America is in the middle of a massive energy transformation, and the job market is reflecting that shift in real time. U.S. wind capacity more than tripled between 2010 and 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, with thousands of new turbines dotting landscapes from the Texas Panhandle to the Great Lakes.

But turbines don’t run themselves — behind every spinning rotor is a trained technician keeping it operational.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics currently ranks wind turbine technician as the fastest-growing occupation in the country, projecting 50% employment growth between 2024 and 2034, more than ten times the average for all jobs. LinkedIn’s most recent Global Green Jobs Report backs that up, finding that hiring in wind energy is running 42% higher than the broader job market.

Choosing the Wind Energy Path

One of the most appealing things about a career as a wind turbine technician is how many different roads can lead to the same career. 

The U.S. Department of Energy shows how community colleges and technical schools across the country offer two-year programs in wind energy technology that combine classroom instruction with hands-on lab work. Employer-sponsored apprenticeships can let students earn money while they learn, pairing new workers with experienced technicians in the field. A four-year degree isn’t required to start a six-figure career here, which is part of why the field is drawing so many new people.

Becoming a wind turbine technician mostly involves learning to work confidently in conditions most people never encounter, perfect for those who prefer real action over studying textbooks. Training programs put students through rigorous safety coursework, including fall protection, rescue procedures, and emergency protocols specific to Global Wind Organisation safety standards used industry-wide. By the time a graduate climbs up on a real turbine, they’ve already simulated those climbs, repairs, and high-stakes decisions many times over.

Inside the Workday of a Wind Turbine Technician

No two days look exactly the same for a wind turbine technician, but most start the same way: bright and early, going over the overnight report with the crew. Maybe a turbine threw a vibration alert in its gearbox, maybe another’s just due for quarterly service. After checking the daily schedule, the technicians gear up to spend the rest of their day in the sky.

At the flagged turbine, technicians clip into the fall-arrest system and start the 200 feet plus climb. Work inside the turbines might include popping the gearbox housing, checking the oil for metal shavings, or running a borescope over the gear teeth. Often, the wear pattern looks normal, and the alert traces back to something smaller, like a loose sensor mount. They tighten it, log the fix, and radio it into a remote operations center miles away, so the alert clears from the dashboard in real time.

Lunch is usually eaten at the base of a tower, boots still on. After, there are scheduled maintenance routines such as typically greasing the yaw bearing, inspecting the blade pitch system, and torque-checking bolts against a spec sheet.

By late afternoon, the crew is back at the operations building, filing inspection reports and prepping the next day’s parts list. It’s physical, focused work, and the kind that rewards people who like solving problems with their hands — and don’t mind an office with a view!

Could Your Future Be in the Sky?

When students learn about climate change in the classroom, it can feel abstract: statistics about rising temperatures, melting ice caps, and part per million of CO2 are hard to connect to daily life. But climate education is increasingly becoming career education, pointing students toward some of the most in-demand jobs of the 21st century.

The energy transition is already underway, and it needs workers. Whether you’re a student exploring your options, a teacher looking to bring climate careers into your classroom, or someone ready for a career change, the wind industry has a place for you. The question isn’t whether these jobs exist— it’s whether you’ll be the one filling them.

The physics, math, and engineering that explain how a turbine generates electricity are the same principles technicians use every day to build, operate, and maintain one. Linking environmental literacy to real green careers is exactly the kind of classroom-to-career pipeline schools can build to help prepare students to be a part of the solution addressing climate challenges.

Getting more students into that pipeline starts in the classroom, which is exactly what EARTHDAY.ORG’s Climate Education campaign is built to do: helping schools connect climate science to the careers it actually leads to, wind included. If you’re a student or an educator who wants to advocate for more climate career readiness in the classroom, sign the Climate Literacy Petition and add your voice to the push for climate education worldwide.

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Much attention has focused on what a strong El Niño could mean for food security, disasters, and the economy. Biodiversity loss deserves the same urgency because healthy ecosystems support our global food systems, buffer communities from extreme weather, and sustain livelihoods for billions of people worldwide. Biodiversity is already declining because of land-use change, resource exploitation, pollution, invasive species, and climate change. A strong El Niño could accelerate this decline by driving habitat loss and degradation, altering wildlife movement and behavior, and disrupting conservation efforts.

When Habitats Are Lost and Degraded

Habitat loss occurs when species lose the places they need to feed, breed, shelter, and find water, causing populations to shrink and making local extinctions more likely. Human land-use change remains the main driver of this process, especially through deforestation and agricultural conversion, but a strong El Niño can accelerate habitat loss by increasing the risk of extreme conditions like drought, storms, and flooding. 

In Indonesia, the 2015–2016 El Niño created unusually dry conditions that allowed fires to spread across drained and degraded peatlands in Sumatra and Kalimantan. These fires burned an estimated 2.6 million hectares of land, destroying forests, damaging peat-swamp habitats, and threatening wildlife that depends on these ecosystems, including endangered Bornean orangutans.

Even when habitats are not completely destroyed, extreme disturbances can degrade their quality and weaken their ability to provide food, shelter, and breeding conditions. For example, during marine heatwaves coral reefs expel the symbiotic algae that provide much of their energy, leading to bleaching, disease, and death.  As live coral declines, reefs lose the structure that fish, invertebrates, and other marine species rely on for shelter, feeding, and reproduction. 

In 2024, the Great Barrier Reef experienced its fifth mass bleaching event since 2016 and its most widespread on record, following what (at the time) was the fifth strongest El Niño ever recorded. 2025 surveys showing hard coral cover declines on nearly half of the 124 reefs assessed and losses reaching 70.8% on some reefs.

When Wildlife Shifts Their Behavior and Movement

A strong El Niño can also accelerate biodiversity loss by changing how wildlife behave under stress. When drought reduces food and water, animals may alter their daily behavior by feeding closer to people, entering farms more often, and taking greater risks to survive. 

In Zambia’s Luangwa River Basin and surrounding Eastern Region, the 2023–2024 El Niño-linked drought reduced food and water for people, livestock, and wildlife, which in turn increased confrontations between humans and wildlife. As food and water became scarcer, elephants and other wildlife moved closer to farms, settlements, and shared water points.  Resource Africa reported that elephants and hippos destroyed more than 200 hectares of crops in the Eastern Region. 

