On the occasion of the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai, a groundbreaking Declaration on the Common Agenda for Education and Climate Change was adopted, the first global political acknowledgment of the critical link between education and climate action as foundational for a resilient and sustainable future for all children.
The declaration calls upon Member States to commit in three key areas: adapt, mitigate, and invest;
Endorsed by countries representing every region in the world, the declaration sets out a clear path for nations to incorporate education into their national climate strategies, develop climate-smart education policies, and bolster financing to build climate-resilient education systems.
GPE strongly welcomes the political declaration, including the acknowledgement of GPE’s role on this critical agenda, and the country’s commitment to greater levels of collaboration, partnership, and innovation to fill current education financing gaps.
- "Commitment Area 1: ADAPT
We pledge to identify vulnerabilities and implement national education strategies to address climate risk, adopt adaptation measures and build more resilient education systems. We will evidence our commitment by including education in our national adaptation strategies.
We pledge to emphasize the role of education in supporting all learners to develop adequate knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to adapt to new climate realities and develop innovative solutions for a sustainable future.
- Commitment Area 2: MITIGATE
We pledge to develop comprehensive education sector strategies to build climate-smart and resilient education systems that prepare all learners to actively engage in climate mitigation. We will evidence our commitment by encouraging the inclusion of education in our Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
We pledge to leverage the role of education to achieve net zero emissions in the education sector.
- Commitment Area 3: INVEST
We pledge strong cross-sectoral collaboration in support of increased global finance for education, including through climate funds and institutions, to support education recovery and promote climate adaptation and mitigation measures in and through education systems.
We pledge to encourage both domestic and international education financing that helps address existing gaps and creates systems and learners that are climate-ready, including through investing in global education funds, partnerships, and innovative financing mechanisms."