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HEA Launches Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Framework for Higher Education, Welcomed by Minister Lawless
By James Holohan
Posted: 29 July, 2026
The Higher Education Authority (HEA) has today launched the HEA Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Framework for Higher Education, a connected suite of resources designed to support higher education institutions in strengthening, connecting and making visible their approach to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) across teaching and learning, governance, campus operations, research, community engagement and student partnership.
Welcoming the Framework, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, James Lawless TD said:
‘I welcome the launch of the HEA’s Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Framework for Higher Education. By supporting institutions to strengthen, connect and showcase their approach to ESD, the Framework will help higher education institutions equip learners, advance knowledge and demonstrate leadership in building a more sustainable, resilient and inclusive society.’
The launch includes three new publications:
- The HEA ESD Framework for Higher Education Overview explains what the Framework is, how its components relate to one another and how institutions and partners can use it.
- The HEA Enablers for Whole-of-Institution ESD in Higher Education sets out five strategic enablers for embedding ESD across institutional activity.
- The HEA ESD Self-Evaluation Tool is a voluntary, developmental resource to support institutions in reflecting on strengths, identifying priorities and planning next steps.
The Framework supports implementation of Ireland’s Second National Strategy on Education for Sustainable Development – ESD to 2030 and aligns with UNESCO’s ESD for 2030 framework.
The suite was developed through policy review, sector evidence and extensive stakeholder engagement, including two sector workshops with representation from across designated higher education institutions and a public feedback process that ran from November 2025 to February 2026.
Tim Conlon, Head of Policy and Strategic Planning at the HEA, said:
‘Higher education has a vital role in preparing students, staff and communities to respond to climate, biodiversity, social and economic challenges, and institutions across the country are already doing excellent work in this space. This Framework brings coherence to that effort. It gives institutions a shared evidence base, strategic direction and practical tools to connect the work underway across curriculum, campus and community, and to build on it in ways appropriate to their own mission, context and capacity.’
Dr Mark Kelly, Atlantic Technological University, who led the development of the Framework during his secondment with the HEA as National Teaching and Learning Policy Advisor for ESD, said:
‘This Framework has been shaped by the sector, for the sector. Every designated institution contributed to its development and it builds directly on the practice showcased through the Spotlight Series and captured in the Landscape Report. The Enablers and Self-Evaluation Tool give institutions a shared language and a structured way to reflect on where they are and where they want to go next, supporting the shift towards genuinely whole-of-institution ESD, where sustainability is embedded in how institutions teach, operate, partner and lead. My sincerest thanks go to the ESD Community of Practice and the many staff and students across the sector whose generosity and expertise made this possible.’
The HEA will host a webinar introducing the Framework on 10 September 2026. Registration details will be made available on the HEA ESD Resource Portal. For further information on the Framework and upcoming webinar, you can access the portal on the Teaching and Learning website.
NOTES
The Framework is designed to translate national and international commitments into the higher education context, providing strategic direction, sector evidence, developmental reflection and collaborative learning.
As a connected set of resources, the publication of the Framework joins other HEA ESA Publications including the ESD Landscape Report (January 2026) (pdf) and the ESD Spotlight Series and Case Studies Compendium (November 2025). The ESD Insights Series will follow from September 2026.
The Framework builds on sustained national investment in this area. ESD has been one of three focus areas of the Strategic Alignment of Teaching and Learning Enhancement (SATLE) fund since 2022, supporting institutions to advance ESD initiatives from curriculum innovation and interdisciplinary modules to staff development and institution-wide sustainability projects.