Along the U.S. West Coast, marine heatwaves and El Niño-linked warm years can compress cool, nutrient-rich upwelling ocean habitats, pushing humpback whales and their prey closer to nearshore fishing areas. This movement increases overlap with fixed fishing gear, including Dungeness crab pots and vertical lines. A recent study found that reported humpback whale entanglements were highest in years with limited suitable habitat and feeding grounds,  including spikes during the 2015–2016 marine heatwave and El Niño period and 31 confirmed humpback entanglements in 2024.

When Conservation Efforts Are Disrupted

A strong El Niño can intensify extreme storms and flooding, disrupting the infrastructures that conservation work depends on. Protected areas rely on well-maintained infrastructure and operational equipment, such as roads, fences, vehicles, communication systems, and monitoring tools. These resources help staff patrol boundaries, monitor conditions, care for wildlife, and respond quickly to threats.

In Kenya, the 2023–2024 El Niño likely contributed to the severe flooding in March–May 2024.. The floods affected more than 380,000 people, damaged more than 60 roads, destroyed bridges, and caused about $35 million in losses. These disruptions also reached conservation sites, including Ol Pejeta Conservancy, where the flooding badly damaged perimeter and chimpanzee sanctuary fences, closed the chimpanzee facility for months, and increased wildlife-security and chimp-welfare costs.

Climate extremes around strong El Niño periods can also weaken conservation by stretching the institutions responsible for enforcement and land protection. When agencies are forced to prioritize emergency response, fewer resources may be available to prevent, monitor, and stop illegal burning, land clearing, and wildlife crime. 

Peru’s record 2024 wildfires show how quickly this strain can escalate when drought, human-started fires, and limited response capacity converge. The Global Wildfire Information System recorded about 10,400 fires in Peru in 2024, more than double the previous record. As fires spread across grasslands, dry forests, coastal areas, and the Amazon, limited capacity made it harder to contain the crisis and protect vulnerable ecosystems.

Toward More El Niño-Resilient Ecosystems

Building El Niño-resilient ecosystems starts with regenerative approaches that strengthen biodiversity, restore ecological function, and support the communities that depend on healthy landscapes. Regenerative agriculture can improve soil health by increasing organic matter, helping farms retain more water during drought, reducing erosion during floods, and supporting the soil biodiversity that sustains nutrient cycling, crop productivity, and climate resilience. Agroforestry builds on this resilience by bringing trees back into working landscapes, creating shade, habitat, and food sources for wildlife while helping farmers diversify their livelihoods through fruit, timber, fuelwood, fodder, and other tree-based products.

El Niño resilience also depends on stronger institutions and sustained investment for the people working closest to biodiversity loss. Frontline communities, Indigenous peoples, local leaders, conservation organizations, and protected-area agencies need resources before extreme conditions escalate into disasters. Funding should support early-warning systems, biodiversity monitoring, emergency planning, and rapid response, while long-term partnerships can help protect vulnerable species and ecosystems before losses become harder to reverse.

Reducing the pressures that make biodiversity vulnerable is just as important as preparing for El Niño itself. Ecosystems are better able to survive droughts, floods, fires, and marine heatwaves when species have enough food, clean water, breeding sites, shelter, and space to move before extreme conditions arrive. 

Cutting emissions can reduce the heat stress that forces plants and animals beyond their limits and makes recovery harder after an El Niño event. Protecting and reconnecting habitats can help wildlife move away from burned forests, dried wetlands, flooded nesting areas, or warming ocean zones. Managing invasive species can also reduce competition and predation, giving native plants and animals a better chance to recover when extreme events disrupt food webs.

Biodiversity is the foundation of global food, health, and economic systems, making its loss a direct threat to human security and well-being. A Super El Niño would intensify that threat by pushing already weakened ecosystems closer to their limits. The way forward is clear: scale regenerative systems that sustain biodiversity and livelihoods, support frontline communities and the institutions they depend on, and reduce the pressures pushing species and ecosystems toward collapse.

A Super El Niño should inspire a global response rooted in science, equity, and local action. Support EARTHDAY.ORG’s Canopy Tree Project to restore habitats, expand tree cover, and strengthen communities, and join The Great Global Cleanup to remove waste and plastic pollution from the ecosystems we all depend on.

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Across the globe, education systems are beginning to recognize that the climate crisis is not only an environmental challenge but also a societal and economic one. In England, a major review of the national curriculum has put forward ambitious proposals to reshape climate education to equip students with the knowledge and skills they will need in a rapidly evolving world.

The curriculum and assessment review recommends that climate education become a central, cross cutting element of learning. Rather than confining climate topics to isolated science lessons, the recommendations would embed climate and sustainability across core subjects and introduce age appropriate climate content beginning in primary school.

Connecting Classroom to Careers

The backdrop to these proposals is the rapid expansion of the global green economy. As renewable energy deployments, sustainable infrastructure, and climate adaptation sectors scale up, the demand for workers with green skills is rising faster than the supply. Integrating climate education across subjects helps create a pipeline of talent prepared not only for explicitly “green jobs”, but for roles across sectors where sustainability literacy is increasingly essential.

Climate education prepares students for future opportunities in domains projected to grow significantly as nations pursue decarbonization and resilience. Countries that strengthen climate literacy at all levels of education can position their workforce strategically in the emerging global economy, while also enabling young people to navigate climate-related challenges in any career they choose.

Lessons From Argentina and Beyond

Countries around the world are also innovating in how climate and sustainability are integrated into education systems. In Argentina, for example, national policy frameworks like the Comprehensive Environmental Education Law, establish environmental education as a right and require it to be taught across subjects and at all levels, both in schools and through public sector training. Laws like these aim to mainstream environmental literacy and ensure broad understanding of climate change, renewable energy, biodiversity, and sustainability as core civic competencies.

While Argentina’s policies reflect a broader commitment to environmental education across society, other nations, such as Germany and France, are embedding climate learning directly into school curricula, teacher training programs and vocational pathways. Globally, countries are recognising the link between education, climate goals and workforce needs.

Climate Education in National Climate Planning

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the climate action plans countries submit under the Paris Agreement, are increasingly recognizing the role of education in climate action and workforce development. In the first rounds of NDCs in 2015, only about 40 out of 133 countries referenced climate or environmental education in their climate strategies. Today, that number has grown dramatically, with 152 countries meaningfully including climate education in their updated NDCs as of COP30.

