in On the occasion of the International Day of Environmental Education, which is celebrated on 26 January every year, WWF Malaysia (World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia) has pledged its continued efforts to strengthen environmental education to build a sustainable Malaysia.

This day commemorates the efforts of more than 70 countries to support environmental protection through education as part of the Belgrade Charter.

The 12th World Conference on Environmental Education will be held in Abu Dhabi next week. WWF Malaysia has nominated one of its youth champions, Mogesh Sabati, to represent Malaysia as one of the panel speakers at the competition.

We believe in the power of environmental education to foster children’s appreciation and protection of nature. This was one of the cornerstones of the introduction of WWF Malaysia’s Mobile Education Corps 45 years ago, which traveled across Peninsular Malaysia to teach students about the wonders of nature.

We expanded our efforts in 2011 by taking on the role of national operator of the Eco-Schools program. This is an international program established under the Environmental Education Foundation. We have inspired teachers and students and over 300 schools across Malaysia have started sustainability initiatives.

In July 2022, WWF Malaysia formally handed over the national management baton to its partner Green Growth Asia Foundation, which has set a goal of establishing 1,000 eco-schools by 2025.

The need for change has never been more acute. WWF Malaysia is expanding its goals by adopting an education approach for sustainable development.

Environmental education (EE) and education for sustainable development (ESD) are often used interchangeably, but there are some differences.

EE was established as an essential tool to promote positive ecological relationships between humans and nature, while ESD was promoted to address the planet’s growing challenges while progressing as a society .

ESD is part of UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) education strategy and is also aligned with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Madani Malaysia’s values ​​emphasize the importance of local know-how in championing sustainability. We support this by enabling young people to know and respect biodiversity and embrace nature-positive behavior in their local context.

We draw on more than 50 years of experience working with government agencies, communities, civil society, and individuals across the country.

We recognize the importance of working with the Department of Education to maximize the reach and impact of our work on students. Therefore, we are actively involved in the next education blueprint.

We are also working to incorporate continuous curriculum reviews and infuse ESD values ​​into extra-curricular activities as encouraged in the Malaysian Education Blueprint 2013-2025. One example is our enduring partnership with the Malaysian Scout Association.

WWF Malaysia will work closely with the Ministry of Education, Amana Lestari Alam, Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Green Growth Asia Foundation, academics and other key stakeholders to help reimagine ESD in Malaysia We have formed a nationwide ESD network.

This is one way we are helping to provide educators with powerful resources and empower young people to actively participate in addressing global challenges.

By providing support as a knowledge partner and advisor to youth-led sustainability initiatives within and beyond higher education institutions, WWF Malaysia builds the capacity of as many youth as possible and helps them become tomorrow’s leaders in their respective fields. We aim to prepare you to tackle challenges. work.

WWF Malaysia also aims to inspire positive behavior change among youth through expert-led capacity building programs such as the 2023 Digital Climate Communication Challenge and the Eco Champion Awards, which will be relaunched this year. These programs provide opportunities for young people to contribute to climate action in their own way, including using social media to spread awareness and involve their peers.

The desire to transform Malaysia into a sustainable and developed country is evident among the rakyat, as evidenced by their increasing commitment to sustainability.

We encourage Malaysians of all backgrounds (youth, teachers, professionals, policy makers, corporate executives, etc.) to contact WWF Malaysia to help transform Malaysia into a sustainable country.

Together, we can optimize education as a powerful tool to advance sustainable citizenship.

This article was contributed by WWF Malaysia. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com