This paper aims to stimulate a discussion on environmental education (EE) in the context of the Anthropocene era. Therefore, the author first reviews research on EE in/for the Anthropocene era under the headings of “(re) conceptualizing nature/the environment,” “criticizing anthropocentric views,” and “epistemological discussion.” The author then suggests that EE should emphasize the agentic capacity of nature and non-humans, multidisciplinary and participatory approaches, environmental justice and indigenous knowledge for the purpose of managing Anthropocene challenges, such as uncertainty, complexity, and human responsibility for environmental issues. Furthermore, the author finds that non-positivist yet foundationalist epistemologies, such as critical realism and new materialism, are particularly emphasized in the literature that was reviewed, as this can encourage the reflexivity and transformation necessary in the Anthropocene era. This paper then compares this emerging Anthropocene discourse with the currently dominant discourse of sustainable development (SD), which requires critical examination of both education for SD (ESD) and SD goals (SDGs). The inherent anthropocentricism and lack of reflexivity and transformative capacity of SD are highlighted as drawbacks of ESD and SDGs as guiding concepts in the Anthropocene era. These shortcomings present a challenge for future EE research.
