Learning for Sustainable Futures

Climate change, gender equality, health, social equity, and inclusion are issues that affect us all, impacting human well-being and economic stability. How to live a sustainable life affects, and connects, everyone.

On this five-week, self-paced online course, you’ll explore approaches to taking action on these major challenges as you’re supported to take positive actions towards a sustainable future. You’ll learn more about current global issues, consider how we can all act, personally or locally -and how to bring this knowledge to your own context. Teaching and learning for sustainability is also a core theme throughout this course; which will enable you to apply your learning to any kind of teaching environment.

Join us from 05 October to 09 November 2026 for a self-paced facilitated run of this course where you will have the opportunity to interact with our team from the University of Edinburgh and Learning for Sustainability Scotland.

In this course, you'll cover topics such as:  

• Examining Our Thinking - exploring our collective awareness of sustainability and the need for action
• Values and Frameworks for driving action towards sustainable futures
• Systems and connections - exploring the interlinked nature of sustainability issues
• Moving to Action - examining ‘wicked problems’ and exploring solutions
• Future Thinking: reflecting on what the future may look like and planning actions

This facilitated course is open to all; especially those interested in education and learning for sustainability. The Teaching and Learning Approaches section integrated into each week provides a dedicated space for discussions and reflection focused on pedagogy.

In general, this course supports learners to consider a global issue important to them, to investigate its various causes and impacts, and to start to take informed action, in whatever social or political

form that may take. This course may be useful to you on a personal level or in your workplace, if you seek to make changes in your own life or practice, or to inspire those around you to join you in taking action.

This course will be available with captions in the following languages:

• Arabic
• Chinese (Simplified, China)
• Dutch
• French
• German
• Greek
• Hindi
• Hungarian
• Indonesian
• Italian
• Japanese
• Kazakh
• Korean
• Polish
• Portuguese (Brazil)
• Russian
• Spanish
• Swedish
• Thai
• Turkish
• Ukrainian

Introductory: No previous knowledge required