We live in a world of pressing societal and environmental issues. Today’s challenges – overpopulation, pollution, societal inequity, resource scarcity, climate change, pandemics etc-  are the result of systems that we have created...they are the unanticipated side-effects of our own actions, side-effects created by our inability to understand and act in compatibility with our long term goals and aspirations. These issues that threaten our quality of life currently and increasing so for future generations unless we make urgent changes! Successful leader of the future need to be equipped with the right education and training be ensure that they are able to influence and change the path that people and organisations take to ensure the three essential elements of sustainable development, the economy, society and the environment are protected.

Promoting integrated thinking in education, which considers these 3 essential elements of sustainable development will ensure future leaders consider the impacts of their actions on global systems in a holistic way to preserve our future.

Some of the most pressing issues:

• Humans currently demand the equivalent of 1.7 planets worth of resources and ecological services—with major imbalances across countries—resulting in a noticeable decline in the world's biodiversity and threatening the well-being of future generations and the planet's stability  Educators have a critical role to play in preparing society to adapt to the impacts of climate disruption by providing research and education around adaptation strategies and by increasing their curricular offerings on climate adaptation, both through mainstreaming the information in core courses and offering electives that specialize in the topic.

• In the past fifty or so years, the growth of population has boomed and has turned into overpopulation which in itself causes resource depletion, environmental degradation,  malignant diseases, conflicts and war and rising unemployment.

• By 2030 the richest 1% will own two-thirds of global wealth. In the UK alone the 100 wealthiest people today have as much money as the poorest 18 million.

Successful leaders of the future need to be equipped with the right education and training be ensure that they are able to influence and change the path that people and organisations take to ensure that future development is done sustainably to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Learn more: https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal4‍