Written by: Ananda A.
Visual Credits: Pinay Adventurista
The 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties, more commonly known as COP26, wrapped up a couple weeks ago - the conference was held in the United Kingdom, and ran from October 31 to November 12. One of the spotlighted topics was education, more specifically the education of students on the subject of climate and sustainability.
Education plays a vital role in understanding and tackling the issue of climate change. Through quality education, people can develop a deeper understanding of the problem and its effects. It empowers students, especially marginalized groups such as females. Additionally, it connects learning to climate action, encouraging students to make changes in their own lives and attitudes. As a whole, it paves the road for a generation of individuals that are passionate, knowledgeable, and ready to act. Research by Cordero et. al projected that among several different sustainability approaches (including electric vehicles, rooftop solar panels, and afforestation), a climate education would result in the largest carbon reduction between 2020 and 2050. The publication found that a climate education for just 16% of highschool students in middle and high income countries would result in a 19 gigaton reduction of carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. The percentage of students required for such a massive change seems small, but today, only 1% of secondary students receive climate education. In the same vein, UN data found that half of the world’s national education curriculums contain no mention of climate change. The view of climate education as novel or non-compulsory has to be replaced by an understanding that this education is indispensable in order to preserve our Earth’s natural systems and resources for future generations.
In the Philippines, sustainability education is a mixed bag. The Philippines is especially susceptible to the adverse effects of climate change, further increasing the urgency of implementation of a climate change curriculum. There are numerous policies in place for environmental education, including the National Environmental Awareness and Education Act, which articulates the importance of environmental conservation in sustainable national development. Additionally, the Philippines is part of the ASEAN Environmental Education Action Plan 2014-2018, which includes a strategy that plans for increasing awareness on environmental issues among the educational community. However, the current educational landscape does not reflect all of these plans. A 2020 study found that Philippine high school students had a high level of environmental awareness and were conscious about the need to use natural resources sustainably. However, the students were rated poorly in terms of environmental practice in their own lives. This could imply that while the school curriculum covered the necessary material, it fell short in terms of developing a strong personal connection with students in order to help them incorporate sustainable behaviors into their daily lives.
On the other hand, this could also be because of a lack of implemented policies in other areas. For example, if a student must help their family in the business of logging or fishing, it is often because there is no other choice for livelihood and not because they are unaware of its effects on the environment. Programs need to be created for sustainable development in employment.
The importance of education in tackling climate change cannot be overstated. Both internationally and within the Philippines, many steps still need to be taken in order to see real results. Despite this, in all, the Philippines seems to be on the right track to widespread environmental education– tackling related issues is the next step to sustainable growth.
Works Cited
“Climate Education in the Spotlight at COP26: Ministers of Education and Environment Meet for Historic Event.” UNESCO, 8 Nov. 2021, en.unesco.org/news/climate-education-spotlight-cop26-ministers-education-and-environment-meet-historic-event.
Cordero, Eugene C., et al. “The Role of Climate Change Education on Individual Lifetime Carbon Emissions.” Plos One, vol. 15, no. 2, 2020, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0206266.
“Education Is Key to Addressing Climate Change.” United Nations, United Nations, www.un.org/en/climatechange/climate-solutions/education-key-addressing-climate-change#:~:text=Education is a critical agent in addressing the issue of climate change.&text=Education can encourage people to,to adapt to climate change.
Kwauk, Christina, and Rebecca Winthrop. “Unleashing the Creativity of Teachers and Students to Combat Climate Change: An Opportunity for Global Leadership.” Brookings, Brookings, 12 Aug. 2021, www.brookings.edu/research/unleashing-the-creativity-of-teachers-and-students-to-combat-climate-change-an-opportunity-for-global-leadership/.
Kwauk, Christina, and Rebecca Winthrop. “Unleashing the Creativity of Teachers and Students to Combat Climate Change: An Opportunity for Global Leadership.” Brookings, Brookings, 12 Aug. 2021, www.brookings.edu/research/unleashing-the-creativity-of-teachers-and-students-to-combat-climate-change-an-opportunity-for-global-leadership/.
Kwauk, Christina. “What to Expect around Education at COP26.” Brookings, Brookings, 29 Oct. 2021, www.brookings.edu/blog/education-plus-development/2021/10/28/what-to-expect-around-education-at-cop26/.
“Philippines.” Philippines | Global Environmental Education Partnership (GEEP), thegeep.org/learn/countries/philippines.
Punzalan, Christopher Habunatalia. “Evaluating the Environmental Awareness and Practices of Senior High School Students: Basis for Environmental Education Program.” Aquademia, vol. 4, no. 1, 2020, doi:10.29333/aquademia/8219.
Tarubal, Laverne. “[OPINION] The Sad Reality of Environmental Education in the Philippines.” Rappler, Rappler, 29 June 2021, www.rappler.com/voices/ispeak/opinion-sad-reality-environmental-education-in-the-philippines.