Sustainable Educational Leadership and the Climate Crisis

Alexander Gardner-McTaggart was academic lead for Transnational Education and senior lecturer in Educational Leadership, University of Manchester, UK and is now dean of Arts and Social Sciences at the British University of Bahrain.Anna Kliampa is guest author of chapter five. She is an Early Career Researcher and educational leader focussed upon education sustainability. She earned her PhD in 2024 from the University of Cambridge which focuses on educational transformation, climate change and degrowth.

"This book could not be more timely. If education is to make a positive contribution to our survival as a species it must begin now. The papers here demonstrate the failure by educational leaders to take the climate emergency seriously and point to a radical rethinking of school practices and the leadership role. Most significantly the book endorses a shift from education about the environment to education in the environment and highlights to inextricable relationship between sustainability and social justice."Professor Stephen Ball, Institute of Education, University College London, UK"Education is at the heart of sustainability solutions. This book brings school leaders up to speed on their role in reorienting education to meet environmental sustainability challenges."Professor Phillip Hallinger, Global Talent Professor, Mahidol University, Thailand"This book is a tribute to the future. Despite the critical and complex issues of educational leadership and global crises, it also expresses hope for the future and opportunities for change. The book offers much-needed critical perspectives on educational leadership amid the climate crisis and argues that a transformative approach is necessary to confront our future. Alexander Gardner-McTaggart advocates for a new paradigm in educational leadership that incorporates ecological awareness and emphasizes critical thinking, collaboration, sustainability, and holistic development. The book offers a compelling and thought-provoking perspective on the role of educational leadership in ensuring a more just and sustainable future for all, making it a must-read for educators, educational leaders, policymakers, and individuals interested in the intersection of educational leadership and the climate crisis."Dr Susanne Sahlin, Associate Professor, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway"This book offers a timely and refreshing perspective on educational leadership, challenging dominant neoliberal paradigms that prioritise the commodification of knowledge, efficiency, and competition at the expense of deeper interpersonal connections, ecological sustainability, and social justice. Grounded in rich historical and philosophical analysis, Alex critiques traditional leadership models and the dominant knowledge culture, advocating for a more ethical and collective approach to leadership. Educational leaders and leadership scholars seeking to critically engage with inherited knowledge structures and promote sustainable, collaborative, and ethical leadership practices will find this book invaluable and should translate its lessons into practice."Dr Meng Tian, Associate Professor in Educational Leadership, Director of Global Engagement, College of Social Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK

• Foreword – Tristan McCowanIntroductionChapter 1. Leading Education from Exploitative Pasts, through Uncertain Times into Sustainable FuturesChapter 2. From Control to Collaboration: Rethinking Leadership in EducationChapter 3. Leadership, Knowledge, and Power: Challenging Business-Centric Models in EducationChapter 4. Climate Change Means Leadership ChangeChapter 5. Combating Global Climate and Knowledge Crises through Sustainable Educational LeadershipChapter 6. Leading in the Anthropocene: Rethinking Leadership for a Sustainable FutureChapter 7: Rethinking Educational Leadership: Towards Human-Centred ApproachesChapter 8. Artful Leadership: Integrating Creativity into Educational PracticesChapter 9. Healing the Disconnect: Integrating Ecological Awareness in Educational LeadershipAfterword – Tony Bush