RCE East Midlands: Sustaining the region by learning - A regional partnership of organisations championing education for sustainable development and global citizenship.

Regional Centres of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development

The UN has led the world in promoting sustainable development and now, as part of a 10 year programme, it acknowledges the vital role of regions in helping everyone learn to be more sustainable.

The RCE East Midlands (RCEEM)

The East Midlands is one of 35 RCEs globally, and the first RCE in the United Kingdom. Members and their organisations are committed to taking action to support the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005 – 2014).

The RCE East Midlands Group will research and promote education for sustainable development and global citizenship in schools, colleges, universities as well as in youth, community and business education.

Our region – The East Midlands

The third largest region in England, the East Midlands has a strong track record of innovation in the field of sustainable development. Comprising Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Northampton, Rutland and Nottingham, the region boasts the UKs 1st Environment City, The Peak District National Park and the Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty amongst its natural and built environment. Economically, the East Midlands is relatively prosperous, generating the 6th highest GDP of the UK regions, with an anticipated growth in the engineering, healthcare, textiles and new media sectors. Sustainable development activities in the region (including ESD) are set against the framework of the Integrated Regional Strategy (IRS), developed by the East Midlands Regional Assembly and emda, which adopts the innovative approach of combining economic, social, environmental and spatial issues in a coherent whole.

Regional challenges

The East Midlands Regional Dialogue, coordinated by EMRA’s Promoting Sustainable Development Group, identified five key challenges - The Government to lead by example, rationalise funding streams and set priorities that reinforce and push home the sustainability agenda. It also identified the need for an extensive education and awareness campaign focusing on issues of sustainable development, and the need to communicate in an inclusive language using local examples to make sustainability issues real. Lack of institutional status, funding and coordination still remain as major challenges for education for sustainable development activity and groups in the region.

Challenges specific to the region identified by the Integrated Regional Strategy include :

1. reducing inequalities in the region by combating discrimination and improving equality of access to economic opportunities, education, health and decent homes,
2. conserving and enhancing the natural environment by tackling the biodiversity deficit and enhancing the environmental infrastructure
3. creating sustainable and healthy communities throughout the region
4. improving economic performance and competitiveness
5. using natural resources more efficiently and reducing the impacts on climate change.

RCE Factsheet