These NDC commitments span curricular inclusion, teacher training, community awareness programs, and connection to workforce development. Some countries explicitly link education to job creation and skills development for just and green transitions, underscoring that climate education is not just a social good but an economic imperative. An example of this is Cambodia’s NDC 3.0 submitted in July 2025, which talks of measuring efforts to “enhance preparedness & capacity building in the energy sector” and specifically “workforce development via climate adaptive design certifications”. This approach equips citizens with the knowledge and skills to thrive in a green economy, benefiting both people and the nation; a true win-win.

Toward a Climate-Ready Generation

As nations revise education policies and climate plans, integrating climate literacy and green  skills training across learning stages is becoming central to preparing young people for the dual challenge of climate impacts and economic transformation. England’s curriculum review highlights that climate education is not peripheral but essential to personal resilience, civic engagement, and economic opportunity in the 21st century.

By aligning climate education with workforce development and national climate commitments, policymakers can help ensure that today’s learners become tomorrow’s innovators, leaders and skilled professionals in a sustainable global economy.

By embedding climate literacy and green skills across all levels of education, countries can prepare a generation ready to meet climate challenges while thriving in a sustainable economy. Aligning curricula with workforce needs and national climate commitments ensures that today’s students become tomorrow’s innovators, leaders, and skilled professionals, ready to build resilient communities and a greener future. Supporting initiatives like EARTHDAY.ORG’s Pledge to Promote Climate and Environmental Literacy helps turn these commitments into real classroom action and meaningful change.

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For me and my EARTHDAY.ORG colleagues, Bryce Coon and Max Falcone, the quality and quantity of proposals, the inclusion of Indigenous and Amazonian voices, and the clarity of the collective ambition made this COP transformative.

An Extraordinary Leap in Climate Education: From 40 to 152

Perhaps one of the most remarkable achievements of COP30 is the global recognition of climate and environmental education as central to climate action. Today 152 nations have included climate education in their updated NDCs, a staggering advance from the original 40 countries after the 2015 Paris Agreement.

This accomplishment reflects nearly a decade of collective work by governments, ministries of environment and education, youth movements, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations. For EARTHDAY.ORG, which has promoted, amplified and even defended environmental education since the very first Earth Day in 1970, this expansion represents a turning point.

It confirms that education is no longer peripheral—it is a pillar of national climate strategies. It provides a stronger foundation for green jobs, a just clean energy transition, and community resilience. It aligns science, policy, and civic action in ways unimaginable just a few years ago.

COP30 has demonstrated that when nations understand the role of education in long-term systems change and decision making, the world moves faster and more coherently toward solutions.

For the Love of Forests

One highlight was the renewed focus on the FTTT Initiative (Forests, Territories, Trees, and Transition)—a Brazilian proposal that integrates community-led forestry, canopy restoration, bioeconomy opportunities, and climate education. 

FTTT provides an institutional framework that other nations can adapt. EDO cares passionately about the health of the world’s forests and through out  Canopy Tree Project we have been planting millions of trees for decades.

Our own new series, UNDERREPORTED EARTH – “TREE TALES”– IG trail – sees Tracy McVeigh from The Guardian speak with three top investigative journalists about their groundbreaking reporting around forests: Elisangela Mendonça uncovers how the Amazon rainforest is being threatened by the collagen industry. Josephine Moulds takes us into the Congo Basin, where fossil fuel auctions are endangering one of the world’s most vital rainforest ecosystems. Ana Bottallo travels deep into the Amazonian mangroves to witness how local communities fought to have their voices heard.

The episodes go live November 17/18th/19th across EARTHDAY.ORG social media on Facebook: Ep.1, Ep.2, Ep.3 and YouTube: Ep.1, Ep.2, Ep.3. Well worth a listen and helps to reveal some of what the Indigenous communities are fighting for.

A Global Strategy to Align Donors and Investors

In the spirit of the Brazilian FTTT initiative, we need a Common Strategy for International Donors and Nonprofit Climate-Education Investors—a coordinated, global effort that channels resources efficiently. This strategy would align international philanthropy, development banks, corporate sustainability funds, and nonprofit networks toward measurable climate-education outcomes. 

It also facilitates long-term programs for teacher training, curriculum innovation, youth leadership, climate-literacy certification, and green-jobs pathways. Additionally, it will strengthen monitoring frameworks that allow countries to track progress in their NDC-aligned education initiatives.

During our meetings with Ambassador Tatiana Rosito, Secretary of International Affairs (SAIN) at Brazil’s Ministry of Finance, and with the team of professionals led by Maria Netto at the Instituto Clima e Sociedade (iCS), it became clear that Brazil’s emerging financial architecture creates unprecedented opportunities for climate education.

The plan’s first USD 10 billion FTTT-aligned phase paves the way for a complementary round of junior capital, philanthropic, and blended financing to advance climate education, youth entrepreneurship, and early-stage startups in Amazonian and traditional communities, ensuring Brazil’s energy transition delivers skills, livelihoods, and innovation to the territories that protect the forest.

This vision was shared in exclusive interviews we had with Wanjira Mathai Vice President and África Director of WRI and Manuel Pulgar Vidal, former Minister of Environment of Peru and President of COP20 LIMA , present WWF global climate Envoy.

Knowledge is Power

Brazil’s tradition of multirões—large, volunteer-driven collective actions—stood out during COP30. Indigenous Andean cultures made their voices heard at the COP like never before, in negotiations, and with demonstrations.  

We should heed their advice developed as they have enduring systems of cooperative labor that have shaped their ecological and social resilience: the Ayllu, a form of community kinship and shared stewardship of land; the Mita, a structured system of collaborative public service; and the Minka, a voluntary, communal practice for building, farming, and collective well-being. 

Recognizing these ancestral traditions reinforces the idea that climate action is not new—it is a continuation of the communal wisdom of Latin America. 

Many organizations recognize what we can learn from traditional wisdom –  Limpa Brasil,  Let’s Do It!, Reconnecta Escolas Pelo Clima, the Pastoral do Meio Ambiente of the Basilica of Nazaré, Brazilian Coalition for Climate Education CBEC, CTNEAC-FBMC, IPAM Amazônia, and many local schools and volunteer groups demonstrated at COP30 how respect and coordinated action amplifies results across all states of Brazil and beyond.

They, like us, know that investment in climate education must reach everyone – the students, teachers – of all communities. This includes Indigenous communities, quilombolas, and rural youth who are custodians of some of the planet’s most vital ecosystems. Investments must expand access to climate-literacy training to the Amazonian communities and all Indigenous people.

The momentum generated in Belém must not be temporary—it must become a shared roadmap for the next decade. EARTHDAY.ORG reaffirms its commitment to supporting nations in implementing climate-education in their NDCs. 

