Parallel Sessions

Greening Education Partnership – Roadmap for Integrating Climate Change Education and Learning from India and outside

The session aimed to share and review national initiatives integrating climate change into the curriculum and teacher education, explore global and Indian case studies on climate-resilient and green schools, and highlight the role of youth in developing green skills, leading climate actions, and driving the transition to a green economy. Structured as a moderated panel discussion followed by an open-house dialogue, the session provided a platform for sharing experiences, reviewing progress, and exploring innovative strategies to advance climate change education and sustainability in India and beyond.

Speakers

• Panel 1: Greening Curriculum and Teacher Education

  • Prof Chong Shimray, NCERT
  • Dr Abhay Kumar, CIET, NCERT
  • Prof Kiichi Oyasu, Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO, Tokyo; Director of the Education Cooperation Department at the Asia-Pacific Cultural Centre for UNESCO (ACCU)
• Panel 2: Greening Schools and Communities

• Dr Pramod Kumar Sharma, FEE
• Shri Lalit Nayaran Singh Sandu, IAS, SPD, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, Gandhinagar
• Dr Pratibha Singh, UNICEF New Delhi
• Ms Viveka Jani, ClimACT Initiative

Key Recommendations from the Session

• Systematic integration of climate change education (CCE) across curriculum: To holistically integrate climate change education across all grades and subjects, keeping in mind to have the right balance between the breadth of concepts required and the depth of understanding required.
• Teacher training and capacity building: To develop and scale up teacher training modules on climate change education to empower teachers to transact this learning in schools. Incorporating active learning strategies like Project-Based Learning (PBL) will also be a valuable tool in delivering impactful lessons on climate change.
• Holistic and inclusive assessment: To move beyond test-based assessments to include social impact evaluations, certifications, and lifelong learning perspectives.
• Institutional development and community engagement: To promote regional and institutional collaboration to develop and share best practices for climate-resilient schools. In addition, to encourage community involvement in school initiatives, ensuring that climate action extends beyond the school.
• Climate resilient and sustainable schools: To focus on infrastructure development that is environmentally responsible and accessible, going beyond traditional “green” elements.
• National and state-level policy support: To align with NEP 2020 and NCF 2023 to integrate climate change and environmental education into the national curriculum. This will also involve providing financial and technical support to states for implementing climate-resilient school programs. Scaling up initiatives like Mission Meri Life and eco-clubs to engage students in practical climate actions will also be impactful in creating environmentally conscious citizens.
• Youth empowerment and leadership: To recognise young people as catalysts of change and provide platforms for their meaningful engagement in climate action. To also build environmentally educated children by inculcating the right values and ethics at an early stage in their learning.
• Global and national collaboration: To align with global frameworks like the Greening Education Partnership (GEP) and aim for targets such as 50% of schools achieving green

Session Report+