Knowledge is power: Learnings from a year working in climate education

Like many people who attended UK secondary school in the 2010s, I first learnt about climate change in Geography, when I was taught about its causes and impacts on the natural environment. In Chemistry, I discovered the composition of greenhouse gases and their effect on global warming.  

My understanding of climate change shifted slightly at university, where I was exposed to the politics of environmental activism – as one of the hundreds of thousands of students across the globe who put down their books and took to the streets during the climate strikes in 2019.

Despite this moment of activism, and the fact I now work in sustainability, up until the start of this year I was entirely unfamiliar with the concept of ‘climate education’. When OVO Foundation commissioned us to write a report on ‘The State of Climate Education’, I had assumed the focus would be on ensuring the curriculum was kept up-to-date with fast-moving research on climate science. Whilst this is of course important, I hadn’t appreciated just how many subjects and themes good-quality climate education should span – going far beyond the realms of Geography and Science.

First at all, what is climate education? As the most recent iteration of similar concepts such as ‘environmental education’, climate education gained prominence during the 2019 strikes and has since transformed into a cultural and political movement.

When interviewing stakeholders across the sector for OVO Foundation’s report, it became clear to me that climate education should encompass much more than merely the causes and impacts of climate change. Young people must be taught about what these impacts mean for society both economically and culturally, what solutions are available for them to adapt to a changing world, and what skills they might need in the future.

It was also apparent that the UK’s current education system does not equip people with the skills and knowledge required to navigate a rapidly-changing future. Whilst the Department for Education’s (DfE) 2022 Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy was a turning point in the provision of climate education, barriers such as lack of teacher training and an overly siloed national curriculum are hampering progress.

Having spent the past year working with both OVO Foundation and Students Organising for Sustainability (SOS-UK), I no longer view climate education as something confined to Geography or Science. As well as ensuring up-to-date information, good climate education is about combating eco-anxiety and the mental health crisis by connecting students and teachers to the natural environment.

It is also about providing young people with examples of the real-life, human impacts of climate change and – crucially – equipping them with the solutions to mitigate these. The climate crisis disproportionately impacts different regions and demographics, and an understanding of how this intersects with other socioeconomic themes such as racial justice and gender disparity is vital.

Climate education is equally about putting into action what students learn in classrooms. Schools and teachers are already taking positive steps on this, as many have ambitious sustainability targets and are decarbonising buildings through better insulation, heat pumps, and solar panels.

Some schools have actively fostered climate action: for example, Ashley Church of England Primary School encouraged year 6 students to lead the school’s energy monitoring system. Initiatives such as this not only provide important innovation and leadership skills, but also leave young people with a greater sense of agency and empowerment. They can even have broader impacts on society, as students transfer their learnings to friends and family.

There has certainly been progress on climate education since I was at school, but more is needed. The Government’s Curriculum and Assessment Review is an unmissable opportunity to reform the education system into one that ensures future generations are prepared for the climate and ecological crisis.

Most importantly, climate education is not just about coping with a changing world; the transition to a net-zero, nature-positive economy also opens up myriad opportunities for young people. They must now be empowered to seize them.