We are delighted to announce that following a highly competitive process, BERA will be supporting a new research commission that aims to create a teacher and youth co-created manifesto for Education for Environmental Sustainability (EfES) from the four jurisdictions of the UK 

Led by Dr Lynda Dunlop (University of York) and Dr Elizabeth Rushton (King’s College London), the commission will design five participative and inclusive online workshops involving at least 100 youth (16-18 years) and 30 teachers, drawn from across the four nations. These workshops will create opportunities to share experiences of, and visions for, EfES and will be analysed to generate a manifesto for EfES.

Key questions that the commission will address are:

• What is the current context for EfES, and what do we need?
• What can we learn from others’ experiences of EfES?
• What could the future of EfES look like?

The final manifesto will be co-authored by participants and launched in November 2021 to coincide with COP26, the UN climate change conference.  The manifesto – the first of its kind for the UK – and accompanying technical report will present evidence (in the form of documenting stakeholder perspectives) to inform action in policymaking, practice and research. The manifesto aims to create a stimulus for action on EfES based upon shared understandings, appreciations of difference, and tangible future actions, including proposing a strategic direction for BERA on EfES research.