The importance of education in tackling the climate emergency
At Climate Wise, we recognise that tackling the climate emergency is a global challenge and one that every element of society must engage with. Ultimately, this is not something that we can just leave to government or scientists, we must all play our part.
Education must be central to our global response to climate change. Not only will it help the next generation to fully understand and address climate change, but it will also help to unite people across generations and encourage a wider shift in attitude and behaviour.
Today’s children are tomorrow’s policy makers – they are the individuals who will be responsible for driving the future of environmental policy both at home and abroad. To give our planet the strongest chance of recovery, we must equip today’s youth with a thorough understanding about their own impact on planet. Teachers and parents both have important roles to play in achieving this, by communicating the importance of taking proactive action to help reverse climate change.
Educating children about the realities of climate change can instil a lifelong desire to improve the environment and protect the planet for their children and grandchildren. Importantly, better education on climate change issues, and the science behind them, will help to drive innovation around climate change solutions. This will be key to the future development of new and pioneering ways of tackling environmental issues.
The inclusion of effective climate change education in schools will help to produce a chain of positive outcomes. It increases the number of informed citizens, leading to a more engaged and environmentally proactive society.
All too often, discussion around climate action excludes the poorest and most vulnerable in our society. Despite developing populations being disproportionately affected by climate change, they are often left behind when it comes to education on climate action. It is important that climate change education reaches all areas of society – and not just wealthier countries. By supporting projects such as the Kenya Biogas Programme, we can ensure that those in poorer, hard-to-reach communities are also educated on climate change issues and mitigation.
At Climate Wise we are passionate about the role of education and the crucial role it plays in challenging resistance to climate action. We believe that engaging with young people about the fundamentals of climate change, helping them to understand their planet and how it works, can truly help to shape tomorrow’s leaders.
We work with schools to help educate students on climate change issues and give them the opportunity to offset the carbon footprint of their staff and student population.
To find out more about how schools can get involved go to: climate-wise.com/solutions-for-schools