82 ESD in University of Limerick Strategies and Frameworks

Dr Íde O’Sullivan outlined how Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is embedded systematically within UL’s strategic, curricular, and quality assurance frameworks. UL’s strategic plan, UL@50, positions sustainability as a core institutional value, emphasising ethical action, global responsibility, and addressing national and international challenges. This commitment is operationalised through the university’s HEA Performance Compact target: by 2030, 100% of UL programmes will be reviewed and aligned with the university’s Curriculum Framework.

The Curriculum Framework—central to UL’s Action for Wisdom Teaching, Learning and Assessment Strategy—defines a set of graduate attributes closely aligned with international ESD frameworks, particularly GreenComp. UL graduates are expected to be responsible, curious, courageous, articulate and agile, reflecting competencies in ethical reasoning, systems thinking, resilience, creativity, and global engagement.

The Framework also articulates a learning environment characterised by research-led, challenge-driven, experiential, collaborative and interdisciplinary learning. This pedagogical orientation ensures that programmes foster active citizenship and empower students to contribute meaningfully to planetary wellbeing. The Framework is integrated into all stages of programme design, approval and review; at both programme and module level, faculty must evidence alignment with graduate attributes, ESD-supportive pedagogies, and the principles of inclusive, research-informed curriculum design. Together, these structures ensure that ESD is not an isolated initiative but a fully embedded expectation across the university’s curricular landscape.