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Essential but challenging climate change

education in the Global South
Jieqi Ma & Yongqin David Chen Check for updates

Climate change education is crucial to most critical political imperative, while CCE often takes a backseat to
more immediate concerns in both climate and education policies.
countries in the Global South due to their Climate change impacts, mitigation and adaptation are key focuses of
contribution and vulnerability to the climate climate policy agendas in which the role and importance of education
are often neglected. In the meantime, priorities, such as compulsory
crisis. However, institutionalizing and education, educational inequality, quality education, shortage of
implementing climate change education is trained teachers and teaching materials and high rates of early school
particularly challenging in developing dropout, dominate policy attention in education sectors in developing
countries. Likewise, climate change is not sufficiently incorporated in
nations, given inadequate motivation and education policies either6.
limited capacity. The inadequate motivation results in deficient high-level support
and coordination that is vital to policymaking and implementation
Essential but challenging climate change education in the on CCE. As shown in the case of China, modifying national curriculum
Global South frameworks and implementing CCE policies and projects involve col-
Education is essential for climate action. Climate change education lective efforts of multiple ministries and sectors (Fig. 1). Therefore,
(CCE) not only enhances people’s awareness, literacy and knowledge when institutional support and cross-sectoral coordination are absent,
of climate issues but also fosters ideological, attitudinal and behav- climate policy and education policy can hardly be coherent and mutu-
ioural changes. Wide implementation of CCE programmes could lead ally inclusive.
to reductions in carbon emissions that are comparable in size to other Besides, impetus driving the establishment of CCE in the Global
large-scale mitigation strategies through daily behaviours and profes- South remains relatively weak. Public awareness of climate change is
sional careers1. It also holds substantial potential for relieving climate usually scant in developing countries7, causing a lack of culture and sup-
change anxiety in society. port for CCE at home, in school and in society as a whole8. Meanwhile,
Policy and implementation of CCE is fast evolving in developed bottom-up initiatives for CCE are less likely to flourish in authoritarian
countries in recent years. Italy declared to make CCE compulsory for regimes in the Global South. Students, teachers, parents, communities,
all public schools as part of civics education in 2019. In 2020, New Jer- environmental organizations and other non-state actors are devoid of
sey became the first state in the United States that mandates climate opportunities for advocacy and community mobilization to raise the
change learning across all subjects starting in kindergarten. Shortly issue. Although external initiatives from the international community
after a historic event for CCE during COP26, the Department for Educa- are on the rise, they are not robust enough to propel CCE mainstream-
tion in the United Kingdom announced its quest to “put climate change ing in domestic advancements. Consequently, the momentum towards
at the heart of education”. CCE may not grow significantly in the Global South.
Echoing the development state of CCE, extant research primarily
focuses on climate literacy, curriculum development and CCE strate- Capacity for developing CCE
gies and policies in developed countries2–4. Yet, such research tends to Currently, countries more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change
be thinner in the Global South. Countries in the Global South are nota- (typically the developing ones) are most likely to include climate change
ble contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and are more vulnerable issues in their national education curricula5. Nevertheless, the major-
to climate risks. CCE is therefore particularly essential but also more ity if not all of them are not able to provide adequate education on
challenging in these regions, where a lack of motivation and insufficient climate change.
capacity are two major causes. Insufficiency of educational background, scientific knowledge
and expertise of teachers poses a significant hurdle in delivering
Motivation towards CCE in the Global South effective CCE. It is a grave challenge, especially in developing coun-
Developing CCE lacks legitimacy as national laws, policies and strat- tries, although it is also prevalent in affluent countries. The root of
egies specifically concentrated on CCE are almost absent in many this challenge lies in the fact that teachers are not equipped with
countries (Box 1). Approximately half of 100 countries reviewed by relevant knowledge and expertise in climate change when educated
the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization at the tertiary level nor are they provided with sufficient pre-service or
(UNESCO) did not incorporate climate change in their national cur- in-service education and training in work9,10. Among 58,280 respond-
riculum frameworks5. ents from 144 countries and territories (over 90% of whom were in
Countries in the Global South confront additional challenges that developing countries) surveyed by UNESCO in 2021, only 55% of the
divert governmental attention to pressing issues. Environmental and teachers reported obtaining prior or in-service training on climate
education ministries predominantly channel their efforts towards the change during their teaching careers9.

