Spotlight on education at climate action week
Christine Özden, Global Director for Climate Education at Cambridge University Press & Assessment, reflects on her time at London Climate Action Week and highlights the important role of education in the fight against climate change.
Last week I had the pleasure of participating in London Climate Action Week - one of the world’s largest independent climate change events.
Taking place from 22 - 30 June, the festival brings together individuals and organisations in London for events and collaboration with people from all over the world to find global solutions to climate change.
A central theme of this year’s event, which deeply resonated with me, was the mobilisation of society and the strengthening of key education networks for climate action. For us at Cambridge it provided an excellent platform to highlight the crucial role of education in tackling the climate crisis.
Christine Özden, Global Director for Climate Education
Christine Özden, Global Director for Climate Education
Empowering futures
On Tuesday, 25 June, I took part in a discussion titled ‘Empowering Futures: Integrating Inclusion in Climate and Education Systems’ alongside an impressive panel, including representatives from Save the Children, Abt Global, ADRA UK and Global Partnership for Education.
Key topics of discussion included addressing challenges such as access to education for girls, mitigating learning disruptions during crises, combating gender-based violence in schools, and advancing gender equality in climate action and STEM education.
During the session, I spoke about the key areas of focus for Cambridge in supporting education systems and change in a climate-impacted world: improving the quality of, and access to, education generally; increasing education system preparedness in the face of climate disasters; and developing climate change education.
Progressing climate change knowledge
Progressing public understanding and discourse around climate change was a critical aspect raised during the UK Business Group Alliance for Net Zero Business Leaders’ Summit (BGA) - a cross-sector working forum - I attended. Climate education is fundamental to this - it shifts behaviour and attitudes towards more sustainable lifestyles; it not only enables shifts in those receiving that education but of the families and communities around those in education.
The University of Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership (CISL) play a significant role in building dialogue and action within the business community as hosts of the UK Corporate Leaders Group (CLG UK) which coordinates the BGA.
The summit featured a series of workshop discussions around policy topics where the UK government needs to increase its net-zero ambition and implementation efforts.
Key themes from the summit were:
1. Consistency in high level decision making
2. Collaboration - business and government working together, and across government departments
3. A clear transition plan that, amongst other things, provides the needed education and skills to deliver it
4. Accountability on delivery of targets and ambitions
5. Strong leadership is key
Accelerating climate action
At COP29, countries will negotiate a new climate finance goal, replacing the existing commitment of US $100 billion annually until 2025. It was not surprising, therefore, that Finance was a major focus of discussions at LCAW’s Flagship Event - the Climate Action Innovation Forum - on Thursday, 27 June. We need finance to drive innovation and new economic models, and education to develop the necessary understanding, attitudes, and skills.
Attended by over 1,000 people, the event aimed to accelerate the speed and scale in driving climate action. Attending as a Climate Leader delegate, I had the opportunity to engage with globally renowned climate leaders and share expertise, experiences and solutions.
A highlight for me was listening to COP29 Youth Champion Leyla Hasanova’s address where she called for investment in “green education”. Hasanova emphasised the need for youth to engage meaningfully and understand climate change, as they are the "next generation of climate innovators." It's crucial for this awareness and the importance of education to reach policymakers, the public, and all sectors.
The role of education in a changing world
It was inspiring to witness the passion and commitment of so many groups and individuals at LCAW, the concrete technical advice and examples of effective ways of working shared throughout the week.
Education is vital across all sectors, and my biggest takeaway was the need for greater visibility and articulation of the crucial role education plays in tackling climate change. While there is much emphasis on developing skills and creating roadmaps to deliver the transition, the role of education in this is often overlooked. Education remains underrepresented in many discussions on how to tackle this global crisis.
Other key takeaways from my time at London Climate Action Week:
- Continuity, commitment and consistency are important in building certainty over a prolonged period - for example, the COP host countries working together to enable continuity of dialogue and focus.
- There is a need for success measures and metrics, but this also needs a roadmap to enable transition
- How do we enable governments, organisations and individuals to assess and accept the financial risks of investment in new technologies and models.
- Communication is crucial - we must help people to understand the climate crisis, how it relates to them and the benefits of moving to a more sustainable way of living. We need to more explicitly consider what it means to achieve human agency.
At Cambridge we are dedicated to equipping individuals with the skills and knowledge necessary to understand and address climate change, enabling them to thrive in a changing world.
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