As we look to Earth Day 2026 and beyond, the message from COP30 is clear; climate education is no longer optional—it is the foundation of resilience, green-job economies, and planetary stewardship. Brazil and the UNFCCC have helped make this reality visible on the global stage. For that, EARTHDAY.ORG extends its sincere gratitude—and its renewed determination to turn this historic momentum into lasting, transformative action.

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Every November 20th, we celebrate children’s rights on World Children’s Day – their right to learn, to dream, and to grow up on a healthy, livable planet. However, growing up in 2025 means that children are coming of age at a time when the Earth is crying for care. 

When we look at the climate crisis through their eyes, we see things differently – and perhaps we adults can learn a thing or two from children.

Here are eight lessons children offer us, not because they have all the answers, but because their way of seeing the world reminds us what really matters.

1. Be Curious About Everything

Children ask “why” a hundred times a day; in fact it is a precursor to some of the most common questions asked by kids 6 and under. That curiosity is where we can learn about the world around us. When we ask more questions about things, like how our energy sources are created, how products are  made, or where our waste goes, we become aware of the systems that shape our planet and what  changes need to be made. Curiosity keeps us open-minded and ready to learn. As new research from the University of California, Santa Barbara shows, people who nurture their curiosity tend to stay more engaged with the world around them, exactly the kind of mindset that helps us care more deeply for the planet.

This is the foundation of environmentalism: understanding how human choices impact the Earth and engaging in mitigation of the harm we may cause.

2. Paper Beats Rock, Rock Beats Plastic

We don’t come out of the womb with a Christmas wish-list – but we are born with our imagination. Children can build a rocket from a box or a sword from a stick. They teach us that happiness can be found in keeping things we already have rather than purchasing new items. Repurposing the things we already have in our hands cuts down on waste and uses our imagination. The circular economy works the same way, it reminds us to give materials like plastic bottles or packaging a second life, keeping them in use instead of sending them to waste.

3. Outdoor Play Is How We Learn

Kids don’t just play outside, they soak it all in. Evidence from 2020 shows that kids who spend more time in nature have better mood, concentration, and ability to empathize with others. Whether it’s noticing the smell of rain or the buzz of bees, connecting with the natural world helps kids — and adults — feel happier, calmer, and more motivated to protect the planet. 

4. Turn Feelings Into Action

Children don’t hide their feelings about climate change. Climate anxiety is so prevalent that in 2021 more than half youth across the world report feeling sadness, anxiety, anger, powerlessness, helplessness, and guilt about the changing climate. These feelings affect their daily life, causing such symptoms as fatigue, insomnia, and panic attacks.  ; We cannot let kids roll over and take this way of life; they must  act on these feelings instead. Research has shown that when young people express what they feel about climate change and engage in climate action, it strengthens their sense of agency – and that’s where climate education plays a role. Learning about solutions and sharing knowledge can turn these feelings into purpose. A reminder for adults that caring out loud is powerful.

5. Don’t Let your Ego Overshadow Your Message 

Children don’t need big words to explain why we should take care of the Earth. They know: “It’s our home.” and  that could be all the reason they need. Children tend to simplify things, adults tend to overcomplicate things. Sometimes simple language is much more effective in inspiring people to act on climate issues. In the United States, for instance, where 99% of the population is literate, the average reading level is a 7th-8th grade level. It is more important to be understood than to be perceived as an all knowing expert.  

6. What’s Gonna Work? Teamwork! 

Change doesn’t come from one person doing it all, but from all of us doing our part. A national survey study from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication found that while many Americans care deeply about climate change and would take actions like signing petitions or attending rallies,only about 6-16% actually do these things. The researchers discovered this by analyzing how people’s sense of shared responsibility influences their willingness to act. The study shows that we’re more likely to take action when we feel part of a collective effort rather than doing it all by ourselves. It’s through working together, asking questions, experimenting, and sharing ideas that we find the most effective ways to mitigate climate change. 

7. Empathy is as important as Science

Children not only absorb information; they experience stories. This unique mix of empathy and knowledge fuels lasting dedication. As for grown-ups, empathy means compassion in policies and practices that safeguard other people, and more specifically those hit hardest by the crisis. One effective way to build empathy is through reading stories and narratives that help us understand different perspectives. Developing emotional intelligence is just as important as understanding science. After all, Emotional intelligence is a crucial climate skill, one that is often overlooked in efforts to tackle climate change. 

8. Celebrate Small Wins

Children celebrate when they complete a puzzle or harvest their first tomato. Adults can use more of that happiness. Small wins can build momentum. Psychologists say that recognizing progress can help individuals sustain new behaviors.In taking climate action, it’s all about celebrating small wins to keep ourselves motivated. Whether through planting a garden, diverting waste, or creating art that reflects hope and concern, these activities help us connect with the planet on an emotional level. Art lets people envision the change, communicate their emotions, and could inspire others to begin the important work of healing our planet.

World Children’s Day is a time to remember that children have a right to a safe future.They also remind us that learning can go both ways. They demonstrate that caring for the planet doesn’t have to be a complicated task, it can start with curiosity, play, empathy and hope. Perhaps saving the planet isn’t always just about science or politics. Sometimes it’s about learning again, to see the world like a child does, as something worth loving.

But understandably love alone isn’t enough. Children deserve strong climate education and strong national climate commitments that safeguard their future. To help make that possible, sign EARTHDAY.ORG’s Pledge to Support Climate and Environmental Literacy, urging governments to include climate education in their NDCs. Every signature helps turn big goals into real classroom action and a more climate-literate world.

This article is available for republishing on your website, newsletter, magazine, newspaper, or blog. The accompanying imagery is cleared for use with attribution. Please ensure that the author’s name and their affiliation with EARTHDAY.ORG are credited. Kindly inform us if you republish so we can acknowledge, tag, or repost your content. You may notify us via email at davies@earthday.org or fielder@earthday.org. Want more articles? Follow us on substack.

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Solar arrays farms, industrial battery storage facilities, new transmission lines, and wind turbines are visible symbols of the global energy transition. But beneath them lies vital yet invisible infrastructure that makes the green transition possible: knowledge, awareness, and values. 

Climate education builds this vital foundation. Without it, the transition risks stalling. With it, the clean energy transition becomes not only possible, but transformative; delivering cleaner air, stronger economies, and a fairer future for us all. 

On the road to COP30 — the 30th UN Climate Change Conference and the tenth anniversary of the Paris Agreement, taking place in November 2025 in Belém, Brazi l— one message is clear: investing in climate education is as essential as investing in the manufacture of solar panels.

