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Public awareness, education and training are the key to move society towards sustainability. Sustainable development is about achieving the sustained economic growth needed to meet human needs, improve living standards and provide the financial resources that make environmental protection possible (Hopkins,2012).Sustainability according to economic educators is living on the interest rather than the principle, the three terms used with respect to sustainability synonymously and interchangeably are:Education for sustainable development(ESD), Education for sustainability (ES) and Sustainability education (SE). An important distinction is the difference between education about sustainable development and education for sustainable development. First is an awareness education or theoretical discussion while second is the use of education as a tool to achieve sustainability. In total education serves apurpose or the society would not invest in it. ESD promises to make the World more likable for the present and future generations(Mckeown, 2002).

"This is a Review article in itself so no need to give separate Review of Litreature "

History of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

Unlike most education movements, ESD was initiated by people outside the education community. As the concept of sustainable development was discussed and formulated it became apparent that education is the key to sustainability. Two of the major issues in the international dialog on sustainability are population and resource consumption (Laurie et.al., 2016). Educating females reduces fertility rates and therefore population growth. By reducing fertility rates and the threat of overpopulation a country also facilitates progress toward sustainability. The opposite is true for the relationship between education and resource use (Arora, 2018). Generally, more highly educated people who have higher incomes consume more resources than poorly educated people, who tend to have higher incomes consume more resources than poorly educated people, who tend to have lower incomes (Mckeown, 2002). Natural resources on which the very existence of mankind depends are limited. There are technological limitations in harnessing these resources to meet the developmental needs. Sustainable development envisages optimal resource to meet the development ecological principle of conservation and recycling with vision of progress of human being for generations (Olsson;Gericke& Chang-Rundgren,2016).

In this case more education increases the threat to sustainability. Inopportunely, the most educated nations have the highest per-capita rates of consumption. This consumption drives resource extraction and manufacturing around the World. Simply educating citizens to higher levels is not sufficient for creating sustainable societies. The challenge is to raise the education levels without creating an ever growing demand for resources and consumer goods and the accompanying production of pollutants. Meeting this challenge depends on re-orienting curriculums to address the need for more sustainable production and consumption patterns. Every nation will need to re- examine curriculum at all levels i.e. pre-school to professional education (Everett, 2008).

In the 21^st century three interlinked areas most commonly identified with sustainable development are: society, environment and economy. If the three are considered to be overlapping circles of the same size the area of overlap in the center is human

wellbeing as the three becomes more aligned, the area of overlap increases and so does human wellbeing (Tribury,2012). Though it is difficult to envision a sustainable world but not difficult identifying what is unsustainable in our societies that can be listed as inefficient use of energy, lack of water conservation, increased pollution, abuses of human rights, overuse of personal transportation, consumerism etc. A curriculum for the twenty first century should encourage learners to be aware of global issues. Learners should evaluate information and events from a global perspective. By exploring the connections between the local and the global, they can also realize that it is possible to play a part in working towards solutions to challenges such as climate change and global poverty. The global dimension incorporates global citizenship, conflict resolution, diversity, human rights, interdependence, social justice, sustainable development values and perceptions (Sund & Gericke, 2020).

Working towards sustainable development goals can also increase the sense of purpose felt by young people as they develop into responsible citizens. Exploring the challenges faced by society provides dilemmas for young people to consider. This can lead to an understanding that both action and inaction have consequences and that everyone has a role to play in building global understanding and a sustainable future (Basiago,1999). This can help develop positive attitudes towards themselves, each other and the environment and also equip young people to make informed judgements and act with integrity. In order to help learners understand the global dimension and sustainable development they should have opportunities across the curriculum to:

1. Appreciate the importance of a global context and engage in a range of culturally diverse experiences (Goodall, 1994) 

2. Understand the connections between the environmental, social and economic spheres and make links between local, national and global issues

3. Critically evaluate their own values and attitudes appreciating the similarities between people everywhere and learning to value diversity (Mckeown, 2006) 

4. Understand and appreciate the relevance of the global dimension to their own lives

5. Develop skills that will enable them to identify and challenge injustice, prejudice and discrimination (Mensah, 2019)   

6. Participate in global partnerships, which can be a powerful and exciting way of bringing a global dimension into classroom

7. Make informed decisions about how they can understand and potentially make their own distinctive contribution to local and global communities