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Comment

simulations13, small group discussions14, multimedia learning14 and

Box 1 problem- and project-based learning15 are suggested as effective prac-
tices of CCE. In particular, social and emotional engagement of students
and action-oriented education beyond mere cognitive learning is
National CCE policies and underscored in educating the ‘super wicked problem’8,14. However, the
literature is disproportionately focused on industrialized countries.
strategies of China The pedagogies may not be applicable and effective in developing
countries where classes are often overcrowded and dominated by
China, the second largest economy and the second most populous summative assessment.
country in the world, holds a pivotal role in the context of global Scarcity of educational, financial and institutional resources also
climate change. It faces vulnerabilities to various climate hazards, makes CCE considerably more challenging in the Global South. Lack-
such as storms, droughts, floods, land subsidence and landslides. ing educational resources such as textbooks, guidelines, instructions,
Climate change education is covered in national climate workshops and training opportunities forms a pronounced barrier to
policies in China. The China National Plan for Tackling Climate teaching climate issues. Teachers with limited knowledge and exper-
Change (2014-2020), for example, mentions that CCE should be tise may grapple with what to teach and how to teach climate change
incorporated into the national education system. It advocates in their specific subjects. Besides, deficient financial resources cast
for the dissemination of climate change knowledge across uncertainty over the implementation of CCE programmes. Financial
classrooms, schools and the broader public. Moreover, it highlights support to CCE is not explicitly listed in official budgets in many coun-
the significance of training to government officials, enterprise tries, impeding investments in human capital, technical infrastructure
managers and media professionals to enhance their awareness and research and development (R&D). Some countries rely on ad hoc
and working capacity on climate issues. Additionally, occupational funding and external donors to fund relevant projects6. Adding to
training on low-carbon skills is referenced as well. these constraints is a paucity of institutional resources to support
Yet, CCE has a peripheral role in national education arena10. the education sector. Due to the underdevelopment of universities,
In 2003, the Ministry of Education (MoE) issued the Guideline research institutes, non-governmental organizations and enterprises
for Implementing Environmental Education in Elementary and in the climate field in the Global South, institutional support from
Secondary Schools (Trial), which incorporated the topic of climate non-state actors in capacity building, policy implementation and R&D
change for grades 10–12. However, national laws and policies that is somewhat limited.
are specifically dedicated to CCE are lacking. It is noteworthy that the challenges aforementioned may be
While education for ecological civilization and for sustainable greatly exacerbated in impoverished rural regions, given the lower
development are mentioned, CCE is not contained in major capacity of local governments and the fewer resources at their disposal.
education policies and strategies explicitly at national level, such as
the National Outline for Medium and Long-term Education Reform The way forward
and Development (2010-2020), the 13th Five-Year Plan for Education The scarcity of political will in advancing CCE hampers the develop-
Development, the Outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan for Economic ment of pertinent policies and cross-sectoral coordination at the top
and Social Development (2021–2025) and Long-Range Objectives level. At present, bottom-up initiatives struggle to gain traction within
through the Year 2035 of the People’s Republic of China, the 14th domestic contexts, while the existing international advocacy falls short
Five-Year Plan for Vocational Skills Training and China’s Education in propelling the promotion and practice of CCE in the Global South.
Modernization 2035 Plan. To address the challenges, we propose following recommendations to
Recently, CCE has become more visible in China. Climate raise the issue and catalyse a positive momentum in the Global South.
contents are included in the latest compulsory education curricula. Strategic deployment of both formal and informal programmes, activi-
In March 2022, the MoE released an updated Compulsory Education ties and campaigns is imperative to elevate public awareness on climate
Curriculum Programmes and Curriculum Standards (2022 version). change. By fostering a supportive atmosphere and cultivating a cul-
Climate-related topics (such as ‘global climate change’, ‘global ture conducive to CCE, these efforts can pave the way for substantial
warming’, ‘carbon peak and carbon neutrality’ and ‘natural hazards’) progress. Moreover, to provide stronger external reinforcement, we
are included in geography, science, biology, and ideology and suggest enhancing promotion of and facilitating deliberations on CCE
morality curricula. Subsequently, the Action Plan for Strengthening at formal meetings of the United Nations Framework Convention on
the Construction of Talent Training System in Carbon Peak and Climate Change parties. Furthermore, it is recommended that target
Carbon Neutrality in Higher Education was released by the MoE in setting and progress monitoring on CCE development be incorporated
April 2022. It outlines guiding principles and pinpoints key tasks in national communications, initially on a voluntary basis and later as
in green and low-carbon training and education in the higher a mandatory component.
education sector. The advancement of CCE is also curtailed by the limited capaci-
ties of developing countries. Both domestic and international efforts
matter in capacity building in the Global South. First, an education
Lacking innovative and effective pedagogical strategies is another reform on curriculum development is urgently needed. Integrating
factor that constrains the teaching capacity. According to the UNE- climate change into existing curricula through standalone subjects
SCO survey in 2021, fewer than 40% of the teachers felt confident to and cross-curricular approaches is a crucial step forward. Given the
teach climate change, although 95% believed it is essential to teach constraints of resources available, the reform may commence at the
the topic. Unawareness of appropriate pedagogies was considered tertiary level and gradually extend to secondary and primary educa-
a prime challenge in teaching climate change. Games11,12, role-play tion. College students, as integral members of society and potential

nature climate change Volume 13 | November 2023 | 1151–1153 | 1152

Comment

governments allocate specific budgets for the development of CCE

that should be listed explicitly and be publicly available in official plans.
Ministry of Lastly, addressing the challenges and overcoming the difficulties
Education
Curriculum
Ministry of
of CCE in developing nations necessitates further research endeavours
Textbook in the field. Our study calls on scholars and educators to direct their
Ecology and
Research
Environment attention towards CCE policies, governance and pedagogical innova-
Institute
tions in the Global South.
National
Center for
Chinese Jieqi Ma 1 & Yongqin David Chen 1,2
Academy of Climate Change
Environmental Strategy and
1
School of Humanities and Social Science, The Chinese University
Planning International of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China. 2Department of Geography and
Cooperation
Climate Resource Management, The Chinese University of Hong Kong,
change Hong Kong, China.
education
e-mail: majieqi@[Link]
National
Ministry of
Leading Group
on Climate
Science and Published online: 9 October 2023
Technology
Change
References
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In parallel, external assistance from the global community is cru- 16. Climate Change Communication and Education (UNESCO, 2022); [Link]
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cial. Apart from climate change mitigation and adaptation, we argue
that developed countries should extend their aid to CCE in the Global Acknowledgements
South. They may provide educational resources, training opportuni- This study is funded by the National Key R&D Program of China (Project No. 2019YFC1510400)
and the Teaching Innovation Grant, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen
ties to teachers and non-state actors, assistance in target setting and
(Project No. I10120230433).
monitoring, and financial support to developing countries. However,
countries in developing regions should not solely rely on the finan- Competing interests
cial assistance from their developed counterparts. We suggest that The authors declare no competing interests.

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