Education for Sustainable Development: Fostering Human and Social Sustainability through Green Governance

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) plays a pivotal role in supporting social and environmental sustainability goals through its integration into green governance frameworks. This article presents a systematic literature review of 84 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2013 and 2023, retrieved from the Scopus database. The review explores the contribution of ESD to sustainability by examining its incorporation into educational curricula and governance practices across diverse global contexts. The findings identify three overarching themes: (1) ESD as a catalyst for sustainability awareness and behaviour change; (2) integrated governance models linking education policy with environmental stewardship; and (3) pedagogical innovations such as competence-based curricula, digital tools, and place-based learning. Despite growing adoption, challenges persist, particularly in developing countries, including limited resources, political inertia, and fragmented policy implementation. The review highlights the need for coherent education policies that embed sustainability principles and foster interdisciplinary collaboration. Future research is recommended to investigate the long-term impacts of ESD programmes and the effectiveness of digital platforms in enhancing sustainability competencies.