This book aims at introducing readers to the different ways in which environmental education is viewed and perceived on an international basis. It is one of the outcomes of the First World Environmental Education Congress (FWEEC) held in Espinho, Portugal, on 20th-24th May, 2003. FWEEC gathered 282 participants from 38 countries, offering an international platform for educators, scientists, researchers, scholars, politicians, technicians, activists, the media and teachers to present and debate key issues in environmental education world wide. It includes many of the papers delivered in the Congress and a few additional ones, in an attempt to both document international experiences and promote them to a wide audience. This publication is meant to pave the ground for the UN International Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014) by addressing one of the oldest and yet one of the most pressing needs in environmental education today: the need to document experiences and promote good practice. This book will be useful to those undertaking research, practical projects and doing works «on the ground» in both formal and non-formal teaching. The extensive body of information and knowledge gathered by the authors will be helpful to both researchers and practitioners, contributing towards developing their capacity so that they may become even better at what they do.

The Editors: Walter Leal Filho teaches at Hamburg Technical University and runs various international environmental education projects, also being editor of the European Environmental Education Newsletter. Michael Littledyke researches in the area of science and environmental education in the Faculty of Education and Social Sciences at the University of Gloucestershire where he is also involved in postgraduate research student supervision, initial teacher education and management of research degrees programmes and staff research.