This is the sixth in our series of blog posts showcasing work presented at ESD Exchange. Teresa’s session takes place on day one of the ESD Exchange conference on April 16th 2026
At a time when universities are being urged to reconsider the role they play in shaping a sustainable future, The Open University (OU) occupies a uniquely influential position. As the UK’s largest university, with decades of experience delivering online distance education at scale, any meaningful shift toward Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) carries the potential for significant sector wide impact. One of the questions we have been exploring is: how can ESD be meaningfully embedded across a fully online, geographically dispersed institution without overwhelming already stretched module teams? The OU’s response has been intentionally pragmatic. The focus has been to build on approaches that already work, extend existing frameworks, and celebrate innovation wherever it emerges.
What We’ve Been Doing: Key Approaches and Insights
One of the most effective strategies has been reworking familiar systems through an asset-based approach. Instead of designing new structures from the ground up, curriculum teams across STEM, Arts and Social Sciences, Healthcare, Business and Law have been repurposing existing models and frameworks. Using existing tools and resources teams are supported to create ‘qualification narratives’ and identify existing sustainability connections and catalyse discussions about opportunities for integration within content, activities and assessment. This approach has supported teams in subject areas, such as Mathematics, Statistics and Physics, which traditionally haven’t had as many holistic opportunities to meaningfully embed sustainability within the curriculum. This approach has helped to create a shared language for conversations about sustainability, something that is vital within a university as large and diverse as the OU. It has also helped form a community of practice for colleagues which provides ongoing support.
The achievement of Responsible Futures accreditation in 2024 has acted as a catalyst for deeper collaboration and integration of ESD. It has brought together faculties, nations and professional services in new and productive ways. For example, it inspired a scholarship project which led to the development of sustainability aligned assessment strategies within second year physics modules. As part of this project reflective questions relating to sustainability skills and competencies were developed and placed within assessments in each of the core physics modules. This has supported students to reflect upon their developing sustainability knowledge and awareness, and consider what sustainability means in the context of their studies and future. A further example is the introduction of digital sustainability badges within Education and Design modules and the beginnings of a recognisable skills pathway which will help students showcase the sustainability related skills they are developing to future employers.
Sustainability has also been woven into existing Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility frameworks within the OU. The university has created a tool to support colleagues to design learning, teaching, and assessment that is equitable, accessible, and reflective of diverse student needs. The Inclusive Curriculum Tool was first launched in 2018 and in 2023, as part of its 6th iteration, its scope was broadened to include ESD and assessment prompts. The tool is integrated into institutional processes such as programme reviews, course design workshops, and quality assurance and has provided opportunities to expand colleagues’ understanding of how sustainability can be meaningfully embedded in curriculum planning within existing processes. At the time of writing the tool is being updated again. This update includes creating coherent, structured training with practical exemplars, and refined guidance documents which support colleagues to confidently apply the tool across disciplines. This integrated approach helps to grow a culture in which sustainability feels visible, valued, and connected to wider institutional priorities.
The Universities Learning Design team has played a central role in the University’s approach to ESD. Colleagues have been instrumental in creating resources and workshops that support module teams to connect with and expand their ESD knowledge. You may have come across the skills cards via the OpenLearn Sustainability Hub (Matthews, Astles and Calder, 2026) page that they sit on. They are also highlighted by Burvill et al., (2025) as good practice in the sector. The Sustainability Skills Cards (Astles and Matthews, 2025) were created, with the support of student voices and insights, to help academics reflect on how sustainability competencies can be authentically and actively integrated into learning outcomes, activities, assessment approaches and skills mapping. They take the language used the UNESCO 21st Century competencies and connect it with existing OU frameworks. The cards have been integrated into STEM faculty processes for module and qualification design. Most recently, members of the team have created a compendium of student reviewed, effective practice examples. These ‘words of wisdom’ (Astles et al., 2025) provide practical, action focused examples to inspire colleagues to meaningfully integrate sustainability within their discipline. The Words of Wisdom compendium is accessible to all an Open Educational Resource via the OU’s OpenLearn Create platform.
