The fourth webinar of this series will consider the crucial role of change agents in nurturing greener communities through a lifelong learning approach that counts on close collaboration between key stakeholders. It will explore how agents for change can both benefit from and help to promote lifelong learning for climate action at the local level, in the framework of local climate learning strategies. In light of common challenges ranging from tokenism to resource mobilization, it will place a special focus on the role of youth and members of indigenous communities, exploring how change agents can be best supported in their efforts to advance sustainable climate action. Importantly, it will consider the value of participatory approaches where the development of local climate change education strategies is concerned, through promoting spaces for change agents to share expertise and experiences linked to diverse knowledge systems.
About the UNESCO-UNFCCC Webinar Series
Following the success of the first webinar series on greening education policies and curriculum on the road to COP27, the second series on greening schools on the road to COP28, and the third series on greening teacher training and education systems’ capacities on the road to COP29, UNESCO and UNFCCC are launching a fourth series of six conversations on climate change education for social transformation, from May to December 2025, on greening communities on the road to COP 30 in Belém, Brazil.
These conversations will explore the role of communities in advancing climate action through diverse learning spaces beyond formal education systems, from a lifelong learning perspective. Building on previous discussions on greening schools, curricula, and teacher training, this series will examine how lifelong learning, non-formal education, TVET, awareness-raising campaigns and local governance may contribute to sustainable and climate-resilient communities. Special attention will be given to the experiences of Indigenous peoples, young change agents, subnational governments, and UNESCO Learning Cities in fostering community-led solutions. The webinars feed into the ACE Hub, an initiative launched by UNFCCC and the German Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia in 2022 to foster education and public awareness, training, public access to information and participation in climate action.
It is increasingly recognized that education is crucial for addressing the climate emergency through building capacities for mitigation, adaptation, resilience, and sustainable development. However, recent UNESCO findings show that around half of the 100 countries reviewed had no climate change mentioned in their national curriculum frameworks. While 95% of surveyed teachers felt teaching climate change is important, less than 30% felt ready to teach about climate change in relation to their local context. 70% of youth surveyed said that they cannot explain climate change or only in broad principles and are frightened about their future.
Building on this, the Greening Education Partnership was launched at the UN Transforming Education Summit in September 2022 as a global initiative to deliver strong, coordinated, and comprehensive action. The Partnership has been supporting countries in accelerating the transformation of education by integrating climate change education and climate action at its core. As an open and inclusive community of practice, which currently includes over 1,700 organizations and 97 member states, the Partnership aims to “get every learner climate-ready” through four pillars of action: Greening Schools, Greening Curriculum, Greening Teacher Training and Education System’s Capacities, and Greening Communities.
The fourth season of this webinar series will focus on the fourth pillar of the Partnership on ‘Greening Communities’ which aims to engage the entire community by promoting climate education with a lifelong learning perspective through community learning centres and learning cities, in particular.
The webinars are conducted in English. Live interpretation in French will be provided.