Page 158 - Učilnica za življenje

Tina Štemberger and Jurka Lepičnik Vodopivec

tual emptiness. The sustainable path offers: moderate material prosperity for
all inhabitants of the world (within environmental limits), social and ecologi-
cal (also regional) balance, a high quality of spiritual life, and care and respect
for all species on earth (Plut, 2005, p. 7). For sustainable development, it is
crucial that human needs, environmental limitations, economic-social secu-
rity, and intergenerational justice (responsibility) are balanced and equiva-
lent. According to Plut (2005), to achieve this, we need a new ethical code of
humanity and new value standards. Each of us must become aware of our
responsibility for today’s and tomorrow’s world. We will need to live more
reasonably and in greater harmony with nature. The transition to a sustain-
able, nature-harmonious society is not possible without a thorough change
in our entire spirituality, ethics, and value system (Plut, 2005), which includes:
responsibility to the environment, intergenerational responsibility, responsi-
bility for the preservation of species, balance of progress goals, and social
justice.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (United Nations, 2015) em-
phasizes the importance of education for sustainable development (ESD). In
addition, Bürgener and Barth (2018) highlight the need to pay special atten-
tion to teacher education. The successful implementation of the goals of sus-
tainable education depends on the competence and dedication of teachers
who are ready to take on the role of change agents and who will be trained to
promote the development of a system of ESD (Vukelić, 2022). Barth and Timm
(2011) state that universities and faculties that educate future teachers play
an important role in developing teachers’ competences for sustainable de-
velopment, which should contribute to the conceptualization and develop-
ment of a sustainable society. In this way, teachers actively contribute to the
sustainable transition (Calder & Clugston, 2003) and simultaneously engage
with the environment, respond to important social issues, and contribute
to the establishment of a more sustainable model of societal development
overall.

Education for Sustainable Development
The2030AgendaforSustainableDevelopment (UnitedNations,2015) reflects
the necessity of integrating the principles of ESD at all levels of education.
It is universal and binding for all countries in the world, as its goals must be
achieved by 2030. Slovenia has committed to all 17 Sustainable Development
Goals and has adopted numerous operational documents to achieve these
goals, including the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. By concretizing all
17 Sustainable Development Goals, it confirms that education is a key objec-

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