Press Release
Campaign Urges Governments at Next Year’s UN Climate Conference to Back Compulsory Climate Education and Literacy
September 21, 2020
Urgent Action Needed to Equip All Youth with the Knowledge and Skills Needed to Join Green Economy
Washington D.C. — EARTHDAY.ORG today launched a global campaign aimed at ensuring that all students receive quality, wide-ranging, climate education in schools across all grade levels and disciplines.
The campaign encourages governments attending the crucial United Nations climate summit in 2021 to make climate change and climate literacy a core feature of school curriculum across the globe. In addition to EARTHDAY.ORG, early backers range from trade unions and teachers’ unions to environmental organizations, NGOs, and Mayors from around the globe such as the International Trades Union Confederation, National Wildlife Federation, and Labor Network for Sustainability.
“At COP26, we need stepped up action and ambition right across the Paris Agreement, and that includes ambition in respect to climate education. We need to better educate our children and youth on the science and the risks, but also the excitement of building a better world; generating more good jobs in sustainable businesses and the benefits of being greener consumers and more active citizens. I welcome this global initiative and look forward to it stimulating excitement and enthusiasm among all governments and all sectors of society,” said Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Backers believe the campaign is a critical step to bridge a cavernous gap in society’s response to humanity’s greatest existential challenge.
“Climate and environmental literacy is a key component to protect the planet,” Fr. Joshtrom Isaac Kureethadam, Coordinator of the Sector of Ecology and Creation at the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
David Edwards, the General Secretary of Education International, the largest federation of teachers’ trades unions, said, “Climate change is the most important issue humanity faces today. Our 32 million members all over the planet have repeatedly raised the alarm, together with youth and students. Our World Congress last year passed a resolution calling for education systems to ensure comprehensive climate change education—that is not happening, and we need to change it.”
Climate education can also help foster a new generation of citizens with the interest and the skills needed for jobs in a growing green economy, to make better, sustainable consumer choices and to hold governments — both national and local — accountable for their decisions.
Kathleen Rogers, President of EARTHDAY.ORG which is one of the key organizations behind the campaign, said, “An educated and civically active citizenry is the best bet the world has for overcoming the climate and environmental emergency. It is the key to building strong communities, an engaged workforce, and the sustainable economies needed for the 21st Century. It has to start in schools, and it has to start now. Together, we can change this.”
Rogers praised the governments of Italy and Mexico for stepping up their ambition in advance of COP26 with measures that underline some of the bold, far-reaching changes needed.
“The goal for all governments at COP26 in the UK next year is clear. Compulsory and assessed climate education is required linked with real-life civic engagement — so what is taught in the classroom is reinforced by real world experience whether it be learning how to install solar panels on a school roof or restoring a degraded forest and will flow out into our companies and higher education institutions,” said Kathleen Rogers.
In a letter to the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Patricia Espinosa and governments, the campaigners concede that every country must be free to choose their roadmap for implementing climate literacy.
“We also urge governments to find ways and means to advance climate literacy at home and support poorer countries’ efforts to meet their climate education goals,” says the letter.
“Introducing civics and climate literacy tools in the classroom can help those most affected by climate change, the vulnerable and marginalized communities, by building knowledge and skills for the growing green economy,” said Kathleen Rogers.
Increased Climate Education Backed by Scientists
In a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences earlier in 2020, researchers argue that education is one of the key social tipping points to realize the aim of stabilizing the Earth’s climate by 2050.
The researchers, drawn from centers in Africa, Europe and the United States, state, “These social tipping interventions comprise removing fossil-fuel subsidies and incentivizing decentralized energy generation, building carbon-neutral cities, divesting from assets linked to fossil fuels, revealing the moral implications of fossil fuels, strengthening climate education and engagement, and disclosing greenhouse gas emissions information.”
Wide-Spread Public Support
There are strong indications of wide-spread public support for a dramatic step up in climate education and literacy, including in schools, worldwide.
A survey by World Wide Views, conducted in close to 80 countries before the 2015 Summit that adopted the landmark Paris Climate Change Agreement, found that close to 80 percent of those questioned thought climate education was the strongest policy for reducing emissions followed by action to protect tropical forests.
