COP30 is the thirtieth UN conference about the climate and its happening this year from November 10th to 21st in Belem do Pará, the heart of the Amazon rainforest. The global meeting has occurred every year since 1955, gathering 200 countries to negotiate solutions to slow down the climate crisis, dealing with topics like adaptation, financing, and more.
But what is the value of a conference discussed only among leaders, when meaningful change depends on engaging the broader population?
When talking about global problems, it’s important to remember that they affect all communities, especially environmental ones, where human actions play a major role and have consequences for people themselves. Understanding what’s happening to our planet is important, because it can help support COP’s goals and also help the environment. So, the best way to implement this knowledge in society is during childhood, when learning happens more easily.
Environmental education aims to help people develop individual and collective concern about climate issues, building values, knowledge, skills and attitudes focused on environmental protection. It promotes not only cultural change, but also social transformation, treating the climate crisis as a moral and ethical issue. Today, it is taught along with other basic subjects in the early school years, but environmental awareness is also growing outside academic settings, reaching public and private institutions as well.
This segment is still evolving, constantly adapting to incorporate and communicate scientific advances related to sustainable development. It’s a vast area, with countless fields of action and research possibilities. Building a sustainable society is not an easy task, but meaningful progress depends on adopting effective pedagogical practices.
The benefits of this teaching are not limited to just climate awareness. Especially for children, it helps with individual development and encourages critical thinking. Environmental education intersects with nearly all areas of human knowledge, allowing issues to be discussed from different perspectives and implemented in multiple areas of society.
Environmental education is the key to a sustainable community. It helps us take the first steps toward creating positive global change and meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising those of the next. Incorporating environmental awareness into society’s culture generates impacts that go beyond climate action: It transforms the economy, improves public health, and strengthens the relationship between people and the planet.
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The article above was edited by Julia Galoro.
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