Access
The CoDesignS ESD AI Coach is freely available via OpenAI under a Creative Common License: BY-NC-ND-SA. It facilitates the implementation of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) training across universities and educational institutions.
The CoDesignS ESD AI Coach has been created and evaluated by the Association for Learning Design and ESD (ALDESD) in collaboration with King's College London, Cambridge Zero, University of Glasgow and Manchester Metropolitan University.
Important Note
The CoDesignS ESD AI Coach is designed to support Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) training—not to replace the expertise of sustainability professionals (Toro-Troconis et al., 2025). It serves as a complementary tool, best used alongside guidance from sustainability experts to enrich and enhance the learning experience. For effective integration, it should be embedded within ESD training programmes led or supported by experienced practitioners—because better inputs create better outputs for us and a better future for the planet.
About
The CoDesignS ESD AI Coach was launched on 30 September 2025 at De Montfort University.
CoDesignS AI Framework (2024) CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 International License
Getting started: The CoDesignS ESD AI Coach serves as your creative launchpad, guiding you in developing impactful lesson plans, designing meaningful assessment activities, and incorporating interactive ESD games into your teaching.
Environmental impact: The CoDesignS AI Coach encourages the use of the ROCKS method (CoDesignS AI Framework, 2024; Toro-Troconis, 2025) when crafting prompts, helping users learn about how they can refine their input, reduce unnecessary processing, and ultimately lower the environmental impact.
CoDesignS ESD AI Coach – LAUNCH – September 2025 · Watch on YouTube
"Think before you prompt—because better inputs create better outputs for us and a better future for the planet."
Research Team
- Dr Maria Toro-Troconis – University of Cambridge / ALDESD (Lead)
- Dr Romas Malevcious – King's College London
- Ms Catrin Darsley – Cambridge Zero – University of Cambridge
- Dr Amy Munro-Faure – Cambridge Zero – University of Cambridge
- Dr Vicki Dale – University of Glasgow
- Dr Nathalie Tasler – University of Glasgow
- Professor Liz Price – Manchester Metropolitan University
- Dr Theresa Nicholson – Manchester Metropolitan University
Latest Research
The research team evaluated the Beta version of the CoDesignS ESD AI Coach in 2025 at the University of Cambridge. The research aimed to assess how effectively the AI Coach's responses aligned with the CoDesignS ESD Framework and discipline-specific contexts. Additionally, the research aimed to explore how interaction with the CoDesignS ESD AI Coach may influence academics' and practitioners' attitudes toward integrating Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) into their work.
Toro-Troconis, Malevicius, R., Darsley, C., Nicholson, T., Dale, V., Tasler, N., Price, E. (2025). 'Harnessing Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) to Advance Education for Sustainable Development'. International Journal of Higher Education, 14(6) DOI: https://doi.org/10.5430/ijhe.v14n6p74
Main Research Outcome
The CoDesignS ESD AI Coach is designed to support Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) training—not to replace the expertise of sustainability professionals (Toro-Troconis et al., 2025). It serves as a complementary tool, best used alongside guidance from sustainability experts to enrich and enhance the learning experience. For effective integration, it should be embedded within ESD training programmes led or supported by experienced practitioners—because better inputs create better outputs for us and a better future for the planet.
Workshop @ University of Cambridge
The research team conducted the workshop titled 'Harnessing AI to advance Education for Sustainable Development' at the University of Cambridge on 23rd April 2025, as part of this research.
Harnessing AI to Advance Education for Sustainable Development
Workshop
23rd April 2025
University of Cambridge
Over 20 participants attended the workshop from different universities: University of Cambridge, Anglia Ruskin University, King's College London, Manchester Metropolitan University, Oxford Brookes University, Royal Veterinary College, The Open University, University of East Anglia, University of Gloucestershire, University of Hertfordshire.
Access the CoDesignS ESD AI Coach
Please note that submitting this form will not automatically collect any personal information such as your name or email address unless you choose to provide it. We kindly ask for your country of submission solely for evaluation and monitoring purposes.
Important Note
The CoDesignS ESD AI Coach is freely available under a Creative Common license: BY-NC-ND-SA
Collaboration Opportunities
If you are interested in this research and/or collaboration opportunities, please contact us!
Contact Us