Earlier this month the views of the UK citizens climate assembly, with people drawn from all walks of life, were announced on how they thought the country could achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
The citizens proposed many direct measures such as taxing frequent flyers and reducing red meat consumption, but the overarching recommendation was information and education.
Nations meet in the Scottish city of Glasgow in November 2021 to raise ambition across the areas of the Paris Climate Change Agreement.
Climate education falls under Article 12 of the Agreement known as Action for Climate Empowerment.
Notes to Editors
EARTHDAY.ORG is driving the campaign for increased climate education and literacy. Learn more here: https://www.earthday.org/campaign/climate-environmental-literacy/
The sign-up letter that will be presented to Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC and the more than 190 governments or ‘Parties’ attending COP26, can be signed here: https://action.earthday.org/cop26_literacy_letter_orgs
For more information on Action for Climate Empowerment, which includes education, please visit: https://unfccc.int/topics/education-youth/the-big-picture/what-is-action-for-climate-empowerment
Media Contacts
Nick Nuttall, International Strategic Communications Director, EARTHDAY.ORG [email protected]
Olivia Altman, Publicist, EARTHDAY.ORG [email protected]
List of Campaign Supporters
| Organization | Signatory | Title |
| 1 Million Women | Natalie Isaacs | Founder/CEO |
| Accelerating Climate Action | Renard Siew | Co-Founder |
| Africa Environmental and Health Advancement Network | Cordelia Adamu | Founder/President |
| African Climate Reality Project | Nicole Rodel | Communications Officer |
| African Climate Reality Project | Amy Giliam | Branch Manager |
| AGEREF/CL | Mamadou Karama | Secrétaire Exécutif |
| Alberta Council for Environmental Education (ACEE) | Gareth Thomson | Executive Director |
| Alliance for Climate Education, ACE | Reb Anderson | Director of Education |
| Alliance for Climate Education, ACE | Maayan Cohen | Director of Partnerships and Campaigns |
| Animals Are Sentient Beings, Inc. | Sarah Stewart | President |
| APNEK TUNISIA | Youssef kKhelif | Président |
| Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem | Jad Isaac | Doctor |
| Aquaworld | Paul Ayomide | Founder/Team Lead |
| Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) | Najib Saab | Secretary General |
| Arab Network Popular Education (EPEP) | Elsy Wakil | Coordinator |
| Arab Youth Climate Movement Qatar | Neeshad Shafi | Executive Director |
| Arava Institute for Environmental Studies | Cathie Granit | Program Director |
| Asociacion Peru Sembrando Vida | Mrs. Mafalda Leguia | President |
| Association of Science and Technology Center | Cristin Dorgelo | President and CEO |
| Association of Zoos & Aquariums | Dan Ashe | President and CEO |
| Association of Zoos & Aquariums | Amy Rutherford | Director, Professional Development & Education |
| Australian Parents for Climate Action | Suzie Brown | National Director |
| Bibi Productions | Bibi Russell | Founder |
| Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Program | Linda Cabot | Founder and President |
| Bulacan State University | Dr. Richard Clemente | Dean |
| Bureau for Rights Based Development (BRD) | Khan Agha Dawoodzai | Executive Director |
| Campaign for Environmental Literacy | Jim Elder | Director |
| Canadian Parents for Climate Action | Fiona Koza | Founder |
| Care about Climate | Natalie Lucas | CEO |
| Center for Ecoliteracy | Adam Kesselman | Executive Director |
| Center for Green Schools at USGBC | Anisa Heming | Director |