8. Recognise that some of the Earth’s resources are finite and therefore must be used responsibly

9. Consider probable and preferable futures and how to achieve the latter

10. Appreciate the importance of sustainable resource use- Rethink, Repair, Reuse, Recycle

11. Appreciate the importance of obtaining materials from sustainably managed resources

12.Appreciate that economic development is only one aspect that contributes to the quality of life (Goodall, 1994; Elliot, 1998; Petrovich & Saeed, 2017)        

Women’s Education and Sustainable Economic Growth

When education levels are low, economies are often limited to resource extraction and agriculture. In many countries the current level of basic education is so low that it severely hinders development options and plans for a sustainable future. A higher education level is necessary to create jobs and industries that are “greener” and more sustainable. Research shows that basic education is key to a nation’s ability to develop and achieve sustainability targets. Another educational threshold is primary education for women. At least a primary education is required before birth rate drops and infant health and children’s education improve (Srivastava, 2016). Nine to twelve years of education is required for increased industrial productivity. This level of education also increases the probability of employment in changing economy. A subtle combination of higher education, research and lifelong learning is necessary for a nation to shift to a knowledge based economy (Foley, 2021). Education can improve agricultural productivity, enhance the status of women, reduce population growth rates, enhance environmental protection, and generally raise the standard of living. Effects of education on agriculture are greatest when the proportions of females educated to threshold level equals that of males. Education benefits a woman in altering ways of life. An educated woman gains higher status and an enhanced sense of efficacy. She also has greater bargaining power in the household after marriage. An educated woman has high educational and career expectations of her children, both boys and girls. Educating women creates more equitable lives for women and their families and increases their ability to participate in community decision making and work towards achieving local sustainability goals (Channawar, 2021). Education directly affects sustainability plans in the following three areas:

Implementation- An educated citizenry is vital to implementing informed and sustainable development. Nations with high illiteracy rates and unskilled workforces have fewer development options. An educated workforce is key to moving beyond an extractive and agricultural economy (Srivastava, 2016). 

Decision Making- Good community based decisions which will affect social economic and environmental wellbeing as well as “greener” development. Citizens can also act to protect their communities by analysing reports and data that addresses community issues and helping shape a community response (Srivastava, 2016). 

Quality of Life- Education is also central to improving quality of life. Education raises the economic status of families, it improves life conditions, lowers infant mortality and improves the educational attainment of the next generation’s chances for economic and social well being (Mckeown, 2002; Srivastava, 2016). 

People and Environment Friendly Policies

A growing number of alternative economists, independent thinkers and citizen organisations concerned with economic justice and environmental issues are engaged in articulating and elaborating the alternative wisdom as the foundation for policies they hope will prove to be more people and environment friendly specifically (Calel & Decheziepretre,  2016):-

i. Sustainable Lifestyle- Consumption of environmental resources already exceeds sustainable limits. The central task of development must be to reallocate the use of sustainable resource flows. The current high consumers must reduce their per capita resource consumption. This may reduce their standard of living as defined purely by physical consumption but it also offers opportunities for an improved quality of personal family and community life. Necessary reductions can be accomplished in part by reforming production systems to maximise dependence on inputs from and waste disposal to the environment.

ii. Helping Poor Countries Become Sustainable-Sustainable development in poor countries depends on:  a) increasing the availability, accessibility and quality of sustainable natural resource flows to meet the basic human needs of their own people and b) the political, institutional and technical capacity to use their resources efficiently and sustainably and to distribute the benefits equitably among all members of current and future generations.

iii. Responsibility for Environmental Problems- Poverty is the primary cause of environmental problems. Environmental quality is a low priority among people whose survival is in question. They will become concerned about and invest in environmental conservation only once a certain level of income is attained. Stimulating economic growth to increase employment opportunities and incomes must be the foundation of environmental protection (Korten, 2005). Inequality is the fundamental cause of environmental problems. Because of their much greater relative power in a market economy, the wealthy are able to pass on the social and ecological costs of their over consumption to the poor. Where poverty appears to be the cause of environmental destruction it is usually because the poor have been deprived of other means of livelihood and thus have been pushed in desperation to over exploit environmentally fragile lands. Eliminating inequality by distributing resource control more equitably is a fundamental condition for sustainability.

iv. Population- In the absence of radical economic reforms intended to rapidly accelerate reductions in fertility by increasing equity, social security and investment in female education, female livelihood opportunities, health and family planning services, the global population will be naturally stabilized well below 12 billion by catastrophic events as social and ecological stress result in mass starvation and violence. Given the current dependence on the depletion of non-renewable ecological reserve, it is doubtful that even the World’s current population is truly sustainable if minimum acceptable levels of consumption are to be maintained.

