At the UNESCO Bonn conference, more than 50 ministers from around the world met privately to discuss education for sustainable development (ESD) and progress made in support of the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. Their wide-ranging discussion touched on the purposes of education, the nature of education, the importance of the principles of ESD, challenges in education systems, what is needed to overcome these challenges, how to implement education for sustainable development, and the opportunities waiting to be seized.