The 8th International Conference on Sustainability Education (ICSE) 2026

Sustainability Education Gets an Action Oriented Push in the run up to 2030 promoting green skills, innovation, livelihoods, resilience and transformative action

MAHABAHU DESK

New Delhi, 08 September 2026: The 8th International Conference on Sustainability Education (ICSE 2026), hosted by Mobius Foundation at the India Habitat Centre, concluded today summing up two days of intense discussions among policymakers, educators, researchers, development practitioners, industry leaders and young change-makers to discuss how education can move beyond awareness and knowledge to create the skills, leadership and capacities required for meaningful action in a race against time scenario where the deadline for achieving Sustainable Development Goals is barely four years away. This year’s theme Sustainability Education for Transformative Action underpinned the role of Education as a catalyst for building a sustainable planet and a future-ready economy.

The pivot of ICSE 2026 was to position education as the prime mover of transformative action bridging the gap between knowing and doing. The conference brought together diverse perspectives to showcase successful models, identify critical gaps, and explore how sustainability solutions can move from promising initiatives to scaled, systemic action through stronger partnerships among government, academia, civil society and industry.

The Mobius Foundation hosted this conference in collaboration with UNICEF, UNESCO, UNEP, UNFPA, Centre for Science and Environment, TERI, ITPO, University of Cambridge, Centre for Environment Education, IIT Delhi, IIM Lucknow, Ashoka University WWF India, GIZ India, Barefoot College, Ekam Eco Solutions, Population Foundation of India, FEE, HCL Foundation, Attero and several other prestigious national and global institutions. 

The inaugural session placed the spotlight on the changing realities faced by young people and the urgent need to equip the next generation to respond to climate and sustainability challenges. Across 11 plenary sessions spread over two days, the conference examined how India can move sustainability education beyond classrooms and panels into resilient economy, research and innovation at scale, green jobs, climate-resilient agriculture, social change, gender-inclusive climate leadership, circular economy for critical minerals and environmental stewardship by the youth.

ICSE 2026 conspicuously put forward five key imperatives by the participating stakeholders:

• Make sustainability education future-ready: The conference impressed upon the fact that Education must prepare learners not only to understand environmental challenges but to solve them, innovate and participate meaningfully in the emerging green economy.
• Move from niche solutions to mainstream transformation: Stakeholders emphasized that green technologies, businesses, skills and practices need to move beyond isolated success stories and become part of mainstream economic and social systems.
• Bridge the gap between innovation and scale: Sustainable solutions emerging from laboratories, universities and entrepreneurs need stronger pathways to investment, markets, policy and communities so that successful models can be replicated at scale was a clear pathfinder.
• Build a workforce for the green economy: The sustainability transition requires new skills across sectors, making upskilling, reskilling, fellowships and practical exposure as essential components of education was a demand echoed by all participants.
• Turn vulnerability into agency: Young people, women and communities must not be seen only as beneficiaries of climate action, but as leaders, innovators and decision-makers shaping bespoke solutions for their communities and the planet in an Aapada mein Avsar (Opportunity in Emergency) mode.

Mr. Pradip Burman, Chairman, Mobius Foundation, said, “We need to look at things differently because we are running out of time and we are also consuming finite resources. Whether it is oil, lithium or other resources, we cannot continue indefinitely with a linear model of extraction, consumption and disposal. Everything increasingly has to move towards recycling and reuse. Sustainability will inevitably become central to the way economies operate. The extreme weather events we are witnessing should also make us recognise that human activity has consequences. That change in mind-set has to come through education.”

Ms. Priyanka Sharma, President & CEO, Mobius Foundation, shared, “Environmental education needs to span the entire continuum. It cannot simply mean teaching a green curriculum to schoolchildren. Policymakers need to be educated, entrepreneurs need to be educated, communities need to be educated and the general public needs to be educated. Secondly, environmental education has to become practical and it must spur innovation. Sustainability is going to create a new dimension of the global economy, generating jobs and entrepreneurship. India has a huge demographic of young people. Many of them are looking for careers that have meaning and purpose but also provide economic opportunity. Environmental education can help solve that equation. We need to give young people practical tools and skills that make them ready for this emerging economy.”

