Number
AS90814
Version
1
Page 1 of 2
Achievement Standard
Subject Reference
Education for Sustainability 2.5
Title
Describe aspects of sustainability in relation to a sustainable future
Level
2
Credits
4
Subfield
Science
Domain
Environmental Sustainability
Assessment
External
Status
Registered
Status date
18 December 2007
Planned review date
28 February 2009
Date version published
18 December 2007
This achievement standard requires descriptions of aspects of sustainability in different
contexts in relation to a sustainable future.
Achievement Criteria
Achievement
Achievement with Merit
Achievement with
Excellence
 Describe aspects of
sustainability in relation to
a sustainable future.
 Explain aspects of
sustainability in relation to
a sustainable future.
 Discuss aspects of
sustainability in relation to
a sustainable future.
Explanatory Notes
1
This achievement standard is derived from the Guidelines for Environmental
Education in New Zealand Schools, Learning Media, Ministry of Education, 1999.
2
This achievement standard is based on Level 7 of the New Zealand Curriculum
Framework including learning outcomes from the Science, Social Science, Health &
Physical Education, Technology curriculum objectives.
3
A sustainable future requires the development of ways of thinking and acting to meet
the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs. Sustainability includes, but is not limited to:
 maintenance of biodiversity, ecological processes and life support systems
 an economy relative to its ecological life support system
 a fair distribution of resources and opportunities
 looking beyond direct consequences of activities to explore attitudes, values and
moral issues that create particular views on the use of natural resources
 personal and social responsibility.
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016
Number
AS90814
Version
1
Page 2 of 2
4
The aspects of sustainability are environmental, cultural, social, and economic.
These aspects and the interdependence between them need to be
described/explained/discussed in the context of different resource material provided
in an external assessment task. Students will apply their understanding in contexts
such as the Resource Management Act 1991, climate change, peak oil, cost/benefit
analysis of natural environments, globalisation, consumerism.
5
Describe requires students to give characteristics or an account of the aspects of
sustainability.
Explain requires students to provide reasons as to how or why the aspects of
sustainability relate to a sustainable future.
Discuss requires students to demonstrate understanding of links between different
aspects of sustainability with reasons. It may involve students in making judgments,
stating opinions, relating, considering implications, projecting future impacts,
evaluating options, comparing and contrasting, analysing or suggesting alternatives.
Quality Assurance
1
Providers and Industry Training Organisations must be accredited by NZQA before
they can register credits from assessment against achievement standards.
2
Accredited providers and Industry Training Organisations assessing against
achievement standards must engage with the moderation system that applies to
those achievement standards.
Accreditation and Moderation Action Plan (AMAP) reference
0226
 New Zealand Qualifications Authority 2016