Learning for Sustainable Development 2008-2011

Sense of Urgency

In 2008, sustainable development is high on the agenda of the Dutch national government, the business community and NGO’s and civil society organisations. There is an increasing awareness of the urgency of ‘sustainable’ solutions to issues in the areas of climate change, social inequality, deterioration of ecosystems and biodiversity, global poverty, and lack of education and healthcare for billions of people. This sense of urgency has led to a stronger focus on sustainability in numerous policy areas and program agreements of authorities, schools and community organisations, and to the development of new business philosophies (corporate social responsibility, cradle-to-cradle principles) and different behaviour of citizens and cosmopolitans. 

Sustainability guiding principle for Dutch government

The care for a sustainable environment is now an important cornerstone of the national policy of the Dutch National Administration, and sustainability has been included as a guiding principle in virtually all program agreements of provinces and major municipalities. The successful first period of the program Learning for Sustainable Development (2004-2007) also helped to make sustainable development an agenda item. 

For more information:

Brochure Learning for Sustainable Development [pdf, 2.59 Mb]

International Strategies and Movements

In line with the goals of the UNECE-strategy on ESD, "Environment for Europe" and the UN Decade on Education for Sustainable Development (DESD), the national program creates effective learning processes on order to enable judgements and choices in favour of sustainable development. The indicators of both the UNECE strategie and of the UN DESD are used to give input to strategies and processes on national level.

More information about the UNECE-strategie on ESD:
http://www.environmentforeurope.org/

More information on the UN DESD:
www.unesco.org/education/desd/ 
http://www.desd.org/

The PPP-Stamp

The program Learning for Sustainable Development stimulates people tot make sustainable choices in their daily decisions, in both their professional and private lives. 
The PPP-stamp is a tool that can help you to make these decisions.

1. Place a stamp on the file or issue you are dealing with. Critically judge yourself on the aspects People - Profit - Planet.
2. Is the decision you are about to make ecologically, socially and economically well-considered? And does it prevent shifts in space (global dimension) and time (long term)?
3. Score your file based on these reflections. If so desired you can also put the same questions to a colleague, after which you can discuss your scores and considerations.
4. Is your score below expectation, ask yourself how you can improve this.
5. The stamp can also be used on people and on organisations.   

This is a learning process; keep asking these 'inconvenient questions' will result in more sustainable decisions. Consider the possibility to give the PPP-stamp a regular place in your company or organisation’s work processes.