Transforming education to transform the world
Greening Education Partnership
Getting every learner climate-ready
The UN Secretary-General calls the climate crisis ‘a battle for our lives’, as we still struggle to transform our societies to reach the 1.5°c-degree path recommended by the Paris Agreement.
Rapid and radical transformation at all levels and in many aspects of our life is required, with education as a central and powerful means to support the adaptation and strengthen the resilience of learners and societies. It is also important to ensure education systems become more resilient to climate change to create safe and climate-proof schools.
The UN Secretary General’s Transforming Education Summit has confirmed that education must be transformed to respond to the global climate and environmental crisis. Building off of the knowledge and practice accumulated in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), a new Greening Education Partnership aims to deliver strong, coordinated and comprehensive action that will prepare every learner to acquire the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes to tackle climate change and to promote sustainable development.
Did you know?
- The earth’s average global temperature has risen by 1°c with most of the warming occurring in the past 35 years.
- Recent UNESCO findings reveal that around half of the 100 countries reviewed had no mention of climate change in their national curriculum.
- While 95% of surveyed primary and secondary teachers felt that teaching climate change is important, less than 30% expressed a readiness to teach it.
- 75% of young people say that they are frightened about their future. At COP26 in Glasgow in 2021 and the TES pre-Summit in Paris in June 2022, young people demanded concrete action and called upon governments to change education systems so they are fit to tackle the challenges of climate change.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF EDUCATION?
Taking a life-long learning approach starting from pre-primary to adult education, ESD aims to equip all learners with critical competencies covering not only knowledge, but also social and emotional awareness and actions, including critical thinking and collaboration.
With such knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes, learners gain insight into the complexity of the climate crisis, interconnectedness of global sustainability challenges, as well as how to contribute to problem-solving in daily contexts.
Drawing upon ESD’s holistic approach to learning, the Greening Education Partnership aims to inspire action from countries to empower learners with the skills required for inclusive and sustainable economic development within the context of the transition toward digital and green economies.
INTERESTED IN JOINING? HERE’S HOW YOU CAN COMMIT
Countries are encouraged to join the Greening Education Partnership in the four action areas. Countries are invited to commit to achieve the set targets of at least two and if possible all four components by 2030. Progress is regularly monitored and the global network ‘ESD-Net 2030’ will provide a platform to exchange experiences and showcase good practices.
For more information: www.unesco.org/en/education/sustainable-development
To contact: esd@unesco.org