Students help drive sustainability education across Africa

The Secretary General of the All-Africa Students Union (AASU) Peter Kwasi Kodjie is very clear in his vision that Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) must not just be a theoretical framework but a practical tool for activating the holistic development of students and young people across the African continent.

Kodjie believes that when ESD is meaningfully integrated into academic systems, it equips learners with the critical awareness, knowledge, interdisciplinary skills and values to directly engage with – and influence – the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The student leader told University World News in an interview that his union, representing all students in Africa, recognises ESD as a catalyst that equips students to navigate and address complex global challenges – from environmental degradation and climate change to poverty and inequality.



“We believe that all 17 SDGs benefit from ESD but especially SDG 4 (Quality education), SDG 5 (Gender equality), SDG 7 (Affordable and clean energy), SDG 10 (Reduced inequalities), SDG 13 (Climate action) and SDG 16 (Peace, justice and strong institutions).

“ESD localises these goals for young people, and facilitates the transformation of abstract policy into lived action,” said Kodjie.

“Through initiatives such as our Climate Education and Student Activism for Climate Justice programme, we have demonstrated that ESD nurtures critical consciousness and civic agency.

“For instance, during workshops co-organised with Oxfam in Ghana and Zambia, students from across Africa conceptualised and led sessions on integrating climate justice into curricula, and using digital campaigns and peer-to-peer mentoring to localise climate actions and climate justice.”

Inclusive access is key to ESD

Kodjie said inclusive access to education is foundational to the success of ESD because when education systems embrace gender equity, socio-economic diversity and rural-urban balance, the perspectives and lived experiences of a broader cohort of learners enrich the scope of sustainability education.

“At AASU, we define student success as empowerment to participate meaningfully in shaping society. Increased access provides foundational literacy, critical thinking and the confidence to engage in policy processes.

“Our work with institutions and ministries advocates for the integration of ESD into national education systems, to ensure that student success is not manifested solely by employment, but also by contributions to sustainable development and civic life,” said Kodjie.

ESD and student access as well as success are interdependent pillars of sustainable development. He said success must go beyond graduation rates, hence ESD ensures that what students learn is transformative, acting as a bridge between opportunity and impact.

Kodjie said when students access quality ESD, they gain the competence to understand environmental and social interdependencies; the confidence to act on climate and social justice issues; the networks to collaborate across disciplines and regions; and the voice to hold institutions accountable.

Governments, universities are change enablers

Governments and universities are key enablers of systemic change.

Governments must enact policies integrating ESD and climate education into national curricula, invest in digital access and infrastructure to reduce geographic and gender-based inequalities and fund youth-led initiatives, especially those focused on green skills, waste management and climate entrepreneurship.

For their part, he said, universities must mainstream ESD across faculties and beyond environmental science departments, establish student-led research and innovation labs focused on sustainable development, and support student unions in policy and curriculum co-creation.

“AASU’s participation in the African Continental Qualifications Framework (ACQF) Greening Skills Project and the co-creation of toolkits with stakeholders including universities and student organisations, is a case in point,” said Kodjie.

Led by AASU under the ACQF-II pilot, the project is engaging 13 countries to contextualise green skills. Activities include national consultations and stakeholder interviews, development of a Green Skills Engagement Toolkit, capacity building for student leaders and policy-makers, and targeted advocacy with ministries of education.

Kodjie said the project is designed to align education systems and qualifications with green economy demands, which positions students not just as job-seekers but as future-oriented innovators and problem-solvers tackling issues like energy access, sustainable agriculture and circular economies.

“In collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme and SOS International, AASU led the Africa regional consultation which reached over 800 young people across 30 countries.

“Through surveys and workshops, we co-created a continental youth definition of green skills and green jobs, highlighting the importance of both technical and soft skills in building sustainable societies. This was part of a global effort to shape the future of green employment and learning,” Kodjie added.

ESD aligned with student access, success

Alistar Pfunye, president of the Southern Africa Students Union, told University World News that he is part of a coalition of education-focused stakeholders, including higher education institutions, student networks, civil society organisations and policy advocates, that is crafting a concept paper on ESD that will be handed to the Southern African Development Community.

