Why Climate Change Education isn't just another brick in the wall of Education for Sustainable Development?
In the ever-evolving landscape of sustainability education, two intertwined pathways, Climate Change Education (CCE) and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), offer distinct yet interrelated avenues for fostering global citizenship and addressing climatic and environmental challenges. David Wilgenbus, Executive Director of the Office for Climate Education (OCE), renowned for his leadership in numerous educational initiatives, and Nicolas Vogt, Education Officer at the OCE, an accomplished natural sciences educator with 15 years of teaching expertise, provide insights into the critical distinctions and synergies between CCE and ESD.
Climate Change Education: There is no simple answer to the climate crisis! 📖
Climate Change Education (CCE) is founded on a robust basis of scientific literacy and active pedagogies, supported by research showcasing their significant impacts on improving students' knowledge, attitudes, and skills related to climate change. Through practicing inquiry-based learning and hands-on experimentation, CCE fosters critical thinking and problem-solving skills essential for addressing climate challenges head-on. CCE is appropriate for an education to complexity, through the concepts of uncertainty, the different space and time scales, the climate feedbacks, multiple causes and effects, etc. Only complex thinking can cope with the uncertainties of our times. In one word, understand that climate change affects all regions and all sectors of our economies, and that there is no simple answer to that wicked-problem.
CCE transcends mere awareness-raising; it emphasizes proactive engagement in solution-oriented learning. By immersing students in project-based initiatives, rooted in local contexts and taking into consideration local cultures, CCE instills a sense of empowerment and effectiveness. In this proactive way, young people are actively involved in their own learning, an excellent way to combat eco-anxiety.
Education for Sustainable Development: “Be careful not to scatter” 🌱
It is also important to underline that Climate Change Education (CEE) is intricately woven within the framework of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations in 2015, directly contributing to SDG goal 4 (target 4.7) and SDG goal 13 (target 13.3), and closely linked to all other SDGs.
Initially regarded as just one among many themes, climate change has increasingly emerged as a distinct and pressing issue, requiring dedicated efforts separate from those aimed at promoting Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), in general. Indeed, despite its societal significance, climate change remains a marginalized topic in educational settings. Recent data from UNESCO reveals that climate change is referenced in only 53% of national education programs worldwide, and when it is acknowledged, it tends to remain very marginal (only 2% of school curricula integrate CC to a moderate or high level).
Despite its noble goals, research shows that ESD sometimes suffers from a lack of deep reflection in the pedagogies implemented, with the emblematic example of low-impact eco gestures or activities that prevent learners from engaging in critical thinking, analysis and evaluation. Additionally, content is sometimes decontextualized from learners’ daily lives. These deficiencies can undermine the real impact of ESD initiatives…
ESD offers a wide range of opportunities by transcending disciplinary boundaries and embracing a holistic approach encompassing environmental, social, and economic sustainability dimensions. However, within this expansive landscape, a critical challenge arises: the risk of dilution. As Albert Bandura, a psychologist from Stanford University, aptly stated, "when it's everywhere, the risk is that at the end it is nowhere." The blurring boundaries of ESD often lead to the inclusion of everything under the sustainability umbrella, resulting in a loss of focus and effectiveness.
CCE + ESD: the Educational Dream Team? 💚
Gradually, the idea of living with and adapting to successive crises (socio-economic, environmental, including the climate crisis) took hold and transformed ESD. The world of education has gradually taken hold of this vision of education: education for climate adaptation and mitigation, the weight of the collective, questioning a model (transformative school).
While CCE and ESD each offer distinct perspectives on sustainability education, their true power lies in their ability to converge and complement one another. Infusing ESD initiatives with the foundational tenets of CCE enhances the impact of both. By integrating climate change education topics and pedagogies into broader ESD frameworks, we not only broaden the scope and significance of CCE but embed it within a comprehensive sustainability paradigm.
At the Office for Climate Education, our aim is to make climate change education a key part of Sustainable Development Education and ecological transition. We advocate for interdisciplinary approaches, fostering a holistic understanding of sustainability. We're dedicated to enhancing this integrated educational model by using our expertise and partnerships to promote global citizenship as well as local community adaptation or mitigation actions. Together, let’s empower learners to address climate change effects and create a fairer, more sustainable world for future generations.