5 Facts On How Climate Teaching Makes a Difference

COP30 has kicked off in Brazil and countries have submitted their newest national climate plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), but one thing is becoming clear: more governments are recognizing the power of teachers in fighting climate change.

These plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), are submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), under the Paris Agreement every five years. Each NDC represents an individual country’s climate commitment outlining how it plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to climate impacts, and promote sustainable development. While much attention often focuses on energy, technology  and policy targets, a quieter but important shift is underway: education, training, and public awareness are appearing more frequently and with greater detail in these climate pledges.

In the last round of NDCs, submitted around 2020, roughly 40 countries mentioned climate education. But in the new NDC 3.0 updates, that number is already rising. Now 152 nations mention climate change in some form or another. Many countries are not only talking about climate education but they are treating it as a national priority. Here’s why.

By integrating the teaching of climate change into many subjects, from maths to science, to arts to language classes, it makes our changing climate easier to comprehend. 

Plus, it builds green skills, the practical abilities that increasingly everyone needs to take part in the growing green economy, from the obvious careers such as  installing solar panels to protecting water resources to designing more energy-efficient technologies. 

To the less obvious ones, like working in an insurance office assessing climate-related risks to practicing medicine treating illnesses that our changing climate allows to spread, from malaria to heat-related illnesses, respiratory diseases, and the resurgence of vector-borne infections like dengue and Lyme disease. These skills translate directly into green jobs, a sector that is growing faster than the workforce needed to fill it. 

Chile is Turning Classrooms into Climate Action Hubs

Chile is turning classrooms into climate action hubs. In its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), the government explicitly links education to its long-term climate goals, recognizing that empowering citizens through learning is essential to reducing emissions and building resilience. 

Chile has already launched a National Climate Education Plan, which promotes environmental awareness, green skills, and teacher training. By connecting education directly to its climate targets, the country shows how learning and policy can work hand-in-hand to create a more informed and resilient society. On the ground, Chile’s Experimento in Araucanía initiative has already reached 421 teachers across 194 schools in 24 counties, embedding climate science in classroom teaching.

Meanwhile, the Green Talent program is preparing 300 students, 30 team coaches, and 30 innovation leaders with green, digital, and entrepreneurial skills to drive the low-carbon transition. By aligning curricula, teacher training, and national policy, Chile is showing how education can power climate ambition, not just follow it.

Bangladesh: Empowering Communities Through Learning

As one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, Bangladesh has long understood that education saves lives. In its new NDC, the government highlights the role of climate education and awareness campaigns in helping communities prepare for floods, heatwaves, and cyclones. Bangladesh’s approach is people-centered; teaching not just students, but farmers, workers, and local leaders how to adapt and protect livelihoods. According to UNICEF, 33 million children in Bangladesh had schooling disrupted by Climate Crises in 2024.  The NDC connects education with community resilience, making it a model for how learning can drive real world impact.

Bangladesh is aiming high: by 2030, half of all teachers and students will be equipped with digital tools. But this isn’t just about gadgets — it’s about giving educators the power to transform classrooms and spark learning that truly matters.

While many teachers around the world still lack the training and resources to teach climate change accurately, Bangladesh is preparing its educators for the future and strengthening the foundation of its entire education system.

The Republic of the Marshall Islands: Leading by Example

Small island nations lead the call for climate justice as they feel the brunt of the climate crisis; the Marshall Islands, in the Pacific Ocean,  are no exception. The country includes education and youth engagement as a key part of its national strategy, emphasizing that an informed and empowered younger generation is essential to building a sustainable future. 

The Marshall Islands has tied its education efforts to broader global advocacy, for women’s rights for example, showing that small nations can lead big conversations about equity. Proving that the more heads we put together the more likely we are to find climate mitigation strategies  that work. No one should be excluded from the climate conversation.

Kyrgyzstan Gets That The Key is Youth

The Kyrgyz Republic adds yet another dimension: linking climate education to green jobs, social protection and youth participation. Earlier this year, the Youth Climate Caravan 2025 initiative was held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. 

At the summit, Kyrgyz youth amplified the lack of climate education in their school system and advocated for its inclusion in their NDC 3.0. They changed that by successfully lobbying for its adoption. While the burden of the climate crisis is not exclusive to youth, it is inspiring to see young people stepping up to innovate ways to learn about reducing emissions, adapting to a changing planet, and pushing communities and leaders toward urgent action.

With this in mind, they have already begun pilot programs, integrating climate change into a number of professional programs. 

Schooling the Climate Crisis 

These examples make one thing clear: climate education is climate action. Teaching people how the climate works, how it’s changing, and how we can respond doesn’t just inform — it empowers citizens to act and builds the public momentum that policies need to succeed.

At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the message is undeniable: education is no longer an afterthought. It’s the foundation for meaningful climate action worldwide.

You can be part of this change. Pledge to Support Climate and Environmental Literacy, calling on governments to commit to urgent climate and environmental literacy. Every signature helps turn ambitious pledges into real classroom action and a more climate-literate world.

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Tags:

• climate education
• nationally determined contributions