Investing a Better Future: Education for Sustainable Development as a Means to Strengthen the Environmental Education

Abstract

Since the outbreak of the epidemic, the environment education and the education of sustainable development became the mainfocus once again. It is because some citizens lack consciousness of ecological civilization and sustainable development, caused environmental pollution, indiscriminate killing of wild animals, destruction of social public health, injury and sacrifice of people's physical and mental health, disturbance of urban and rural social life order, etc. The outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia undoubtedly confirmed the urgency of strengthening the global citizens' education for sustainable development. This serious epidemic related to the sale and consumption of wild animals is a wake-up call again. It is necessary to reexamine the relationship between man and nature and the way of human behavior. Education is the key factor for the implementation of sustainable development. Good health and well-being, and quality education are the third and fourth goal for sustainable development proposed by the United Nations. Through content analysis and case analysis, this paper indicated that teachers' educational ability for sustainable development is a professional ability that higher education institutes should apply education for sustainable development as a means to strengthen the environmental education. Teachers identify with the concept of sustainable development education and are willing to practice the values of sustainable development in life and educational activities.