As with other aspects of ESD implementation, the rhetoric may be ahead of the practice in this area, but nonetheless creates space for ESD advocates to pursue good work. The capacity of the teaching force was identified by many of the individuals consulted in this study as one of the major constraints to quality education in most SIDS, and this constraint is amplified in the face of effective ESD - which requires not only effective pedagogical skills, but also technical knowledge and skills related to critical thinking, problem-solving and sustainability issues. Notwithstanding that large portions of the currently-practising teaching workforce in many SIDS may have little or no pre-service teacher training, the reorientation of teacher training demands attention if ESD is to gain real traction.