250 delegates, 25 countries, 3 days, 1 goal – to transform learning for the future of the planet.
In June, at the Schools2030 Global Forum 2024, we gathered our global community including teachers, policy makers, partners, civil society and colleagues in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, to explore how teachers and education systems can respond to the climate crisis and transform learning! The result? Eight recommendations for the future of climate education.
Our Eight Recommendations for Climate Education
- Education and the teaching profession are critical to fostering Climate Resilience and Sustainable Development from local to global levels. Teaching needs to be considered a “green job” – from which all future green jobs will ultimately depend – and placed at the heart of every country’s climate agenda.
- Climate resilience and sustainable development must be integrated across multiple areas of the curriculum and part of all future teacher preparation programmes. They must be embedded in teaching practices across different subject areas, and not simply taught in isolated, ‘one-off’ moments.
- Teaching climate resilience goes beyond imparting knowledge to students. It involves supporting them in building the appropriate skills and mindsets they need to navigate an uncertain future – skills like leadership, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking.
- We need to think beyond the formal classroom if we want to transform education systems and societies for climate resilience. Civil society, cultural organisations and the media all have central roles to play in climate education.
- Inclusion and equity are at the heart of how we must approach climate education. Climate challenges require a holistic approach that address and include diverse voices, needs and solutions.
- Teacher agency must remain at the heart of the educational response to the climate crisis. There are many examples of teacher-led innovations addressing climate resilience and sustainable development, which can be adapted to different contexts – we do not have to start from scratch.
- Education, and particularly the catalytic role of teacher leadership, is an essential planetary strategy for advancing climate adaptation and mitigation for all.
- The scale of the climate crisis requires a cross-sectoral response and partnership. Climate education is not just the responsibility of teachers or Ministries of Education – we need to build broad coalitions as part of a global movement for education transformation.
Download the recommendations to share within your networks and help us protect our planet for generations to come!
