Climate Education
Our Man in Brussels
October 24, 2025
EARTHDAY.ORG has been championing climate education for more than a decade, with a dedicated education team highlighting how teaching students about the climate crisis not only helps ease their anxiety about its threats but also prepares them for the rapidly growing global green workforce.
With a team in Washington DC as well as in India, Brazil and Europe – Johnny Dabrowski works based across two locations for us in Europe, Ireland and Poland, but he is always on the move, as much as his college studies allow, advocating for universal climate education in all schools.
Johnny is the coordinator of the Climate Education Coalition and a student of Politics and Geography at Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. He was awarded the Youth Engagement Prize by the Mayor of Warsaw in 2019 and received the Sustainability Leadership Award from Trinity College Dublin in 2024. A passionate advocate for climate education, Johnny has represented youth voices at major international forums, including the G7 Education Ministers’ Meeting (2024), COP26, COP27, COP28, and the UNESCO Transforming Education Summit. He campaigns globally for the integration of compulsory climate education in school curricula.
Q: Johnny, tell us who you are and what you do for EARTHDAY.ORG?
Johnny: I’m a climate education advocate, traveler, and student and while I live in Dublin, I am fromI Poland. On behalf of EARTHDAY.ORG (EDO) I co-ordinate the Climate Education Coalition, which I founded at the EARTHDAY.ORG Climate Education Hub at COP27 in Egypt.
The coalition represents more than 100 youth and civil society organizations, including the World Organization of the Scout Movement and SOS-UK. Our goal is to make climate science an integral part of the curriculum of all schools globally and an adventurous academic endeavor for all students.
Q: That sounds like a lot – how did you first become an activist?
Johnny: My family has always taught me to appreciate the natural world. The ocean, the mountains, and outdoor activities in general have always interested me. So I have been curious about the natural world for as long as I can remember and I wanted to share this passion with others.
This led to my decision to become an advocate for climate education across all school curricula, because understanding the world we live in is a vital skill and a primary tool for addressing the environmental challenges we all face. Since 2021, I have worked with EARTHDAY.ORG and the Climate Education Coalition to integrate climate education into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) — countries’ official climate action plans under the Paris Agreement — as well as into national school curricula.
Q: You just flew back to Ireland from Brussels – what were you doing there?
Johnny: On Thursday, October 22, 2025 Europe celebrated Education For Climate Day and as part of that event I was invited by the European Commission to moderate the opening panel, called “Global Lessons for European Learning”, at the EU Commission in Brussels, Belgium.
I had the great honor of moderating a conversation with an esteemed panel featuring Bella Nestorova, Team Leader for Disaster Risk and Resilience at the Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO), European Commission. Mariela Buonomo Zabaleta, Senior Education Programme Specialist at the International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP), UNESCO. Eric Guilyardi, climate scientist, researcher at the National Centre for Scientific Research / Laboratory of Oceanography and Climate, Institute Pierre‑Simon Laplace (CNRS/LOCEAN‑IPSL), France, and Chair/President of the Office for Climate Education (OCE) and Dr. Iryna Nikolayeva, Lead of the “In the MOOD for Climate Action” learning programme at the Learning Planet Institute.
They are all key players in the climate education world, and it was important for me to represent EARTHDAY.ORG as it has been a key NGO supporting and advocating for this critically important mission of teaching every student about climate education. EDO’s been championing the cause as it were even when it was not popular so that fact that I was here, proves we have helped to get this critically important issue onto the global agenda. It was a great moment to meet like minded thinkers to and represent the Climate Education Coalition too.
Q: What was discussed on the panel you moderated?
Johnny: The main theme of the whole event was how international agreements, such as the Paris Agreement and the associated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), shape national education policies. Participants agreed that the recent surge in NDC commitments to climate education must be matched with adequate climate finance in order to create a meaningful, lasting impact. How are schools in the Global South for example going to integrate climate education into their curricula if they are not funded?
We also discussed the EU Preparedness Strategy, which plans for resilience in the face of both geopolitical tensions and natural climate disasters. We especially focused on education as a means of building resilience because students need to know what is happening when their communities are impacted by extreme weather events, like flooding and wildfires, triggered by climate change. Climate literacy, climate change and national security are all intertwined.
You can watch Johnny in action moderating the panel HERE.
Q: Why is Europe so key to spreading the planet saving qualities of climate education?
Johnny: The broad answer is that the European Union is the most powerful economic block in the world and at the same time one of the largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters in the world. As of 2023, the European Union (EU) accounted for approximately 6% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, making it the world’s fourth-largest emitter after China, the United States, and India. That is down from 1990 but Europe has a huge role to play in not only limiting their own emissions but also in persuading other nations too as well.