Why? Because this transformation is only partly technica l— someone still has to source materials, design, build, install, sell, promote, and maintain these technologies. But it is also cultural, social, and economic, affecting every worker, household, and community. Without climate education, the clean energy transition risks not only a shortage of skilled workers but also public misunderstanding or resistance to renewable energy. Climate education empowers people, creates millions of new career opportunities worldwide, and helps lower energy costs — especially at a time when data centers and AI-driven demand are pushing energy prices to record highs.

PEOPLE WANT RENEWABLE ENERGY 

In the U.S. alone, 67% of adults think we should develop more renewable energy which is good because electricity from solar, wind, and hydropower provides nearly a quarter of the US’s total electricity generation  in 2024. 

3.56 million Americans are employed in the renewable energy sector and solar alone provides almost 3 times as many jobs much fossil fuels.Climate education is the most efficient ways to train future workers to fill these safer, competitive paying  renewable energy jobs. 

The U.S. is not the only country transitioning to clean energy. The International Labour Organization, ILO, estimates that the transition could create 24 million new jobs globally by 2030 in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, circular economy industries, and green manufacturing. These roles will require skilled workers and informed leaders; people who understand both the science of climate change and the technologies that address it.

INDUSTRY NEEDS CLIMATE EDUCATION

Climate education, embedded in schools, universities, and vocational training, ensures that young people and workers alike have these skills to thrive in this new landscape. Technical knowledge (such as how to install solar panels or maintain wind turbines) is only part of the equation. Equally important are critical thinking, problem-solving, and the confidence to act on climate challenges, 

We know that climate education literally changes how you think. Students who receive environmental education are significantly more likely to support ambitious climate policies as adults and subconsciously make environmentally friendly choices (or have green muscle memory). When young people understand the links between energy, economy, and ecology, they become agents of change in their communities. Over time, this creates a cultural shift: sustainability becomes part of everyday life rather than a distant ideal.

What is more, governments that include climate education in their energy plans aren’t just telling people what to do—they’re helping citizens understand why the policies exist. 

When people understand the reasons behind climate policies, they’re more likely to support them and take part. In this way education turns climate action into something everyone contributes to, not just a set of rules from above. It also ensures that as countries invest in clean technologies, they’re also investing in the skills and knowledge of their people, making the transition more effective and sustainable over the long term.

In short: Education = people understand = support = actively take part in the energy transition= better outcomes for us all

COP30 – WE NEED CLIMATE EDUCATION IN EVERY NDC

Soon, the world will gather in Belém, Brazil, for COP30 — to focus not on creating new promises, but on delivering existing ones.

Here, EARTHDAY.ORG’s  message is clear: investing in climate education is as essential as investing in clean energy itself. It is the invisible infrastructure that holds the visible world together, the cornerstone of a just, inclusive, and enduring energy transition.

If you agree with EARTHDAY.ORG’s agenda at COP30 to have all countries incorporate climate education into their Nationally Determined Contributions, NDCs, pledge your support here. NDCs are the climate action plans each country submits, detailing how they will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change. NDCs, pledge your support here. Plus, you can track what every nation around the world is doing to back climate education on our Climate Education NDCs Tracker.

This article is available for republishing on your website, newsletter, magazine, newspaper, or blog. The accompanying imagery is cleared for use with attribution. Please ensure that the author’s name and their affiliation with EARTHDAY.ORG are credited. Kindly inform us if you republish so we can acknowledge, tag, or repost your content. You may notify us via email at davies@earthday.org or fielder@earthday.org. Want more articles? Follow us on substack.

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As COP30 enters its fourth day in Belém, Brazil, a growing global movement is calling for climate education to become a cornerstone of national strategies.

In an exclusive interview with Juan Carlos Navarro,  the current Minister of Environment for Panama and the President of the Forum of Ministers of Latin America and the Caribbean (for the 2025–2027 term). Speaking with Rodolfo Beltrán, Director of South America, EARTHDAY.ORG, Minister Juan Navarro’s  remarks arrive at a pivotal moment, as world leaders gather in the heart of the planet’s most biodiverse nation to chart the course for the next decade of climate action.

Ropo Beltran:  As Panama assumes the Presidency of the Forum of Ministers of Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean, what do you consider to be the most important achievements of this major regional and international forum, and what are the joint future goals of this important forum of 33 ministers?

Minister Juan Navarro: When assuming the Presidency of the Forum, Panama recognizes that this platform is the main political space for environmental coordination in the continent. Historic results were achieved in Lima: a renewed agenda that responds to the triple planetary crisis with concrete action plans on restoration and water security, air quality, chemicals, waste, and methane reduction. Essential approaches were also incorporated, such as circular economy, gender equity, environmental education, and Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge.

Our goal now is clear: to turn these commitments into measurable results, drive their financing, and ensure that each country moves forward with the technical and political support of the Forum. Panama will work to strengthen implementation and cooperation among the 33 countries, ensuring that the voice of Latin America and the Caribbean is heard as one in global Forums!

Ropo Beltran: The Forum in Lima adopted key regional action plans to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. How will these collective measures—such as the updated Regional Action Plan on Ecosystem Restoration and Water Security, and the new programs on air quality, chemicals, and methane emissions—generate long-term social and economic benefits for the region?

Minister Juan Navarro: The decisions adopted in Lima respond to the urgency of addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution simultaneously. The new regional plans propose solutions with direct social and economic benefits: restoring ecosystems improves water and food security; reducing methane decreases pollution and creates opportunities for innovation in the waste sector; improving air quality reduces public health costs.

These measures are not only environmental—they are engines of sustainable development and green employment. Latin America can lead an ecological transition with social justice, and the Forum will be the platform that integrates science, policies, and financing to achieve it. We will also strengthen synergy among the three Rio Conventions: Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Desertification, to ensure coherence in implementation and maximize shared benefits for communities and ecosystems.

Rodolfo Beltran: With 33 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean now aligned under a renewed agenda, how do you envision this unity strengthening the region’s voice in global negotiations, particularly at COP30 in Belém at the end of this year?

Minister Juan Navarro:The regional unity achieved in Lima is a political message of enormous weight. In a fragmented global context, Latin America and the Caribbean demonstrated that they can speak with one voice. This will strengthen our common positions in spaces such as the United Nations Environment Assembly and COP30 in Belém. Panama will promote coordination among our three major Rio Conventions—Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Desertification—under a unified approach of coherence and integrated action. Only then can we negotiate as a bloc, attract financing, and demonstrate that the region is not a source of problems but a source of solutions.