| Centro Mexicano de Responsabilidad Global CEMERG, A. C. | Ney Villamil | Secretary General |
| Change Can Change Climate Change (C5) Foundation | Vishnu P R | CEO |
| Cinemaplaneta | Eleonora Isunza | Co-Director |
| CLEAN Network | Frank Niepold | Leadership Board Co-chair |
| Clean-Tech Republik CIC | Hira Wajahat | Founder |
| Climate Action Network Uganda | ||
| Climate Cardinals | Rohan Arora | Executive Board Member and Director of Research and Development |
| Climate Dads | Jason Sandman | Co-Founder |
| Climate Generation: A Will Steger Legacy | Kristen Poppleton | Senior Director of Programs |
| Climate Reality Leadership Corps | Arby Paulyn Rae Duero | Climate Reality Leader |
| Climate Reality Project | Kenneth Berlin | President and CEO |
| Climate Strike Thailand | ||
| ClimateMama | Harriet Shugarman | Executive Director |
| Club of Rome | Sandrine Dixson-Declève | Co-president |
| Club of Rome | Mamphela Ramphele | Co-president |
| Communitopia | Katie Modic | Executive Director |
| Congolese Youth Biodiversity Network | Marie Nancy Chimanuka | Member |
| Conservation Music Lesotho | Reekelitsoe Molapo | Co-founder |
| Contact Base | Ananya Bhattacharya | Secretary |
| Cork Environmental Forum | Bernadette Connolly | Coordinator |
| Design for Change | Sanjli Gidwaney | Co-Director |
| E3 Washington | Sylvia Hadnot | Co-Chair |
| Earth Uprising International | Alexandria Villaseñor | Founder and Youth Staff Coordinator |
| EarthEcho International | Philippe Cousteau | Founder |
| EcoAction Arlington | Elenor Hodges | Executive Director |
| Eco-Friends AJK | Ghaznain Iqbal | Co-Founder |
| Education International | David Edwards, PhD | General Secretary |
| EDUCA | Iñigo Orvañanos | President |
| EDUCA | Monica Cinco | General Director |
| Enab Baladi | Masoud Betar | PR Officer |
| Environment America | Andrea McGimsey | Sr. Director, Global Warming Solutions Campaign |
| Environment America | Wendy Wendlandt | Acting President |
| Environment Savers of Zambia | Enock Mwewa | Executive Director |
| Environmental Citizenship Program | Mahnaz Kadhemi | Member |
| EURONAT | Guenther Seidel | |
| European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) | Tanya Bascombe | Joint General Manager |
| Fondo para la Comunicación y la Educación Ambiental, A.C. | Teresa Gutiérrez | |
| Foreldreløftet (Parents’ Pledge) | Veslemøy Klavenes-Berge | Co-founder |
| Foundation Earth | Randy Hayes | Executive Director |
| Fuji Office Machines FZE | Amir Ali | CEO |
| Fundación Moisés Bertoni | Raquel Fratta | Lider de Iniciativas para la Nueva Economía |
| FutureSavers Sustainable Development Initiative Nigeria | Bernard Ogechi Destiny | Regional Supervisor |
| Global Shapers New Delhi Hub | Mitali Nikore | Curator |
| Gray2Green Movement | Kelo Uchendu | Founder and Lead Strategist |
| Green Cross Belarus | Vladimir Shevtsov | Director |
| Green Hope | Kehkashan Basu | Founder |
| Green Our Planet | Ciara Byrne | Founder and Co-Executive Director |
| Green society | Asmaa Hanafi | Founder |
| Green Vigil Foundation | Kaustav Chatterjee | Founder |
| Green Vigil Foundation | Surbhi Jaiswal | Team Lead |
| Greenpeace Africa | Nhlanhla Sibisi | Climate & Energy Campaigner |
| Guardianes De La Tierra | Francisco Javier Vera Manzanares | Founder |
| Happy Community Organization | James Njuguna | Executive Director |
| Hip Hop Caucus | Rev Yearwood | President and Founder |
| Ibdaa Foundation for the Environment and Sustainable Development | Dr. Yaser Baazab | |
| Institute for Environmental Policy-Albania | Endri Haxhiraj | Executive Director |
| Institute for Nature Conservation in Albania | Genti Kromidha | President |
| Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Xalapa | Laura Ruelas-Monjardin | Docente |
