Globalisation is one of the most important historical features that education is likely to experience in this century. The processes of globalisation need to be integrated with a set of social, technological, economic, cultural and ecological circumstances, so that people may begin to accept the fact that the world is facing a totally irreversible universal phenomenon. The concept of sustainable development integrates the factors that lead to a demand for global learning, education for sustainable development, and environmental education. (Contains 1 table, 1 figure, and 3 footnotes.)