UAE launches new global framework to promote climate education, empower educators

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The UAE Ministry of Education (MoE), in cooperation with Unicef, has unveiled a new global framework aimed at promoting climate education and enhancing the climate-related skills of teachers.

The announcement was made during the “COP28 Legacy Event: Empowering every teacher to get climate ready,” held at the Greening Education Hub themed “Legacy from the Land of Zayed” at Expo City Dubai.

Present at the event were Dr Ahmad Belhoul Al Falasi, Minister of Education, Kitty Van Der Heijden, Deputy Executive Director Partnership - Unicef along with senior educational officials and representatives from specialised educational organisations.

This pertinent approach is part of the legacy of the Emirati presidency of COP28, which has been intentionally designed with an Adapt & Adopt approach so that other nations can invest in the development of their teaching workforce by adopting the Emirati model and adapting it to its national systems, reaching every learner with climate action education.

The framework aims to develop the climate capabilities of one million teachers around the world by 2025.

Dr Al Falasi emphasised that teachers play an instrumental role in sowing the seeds of climate and environmental responsibility in young minds to build a new cohort of sustainability champions.

He noted that teachers inspire students to pursue academic and professional paths that actively contribute to collective endeavours in addressing climate change.

Dr Al Falasi also underscored the importance of mobilising efforts and exchanging knowledge and experiences to facilitate the training of teachers and educational officials in climate-related matters.

This, in turn, enables them to communicate more effectively with students and successfully fulfil the objectives of climate education.

He said: “The understanding that knowledge knows no boundaries underscores the importance of robust international collaboration in addressing the global challenges we face. In light of this, we collaborated with UNICEF to formulate a practical and adaptable Emirati teacher capacity-building model. This approach is designed to be flexible, allowing various countries to adopt and tailor it to align with their national educational strategies. As a testament to its efficacy, several countries have already committed to adopting this model, recognising its potential to enhance the capabilities of their educational workforces across all levels of education.” During the COP28 Legacy Event, it was announced that the UAE has successfully attained its objectives within the Greening Capacities pillar, which was revealed earlier this year.

In total, 1,300 principals and 10,000 teachers have registered for training, and the UAE has trained 100 master trainers to deliver effective sustainability education during COP28, who can then cascade their knowledge to other teachers.

Emirati student Sultan Majed Al Badi gave a speech on behalf of the children participating in the “Net Zero Hero” initiative launched by the MoE in cooperation with UNICEF.

The initiative provided climate training for 30 children to enable them to participate effectively in COP28.

The closing speech of the event was delivered by Marina Mantovani Rodrigues de Castro, teacher representative from Brazil, and Emirati teacher Salma Mohammed Al Ketbi on behalf of teachers participating in climate training efforts for educational workforces.

The event also featured a panel discussion focusing on empowering every teacher to get climate ready. Dr Robert Jenkins, UNICEF Director of Education, moderated the session, which included insights from distinguished speakers, including Prof Adolf Faustine Mkenda, Minister of Education, Tanzania, Dr Matt Reed, CEO of Aga Khan Foundation, Virginie Delisee-Pizzo, Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Head of the Education, vocational training, higher education and employment, and Dr Heike Kuhn, Head of Education Unit at Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

By the end of the 10th day of COP28, the Greening Education Hub – Legacy from the Land of Zayed reported an impressive turnout, with more than 32,000 visitors. The Hub has become particularly popular among youth, students, and children who have actively participated in the events and activities hosted therein.