Ropo Beltran: The Forum highlighted the Regional Action Plan for Jaguar Conservation as a symbol of ecological connectivity and biodiversity protection. Why are these emblematic species so important for the region, and how can their conservation contribute to broader ecosystem restoration goals?

Minister Juan Navarro:The Regional Action Plan for Jaguar Conservation symbolizes the connection between biodiversity and human well-being. Protecting the jaguar means maintaining biological corridors that ensure the health of our ecosystems, water regulation, and climate stability. These species are indicators of ecological balance and also of cultural identity. Their conservation drives sustainable tourism, strengthens local economies, and fosters regional pride in our natural heritage.

Panama is committed to promoting projects that integrate science, communities, and financing to protect these species and restore ecosystems at a regional scale.

Rodolfo Beltran: The Lima Declaration emphasized the importance of gender perspective, Indigenous knowledge, circular economy, and education for sustainability. In your opinion, how can education and public awareness be scaled so that communities in Latin America and the Caribbean become active participants in this transition?

Minister Juan Navarro: Environmental and climate education is the foundation of all transformation. If we want just and sustainable transitions, communities must be protagonists. From Panama, we will promote a regional pillar of education for sustainability involving schools, universities, media, and community organizations.

The Lima Declaration marked a turning point: incorporating gender perspective, traditional knowledge, and the circular economy into education. Our commitment is that these principles be reflected in public policies and national budgets. An informed and empowered citizenry is the best tool to care for the planet.

This week, Panama’s Ministry of Environment launched a public consultation on a draft decree to establish a National Carbon Market System (SNMCP), a measure that would consolidate the country’s regulated voluntary carbon market and activities under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. This represents a significant step forward for Latin America’s leadership in developing high-integrity, transparent carbon markets that generate real results for climate and nature.

With the public consultation of the Executive Decree creating the National Carbon Market System (SNMCP), Panama takes a historic step toward a climate model of high integrity, transparency, and environmental justice. This system consolidates our voluntary carbon market and connects it with the mechanisms of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, ensuring that every reduction or removal of emissions is real, measurable, and verifiable.

With the public consultation of the Executive Decree creating the National Carbon Market System (SNMCP), Panama takes a historic step toward a climate model of high integrity, transparency, and environmental justice. This system consolidates the role of the voluntary carbon market and connects it with other market mechanisms such as those under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, ensuring that every reduction or removal of emissions is real, measurable, and verifiable.

Through the SNMCP, Panama reaffirms its commitment to maintaining its status as a carbon-negative country, promoting a green economy that generates employment, protects forests, and directly benefits local and Indigenous communities. It is an example of the Latin American leadership we want to project toward COP30 in Belém, demonstrating that sustainable development and climate action can advance together.

Rodolfo Beltran: This week, Panama’s Ministry of Environment launched a public consultation on a draft decree to establish a National Carbon Market System (SNMCP), a measure that would consolidate the country’s regulated voluntary carbon market and activities under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. This represents a significant step forward for Latin America’s leadership in developing high-integrity, transparent carbon markets that generate real results for climate and nature. Tell us about that.

Minister Juan Navarro: With the public consultation of the Executive Decree creating the National Carbon Market System (SNMCP), Panama takes a historic step toward a climate model of high integrity, transparency, and environmental justice. This system consolidates our voluntary carbon market and connects it with the mechanisms of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, ensuring that every reduction or removal of emissions is real, measurable, and verifiable.

With the public consultation of the Executive Decree creating the National Carbon Market System (SNMCP), Panama takes a historic step toward a climate model of high integrity, transparency, and environmental justice. This system consolidates the role of the voluntary carbon market and connects it with other market mechanisms such as those under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, ensuring that every reduction or removal of emissions is real, measurable, and verifiable.

Through the SNMCP, Panama reaffirms its commitment to maintaining its status as a carbon-negative country, promoting a green economy that generates employment, protects forests, and directly benefits local and Indigenous communities. It is an example of the Latin American leadership we want to project toward COP30 in Belém, demonstrating that sustainable development and climate action can advance together.

Rodolfo Beltran: What is the role of civil society and climate education in NDCs?

Minister Juan Navarro: We deeply recognize and value the work of organizations such as EARTHDAY.ORG in promoting climate education as a pillar of Nationally Determined Contributions. Climate action cannot be limited to governments; it requires alliances with civil society, the private sector, and academia.

From Panama, we extend an invitation to EARTHDAY.ORG and other like-minded organizations to collaborate on regional initiatives such as the Nature Pledge, which promotes synergy among the three Rio Conventions and the integration of education, biodiversity, and climate under one framework. 

We firmly believe that climate education can and should be a driver of regional cooperation and cultural transformation. Forming conscious and committed citizens is as important as reducing emissions. We will work with regional partners to turn education into a tool of resilience, equity, and joint action.

EARTHDAY.ORG’s Rodolfo Beltran as well as Bryce Coon, our Director of Education, and MAx Falcoe , our Global Advisor are on the ground at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, ensuring that climate education remains firmly on the agenda. Alongside ministers, negotiators, and civil society, they’ll be pushing for the inclusion of education in every single nation’sNDC. You can keep track of progress with our Climate Education NDCs Tracker.

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When countries submitted their first Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement in 2015, climate education was largely an afterthought. For clarity they were called Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) back then and before the Paris Agreement was adopted in December 2015, countries were asked to submit their proposed climate plans.

When the Paris Agreement entered into force these INDCs were formally converted into NDCsonce countries ratified the agreement. So, effectively, the first round of NDCs were the INDCs submitted in 2015, and they became official NDCs upon ratification 2016 onward!.

The earliest NDCs focused on energy, transport, forestry, and finance. Few included measurable climate education goals. Early adopters such as Costa Rica, Colombia, Cambodia, Benin, Malawi, Vanuatu, and the EU, UK, and Dominican Republic set important precedents, integrating climate education into curricula, teacher training, or community learning. Of 133 NDCs reviewed, only 40 countries mentioned climate or environmental education specifically in strategies for mitigation, adaptation, or resilience. 

By October 2025, the picture has transformed: 152 countries now meaningfully include, reference, or institutionalize climate education, marking a clear shift toward recognizing education as a strategic tool in climate action.

WHY DOES CLIMATE EDUCATION MATTER?

