 2009.The data is offered to municipalplanningThrough the Eco Region project,data from 1379 statistical entitiesin Akershus County were collected.Through the analysis of this information,stakeholders involved inthe planning process can strengthentheir knowledge. Furthermore, thecollected data supports the work ofthe planning authorities in the 22county municipalities. The knowledgeon the current situation and innovativeaction planning will surelycontribute to tackle the challenge oftransport needs in the region.Map of Norway showing Akershus county© Akershus fylkeskommunePERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

62Experiences from sectors and regionsExperiences from sectors and regions63Introduction of environmental education intoyouth cultureAnne MeronenProject planner,Lahti Region EnvironmentalService, Lahti City, FinlandThe Lahti Region EnvironmentalService is in charge of environmentaleducation in southern Finland. It ispart of the municipal organisation.We offer environmental educationand other environmental advice inour office in the city centre. We alsovisit schools, kindergartens and allkinds of events and work in extensivecooperation with partners. Thisarticle presents one of our environmentaleducation projects.The cities of Lahti and Hämeenlinnacarried out a project in 2010that sought to bring environmentaleducation into youth culture. Theproject also aimed to promote collaborationbetween environmentaleducation and art education.Young people are often seen as a targetgroup, which is difficult to reach.It is quite challenging to find ways toget young people interested in participationor even in taking an activerole in guiding their own lives. Also,the promotion of environmental objectiveshas been identified as challenging.Environmental educationis part of the municipal youth work,but often goals of environmentaleducation are not reached. This isnot always due to a lack of knowledge,but rather to the difficulty ofapplying knowledge to practice andinspiring without preaching.Our project created a model, whichfocused on raising environmentalawareness and responsibilityamong young people and childrenin cultural activities. The model wasdirectly applied to youth centres,since young people could easily bereached there. Lahti Region EnvironmentalService carried out thisproject with a partner in Hämeenlinna,the ARX - Culture house forchildren and youth. In addition, allthe city‘s youth workers participatedin developing the project.The aim of the project was to createtools that help the youth centres tobring environmental issues into theireveryday work. To improve ecologicalbehaviour in everyday life, aneco-guide was designed for youthcentres. The model also included afew operational programmes relatedto sustainable consumption andtuning 1 . The theme of sustainableconsumption was chosen, becausethe western lifestyle and consumptionrate is far from being sustainable.The topic is especially importantfor young people, who are constantlybombarded with a huge amountof information and advertisementsthrough different media. The themeof tuning was chosen, because intuning the idea of sustainable consumptionis made concrete. Tuningalso promotes the collaboration ofenvironmental and art education.And the best thing is that almosteveryone likes it!The model includes an eco-guide,which is designed for workers in theyouth centres. This eco-guide providessimple and easy tips on howto bring environmental issues intothe everyday work of youth centres.There are, for example, tips on wasteminimization, waste collection, energysaving and how to keep ourenvironment clean and pleasant. Inaddition, a poster series highlightingenvironmental issues was includedin the model. These posters are particularlytargeted to young peoplevisiting youth centres.The model also includes a few operationalprogrammes, for exampleon how to organise an eco-fashionshow or a movie evening centred onenvironmental issues. There are alsotips for tuning with nice pictures and“Green drama”, which is one of themethods of environmental education.These operational programmescan be used as a package or, alternatively,only parts of the programmescan be applied.All the materials can be found onthe Internet and are available for allother actors in the field. In Lahti andHämeenlinna regions the eco-guideand poster series are distributed toeach of the youth centres.The materials have already been putto use. The workers in youth centreswill have courses on tuning, followingwhich they can themselves teachsuch courses to young people. In autumn2011, we will see an eco-fashionshow of youth centres. It is goodto see that ideas are finally turninginto action!1 In this article, the word “tune“ stands for “modify“,“adjust“, but also “prettify“ or “recycle“.PERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