v. Economic Management Goals- There are three basic goals that economic policy must seek to optimize. In order of relative importance these are a scale of resource use consistent with ecological regenerative capacities, a fair distribution of resources and the economically efficient allocation of resources. Efficient market allocation requires the internalization of all costs of production, including the social and environmental costs. 

vi. Jobs- Many of the jobs provided by the conventional economy are based on unsustainable rates of resource extraction and are therefore temporary in nature. We must begin to think in terms of providing   people with sustainable livelihoods based on sustainable production for sustainable markets to support sustainable lifestyles. There is a great deal of useful, environmentally dirty work that needs to be done that could readily eliminate involuntary unemployment if we chose to do so (Korten, 2005). Furthermore, in most instances sustainable production methods and technologies provide more livelihood opportunities than do their alternatives.

vii. Trade and the Environment- Economic efficiency means better use of resources which is environmentally advantageous. Increased trade also increases overall economic growth, thereby producing the resources needed for environmental protection. The greater the volume of trade the greater the benefit to the environment. To be fair and economically efficient, trade must be carried out within a prized framework of rules i.e., adopt total costs and man balanced trade relations. Free trade leads to competition between localities in need of jobs to reduce costs of local production by suppressing wages and allowing maximum externalization of environmental, social and even production costs which is both inefficient and highly damaging to the environment and to social standards (Korten, 2005). 

viii.Markets and Governments- Markets allocate resources most efficiently when there is the least government interference (Korten, 2005).  In performing the best of any function, the markets tend to be more efficient than governments. To achieve social justice and environmental sustainability, government must intervene to set a framework that assures that full costs are internalized, competition is maintained, benefits are justly distributed and necessary public goods are provided. A vigilant and vigorous civil society is required to assure the accountability of both government and market to the public interest and to provide leadership in advancing social innovation processes (Korten, 2005).

ix) Scientific Foundation- The conventional wisdom is grounded in accepted theory that has stood the test of time and been validated by extensive historical observation and measurement. The conventional wisdom represents an ideology not a science and largely contradicts both the theoretical foundations of market economics and empirical experience which contrary to the claims of the conventional wisdom strongly favour the alternative wisdom. Indeed the conventional wisdom may itself be the single barrier we face to progress toward sustainability (Korten, 2005).  

Importance of Environmental Education

Pure environment provides bliss to the life of the people perfectly. The ancient Sanskrit literature has the deep understanding of the environment and examines it as a cosmic entity. Today we have deteriorated the quality of environment by rapid industrialization, overexploitation of natural resources etc. This greed of man causes the inequality among natural forces. It becomes a global problem for mankind (Short, 2009).

Education has a crucial role to play in society specially in understanding how various systems of life function and how we humans fit into them and this is what constitutes environment (Lieflander & Bogner, 2018). The question is can education about environment be taken for granted. India’s National Policy on Education states “There is a paramount need to create a consciousness of environment. It must permeate all ages and all sections of society beginning with the children. Environmental consciousness should be made aware when teaching in schools and in colleges. This aspect will be integrated in the entire education process”. The goal of environmental education is to clarify concepts in order to develop skills and attitudes necessary to understand and appreciate the inter-relatedness among human culture and biographical surroundings. Environmental education should be a lifelong process beginning at the pre-school level. Thus, children become the first and most important target group. Environmental education is not just a subject to tell children about. It is an opportunity to let children use their own environment as a source of information, a ground for learning and a storehouse of experience which will last a long time. Children should be made aware of the damage that human activity is causing to the environment and the remedial steps that need to be taken to reverse this trend. One way in which this can be achieved is by encouraging them to undertake investigative projects at the Science Society interface, with teachers being empowered to help select issues for investigation that are relevant to the environment of their students and are likely to interest to interest them (Singh, 2015).     

The development of country also depends upon the development of women which represents the major part of the population of our Country. Women produce and reproduce life not merely biologically but also through their social role in providing sustenance. India is an agriculture based country and about 19% of the Third World women including those of Himalayan region depend on the land for their survival ((Singh, 2015).International agencies and Government have everywhere ignored the vital part that women play in caring for environment. Their voice like their knowledge and experience is simply heard. Now the Government is beginning to recognize position and need to advance the status of women. Their participation in environment and development programme is now given priority.

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