What is Climate Resilient Education?
Climate Resilient Education is a multifaceted approach aimed at preparing children and their communities to cope with and adapt to challenges posed by climate change. It involves practical measures integrated into educational programming, policy, and advocacy efforts that minimise vulnerabilities and enhance adaptability to adverse impacts of climate change.
Why is Climate Resilient Education Important Now?
Almost every child alive now is facing at least one climate shock a year, such as a cyclone or heatwave. Climate crises result in hunger and displacement for children and families.
There is an urgent need to elevate the role of education in addressing the climate crisis. As today's children and future generations are the most impacted by climate change happening now, governments and education providers must work to identify promising education interventions and focus on anticipatory action.
What kinds of innovations do we want to see more of?
We would like to see more innovations that prioritise Climate Resilient Educational practices, such as innovations that:
- Respond to the needs of children and youth (pupils, students, learners in K12 education) who are experiencing the negative effects of climate change. This response can be anticipatory, mitigative, or adaptive in nature.
- Address educational ecosystem issues resulting from climate change with a mindset of climate resilience.
- Operate collaboratively and with consideration for local knowledge to effectively promote climate resilient behaviours and policies at the classroom, school, municipal, and/or systemic levels.
Call to Action
We have an imperative to identify and harness existing innovations that address the pressing need for Climate Resilient Educational practices and systems. By amplifying and globally disseminating these solutions, we can catalyse widespread adoption and implementation. We see a need to gather and share this information, complementing this effort through the development of an extensive repository, both online and offline, curated to provide teachers, school leaders, and policymakers with practical tools for integrating Climate Resilient Education into their respective spheres.