Ms. Priyanka Sharma

In a special address on “The Climate Changed Child,” Mr. Bo Beiskjaer, Chief of Resource Mobilization and Partnerships, UNICEF, said, “India’s children are growing up in a climate very different from the one we knew. A child born today may face extreme heat, floods and water scarcity throughout her life. This is the climate child, a generation whose education, health and opportunities will be shaped by climate change. We cannot secure India’s future without investing in climate-resilient schools, safe water and education that prepares every child for a changing world.”

Dr Vibha Dhawan

Dr. Vibha Dhawan, Director General, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), speaking to India’s innovation gap, said, “I want to apologise, on behalf of my generation, for the decades of resource consumption whose consequences are now being passed on to the young. I remember carrying a surahi of tap water on train journeys; today, we reach for bottled water without a second thought. In Delhi, polluted air has become a daily health crisis. And even our policies sometimes work against us when school buses become too expensive, families turn to private cars, adding to the traffic and pollution we are trying to reduce. We need to rethink the systems that shape our choices.”

Ms. Sunita Narain, Director General, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), shared“We need to move beyond incremental solutions and address sustainability at the system level. Simply adding more electric vehicles will not solve Delhi’s air pollution. We need to rebuild the urban transport system as a whole with reliable, affordable and accessible public transport so people have real alternatives to private vehicles. The goal must be to redesign our systems so that the sustainable choice becomes the easiest choice.”

Across the two days, sessions ranged from the green economy, critical minerals, agriculture and youth leadership. A panel on e-waste and battery recycling tied to a NITI Aayog–Mobius Foundation project on Extended Producer Responsibility featured Mr. Pranshu Singhal (Karo Sambhav) on building India’s critical minerals recycling chain. On agriculture, Dr. Rajbir Singh (ICAR) and Dr. Ramanjaneyulu G V (Centre for Sustainable Agriculture) discussed community-led models for a just rural transition.

The conference spotlighted research, technologies and innovations that had moved from the laboratory to scalable, market-ready solutions, demonstrating models that created value for both people and the planet while driving economic opportunity and competitiveness. It highlighted how clean energy, regenerative agriculture, resource efficiency, biodiversity, circularity and sustainable innovation had become strategic drivers of economic growth and resilient communities. Discussions emphasised the role of sustainability education in preparing the skilled workforce, entrepreneurs and collaborative leaders needed for the emerging green economy.

The programme also featured diverse conversations on health, population and sustainability partnerships, including a fireside discussion with Ms. Poonam Muttreja, Mr. Pradip Burman, Ms. Priyanka Sharma and Ms. Andrea M. Wojnar of UNFPA India. The Youth for Earth (Y4E) Conclave recognised ten youth-led sustainability projects with cash grants, while discussions on women as climate change makers highlighted the leadership of Ms. Harshika Singh, IAS, and Ms. Sowmya Kidambi. Marking 50 years of the Tbilisi Declaration, a dedicated session explored strengthening climate literacy through NEP 2020, underscoring the need to embed sustainability education across India’s learning systems.

The conference culminated with a valedictory address by Mr. Kartikeya Sarabhai, Padma Shri, Founder Director, Centre for Environment Education; Dr. R.K. Nair, Green Hero of India (Co-Founder, Forest Creators); Shri. Uma Shankar Pandey, Padma Shri, Director, Jalgram Farmer Producer Company Limited followed by the presentation and formal adoption of ICSE 2026’s recommendations by the drafting committee chaired by Dr. Ruchi Sachan (Miranda House, University of Delhi) aimed at strengthening sustainability education and accelerating its contribution to green skills, innovation, livelihoods, resilience and transformative action.

About Mobius Foundation: Mobius Foundation works to promote sustainable development through sustainability education, environmental action, renewable energy, population stabilisation and youth engagement. Through its programmes and partnerships, the Foundation supports individuals, institutions and communities in developing sustainable practices and solutions for people and the planet.

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