Today’s children are set to inherit a planet with more frequent extreme weather events than ever before — so it only makes sense to prepare them for the reality of climate change, according to the United Nations education agency. And the best place to start is in school.
But the role of education in combating climate change is not getting the attention it deserves in international education or climate agendas, UNESCO said. And in recent years, only 2.4% of climate finance has been spent on climate and child-related activities, with education-specific projects being very limited.
Furthermore, while schools around the world are being closed due to extreme weather events such as extreme heat, the agency finds that only just under half of countries’ school curricula — 47% — even mention climate disruption.
About the author
Sophie Edwards
Sophie Edwards is a Devex Contributing Reporter covering global education, water and sanitation, and innovative financing, along with other topics. She has previously worked for NGOs, and the World Bank, and spent a number of years as a journalist for a regional newspaper in the U.K. She has a master's degree from the Institute of Development Studies and a bachelor's from Cambridge University.