A more climate education–focused perspective is that European leaders’ decisions on whether and how climate education is included in school curricula affect millions of students across the EU, from kindergarten through college. The most recent data from 2020, says there are approximately 93.3 million pupils and students enrolled across the European Union. This encompasses all levels of education, from pre-primary through tertiary (university) education – so that is a lot of students that could have the opportunity to be taught climate education if the EU designated it as part of their NDC.
Furthermore, Europe wields significant “soft power” in shaping how other countries approach climate education. The upcoming EU Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which is expected to include a commitment to climate education, would be a major step forward—and one to be celebrated if it comes to pass. Such a move could influence other nations to follow suit. Importantly, this is not just a policy statement on paper; it represents a strategic and actionable direction for European countries to implement in practice. We have been pushing for this for years so it’s a pivotal moment.
Q: Why Does Education For Climate Day Matter?
It is, as it were, closing the loop. At COP21, ministers did not recognize the connections between ecology, sustainable development, and climate education in school curricula. Today, as we celebrate EU Education for Climate Day, many European countries—across governments of different political persuasions—have already integrated climate education into their curricula. We are now on the path toward incorporating climate education into the EU Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). We have an NDC Tracker where you can see which countries have adopted climate education and teaching, at what levels of commitment and who has yet to do so.
Moreover, the EU’s preparedness strategy—which has evolved in response to the war in Ukraine, disinformation, and natural disasters—recognizes climate education as a key tool to equip citizens to face crises. Today, we celebrated these significant strides.
Q: Long term what are your hopes for climate education?
Every single student on the planet should learn about climate change in an integrated way across all subjects—whether in science, math, or art. Climate education not only empowers youth to understand and address the world’s challenges but also prepares them for the workforce, making them more competitive in the job market.
This is not a partisan issue—we should rise above divisions. Whether your goal is to save the planet or simply ensure that your children are prepared for the future, teaching climate education is essential. It equips the next generation with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities they deserve. In short: it’s good for the planet and good for your kids’ futures. Who can honestly argue against that logic?
Q: Tell us about your policy and advocacy wins Johnny?
We are close to embedding climate education and green skills in the EU NDCs and well over 60 other nations outside of the EU group, including the Vatican, have adopted climate education in one form or another into their NDCs.
So EARTHDAY.ORG and the Climate Education Coalition have truly changed the political narrative around climate education with relentless campaigning and advocacy. This is a big win. Through hours of bilaterals, a zillion press conferences, working at COPs, countless petitions, advocay, engagement and media coverage we have finally changed the way the public and more importantly in this NDC fight, how policymakers think of climate on the curricula, for the better. It’s not a niche subject anymore!
Q: How do you feel about COP30?
Climate education is on the COP30 agenda, there are two entire days dedicated to discuss green skills and education. That is good news and my colleagues Bryce Coon, Director Education at EDO, Rodolfo Beltran, EDO’s Regional Director South America (who is based in Brazil) and Max Falcone, our Global Advisor, will be in Belém fighting for climate education integration into every country’s NDC..
However there will likely not be a global, major declaration of countries universally backing the teaching of climate education. It’s a huge pity, as so many countries are now showing their support with inclusion type language in their own NDCs. I believe EDO and the Climate Education Coalition will keep pushing for it and promote the NDC adoption via our team’s work at Side Events and our endless advocacy and communications support. Stay tuned;) We will win in the end!
Q: If you had one dream for CP30 what would it be?
For green climate funds to give one billion dollars to climate education in the curricula, especially to nations in the global south countries especially who need funding. The Global South pays a high price due to climate change, which is largely being driven by the countries in the North.
Q: Long term what will be your ambitions for you, president of Poland?
I am really happy with my current role! Sometimes I wake up in the beautiful Trinity campus, go for a sea swim, then to lectures and by the end of the day I depart for a climate conference somewhere new. I don’t believe it’s real and it can feel like a dream.
But it’s my life and I owe this mission and my success to my family and my closest friends, to whom I’m truly grateful. They are always there for me. I would love to continue on this path, and connect geography exploration, biodiversity protection and diplomacy. Nevertheless, regarding the Polish Presidency, life is a great adventure, so never say never;). Dziękuję, że poświęciliście czas na przeczytanie tego tekstu!
If you are a student or a youth facing group or organization and you want to get involved in supporting EARTHDAY.ORG’s climate education initiative and even join the Climate Education Coalition, you can contact Johnny here: [email protected]
Remember the principles of climate education are straightforward: it involves teaching students globally, from K-12, and through college, about the climate crisis, its causes, and ways to mitigate it. By integrating climate education across all subjects—art, math, science, and languages—the issues of climate change will become an unavoidable part of the curriculum. And importantly give young people the skills they will need to thrive in the green economy and the global workforce.
You can find out more on the subject in EDO’s report Climate Education vs The Climate Crisis report. There is also a two page summary of this report: The Case For Climate Education in Europe, as well as a version in Spanish. Plus, EARTHDAY.ORG produced an NDC Guide that outlines how climate education can be added to a nation’s NDC.