Funding initiative “Sustainability dilemmas”

Education for Sustainable Development: The Great Transformation – Sustainability Dilemmas and Dealing with Uncertainty

The German Federal Foundation for the Environment (DBU) has provided significant support for the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) and the UNESCO World Programme of Action “Education for Sustainable Development” (2015-2019): In more than 300 projects, the DBU has promoted model solutions and their transfer into long-term structures. DBU representatives are also active in the central committees.

In the UNESCO program “Education for Sustainable Development: Towards achieving the SDGs (ESD for 2030)”, which has been running since summer 2020, the DBU is providing new impetus in the form of innovative and model educational projects and through its operational activities. The DBU call addresses in particular conflicting goals that manifest themselves in the form of so-called sustainability dilemmas.

One call for proposals, more than 200 applications, 26 projects shortlisted, 14 projects selected by a jury of experts and the Board of Trustees of the German Federal Foundation for the Environment and now receiving funding: It’s all about “The Great Transformation – Sustainability Dilemmas and Dealing with Uncertainties”.

The focus of this call for funding for education projects, launched in spring 2020, is on conflicting goals and sustainability dilemmas within and between the Sustainable Development Goals (Sustainable Development Goals, or SDGs for short). This involves topics that focus on current sustainability transformations and thus on fundamental social transformation processes towards sustainability, for example in the areas of mobility, renewable energies, consumption, urban development, land use or biodiversity protection. The target groups are primarily children and young people, but also students, teachers at schools and universities, and small and medium-sized enterprises.

The focus areas of the RFP were:

The aim of the approved projects is to promote relevant target groups with regard to the required competencies and to strengthen them in dealing with sustainability dilemmas and the resulting uncertainties. The topics range from continuing education concepts for doctors and teachers at schools and universities, to political education projects on sustainability issues, to scientifically accompanied municipal real laboratories with the participation of young people, local government and science.

The digital launch event for the DBU call “The Great Transformation – Sustainability Dilemmas and Dealing with Uncertainties” took place on Monday, June 21, 2021. Among others, Anja Karliczek, Federal Minister of Education and Research, DBU Secretary General Alexander Bonde, the keynote speakers Prof. Dr. Kai Niebert (Univ. Zurich) and Prof. Dr. Arjen Wals (Univ. Wageningen, NL) were present.

You can find the complete online forum to relive on our YouTube channel. You can find Prof. Dr. Niebert’s keynote here; Prof. Dr. Wals’ keynote here.

The issue of “politische ökologie” (volume 170) with the title “Verzwickt – Vom Umgang mit Nachhaltigkeitsdilemmata” (in German language only) with participation and on initiative of the DBU is available – just click on the linked image. The print edition costs 17.95 euros (ISSN: 0933-5722), the PDF is available for 14.99 euros (ISSN: 2625-543X).

Projects of the funding initiative

The tender is funded with a total of two million euros. More information on the funded projects can be found here – the profiles were prepared by the respective project partners.

Ongoing projects:

Completed Projects:

Contact

Dr. Alexander Bittner
DBU: Umweltkommunikation und Kulturgüterschutz, Internationale Förderung: Formale Bildung und Zivilgesellschaft
+49 541 9633-430
Verena Exner
DBU: Umweltkommunikation und Kulturgüterschutz, Internationale Förderung: Berufsbildung und Konsum
+49 541 9633-440
Melanie Vogelpohl
DBU: Umweltkommunikation und Kulturgüterschutz, Internationale Förderung: MINT-Bildung und Nachhaltigkeitsbewertung
+49 541 9633-410