| International Association for the Advancement of Innovative Approaches to Global Challenges- IAAI GloCha | Miroslav Polzer | Executive Director |
| International Trades Union Confederation | Sharon Burrow | General Secretary |
| International Youth Council – Yemen | Ala Mustafa Al-Rabeei | Environment & Climate Change Program Coordinator |
| IvyPlus Network, India | ||
| Kabataang Lingkod Bayan ng Pilipinas | Raiza Mae Togado | Deputy National Secretary General |
| King’s Centre for Visualization in Science | Peter Mahaffy | Director |
| Kupu Hawai’i | Yvonne Yoro | Program Coordinator |
| Latino Outdoors | Luis Villa | Executive Director |
| Labor Network for Sustainability | Joe Uehlein | President |
| Let’s Do It India | Pankaj Choudhary | Founder |
| Liberian Youth for Climate Actions – LYCA | Ezekiel Nyanfor | Founder & Executive Director |
| Malawi National Youth Network on Climate Change( NYNCC). | Malango Kayira | Member |
| Mass Audubon | Kristen Scopinich | Director of Education and Engagement |
| Moms Clean Air Force | Molly Rauch | Public Health Policy Director |
| Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust | Carl Bruessow | Executive Director |
| National Campaign for Sustainable Development Nepal | Daya Sagar Shrestha | Chairperson |
| National Center for Science Education | Ann Reid | Executive Director |
| National Children’s Campaign | Kimberly Gutzler | Co-Founder and President |
| National Council for the Social Studies | Lawrence Paska | |
| National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation – NNOCCI | Lauren Watkins, PhD | 2021 Executive Chair |
| National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation – NNOCCI | Emily Moberg, PhD | 2020 Executive Chair |
| National Wildlife Federation | Kevin Coyle | Counsel to the President and CEO |
| Netzwerk Schweizer Pärke | Dominique Weissen | Geschäftsführerin |
| Nikore Associates | Mitali Nikore | Founder |
| North American Association for Environmental Education | Judy Braus | Exectutive Director |
| NY Sun Works | Manuela Zamora | Executive Director |
| Ocean Foundation | Mark Spalding | President |
| Our Kids’ Climate | Frida Berry Eklund | Founder and Senior Adviser |
| Parents for Climate Aotearoa | Alicia Hall | National Coordinator |
| Parents for Climate Israel | ||
| Parents for Climate Israel | ||
| Parents for Climate Poland | ||
| Parents for Future Germany | ||
| Parents for Future Global | ||
| Parents for Future UK | ||
| PROCASUR | Juan Moreno | Director |
| Poly Prep Country Day School | Brian Filiatraut | Director of Sustainability |
| Rachel’s Network | Fern Shepard | President |
| REEDUCA | Ana Paula Margain León | General Coordinator |
| The Resilient Foundation | ||
| Reversible | Ruben Cors | Co-founder |
| RJS/Clim | Miti Madina Ouattara | Bénévol |
| Rural Environmental Sustainability Initiative | Herbert Murungi | Operations Director |
| Sanctuary Nature Foundation, India | Bittu Sahgal | Founder |
| Sangguniang Kabataan | Marian Jule Cedeno | Sangguniang Kabataan Federated President |
| SAVE Foundation | Waltraud Kugler | Project Director |
| Schools for Climate Action | Nancy Metzger-Carter | Lead Teacher |
| Sea Cleaners | Yvan Bourgnon | President-Founder |
| SEEP | Simo Ribaj | Chairman |
| Solar Impulse Foundation | Bertrand Piccard | Chair |
| Soluciones Turisticas Sostenibles STS CR SA | Roberto Emilio Baca Plazaola | Soluciones Turisticas Sostenibles STS CR SA |
| Southwest Voter Registration Education Project and William C. Velasquez Institute | Lydia Camarillo | President |
| Sukaar Foundation | Gulab Rai | Sr. Program Manager |
