Learning and understanding more about sustainable development had become a feature of policy initiatives and programmes by a number of countries prior to the decision at the Johannesburg Summit to promote a Decade on the subject. But research and evaluation of programmes on sustainable development education over the past 10 years have, in the main, highlighted the initiatives as being little more than an extension and development of environmental education. This article aims to remind readers that development education is an important root of sustainable development education. The launch of the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) provides an opportunity to ensure that international and national programmes are closely linked to understanding the world in which one lives, the divisions between rich and poor, and the need to engage people in working for a more just and equitable world. By reviewing progress to date in England, this article suggests that there has been a distinct lack of clarity and debate about what is particular about education for sustainable development (ESD).