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The CoDesignS ESD project was founded by Dr Maria Toro-Troconis in 2021 in collaboration with several universities. It focuses on supporting educational institutions from all disciplines embedding Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in curriculum design and delivery supported by learning technologies. The project collaborators comprise academic staff, students and educational consultants working for different organisations of The United Nations. They represent an extensive global network of ESD champions.

The CoDesignS ESD Framework (Toro-Troconis et al., 2024; Ahmad, et al., 2023) provides an easy to implement pedagogic method for embedding Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in the curriculum using a co-design and co-creation approach. The CoDesignS ESD Toolkit is based on UNESCO’s key competencies for sustainability (UNESCO, 2017), the ESD guidelines published in the UK by QAA and Advance HE (2021) and the original CoDesignS Learning Design framework (Toro-Troconis et al., 2019; Toro-Troconis & Lewis, 2021).

The CoDesignS ESD Framework is embedded throughout the Learning Design and ESD Bootcamps (Varga-Atkins et al., 2024) as the core pedagogic approach guiding participants in co-designing curricula that meaningfully integrate ESD competencies. During the Bootcamps, teams work collaboratively with mentors to apply the framework step-by-step—mapping learning outcomes, aligning them with sustainability competencies, and planning authentic, systems-thinking–driven learning activities using theCoDesignS ESD Toolkit Planner’s visual dashboards to inform decision-making (Varga-Atkins et al., 2024; Ahmad, et al., 2023) . This structured, participatory methodology has been formally endorsed by UNESCO IESALC, who partner in the delivery of the Learning Design and ESD Bootcamp, recognising the framework as an effective, scalable model for embedding ESD in higher education curriculum design.

Global CoDesignS ESD Downloads – June 2025

By June 2025, the CoDesignS ESD Toolkit had been downloaded in 83 countries, as illustrated in the map below:

UNESCO ESD-NET Global Meeting – Tokyo (Japan) – December 2023

At the ESD-NET Global Meeting, the CoDesignS ESD Framework was presented by Dr Maria Toro-Troconis to representatives from various member states. The session titled “Enhancing ESD in Curriculum Design: Digital Tools, Frameworks and Innovations for Designing, Monitoring and Evaluation” was delivered, jointly organised by ALDESD and UNESCO MGIEP.

Research

In this special edition of the Open Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, seven university teams from the United Kingdom, UAE, Colombia, Argentina, China, and Spain present and critically reflect on the application of the CoDesignS ESD Framework and Toolkit within their own practices and institutional contexts.

Varga-Atkins, Toro-Troconis, Ahmad (2024). Advances of Learning Design in Education for Sustainable Development: Experiences from the Learning Design and ESD Bootcamp 2022. Special issue of the Open Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (OSTL) Journal

UNESCO ESD-Net Learning Webinar – March 2023

The CoDesignS ESD Framework was presented by Dr Maria Toro-Troconis and Professor Norita Ahmad during the UNESCO ESD-Net Learning Webinar. An interactive workshop was delivered as part of the session, offering participants from various member states the opportunity to learn about the framework and apply it in practice.

We’re honoured and delighted to receive a letter of acceptance from UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education Ms Stefania Giannini with regards to our expression of interest to join the ‘Greening Education Partnership: Getting every learner climate ready’:

“Please allow me to congratulate your Organisation on its leadership on the promotion of climate change education, which is a critical enabler to tackle, adapt to, and mitigate the challenges of our planetary crisis. I express my sincere gratitude on our close partnership and collaboration on this topic, in particular on your expression of interest to join the ‘Greening Education Partnership: Getting every learner climate ready’.

UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education Ms Stefania Giannini

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