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The Education International Executive Board issued a strong call for urgent and decisive climate action in a statement to world leaders at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29). Stressing that widespread school disruptions caused by the climate crisis put students’ right to education and teachers’ labour rights at risk, the Education International leadership urged governments to ensure that education systems are climate resilient and that education is included in climate strategies in order to mobilise climate action.

During their meeting, Executive Board members shared examples of how the climate crisis is impacting education in their countries. Classrooms with temperatures over 50 degrees Celsius and poor ventilation, water rationing in schools due to drought, and a substantial increase in hurricanes, fires, and floods are some of the impacts that compel union leaders to demand action.

Climate finance at the top of the agenda

Ahead of COP29, Education International joined forces with other global trade unions to launch a common set of demands from workers around the world. Workers call on governments to prioritise the full implementation of the just transition work programme, include just transition in a new quantified global goal on climate finance, and guarantee human rights and inclusive participation, with trade unions as key partners in determining climate policies through social dialogue.

Climate finance is in the spotlight at COP29. The pledge of allocating 100 billion dollars annually made in 2009 was barely met by 2022. Yet some estimates suggest that what is really needed is more than 1 trillion dollars annually in climate finance. COP29 will decide on a new collective quantified goal (NCQG) for climate finance which must be ambitious and must be implemented.

“Financial arrangements that push poor countries further into debt or derive from profit-driven private finance are not solutions. Climate finance must be mobilised to meet the needs of the most marginalised and to enable a just transition. Loss and damage as well as adaption must be fully financed”, stressed Mugwena Maluleke, Education International President.

Climate change education at COP29

Education International also calls on policy makers at COP to include education in climate strategies. This means both ensuring that education systems are climate resilient and enabling educational continuity in the face of climate impacts, but also that education is recognised as a powerful tool to catalyse climate action. As outlined in Education International’s Manifesto on quality climate change education for all, education systems must introduce high-quality, well-funded education programmes, equipment, facilities, and professional learning for climate education. In addition, Education International calls on all countries to endorse the common education and climate agenda, committing to concrete actions on adaption, mitigation, and investment to ensure resilient and green education systems. Click here to read the Education International statement to COP29.

Global advocacy for climate change education continues at COP29. Teacher representative Colin Matthew, from the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation, CTF, Canada spoke at the COP29 Ministerial Roundtable on greening education and enhancing climate literacy metric on 18 November. Matthew stressed the importance of including climate justice in social dialogue and collective bargaining agreements in education. He also highlighted the need to support teachers to provide quality education in uncertain times through systems that ensure their decent working conditions, wellbeing and build their capacities.

Click here to find out more about the events on climate education scheduled during the Conference. To find out more about the key takeaways and next steps from COP29 from the education community, join this UNESCO/UNFCCC webinar, where Colin Matthew and other others will reflect on the progress and road ahead for climate justice advocates in the education sector. Entitled What next for greening teacher training and education systems’ capacities?, the webinar will take place on December 3, at 14:00 CET. Click here to register.

The next important milestone in the COP process is February 2025, the deadline for countries to submit their revised nationally determined contributions. “Looking ahead to COP30, we urge all countries to prepare nationally determined contributions that include more ambitious commitments to end the use of fossil fuels, commitments on just transition policies, commitments to green education and ensure quality climate change education for all”, concluded David Edwards, Education International General Secretary.