The goal is to explore how ESD can be strategically aligned with efforts to promote student access and success in tertiary education. Hence the paper seeks to provide evidence-based insights into the challenges and opportunities in ensuring inclusive, equitable and quality education.

Pfunye also said they are seeking to link student success outcomes, retention, graduation and employability to sustainable development values and to advocate for policy frameworks and institutional practices that ensure universal access to higher education, particularly for marginalised groups.

The primary SDGs being targeted include SDG 4 (Quality education) by embedding sustainability content into curricula, promoting equitable admission policies, and supporting lifelong learning pathways; and SDG 10 (Reduced inequalities) by creating policies that address access barriers for low-income, rural, disabled and marginalised students.

Also targeted is SDG 13 (Climate action) by integrating climate literacy, green skills training and sustainable campus practices in education institutions; and SDG 5 (Gender equality) by supporting safe learning spaces, inclusive learning environments, eliminating financial barriers through bursaries, scholarships and subsidised tuition, and tackling exclusionary admissions practices and discrimination based on socio-economic background, disability or gender.

He said student success is achieved through retention-focused support systems like mentorship, mental health services, academic tutoring and peer support.

Inclusive curriculum design aligned with sustainability challenges and job market demands also supports success. “Incorporating ESD helps ensure success is not just academic but also social and environmental – students graduate not just with knowledge, but with the capacity to address sustainability challenges,” argued Pfunye.

ESD drives progress across all SDGs

Patrick Owino, chair of the University of Nairobi Students Association council of governors, told University World News that ESD is not limited to climate but is the engine that drives progress across all SDGs.

He said while climate action (SDG 13) is a critical focus, ESD addresses all 17 SDGs, because sustainability is interconnected.

Owino said ESD transforms learners into changemakers as it promotes critical thinking and problem-solving as students learn to analyse challenges like poverty, gender inequality and climate change and propose sustainable solutions.

ESD also prepares students for emerging fields like clean energy, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and environmental conservation.

From South Sudan, the world’s youngest and one of its poorest nations, third-year biochemistry student Deng Kuol Parmena Aguto told University World News that his war-torn country faces significant challenges in implementing ESD due to ongoing conflict, economic instability and limited educational infrastructure.

Nevertheless, there are efforts to align education with sustainable development, particularly in the context of the SDGs.

“Armed conflict, displacement and food insecurity hinder ESD implementation. Limited data on public services and education outcomes makes it hard to track progress. Students in South Sudan often lack access to quality education,” added Aguto.

He is enrolled at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana through a Mastercard Foundation scholarship. KNUST is one of Africa’s most sustainability-oriented institutions – and indeed, in 2023 it led the world in the SDG 4 category in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.

Aguto said KNUST, as a leading institution in West Africa, is advanced in integrating ESD into its programmes, offering a model that South Sudanese students like him can draw from.

The institution incorporates sustainability into its curriculum through programmes in engineering, environmental science, agriculture and development studies.

“For example, the College of Engineering and the Faculty of Renewable Natural Resources emphasise sustainable technologies and resource management, aligning with SDGs like climate action (SDG 13) and responsible consumption (SDG 12).

“KNUST’s research centres, such as the Brew-Hammond Energy Centre, focus on sustainable energy (SDG 7), while initiatives like the KNUST SDG Student Hub engage students in projects addressing local and global sustainability challenges,” he said.

“KNUST students are active in sustainability-focused organisations, such as environmental clubs and innovation challenges, which promote awareness of the SDGs and practical solutions like waste management and renewable energy projects.”

Aguto said based on the challenges in South Sudan and his exposure to KNUST’s environment, he, together with other South Sudanese students, would want to see ESD programmes that emphasise peace (SDG 16) and social cohesion, addressing ethnic tensions and promoting inclusive education in their own country.

They envisage vocational and technical training aligned with SDGs such as sustainable agriculture (SDG 2) and clean energy (SDG 7) to address local needs like food insecurity and economic instability. Aguto also hoped South Sudanese students could be granted greater access to quality education abroad so that they could bring back skills to contribute to sustainable development in their conflict-ridden country.