| Sustainability and Education Policy Network | Marcia McKenzie | Director |
| Sustainable Energy and Enterprise Development for Communities (SEED4COM) | Clarence Gio Almoite | Project Coordinator |
| SustainableOman | Agnes Astolfi | Founder |
| SustainableQATAR | Katrin Scholz-Barth | President |
| Take Action Global | Koen Timmers | Executive Director |
| Tanzania youth biodiversity network | Zuhura Ahmad | Biodiversity conservation |
| Tanzania Youth Biodiversity Network | Rhoda Chausa | Organization Representative |
| Techno India Group / Y-East | Pauline Laravoire | Sustainability Director |
| The Community Check-Up | Rohan Arora | Founder & Executive Director |
| The Eroteme | Ronnel Franco Landrito | |
| The Global W.E./Global Warming Express | Genie Stevens | Executive Director |
| The Green Guerrilla | Melissa Tan | |
| The Hunger Project Mexico | Diana Delgadillo Ramírez | Manager of Advocacy in Public Policy |
| The Ianna Mallayka Foundation | Mallayka Oddenyo | Director |
| The Parents’ Climate Community | Eileen McGinnis | Founder |
| The Shri Ram school | Aditya Mukarji | Secretary Environment |
| Timorese Youth Initiative for Development | ||
| Together to protect Human & the Environment Association | Saadiyah Hassoon | General Director |
| Union of Agricultural Work Committees | دعاء زايد | سيدة |
| Universidad Técnica de Manabí | Dr. Ezequiel Zamora-Ledezma | Professor |
| Utpravan YF | ||
| Våra barns klimat | Sofia Bernett | Head of Operations |
| We Don’t Have Time | Ingmar Rentzhog | Founder and CEO |
| We Mean to Clean | ||
| Women and Gender Constituency | Bridget Burns | Co-focal point |
| Women and Gender Constituency | Ndivile Mokoena | Co-focal point |
| YES- Young European Socialists | Alícia Homs Ginel | President |
| YOUNG CEO | Hemang Vellore | CO-FOUNDER |
| Young Earth Savers Club | Andy Alegre | Member |
| Young Environmental Forum | Ludwig Federigan | Executive Director |
| Young Environmental Forum | Elvira Capili | Climate Reality Leader |
| YOUNGO | Marie-Claire Graf | Co-Focal Point |
| YOUNGO | Heeta Lakhani | Co-Focal Point |
| Youth Action for Success and Development | Edward Msiska | Executive Director |
| YOUTH FOR OUR PLANET | Maurice Munga | Regional Mobiliser for Africa |
| Youth For Our Planet Africa | ||
| Youth Strike 4 Climate Philippines | Jefferson Estela | Lead Convenor |
| Yuvsatta (youth for peace) | Parmod Sharma | Founder |
| (individual) | Thomas Lovejoy, PhD | Conservation Biologist |
| (individual) | Mark S. McCaffrey | Founder of ECOS and Co-founder of CLEAN, the Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network. |
| (individual) | Mayor Mary Casillas Salas | Mayor Chula Vista, CA |
| (individual) | Mayor Victoria Woodards | Mayor Tacoma, WA |
| (individual) | Mayor John Dailey | Mayor Tallahassee, FL |
| (individual) | Mayor Jorge Munoz Wells | Mayor of Lima |
| (individual) | Mrs. Karla Raquel Taboada Falla | Jefa de Educación Ambiental Municipal Government of Lima |
| (individual) | Michelle Wyman | Energy, Climate and Environment Expert |
| (individual) | Ricky Kej | Composer, music producer and environmentalist |
| (individual) | Brenda Mwale | EARTHDAY.ORG Ambassador |
| (individual) | Jeancy Kangunza | EARTHDAY.ORG Ambassador |
| (individual) | Aditya Dubey | EARTHDAY.ORG Ambassador |
| (individual) | Aditya Mukarji | EARTHDAY.ORG Ambassador |
| (individual) | Batjargal Ankhtsetseg | EARTHDAY.ORG Ambassador |
| (individual) | Belgutei Chizorig | EARTHDAY.ORG Ambassador |
| (individual) | Hemang Vellore | EARTHDAY.ORG Ambassador |
| (individual) | Ridhima Pandey | EARTHDAY.ORG Ambassador |
| (individual) | Saddam Sahito | EARTHDAY.ORG Ambassador |
| (individual) | Sidharth Singh, | EARTHDAY.ORG Ambassador |