Another way we have expanded our impact, both institutionally and beyond, has been by supporting colleagues to champion and celebrate their work. For example, since 2023 OU teams and projects have achieved finalist or highly commended status at the EAUC’s Green Gown Awards, demonstrating the institution’s commitment to sustainability. One of the most recent achievements was the Open Societal Challenges programme (The Open University, 2024) which was highly commended for its research excellence in 2025. Since 2021 the Open Societal Challenges programme has supported cross-departmental collaborations and individuals outside of the OU to work with researchers to address pressing issues in society. This has led to a breadth of work exploring sustainability challenges, tackling inequalities and supporting people to live well whatever their circumstances.
To support all staff, not just those creating learning content, the university provides professional development opportunities which support staff at whatever stage they are at in their sustainability journey. For example, staff can enrol on a fully funded, accredited Carbon Literacy Training designed to build awareness of carbon costs and the motivation and capability to reduce them. The course comprises of a 4-hour self-study module and 4-hour facilitated session, culminating in the submission of climate action pledges to gain certification. The materials for this were updated and adapted to suit our catchment across the four nations making them relevant and engaging to our attendees. Specifically, this involved the addition of ‘stories of doing’ (De Meyer, 2024) including case studies of climate action from within the university, attendee’s testimonials and inspiring community climate projects. To increase impact additional content was added from other universities materials as well as local climate news and encouragement of personal accounts from attendees.
What’s Next? Implications for Our Practice and the Wider Sector
As sustainability becomes more firmly embedded within institutional processes, new opportunities are emerging. There is growing potential to strengthen collaboration between curriculum leads, Learning Design and student facing support teams. The expanding digital badge initiative offers the possibility of developing a more coherent, institution wide sustainability skills pathway. The Words of Wisdom compendium will continue to evolve to reflect the increasing breadth of ESD innovation across the university. There is also considerable value in sharing our learning with other learning providers who face similar challenges and opportunities. Most notably, we are championing ESD not as an optional “add on,” but as a natural and necessary part of designing high quality, future focused learning.
Key takeaways
- Through our teaching, research, knowledge exchange we have adapted our institutional lexicon to create shared sustainable language and understanding. This has supported openness and collaboration.
- Everyone’s sustainability journey will be different. It is vital to create CPD that recognises different needs and interests and helps individuals connect sustainability to their own contexts.
- Integrating sustainability within existing institutional frameworks helps to ensure it becomes ‘Business as Usual’ rather than a nice to have.
- Working towards accreditation opportunities, such as Responsible Futures, can provide a catalyst for collaboration and institutional transformation.
Author Contact
Teresa Cox – teresa.cox@open.ac.uk
Ismay Mummery – ismay.mummery@open.ac.uk
Catriona Matthews – catriona.matthews@open.ac.uk
Paul Astles – paul.astles@open.ac.uk
Avril Moore – avril.moore@open.ac.uk
References
Astles, P and Matthews, C. (2025). Communicating Sustainability Competencies: A Case Study of Sustainability and Learning Design. In: Leal Filho, W., Trevisan, L.V., Pace, P.J., Mifsud, M. (eds) Education for Sustainable Development: The Contribution of Universities. World Sustainability Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-86985-3_6
Astles, P., Matthews, C. Calder, K., Lewis, N., Lineham, C., Cox, T and Hands, V (2025) Sustainability Words of Wisdom: Examples from Higher Education. OpenLearn Create. Available at: https://www.open.edu/openlearncreate/course/view.php?id=16298
Burvill, S., Cummings, B., Smith, S., Davies, F., Job, S., Jones, L., Peterson, G., Carter, L., Passam, S. and Shamshul Kamal, H. (2025). Embedding ethical and sustainable employability in tertiary education: best practice examples: A pan-Wales HE project. [online] Advance HE. Available at: https://www.medr.cymru/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Embedding-ethical-sustainable-employability-best-practice-AdvanceHE_Medr-Oct2025-English.pdf
De Meyer, K. (2024) Feeling stuck on climate change? Here’s what to do. Ted Talk. [online] Available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/kris_de_meyer_feeling_stuck_on_climate_change_here_s_what_to_do
Matthews, C., Astles, P and Calder, K (2026). Learning Design resources to support embedding sustainability competencies and learning outcomes in course materials. OpenLearn. [Online] The Open University, Available at: https://www.open.edu/openlearn/education-development/learning/learning-design-resources-support-embedding-sustainability-competencies-and-learning-outcomes-course-materials.
The Open University (2026). What is the Open Societal Challenges programme? [online] Available at: https://research.open.ac.uk/societal-challenges
