Minister for Education and Youth Hildegarde Naughton TD announced over €850,000 in funding for Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) projects in 390 primary and post-primary schools across Ireland. Schools received grants ranging from €1,000 to €2,500 for their successful 2025/2026 sustainability project proposals under the 2nd National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD to 2030).
The funded projects cover a wide variety of initiatives, including the development of school gardens and outdoor classrooms, forest schools, recycling and composting systems, biodigesters, food waste management programs, energy education initiatives, student-led sustainability projects, teacher professional development, and sustainability-themed workshops. Many projects emphasize local community engagement, encouraging students to extend their sustainability actions beyond school grounds and build partnerships within their communities.
Minister Naughton highlighted the importance of equipping learners with the knowledge and skills necessary to support and promote sustainable development. She emphasized that the 2025/2026 projects focus on “local level action,” empowering students to take meaningful sustainability initiatives in their communities while fostering collaboration and partnership.
The ESD to 2030 strategy has five priority areas: aligning policy, transforming learning environments, building the capacity of educators, empowering and mobilizing youth, and accelerating local-level action. The funding supports schools in implementing their Sustainability Policy Statements, engaging local communities, and fulfilling the School Sector Climate Action Mandate. The Sustainability Toolkit for Schools, published in September 2023, further aids schools in developing sustainable practices and policy statements.
The strategy aligns with Ireland’s broader sustainability and climate commitments, supporting the Climate Action Plan, the Sustainable Development Goals National Implementation Plan, the EU Green Deal, and the UN’s 2030 Agenda. ESD is recognized as a key enabler for achieving all 17 Sustainable Development Goals, with Target 4.7 specifically emphasizing education for sustainable development.
The 2nd National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development is co-sponsored by the Department of Education and Youth, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, and the Department of Children, Disability and Equality, reflecting a cross-government commitment to equipping all learners with essential sustainability knowledge and skills.
