Exciting plans spelled out for climate action week
With COP26 just around the corner our climate change education programmes must now provide a lasting national educational legacy, says Daniel Barry
We regularly hear how vital education is to enable the right choices and actions to be taken by people to create a better world – for people, for the wildlife that is so intertwined with the survival of our own species, and for our planet.
Climate change continues to present one of the greatest challenges in human history. But we know that education can help us collectively combattheclimatecrisis,byempowering and enabling positive change.
Back in 2015 Scotland adopted the Unsustainabledevelopmentgoals, andshortlyafterweatkeepscotland Beautifulalignedourworktoensure all activities contributed to the outcomes. Unsurprisingly two of the strongest of the 17 Global Goals that we contribute towards are Global Goal4–qualityeducationandglobal Goal 13 – Climate Action.
We know, having delivered the international Eco-schools programme in Scotland for almost 30 years, our children, and our educatorsneedaccesstogoodqualityinformation and experiences that help them understand what we can all do to combat climate change. As an environmental charity, we are here to help people, young and older, to understand the challenges our environmentfacesandtoempowerthem to take positive action.
Education is a key strand of our work, and we were pleased to see in the recently published report from Scotland’s Climate Assembly that a number of the 80 recommendations for action linked to education and life-long learning.
Through our Climate Emergency Training we are working to provide people with accurate information to support behaviour change to tackle the climate emergency. We strongly believe it is essential we all know the factsandunderstandwhatwecando to support the huge changes needed across society to achieve the ambition of becoming a Net Zero Nation.
In the report members of the Children’s Parliament stated that it was essential that all children and young people have information about the climate emergency in Scotland, and through our Climate Ready Classrooms activity we have already reached thousands of young people andtheireducators.anotherrecommendation was that carbon emissions and reduction topics should be embedded in all relevant education programmes. And, once again we are delighted that in response to global calls for a greater focus on climate change we have exciting plans for a focused Climate Action Week this autumn, ahead of COP26 coming to Glasgow, and a new Climate Change topic for participating Ecoschools.
Climate change and the factors drivingit:massconsumption;excessive energy use; and unsustainable transport, have always been a focus ofeco-schools,butelevatingclimate changetothefore,willgiveeducators and young people greater support at a time, when action is so desperately needed.
For almost three decades, we have been committed to supporting the environmental education of more than a million young people.
With COP26 just around the corner our climate change education programmes must now provide a lasting national educational legacy – we need to educate the future so that nature and people can thrive together.
Daniel Barry, Education and Learning Manager, Keep Scotland Beautiful