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[To prevent worsening and potentially irreversible effects of climate change, the world’s average temperature should not exceed that of preindustrial times by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius.]听

showed that if only 16 percent of high school students in high- and middle-income countries were to receive climate change education, we could see a nearly 19 gigaton reduction of carbon dioxide by 2050.听听

. It can not only encourage people to change their attitudes and mindsets but also help them to make informed choices and provide them with critical problem-solving skills. According to the UN, , can help to eliminate young people鈥檚 fears, and empower and motivate them to take action.听听

How climate literacy helps

is comprised of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that enable individuals to counteract the global threat of climate change.听

Through climate literacy, students can develop strong personal connections to climate solutions and learn about environmentally conscious practices. This further helps influence students鈥� daily behaviors and decision making beyond their school life, and not only makes them aware of problems related to climate change but also reduces their .听听

Climate education in schools can give young people a sense of personal agency and empowerment, and investing in education 鈥� ensuring they understand what is happening and why, how to tackle climate change issues, and how to work towards preventing further damage in the future.听

Education has also shown to be vital in shaping beliefs about the 听

Education, youth and green skills

Education has the potential to increase the capacity of youth not only to adapt to the impacts of climate change, but also to contribute to solving climate issues, through knowledge mobilization and by building 鈥�鈥�. The acquisition of green skills helps to develop long-standing, pro-environmental behaviors in young people, which is especially important because youth can contribute to the ecological transition over a longer period of time, compared to people of other age groups. It can help individuals make in a wide variety of contexts.听Young people need knowledge around the causes of climate change, but also , including skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking, teamwork, coping with uncertainty, empathy, and negotiation.听听

How are Canadian schools doing in terms of climate change education?听听

Despite the urgent need to improve and revamp climate change education in schools, the curriculum in many provinces . A recent study by the British Columbia Council for International Cooperation, found that climate change education currently appears to be added as an afterthought to curriculum, and even when added, it tends to focus on individual accountability towards climate change, rather than addressing the need for systemic change.听听

Canada鈥檚 provinces have , but all of the evidence shows that more needs to be done.听听

The need for a reimagined and transformative education

From innovative sustainable technologies and renewable energy, to revolutions in transportation systems and industrial activity, young people must be equipped with skills and knowledge to shape a cleaner, greener, more climate resilient future.

UN听Secretary-General Ant贸nio Guterres

The role of education should be to help us move from being simply concerned and having the facts to being empowered and mobilized to take action and to collectively work towards solutions to combat climate change. This calls for the need for a . One that includes basic knowledge of climate change and the development of (like systems thinking and strategic thinking) and green skills to support pro-environmental behaviors and a workforce capable of helping us transition to a greener economic model.听

Ultimately, a transformative education must steer us towards a change in mindset 鈥� one that changes the way we see climate change and one that helps us be accountable; and enable the 听

Education, when working at its best, is one of the keys to reversing climate change.听

There are key questions to be answered to ensure that Canadian schools are able to provide essential climate change education:听

1. How can we ensure that Canadian teachers have sufficient professional development opportunities to help them teach climate change? 听
2. What needs to change so that our schools have the capacity (time, training, and resources) to support effective delivery of climate change education?听
3. Is the current curriculum content focused too narrowly on only the problem, rather than building understanding and students鈥� agency around systemic actions that could provide solutions?听
4. How can we build bridges between climate change experts and our school systems, to ensure that teaching and curriculum are informed by expert knowledge