The article summarizes some considerations about the development of indicators for education for sustainable development (ESD). It reflects the present state of discussion, especially from a German perspective, and includes present developments in the area of quality criteria and standards for ESD. These discussion threads only denote the beginning of a discourse that will eventually lead to a practicable instrument for estimating the progress of ESD. This article shall give suggestions for the systematic development of an indicator system for ESD linking three dimensions: levels of educational systems, key functions of indicators, and key aspects of indicator development. (Contains 5 figures and 5 notes.)