Government + UN Zone

Government + UN

William Scott

What does the government want young people to learn about climate change and the environment?

William Scott is Emeritus Professor of Education at the University of Bath and Chair of the National Association for Environmental Education. The Department for Education is currently consulting on a climate education strategy, proposing that all teachers in all phases address climate change. This session summarised key elements and offered a critique of the strategy.

William discussed the DfE’s draft Climate and Sustainability Strategy - see https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1031454/SCC_DRAFT_Strategy.pdfLink opens in a new window. He is also Chair of the National Association of Environmental Education – see https://naee.org.uk/Link opens in a new window.

https://warwick.padlet.org/aball116/3p1ymnnm0lydezkhLink opens in a new window

For the first Green Space Day, a series of resources were collected together around this theme which you are welcome to explore and use in your teaching. Please note that they were accurate and live in April 2022, but some may have been replaced or removed, as we have no control over external resources. The resources are labelled with the following colours and shapes to denote their suitability for particular age phases:

Early Years: Primary: Secondary:

Resource title, description and link	Suitable for
Department for Education Draft Climate and Sustainability Strategy (published November 2021) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1031454/SCC_DRAFT_Strategy.pdfLink opens in a new window
UN IPCC Sixth Assessment Report - Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaption and Vulnerability - published 27/2/22 - website - summary https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-working-group-ii/Link opens in a new window IPCC_AR6_WGII_SummaryForPolicymakers.pdfLink opens in a new window SCC_DRAFT_Strategy.pdfLink opens in a new window SDGs_Booklet_Web_En.pdfLink opens in a new window
Department for Education - YouTube channel - videos for teachers https://www.youtube.com/user/educationgovuk/search?query=Climate%20changeLink opens in a new window
Responses to the DfE Sustainability and Climate Change Draft Strategy - website https://www.sec-ed.co.uk/news/dfe-promises-final-climate-change-strategy-by-april-2022-environment-cop26-sustainability-carbon-emissions-co2/Link opens in a new window
Further responses to the DfE Sustainability and Climate Change Draft Strategy - website https://www.headteacher-update.com/best-practice-article/using-the-dfe-climate-change-strategy-to-develop-your-schools-sustainability-ethos-1/242538/Link opens in a new window
Teach the Future - Response to DfE Sustainability and Climate Change Draft Strategy - website Teach the Future is an inclusive campaign by secondary and tertiary education students to greatly improve education on the climate emergency and ecological crisis in the UK. https://www.teachthefuture.uk/blog/response-to-the-dfes-draft-climate-and-sustainability-strategy?link_id=0&can_id=3027928f1b153e3aac9e1dbb1553128c&source=email-our-response-to-dfe-strategy&email_referrer=email_1374083&email_subject=our-response-to-dfe-strategyLink opens in a new window
National Association for Environmental Education - response to DfE draft SCC Strategy - website https://naee.org.uk/ee-and-the-dfe-draft-strategy-on-sustainability-and-climate-change-5-proposals-for-action/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ee-and-the-dfe-draft-strategy-on-sustainability-and-climate-change-5-proposals-for-actionLink opens in a new window
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals - website Brief video about the youth realising the Sustainable Development Goals through policy change. Webpage introducing the UN Sustainable Development GoalsLink opens in a new window This has an emphasis on social justice, including gender equality and no poverty, in conjunction with global sustainability.
UN Climate Change Learn Teacher Portal - Introduction to online courses - website https://unccelearn.org/educcate/Link opens in a new window
Guardian article summarising IPCC report on Climate Change - 28/2/22 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/28/what-is-the-ipcc-climate-change-report-and-what-will-it-sayLink opens in a new window
UK Government - Top tips for sustainability in schools This collection of top tips suggests practical ways for schools to become more sustainable, with an emphasis on money saving. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/187037/DFE-32056-2012.pdfLink opens in a new window
UN Climate Change - Patricia Espinosa is the Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change - responsible for steering 197 countries toward tackling the greatest challenge facing humanity. Podcast lasting 25 minutes. https://unfccc.int/news/it-s-possible-podcast-episode-2-with-patricia-espinosaLink opens in a new window

Resource title, description and link

Suitable for

Department for Education Draft Climate and Sustainability Strategy (published November 2021)

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1031454/SCC_DRAFT_Strategy.pdfLink opens in a new window

UN IPCC Sixth Assessment Report - Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaption and Vulnerability - published 27/2/22 - website - summary

Department for Education - YouTube channel - videos for teachers

https://www.youtube.com/user/educationgovuk/search?query=Climate%20changeLink opens in a new window

Responses to the DfE Sustainability and Climate Change Draft Strategy - website

https://www.sec-ed.co.uk/news/dfe-promises-final-climate-change-strategy-by-april-2022-environment-cop26-sustainability-carbon-emissions-co2/Link opens in a new window

Further responses to the DfE Sustainability and Climate Change Draft Strategy - website

https://www.headteacher-update.com/best-practice-article/using-the-dfe-climate-change-strategy-to-develop-your-schools-sustainability-ethos-1/242538/Link opens in a new window

Teach the Future - Response to DfE Sustainability and Climate Change Draft Strategy - website

Teach the Future is an inclusive campaign by secondary and tertiary education students to greatly improve education on the climate emergency and ecological crisis in the UK.

https://www.teachthefuture.uk/blog/response-to-the-dfes-draft-climate-and-sustainability-strategy?link_id=0&can_id=3027928f1b153e3aac9e1dbb1553128c&source=email-our-response-to-dfe-strategy&email_referrer=email_1374083&email_subject=our-response-to-dfe-strategyLink opens in a new window

National Association for Environmental Education - response to DfE draft SCC Strategy - website

https://naee.org.uk/ee-and-the-dfe-draft-strategy-on-sustainability-and-climate-change-5-proposals-for-action/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ee-and-the-dfe-draft-strategy-on-sustainability-and-climate-change-5-proposals-for-actionLink opens in a new window

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals - website

Brief video about the youth realising the Sustainable Development Goals through policy change.

Webpage introducing the UN Sustainable Development GoalsLink opens in a new window

This has an emphasis on social justice, including gender equality and no poverty, in conjunction with global sustainability.

UN Climate Change Learn Teacher Portal - Introduction to online courses - website

https://unccelearn.org/educcate/Link opens in a new window

Guardian article summarising IPCC report on Climate Change - 28/2/22

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/28/what-is-the-ipcc-climate-change-report-and-what-will-it-sayLink opens in a new window

UK Government - Top tips for sustainability in schools

This collection of top tips suggests practical ways for schools to become more sustainable, with an emphasis on money saving.

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/187037/DFE-32056-2012.pdfLink opens in a new window

UN Climate Change - Patricia Espinosa is the Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change - responsible for steering 197 countries toward tackling the greatest challenge facing humanity. Podcast lasting 25 minutes.

https://unfccc.int/news/it-s-possible-podcast-episode-2-with-patricia-espinosaLink opens in a new window