Climate Education
Education as the Engine for Change
October 15, 2025
Every year on October 15th, the world celebrates World Students’ Day, a day dedicated to honoring the birth and enduring legacy of Dr. Abdul Kalam, the 11th President of India. Dr. Kalam was a scientist and statesman. Above all else he was a passionate teacher who believed that students are the architects of a better tomorrow. His life’s work championed education, innovation, and compassion as the foundations for peace and progress.
Dr. Kalam’s vision was that education should empower young people to solve the world’s greatest challenges. This aligns deeply with EARTHDAY.ORG’s mission; as pioneers in climate education, our goal is to equip children with the tools they need to enter the workforce and make the world a better place. Just as Kalam inspired generations of students to dream big and pursue knowledge in the service of humanity, EARTHDAY.ORG believes that education is a powerful and necessary tool for building a more just, sustainable, and climate-resilient world.
Learning gives creativity; Creativity leads to thinking; Thinking provides knowledge; Knowledge makes you great.
Dr. Abdul Kalam , the 11th President of India
Students as Architects of Environmental Justice
Around the globe, young people are transforming their dreams of a cleaner, healthier planet into powerful movements for change. Just take Grace Gibson-Snyder, a member of the Montana 16 who won a class action lawsuit against the state.
Grace and fifteen other people (ages 5 to 22) argued that Montana’s energy and environmental policies, particularly those promoting fossil fuels and prohibiting climate impacts from being considered in state permitting. violated their constitutional rights to a “clean and healthful environment,” dignity, liberty, and equal protection.
They asked the court to declare that the state must stop authorizing fossil fuel projects without considering greenhouse gas emissions, and to require the state to take steps toward a safe climate trajectory (e.g. limiting emissions, enforcing legal climate obligations). In August 2023, a Montana district court ruled in favor of the youth, holding that laws banning consideration of climate change in permitting decisions were unconstitutional under Montana’s constitution.
Later, in December 2024, the Montana Supreme Court affirmed that ruling. The high court found that the state law limiting analysis of greenhouse gas emissions in environmental reviews violated the constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment and permanently enjoined the state from acting on that law.
In honor of their efforts, the Montana 16 were honored at the EARTHDAY.ORG 2024 EDO Gala, where Grace accepted the award on their behalf.
From fighting in court to leading community clean-ups to climate strikes to developing renewable energy innovations, students are proving that they are not just future leaders, they are the leaders the world needs now.
Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.
Nelson Mandela
Climate Educated Students Are a Necessity Not a Luxury
Their momentum mirrors a profound shift in the global economy. The demand for green jobs is accelerating faster than almost any other sector. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, clean energy jobs grew by 4.2% in 2023, more than double the rate of overall employment nationwide.
Similarly, LinkedIn’s 2024 Global Green Jobs Report found that Americans with sustainability-related skills had a hiring rate more than 80% higher than the average worker. Hiring in solar energy is nearly double that of the fossil fuel industry, while wind energy hiring surged by 42%.Globally, the trend is even more striking. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) recorded a record 16.2 million green jobs in 2023, up from 13.7 million the previous year which is an 18% annual increase. China leads with nearly 7.4 million jobs, representing 46% of the world’s total, while the European Union, Brazil, and India are also seeing rapid growth, particularly in solar, wind, and hydropower employment.
Yet millions of students still lack access to quality climate education that equips them with the knowledge and skills to understand, adapt to, and solve the challenges of a changing planet.
Students need to know what is happening to their planet as they are living through these changes and being impacted by them. The World Bank estimates that 75 million students have their education interrupted by climate change annually, affecting their housing, access to energy and food, their mental and physical health, and economic status. They do not just need to learn for their future, but to understand their current reality.
That’s why EARTHDAY.ORG advocates for compulsory, interdisciplinary climate education in every school, in every country. Through our Climate Education Campaign, we are working with governments, educators, and youth leaders around the world to ensure that climate literacy becomes a cornerstone of education systems worldwide.
The task of the modern educator is not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts.
C.S. Lewis, author The Chronicles of Narnia
Carrying Forward Dr. Kalam’s Legacy
Dr. Kalam envisioned an education system that sparked curiosity and responsibility. He believed that real progress is not just technological, it must be purposeful, ethical, and serve humanity. He viewed education as a tool to create responsible citizens, not just skilled workers.
The best way to help do this is through a type of teaching called the interdisciplinary method. This is an educational approach that combines ideas, methods, and perspectives from multiple academic disciplines to help students explore complex topics more fully. So instead of teaching subjects in isolation (like only math, or only history), this method connects them to explore real-world problems. For example: A project on climate change for example might involve: science to understand carbon cycles, geography to look at climate zones, math to analyze data analysis of temperature changes, civics to unpack environmental policy and language to work at writing persuasive essays.
These five subjects studying climate change together will give students a much deeper understanding of what it is, how it works and how it impacts the environment and people. It is effective because it widens the perspectives students can use to approach complex issues.
By allowing students to problem-solve from the angle that resonates most with them, it fosters deeper engagement and mirrors the kind of integrated thinking required in the real world – where fields of study often blend and challenges rarely exist in isolation. This is what Dr.Kalam deeply understood – that progress must be guided by purpose and that scientific advancement should serve humanity and the planet alike. He wanted to empower students to become active stewards of the Earth..
By embedding climate education into national curricula, we can help fulfill Dr. Kalam’s dream of harnessing young minds for global good. When students understand the science of climate change, the importance of biodiversity, and the promise of renewable energy, they are better prepared to lead their communities toward sustainable solutions.
A Call to Celebrate and Act
This World Students’ Day, we celebrate not only Dr. Kalam’s legacy, but also the millions of students worldwide who embody his spirit of learning, innovation, and hope. Let us honor their potential by ensuring that every young person has the opportunity to learn about and protect our planet.With COP30 on the horizon, nations will soon gather to update their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – their commitments and plants to mitigate climate change. You can show your support for integrating climate education into these plans by pledging here so that we can continue on our mission to promote and amplify the importance of climate education in every school.
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