The 7th International Conference on Sustainability Education (ICSE), organized by the Mobius Foundation, in association with UNESCO, NITI Aayog, and other co-operative organizations, concluded at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. Educators, policymakers, business leaders, and youth representatives from all over India and the world participated for two days of deliberation under the theme "Sustainability Education for Green Jobs.".
Session also evidenced that professional careers in sustainable renewable energy, agriculture, eco-tourism, biodiversity preservation, and circular economy require a break with conventional learning and training approaches. References also mentioned the blue economy with emphasis on skills and learning that will allow ocean resources to be used sustainably. The stakeholders were concerned to align education with India's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and global priorities according to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), i.e. SDG 4 on quality education and SDG 8 on decent work. Issues of equity and inclusion were also raised, prioritizing provision of access to green job opportunities to the disadvantaged groups.
Dr. Benno Boer, Chief, UNESCO South-Asia, underlined: "It's crucial to have proper partnership between governments and private sector for developing and upscaling programmes which create new jobs. Green jobs lead to a more equitable and robust world."
Pradip Kumar Das, CMD, IREDA Limited, added: "India's 2070 net zero journey will necessitate decarbonisation with discipline and increased emphasis on green education. Empowering farmers and scaling up green energy are also part of the journey."
Amit Verma, Director, Green Transition, Environment and Climate Change, NITI Aayog, further added: "To equip a workforce for the green economy, one has to fill the gap between innovation and implementation via education and vocational training."
Prof. Prithvi Yadav, President & Vice Chancellor, Shri Padampat Singhania University, further stated: "Green jobs call not only for technical competency but stewardship."
Universities must create conscience global citizens. Kartikeya Sarabhai, Founder Director of CEE, stated: "Classrooms must be converted to sustainability laboratories.". "Experiential learning empowers youth for green jobs that count". Youth people representatives such as sustainability influencer Anuj Ramatri and Aalekh Kapoor spoke to masses with voices on the ground and climate action plans.
