Climate Change Education at COP 20
©UNESCO Brasilia - An observation exercices of climate change impacts.
The need to train teachers on climate change education and the importance of the Global Action Programme on Education for Sustainable Development for advancing climate change education were two key areas presented by UNESCO at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP20) in Lima Peru on 8 and 10 December.
At a session entitled: Enabling Climate Change - Conscious Behaviors through Education and Training, UNESCO experts presented a case study on Brazil showing how educating hundreds of teachers has helped to introduce climate change into schools in the southern State of Santa Catarina. The teachers use interactive methods to help learners understand the causes of climate change and the impact it will have on their immediate environment as well as globally. The training also gives guidance on how students and teachers can take actions within their climate-disaster-prone communities.
In a separate session at COP 20 entitled: ‘Education and communication as cornerstones for effective climate action’, UNESCO colleagues presented the outcomes of the Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Global Action programme, the follow up programme to the UN Decade for ESD and showed how the programme will continue to support climate change education.
“The profile of education and awareness raising on climate change, supported by Article 6 of the UNFCCC, has increased considerably since COP 15 and countries acknowledge the important contribution that education can make to support mitigation and adaptation.
” Julia Heiss, Programme Specialist,UNESCO Education for Sustainable Development team, said.
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