Education for a Sustainable Society

Abstract

South Africa aspires to be a sustainable, economically prosperous and self-reliant nation that safeguards its democracy by meeting the fundamental human needs of its people, by managing its limited ecological resources responsibly for current and future generations, and by advancing efficient and effective integrated planning and governance through national, regional and global collaboration. A systems approach to sustainability is one where the economic system, the socio-political system and the ecosystem are embedded within each other, and then integrated through the governance system that holds all the other systems together in a legitimate regulatory framework. Sustainability implies the continuous and mutually compatible integration of these systems over time. Sustainable development means making sure that these systems remain mutually compatible as the key development challenges are met through specific actions and interventions to eradicate poverty and severe inequalities.