Here’s why climate education in all schools matters: it empowers students to navigate the climate crisis and helps to alleviate eco-anxiety. On top of that, it equips students and all  learners with the knowledge and skills necessary to thrive in the burgeoning green economy. 

According to the latest World Bank  2025 report on the subject, Are Green and Digital Skills a Pathway to Jobs in the Middle East and North Africa?, the demand for green and digital skills is rapidly outpacing supply, underscoring the urgency of integrating these competencies into educational curricula.

Similarly, LinkedIn’s 2024 Global Green Skills Report highlights a significant gap between the increasing demand for green talent and the available workforce, with global demand for green skills growing approximately twice as fast as supply between 2023 and 2024.. 

Countries such as Costa Rica, Colombia, Cambodia, Benin, Malawi, Vanuatu, and members of the EU, UK, and Dominican Republic have pioneered efforts by embedding climate education into national curricula, teacher training, and community initiatives. These countries have not only addressed environmental concerns but have also laid the groundwork for a workforce adept in sustainable practices and green technologies.

As the global economy shifts towards sustainability, integrating climate education in school curricula globally is becoming an imperative. especially in preparing the workforce for careers in the energy transition industries of solar and wind. 

WE HAVE LIFT OFF!

It was from 2016 onwards that climate education began to gain real traction. UNESCO’s Global Action Programme on Education for Sustainable Development (2015–2019) framed education as a driver of transformation, helping to mainstream sustainability principles across education systems. The implementation guidance adopted at COP24 in Katowice in 2018 provided an international framework for education, awareness, training, and public participation under Article 12 of the Paris Agreement—known as Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE). Meanwhile, civil society, led by EARTHDAY.ORG’s Climate Education Coalition, mobilized governments to embed climate education into their updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

EARTHDAY.ORG has played a pivotal role in both tracking and mainstreaming the concept of climate education through its decades long advocacy for teaching students about climate change.  

At COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh in 2022, EARTHDAY.ORG’s Global Climate Education Coalition was launched to bring together more than 100 youth focused partner organizations to further champion climate education. Building on EDO’s 2020 Climate and Environmental Literacy Campaign, the Coalition advocates for countries to embed education and civic engagement into their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The Coalition positions education as a strategic tool for resilience and green transformation, empowering young people to take a lead in creating a sustainable future. 

All of this advocacy and campaigning was made even more accessible by EARTHDAY.ORG’s communication team’s decision to create an NDC Tracker in 2024. This tracker monitors which countries include, or omit climate education and is maintained by EDO’s dedicated education team with the help of their interns. The tracker cleverly divides climate education adoption into 4 categories, 1 featuring the most significant adopters. By translating complex UNFCCC language into clear data EARTHDAY.ORG is amplifying calls for climate education and is a measurable component of climate ambition.

By October 2025, 62 countries explicitly integrated climate education into school curricula, Kindergarten through Grade 12 (Category 1 on the EARTHDAY.ORG NDC Tracker), while 64 countries referenced it as important without specifying curricular inclusion (Category 2 in the NDC Tracker). One of these 64 in Category 2 represents the EU’s 27 member states.

Altogether, 152 nations have now meaningfully included climate education in their NDCs. Only a few countries remain without mention—a nearly four-fold increase since 2015, demonstrating the powerful alignment between education policy and climate commitments.

REGIONAL PROGRESS IS KEY

Regional progress is notable. In Latin America and the Caribbean, Colombia, Costa Rica, Argentina, the Dominican Republic, and Panama have moved from symbolic mentions to institutional mandates. Coalitions like the Brazilian Coalition for Climate Education link ministries, civil society, and private actors to anchor education in energy-transition narratives. 

In Africa, Cabo Verde, Gambia, Namibia, and Benin have launched teacher-training curricula integrating climate content, with the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) endorsing education as a national priority. 

In Asia and the Pacific, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Vanuatu, and the Marshall Islands operationalize climate education across school systems, where literacy is critical for survival in Small Island Developing States. Europe continues embedding environmental education into Green Deal and Just Transition frameworks.

Challenges remain. Few NDCs include indicators for educational outcomes, funding for climate education remains limited, rural and Indigenous communities often lack access, and cross-ministerial coordination is weak. Dedicated funding through mechanisms such as the Green Climate Fund and Transforming the Future Fund is essential to close these gaps.

WORK STILL TO BE DONE

Around 40 countries have yet to integrate climate education into their NDCs. But UNFCCC procedures allow them to submit updates at COP30 Belém to align with global consensus. COP30, the first UN Climate Conference in the Amazon, brings together civil society—including EARTHDAY.ORG, the Brazilian Coalition for Climate Education, IPAM Amazônia, and youth networks—advocating for a Belém Declaration on Climate Education. 

All parties are urged to integrate climate education into their NDC 3.0 revisions, fund teacher training and curriculum reform, and include education indicators in the Global Stocktake 2028. If adopted, Belém could mark the moment when education becomes a measurable lever of climate ambition rather than a footnote.

From 40 nations in 2015 to 152 in 2025, climate education’s inclusion in NDCs reflects the growing maturity of global climate governance. EARTHDAY.ORG’s NDC Tracker provides the transparency and accountability needed to sustain this progress. What is more, we will have a three person team in Belém, during COP30, including myself to keep advocating for climate education. If you want to speak with EARTHDAY.ORG about supporting our efforts, please reach out to me here: beltran@earthday.org

Education is no longer peripheral; it is the foundation of mitigation, adaptation, and resilience. As the world converges on COP30 Belém, the message is clear: teaching climate action is itself a form of climate action. If you agree there is an urgent need for all nations to incorporate climate education in their NDCs,  add your name to our Climate Literacy Petition to pledge your support.

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COP30 has kicked off in Brazil and countries have submitted their newest national climate plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), but one thing is becoming clear: more governments are recognizing the power of teachers in fighting climate change.

These plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), are submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), under the Paris Agreement every five years. Each NDC represents an individual country’s climate commitment outlining how it plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, adapt to climate impacts, and promote sustainable development. While much attention often focuses on energy, technology  and policy targets, a quieter but important shift is underway: education, training, and public awareness are appearing more frequently and with greater detail in these climate pledges.

In the last round of NDCs, submitted around 2020, roughly 40 countries mentioned climate education. But in the new NDC 3.0 updates, that number is already rising. Now 152 nations mention climate change in some form or another. Many countries are not only talking about climate education but they are treating it as a national priority. Here’s why.