64Experiences from sectors and regionsExperiences from sectors and regions6519Education and innovation for sustainabledevelopment in RigaGaidis BalodisCoordinatorEcoRegion ProjectRiga City Council, LatviaIn the first edition of the InnovationUnion Performance Scoreboard(February 2011), which is a well-establishedand recognised tool forassessing innovation performance inEU Member States, the performanceof Latvia was well below that ofthe EU27. In National DevelopmentPlan of Latvia, a medium-term planningdocument for the period from2007 until 2013 states that althoughLatvia’s economy has several sectors,which have scientific and innovationpotential, as well as the potentialfor knowledge-intensive manufacturing,their proportion in the economyis small. Insufficient transfer oftechnologies and lack of innovationhamper the drive towards a knowledge-basedeconomy. Latvia lacksnot only innovative enterprises butalso state and private investmentsinto research and development ofscience.In Latvia, 79% of all the studentsstudied in Riga and 37 from 49Latvian higher educational establishmentswere located in Riga in2009. Also in 2009, 588 innovativecompanies were located in the Rigaregion, of which 471 operated in thecity of Riga. A large number of serviceproviders was also concentratedin Riga.A combination of cooperation betweenentrepreneurs and scienceinstitutions, flexible and sustainablebusiness environments, innovativetechnologies in the field of manufacturingand service provision, andservices in the sphere of logisticsand tourism would contribute to thegrowth of Riga and make it an economicallycompetitive metropolis inthe Baltic Sea region. This is one ofmain tasks of the National DevelopmentPlan of Latvia as well as ofthe Riga Long Term DevelopmentStrategy for the period from 2006 to2025.In 2008 the Riga City Council and theLatvian Ministry of Culture agreedon the letter of intent “Riga – 2014.Baltic Sea Region centre for cultureand innovation” and agreed that by2014 Riga would become the mostmodern and leading urban culturecity in the Baltic Sea region. To thisend, Riga will need to invest in cultureand education as well as in infrastructuredevelopment, to guaranteethe supply of cultural andeducational services to a wide audience.In 2009 creative enterprises in Rigawere involved in e.g. arts, TV, radio,interactive media, visual art, audio,culture and leisure activities, entertainment,advertisement, literatureand printing. Nevertheless it is necessaryto further promote prosperityand modernization of such creativeindustries.It must be admitted that currentlyRiga’s potential is not fully utilisedand that more attention should bepaid to the development of a knowledge-based,innovative and sustainableeconomy, culture and education.Legendperforming artstv, radio and interactive mediavisual artaudiovisual artculture conservation, spreadingand educationleisure, entertainment andother cultural actionsadvertisementliterature, paperweightand printingCreative industry enterprises in Riga © Datorkarte LtdCreative industry enterprises in Riga2000 0 2000 4000 6000mPERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentInnovation and Education for Sustainable DevelopmentPERSPECTIVES

66AnnexReferencesDei, G. J.S. (2002): African Development: The relevance and Implications of `Indigenousness`. In G. J. S. Dei etal. (eds.) Indigenous Knowledges in Global Contexts. Multiple Readings of Our World. Toronto: Universityof Toronto Press.CEC Commission of the European Communities, 2001, Communication from the Commission, Services ofgeneral interest in Europe. Brussels (2001/C 17/04).CEC Commission of the European Communities, 2004, Communication from the Commission to the EuropeanParliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of theRegions, Green Paper on territorial Cohesion, Turning territorial diversity into strength. Brussels(COM(2008)616 final).CEC Commission of the European Communities, 2004, Communication from the Commission to the EuropeanParliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions,White Paper on services of general interest. 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Exeter: Intermediate Technology Publications.Zaļo karogu šogad sa ņems 32 Latvijas Ekoskolas, 2009. gada 04. septembris, Inform āciju sagatavoja ĢirtsStrazdi ņš, Ekoskolu programmas vadīt ājs. (in Latvian) Retrieved February 25, 2010 from: http://www.pozitivaszinas.lv/posts/view/zalo-karogu-sogad-sanems-32-latvijas-ekoskolas.Zaucha J, 2010, Economization of spatial planning. The case of Poland’s Spatial Development Concept. Institutefor Development Working Papers, No. 2/2010.Zaucha J. (Ed), 2011, Territorial Cohesion - Baltic Sea region examples. Baltic contribution to the RevisedTerritorial Agenda of EU. Ecoregion Perspectives, Baltic 21 Series no. 2/2011.PERSPECTIVESInnovation and Education for Sustainable Development

The EcoRegion Perspectives‘ series is published aspart of the EcoRegion project funded by the BalticSea Region Programme 2007-2013.It documents experiences and concepts which showhow sustainable development in the Baltic Searegion can become a reality. Each issue focuses on aspecific sustainability topic such as tourism, spatialplanning, forest, transport and energy.EcoRegion Perspectives supports relevant regionalfora such as the CBSS Expert Group on SustainableDevelopment – Baltic 21 as well as the implementationof the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region.The different EcoRegion Perspectives‘ issues are coordinatedby the EcoRegion partners and reflect awide range of stakeholders with expertise on therespective topics.PERSPECTIVES