Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is an ambitious issue, where ecological, economic, and socio-cultural aspects are discussed, negotiated and implemented. The aim is to motivate and empower learners to change their behavior in order to act in the spirit of sustainable development through the acquisition of new knowledge, skills and atitudes. For effective and contemporary learning, ESD strives to develop innovative methods and approaches. With societal changes like digitalization, this requires far-reaching changes in the way ESD is practiced, including the use of information and communication technologies and digital geomedia.

For further development of ESD, especially the use of digital geomedia (e.g., spatial data, methods, services, tools) opens new possibilities. Literature highlights that digital geomedia can promote new vitality in teaching and education, including ESD. But, digital geomedia use in ESD faces several challenges: There is a need for suitable teaching materials. As ESD addresses different audiences, this does not only refer to materials per se, but to materials that enable educators to respond to the different knowledge, skills and needs of learners when carrying out ESD activities. Further, ESDeducators typically lack the relevant spatial skills to use digital geomedia in ESD. One reason is that this is neither a core item in teacher nor in ESD-educator training. As a result, several questions remain regarding how to enhance the use of digital geomedia in ESD and support its further development: How can the need for teaching and training materials be addressed? What content do educators require in terms of teaching and training materials to effectively engage diverse types of learners? What should materials look like regarding design, structure, and delivery characteristics?

However, to improve ESD and to answer these questions, UNESCO MAB biosphere reserves are key: They are required to continuously develop and strengthen their role as innovative and holistic places for ESD and serve as sites for testing interdisciplinary approaches to understand and manage changes and interactions between social and ecological systems.

Now to answer the above questions, the project ESDplus aimed at developing online ESD-educatorcentered teaching and training materials and modules to support ESD-educators in using digital geomedia in ESD. Through collaboration with two UNESCO MAB biosphere reserves (Lungau and Berchtesgadener Land) and numerous ESD-educators in the context of a specially developed workflow, requirements and recommendations for the implementation of educator-centered products regarding content, structure, design, and delivery mode were specified. The key requirement hre products is the target integration of digital geomedia in ESD (i.e., always puting ESD and practice first). Further awareness rising, building interest and motivation are key. This requires comprehensive information work – which is supported by additional resources in ESDplus, such as especially a collection of application examples regarding digital geomedia use in ESD and community building.

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