By integrating the teaching of climate change into many subjects, from maths to science, to arts to language classes, it makes our changing climate easier to comprehend. 

Plus, it builds green skills, the practical abilities that increasingly everyone needs to take part in the growing green economy, from the obvious careers such as  installing solar panels to protecting water resources to designing more energy-efficient technologies. 

To the less obvious ones, like working in an insurance office assessing climate-related risks to practicing medicine treating illnesses that our changing climate allows to spread, from malaria to heat-related illnesses, respiratory diseases, and the resurgence of vector-borne infections like dengue and Lyme disease. These skills translate directly into green jobs, a sector that is growing faster than the workforce needed to fill it. 

Chile is Turning Classrooms into Climate Action Hubs

Chile is turning classrooms into climate action hubs. In its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), the government explicitly links education to its long-term climate goals, recognizing that empowering citizens through learning is essential to reducing emissions and building resilience. 

Chile has already launched a National Climate Education Plan, which promotes environmental awareness, green skills, and teacher training. By connecting education directly to its climate targets, the country shows how learning and policy can work hand-in-hand to create a more informed and resilient society. On the ground, Chile’s Experimento in Araucanía initiative has already reached 421 teachers across 194 schools in 24 counties, embedding climate science in classroom teaching.

Meanwhile, the Green Talent program is preparing 300 students, 30 team coaches, and 30 innovation leaders with green, digital, and entrepreneurial skills to drive the low-carbon transition. By aligning curricula, teacher training, and national policy, Chile is showing how education can power climate ambition, not just follow it.

Bangladesh: Empowering Communities Through Learning

As one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable nations, Bangladesh has long understood that education saves lives. In its new NDC, the government highlights the role of climate education and awareness campaigns in helping communities prepare for floods, heatwaves, and cyclones. Bangladesh’s approach is people-centered; teaching not just students, but farmers, workers, and local leaders how to adapt and protect livelihoods. According to UNICEF, 33 million children in Bangladesh had schooling disrupted by Climate Crises in 2024.  The NDC connects education with community resilience, making it a model for how learning can drive real world impact.

Bangladesh is aiming high: by 2030, half of all teachers and students will be equipped with digital tools. But this isn’t just about gadgets — it’s about giving educators the power to transform classrooms and spark learning that truly matters.

While many teachers around the world still lack the training and resources to teach climate change accurately, Bangladesh is preparing its educators for the future and strengthening the foundation of its entire education system.

The Republic of the Marshall Islands: Leading by Example

Small island nations lead the call for climate justice as they feel the brunt of the climate crisis; the Marshall Islands, in the Pacific Ocean,  are no exception. The country includes education and youth engagement as a key part of its national strategy, emphasizing that an informed and empowered younger generation is essential to building a sustainable future. 

The Marshall Islands has tied its education efforts to broader global advocacy, for women’s rights for example, showing that small nations can lead big conversations about equity. Proving that the more heads we put together the more likely we are to find climate mitigation strategies  that work. No one should be excluded from the climate conversation.

Kyrgyzstan Gets That The Key is Youth

The Kyrgyz Republic adds yet another dimension: linking climate education to green jobs, social protection and youth participation. Earlier this year, the Youth Climate Caravan 2025 initiative was held in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan. 

At the summit, Kyrgyz youth amplified the lack of climate education in their school system and advocated for its inclusion in their NDC 3.0. They changed that by successfully lobbying for its adoption. While the burden of the climate crisis is not exclusive to youth, it is inspiring to see young people stepping up to innovate ways to learn about reducing emissions, adapting to a changing planet, and pushing communities and leaders toward urgent action.

With this in mind, they have already begun pilot programs, integrating climate change into a number of professional programs. 

Schooling the Climate Crisis 

These examples make one thing clear: climate education is climate action. Teaching people how the climate works, how it’s changing, and how we can respond doesn’t just inform — it empowers citizens to act and builds the public momentum that policies need to succeed.

At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, the message is undeniable: education is no longer an afterthought. It’s the foundation for meaningful climate action worldwide.

You can be part of this change. Pledge to Support Climate and Environmental Literacy, calling on governments to commit to urgent climate and environmental literacy. Every signature helps turn ambitious pledges into real classroom action and a more climate-literate world.

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When the European Union published its updated climate pledge this week, something remarkable happened: Climate education took center stage.

After years of advocacy, meetings, and movement-building, the European Union, EU, has added climate education directly into its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. For us at EARTHDAY.ORG (EDO), who have championed climate literacy for over a decade, advocating for inclusion of climate education in NDCs since 2017, this is a watershed moment.

Afterthought to a Cornerstone

Just one year ago, the EU’s NDC made only a passing mention of climate education with  a single sentence buried deep in a technical document. But through sustained engagement by EARTHDAY.ORG and  our partners, that sentence has grown into two meaningful paragraphs packed, with the ambition to integrate climate education across school curricula from kindergarten through grade 12. 

This milestone didn’t materialize overnight. Behind the scenes were over 60 bilateral meetings, several COPs and UN conferences, hundreds of calls, dozens of petitions, and countless emails. 

From Brussels to Bonn, EDO and its coalition partners pressed a simple but powerful idea: that fighting climate change must start in the classroom. It was a message that caught far far beyond the borders of the European Union.

The Link Between Learning and Livelihoods

At the heart of EDO’s campaign is the conviction that education and the economy are inseparable in the climate era.  According to the World Bank report Choosing our future: Education for climate action, jobs that require green skills are growing faster than the number of people trained to fill them. The World Economic Forum found that job postings requiring at least one green skill increased 22.4% from 2022 to 2023.

Today, 152 countries now embed climate education in these national commitments.The EU’s move now sends a powerful message: green skills are not a side project, but the foundation of a sustainable economy.

Building a Global Standard

With the EU’s adoption, more than 60 nations have now used EARTHDAY.ORG’s model language for climate education in their NDCs. What began as a campaign has become a global standard.

As the world gathers in Belém, Brazil, for COP30, EDO will push the conversation further to focus on how to finance the teaching of climate education worldwide.

If you would like to support EARTHDAY.ORG please pledge to support climate and environmental literacy.

This article is available for republishing on your website, newsletter, magazine, newspaper, or blog. The accompanying imagery is cleared for use with attribution. Please ensure that the author’s name and their affiliation with EARTHDAY.ORG are credited. Kindly inform us if you republish so we can acknowledge, tag, or repost your content. You may notify us via email at davies@earthday.org or fielder@earthday.org. Want more articles? Follow us on substack.

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