Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) enables people to think and act in a future-oriented way . Actually, it is about recognizing sustainability-related challenges, evaluating them, and working on possible solutions. Last but not least, the consequences of one's own way of life and the mechanisms of action are also taken into account. In this way, change processes are initiated that consider the present and future needs of people worldwide. KIT’s research-oriented teaching thrives on interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research and a holistic approach.

KIT offers students, doctoral candidates, and employees research-oriented teaching and further training. The specialist courses at KIT offer broad access to disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge and skills relating to sustainable development. Overall, ESD is implemented as a comprehensive concept at KIT, so that graduates become change agents. This is intended to convey the complexity of the topic and the heterogeneity of the solution approaches to students. As decision-makers of tomorrow, KIT graduates are encouraged to contribute to solving problems in research, work, and society.

In addition to the degree programs’ courses, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary teaching is offered in particular at General Studies. Forum Science and Society (FORUM). Sustainable development at KIT in a comprehensive sense is established through the Karlsruhe School of Sustainability (KSN). For attending "Supplementary Studies on Sustainable Development" and the " Sustainable Development Certificate Studies" at FORUM students will receive a certificate and transcript. These additional courses aim to impart the necessary interdisciplinary knowledge from all disciplines students need to successfully initiate sustainability processes at the interfaces of science, business, and politics, through e.g. innovation processes, economic decisions, scientific political advice, financial decisions, or science communication. Public events open up this discourse, especially for the urban society in Karlsruhe.

A focused overview of courses related to sustainable development is provided by the "Green Course Catalog" of the Green Alternative University Group (GAHG) and the Green CAMPUS Office.

A focused overview of courses relating to sustainable development is provided by the "Green Course Catalog" of the Green Alternative University Group (GAHG) and the Green CAMPUS Office.

For the diverse activities related to ESD, KIT was honored as a "place for ESD" in 2018. The Spring Academy of Sustainability was awarded the Baden-Württemberg Teaching Prize for ESD in 2021 [germany only]. At the National Award- Education for Sustainable Development ceromony in 2022, KIT received the award “Place for ESD” under the ESD 2030 UNESCO.

The winners of the "National Prize - Education for Sustainable Development" 2022 introduce themselves [german only].