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Climate change education (CCE) has emerged as a critical tool that we can use to inform and empower people to engage in meaningful actions and community-based eforts aimed at addressing climate change. And recognition and support for CCE is increasing worldwide. UNESCO has declared climate change education an essential tool that we can use to build a sustainable future.5 The Paris Climate Agreement’s Action for Climate Empowerment focuses on six elements6 that are integral to addressing climate change, with education cited as a key component.
The scale and complexity of climate change presents formidable challenges to CCE, and as climate change increasingly touches our lives, these challenges shift from abstract to immediate. The words “climate change” used to summon images of polar bears struggling on distant melting ice caps; now we think of record heat, catastrophic storms, out-of-control fres, and fooding in our own communities. And as the abstract becomes personal, we, as educators, have an evolving opportunity to promote a scientifc understanding of climate change—and to couple that with the skills and motivation that can lead to civic engagement.
Chapter Author: Melissa Taggart, NAAEE
Featured Case Study: Student Action for a Sustainable Future
The Student Action for a Sustainable Future (SASF) program engages grade 5-8 classrooms in action and inquiry projects in the areas of waste, water, energy, food, biodiversity, and transportation. Twelve teachers are accepted each year that represent a balance of school divisions, grades, and school locations. Participating teachers are provided with support, resources, professional development, planning time, networking opportunities, action project funds, and access to sustainability and environmental experts. At the end of the year, the students highlight their experiences and results at a student showcase, which provides an exciting and celebratory event for everyone involved.
This chapter is part of the GEEP case study e-book, Environmental Education in Action: Learning from Case Studies Around the World, which introduces case studies as a valuable learning tool and dives into key topics in environmental education.