Campaign
Planting knowledge
Educating, equipping and empowering every child for a changing climate
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Our climate is changing and so must children’s education
- Climate change threatens all of humanity. But for children, it is existential. A child born today is likely to live for another 70 or more years, a period in which – in the absence of significant climate action – Europe and Central Asia will experience more heatwaves, wildfires, floods, deteriorating water quality and air pollution.
- Education is essential to help children understand and respond to these challenges, playing a vital role in climate change adaptation and mitigation.
- Across the region, some children are already learning about climate change and sustainability, and countries are beginning to embed climate education into national curricula.
- But climate change education needs to go further. As climate impacts intensify, integrating climate change in the education system helps to equip children and youth with the skills needed to support the green transition and tackle the employment shortages that many nations are encountering.
#PlantingKnowledge is a call to integrate climate change education into every classroom, equipping children with the knowledge to understand the crisis and the skills to shape a more sustainable future.
Across the region
See how teachers, children, schools and communities are coming together to plant knowledge and grow resilience
Our goal
By 2030, most countries across Europe and Central Asia will reform their school curricula to integrate climate change and green skills into learning at primary and secondary levels
Delivering on this vision requires system-wide action and support:
- Governments commit publicly to integrating climate change education into national curricula across all levels of education
- Education authorities provide training programmes, tools and resources to enable teachers and school administrators to deliver high-quality, age-appropriate climate change education
- Education systems embed green skills to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities of the future
- Policymakers consult children and young people and involve them meaningfully in decisions that shape climate and education policies
The power of teachers
Meet the teachers helping children grow into climate leaders. One lesson at a time.
What you can do
Everyone has a role to play in equipping children for a future shaped by climate change. Here's how parents, educators and policymakers can help move climate education forward:
For parents and caregivers
- Talk to your children about the climate, help them understand what’s changing in their environment and how their actions matter
- Work with your school community to improve classroom environments and support eco-friendly practices
- Encourage eco-friendly practices at home and with advocate with your school community for climate change education to be included in school activities and classroom learning
For teachers and school administrators
- Integrate climate change into everyday learning by connecting environmental issues across subjects and age levels
- Access training and peer learning opportunities to build your confidence to teach climate-related topics
- Create space for student voice and action through green clubs, school-wide sustainability projects and classroom discussions
For governments and decision makers
- Integrate climate change education into national curricula across all levels, ensuring it is mandatory, age-appropriate and interdisciplinary
- Invest in teacher training and green skills so educators can deliver effective, future-focused learning
- Upgrade school infrastructure to make learning environments safer, greener and more resilient to climate risks
- Include children and young people in decision-making to ensure education reforms reflect their experiences and priorities
Climate change education will equip children with knowledge and skills to navigate climate risks and thrive in the future. Now is the time to plant knowledge and grow change.