Mainstream scientists have grave concerns regarding unsustainable lifestyles in a world with finite resources. Lack of environmental literacy, sustainability values, connectedness to nature and environmental education as a core subject need to be addressed through environmental education. This mixed-methods content analysis examines and compares five state environmental education standards, national environmental education guidelines and the Earth Charter for inclusion of sustainability values. The Earth Charter states the international consensus principles of sustainability values. Data were generated through traditional quantitative coding, computer text analysis and the creation of document profiles through qualitative methods. Triangulation of the findings from these three methods showed that state standards and national guidelines adequately address ecological integrity principles, but not environmental justice principles associated with flourishing, sustainable communities. The North American Environmental Education guidelines and Wisconsin and Colorado state standards do include reflection on environmental values, issue analysis and environmental agency objectives. The Advanced Placement Course Description, New York and Texas standards are less concerned with ethics or values and more concerned with an ecological, scientific approach to environmental education. With the current political climate, international sustainability values as expressed by the Earth Charter would not pass through policy gatekeepers. In a standards-driven climate, standards are needed to open the gate for inclusion of environmental education in school curricula.

Este estudo pretende mostrar que os princÃpios da Carta da Terra podem ser inseridos nas prÃticas de responsabilidade social adotadas pelas agroindÃstrias localizadas na zona rural. Por meio da Responsabilidade Social Empresarial (RSE), muitas das prÃticas socialmente responsÃveis encontram-se diretamente e indiretamente ligados aos valores e princÃpios desta declaraÃÃo. A Carta da Terra à o principal instrumento desta recente Iniciativa que visa promover a transiÃÃo para uma sociedade global fundamentada em um modelo de Ãtica compartilhada, que inclui o respeito e o cuidado pela comunidade da vida, a integridade ecolÃgica, a democracia e uma cultura de paz. Para as empresas, ela traz a visÃo mais abrangente e o conceito mais amplo de responsabilidade social, fornecendo elementos universais estruturados para reconhecer seu papel na humanidade. Para tanto, avaliou-se a atuaÃÃo socialmente responsÃvel da Unidade Agroindustrial do Grupo 3 CoraÃÃes no EuzÃbio â CearÃ. Utilizaram-se dados de origem primÃria, obtidos por meio de questionÃrio e dados de origem secundÃrias oriundos principalmente da Earth Charter International. As prÃticas socialmente responsÃveis propostas foram analisadas segundo os Indicadores Ethos e segundo os princÃpios e pilares da Carta da Terra e avaliadas atravÃs da metodologia EC-Assess, o que possibilitou estabelecer os variados nÃveis de implementaÃÃo, bem como os nÃveis de valorizaÃÃo dessas prÃticas na atuaÃÃo empresarial. A agroindÃstria demonstrou uma atuaÃÃo socialmente responsÃvel quanto à implementaÃÃo e a valorizaÃÃo, em vÃrios nÃveis, das aÃÃes sugeridas. Com isso, foi possÃvel perceber que à viÃvel, atravÃs de uma gestÃo socialmente responsÃvel, inserir a Carta da Terra no ramo agroindustrial e gerar ganhos para todos os pÃblicos de relacionamentos, sobretudo no meio rural, onde as carÃncias reforÃam o papel das agroindÃstrias como promotoras de crescimento e desenvolvimento e potencializa seu impacto na melhoria da qualidade de vida dessa populaÃÃo. / This study aims to show that the principles of Earth Charter can be embedded in social responsibility practices adopted by agribusinesses companies, located in the Ceara‟s country area. Through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), many of the social responsible practices are directly and indirectly linked to values and principles of this declaration. The Earth Charter is the main instrument of this recent initiative to promote the transition to a global society based on a model of shared ethics, which includes respect and care for the community of life, ecological integrity, democracy and a culture of peace. It brings more comprehensive and broader concept of social responsibility to businesses by providing them universal elements structured to recognize their role in humanity. For this, we evaluated the performance of a social responsible agribusinesses company Unit from Group 3 Hearts in EuzÃbio - CearÃ. We used primary source data obtained through a questionnaire and secondary source data drawn mainly from the International Earth Charter. The social responsible practices proposed were analyzed according to the Ethos and the principles and pillars of the Earth Charter. Those were evaluated through the EC-Assess methodology, which enabled them to establish several levels of implementation and levels of recovery of those practices in business. The agribusinesses company has demonstrated a social responsible regarding the implementation and enhancement at various levels of suggested actions. Thus, it was possible to see what is feasible, through responsible management, entering the Earth Charter in the agroindustrial sector and generate gains for all public relations, especially in rural areas, where deprivation reinforce the role of agribusiness as promoters growth and development and maximize its impact in improving the quality of life for this population.