Climate Education
World Youth Skills Day: Mind the (Climate) Gap
July 15, 2025
Every July 15th, World Youth Skills Day shines a spotlight on the incredible talents and limitless potential of young people around the globe. This year, the celebration takes on a futuristic twist, highlighting how artificial intelligence and digital skills are empowering youth to navigate—and shape—an ever-evolving job market. As technology transforms the world of work at lightning speed, today’s youth are not just keeping up; they’re leading the way into a smarter, more connected future.
On this Day, I call for investing politically and financially in developing the skills of young people so that they can help build a more just and sustainable future for all.
Ban Ki‑moon, UN Secretary‑General, 2016
AI is redefining education, work, and life. But we need to pose one question: Where does climate education fit into all of this?
AI might open up new job opportunities, but the climate crisis is the biggest issue young people will face in the coming years. It is not enough to educate young people solely in computer literacy. If we don’t educate them about the climate crisis too, we are in danger of leaving them ill-equipped for the world they’re going to inherit.
Education Should Reflect the World Young People Will Inherit
The climate crisis impacts every area of life – from the professions young people pursue to the places they settle. The reality is, our world is not doing well. Weather catastrophes, species extinction, and plastic pollution are reshaping and impacting every aspect of our lives.
Climate change is no longer just an environmental issue—it’s a force reshaping every part of our lives. It’s disrupting economies, deepening social inequalities, and accelerating technological change all at once. The impacts reach far beyond melting glaciers and rising seas: climate change threatens jobs, health, food security, and even where people can live, with the poorest and most vulnerable bearing the brunt of these risks. As new technologies emerge to address these challenges, the need to tackle climate change as a social, economic, and technological crisis has never been more urgent
Which is why the next generation of workers is going to need more than computer coding and technical skills to secure their futures. They must have climate literacy – understanding how the earth operates, why the earth is heating up, and how to restore the planet, hardwired into their education. In short: climate education has to be on the curriculum.
Tech and the Planet Don’t Have to Compete – They Need to Unite
It is easy to frame it as a problem: should schools focus more on AI and digital skills, or on sustainability and climate change?
But that’s a false choice.
We need both. Climate change is not just an environmental phenomenon, it also affects the economy, society, and technology. The next generation needs to operate in a world where the global temperature is increasing and modern technologies are growing all at the same time.
Imagine students learning and using AI tools that allow them to track illegal logging and fishing, prevent food waste, or increase the efficiency and use of renewable energy. Moreover, AI and digital technologies can accelerate climate solutions, such as forecasting weather catastrophes and optimizing energy consumption. Educating youth on both digital skills and climate awareness uniquely equips them to develop green technologies, establish sustainable businesses, and make informed decisions. That is climate education in action.
It’s Already Happening
In many places, some schools are already taking the lead by incorporating climate topics in computer class. For instance, High School students in Mexico built an app to track carbon use. In Wisconsin, university students did something analogous by creating the MyEarth app, which lets people track their daily energy use and see how small actions add up to big carbon savings. Similarly, young leaders in Hudson, New York, launched “Watts in Your Hands?”, an interactive workshop empowering community members to reduce their carbon footprints through energy conservation and affordable eco-friendly solutions.
Students at the University of Connecticut are using AI to help map beaver dens across the state, helping scientists better protect local ecosystems. At the University of Vermont, students organized an Earth Action Day Roundtable that brought together youth activists and local government officials to discuss renewable energy policies and climate resilience strategies for their city and state. Students participating in the Oxford Saïd Global Climate Change Challenge collaborated worldwide to develop innovative solutions addressing key climate issues like air pollution, food security, and biodiversity, with finalists presenting their projects at prestigious global forums.
In learning how to use AI to make these projects successful, students are also taught its impact – as using large AI models can consume a lot of water and electricity. Because while AI offers us a means to find solutions, running and training large AI models requires enormous amounts of electricity. Global data center power demand is projected to more than double by 2030, matching the total electricity use of entire countries—with significant water use for cooling these massive computing facilities as well.
Generation Green: Empowering Youth to Lead the Climate Revolution
What is clear is that young people across the globe care a lot about climate action. They want to know how they can sustain their planet and create lasting futures. The good news is that the exploding green economy is creating millions of new job opportunities in clean energy, nature conservation, and sustainable manufacturing. The International Labour Organization predicts that ‘green jobs’ will number 100 million by 2030. These careers will require workers who understand both technology and climate literacy.
By integrating climate education into youth skills training, we equip them not only for the job market but for meaningful roles in society. Green skills are essential in creating a sustainable world and enabling youths to succeed. That’s why educational systems must evolve – to prepare young people with both types of skills.
Moving Forward: Climate Education as a Priority
On World Youth Skills Day, we mark and celebrate the potential of our youth. But we also acknowledge our obligation. We have a duty towards the next generation. We owe them an education that reflects the real world and gives them the skills they will need to navigate the challenges ahead.
Let us work towards making climate education a part of every skills training program. For AI won’t save the world, but climate-educated young people just may.
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