GreenComp – The EU has published a European sustainability competence framework: GreenComp. This identifies a set of sustainability competences to feed into education programmes. The framework defines the four competence groups that should be acquired by learners of all ages related to sustainability. These are: [i] embodying sustainability values; [ii] embracing complexity in sustainability; [iii] acting for sustainability; and [iv] envisioning sustainable futures. You will find details via this link.
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Footprints and Action – Northern Ireland has a Level 2 Award in Reducing Carbon Footprints through Environmental Action. This aims to provide the learner with an understanding of the impact of carbon dioxide emissions on climate change and how individuals, communities and organisations may contribute to reducing these. There are units in biodiversity recovery, climate campaigning, fast fashion and tackling single-use plastic waste.
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GAP Comment – The UKSSN (hosted by GAP’s Transform Our World platform) has compiled a short report containing responses to the DfE’s recently launched sustainability strategy from students, teachers and educators involved in various regional sustainability education networks. The report is here, and this is a short summary:
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GAP Summary – UKSSN members have mixed feelings about the strategy. On the positive side they are pleased it has come into existence and have already reported how it has helped them to make the case to senior leaders for more emphasis to be placed on sustainability and climate change at their schools. However, they also expressed concern that the strategy lacks the bite necessary to solve two perennial problems sustainability educators face: a lack of time for Sustainability Leads to do the work that needs doing, and the lack of coverage given to these issues by the curriculum. Another concern expressed by a teacher of Modern Foreign Languages related to where climate and sustainability is being positioned by DfE. They stressed the importance of it not being siloed within the STEM subjects, writing that: “I want to be part of this too, not have it restricted to science and geography. Just like we all are responsible for fostering literacy and numeracy skills.” The report features three in-depth responses from named students and several more who responded anonymously. One student, Jack from Somerset, called for a “green revolution for the education system” and labelled the strategy “a great first step in the right direction.
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Tendering – The DfE has invited tenders for its climate leaders awards and nature park schemes. “The Park will act as a digital hub where early years practitioners, teachers, children, and young people can find learning resources and ideas for nature-based activities. The Climate Leaders Award will act as an ‘umbrella’ for all the many excellent existing awards and activities that stakeholders currently provide. The Award will encourage participation in nature-based activities and children and young people will learn about the use of innovative biodiversity mapping, which will provide a new insight into the current bio-diversity baseline of the education estate and enable progress to be tracked.” Deadline June 22nd.
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Another Manifesto – Educational International has a Manifesto on Quality Climate Change Education for All!.
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Transforming Education – The UN secretary-general is convening a meeting of the Heads of State of the world to secure greater political commitments to education. This Transforming Education Summit (TES) is the first education meeting at the level of Heads of State. The aim of the summit is to accelerate progress towards quality education for all. The summit is organized around five thematic tracks. Track 2 is “Learning and skills for life, work and sustainable development”. There was a public consultation regarding the draft discussion paper of the track last week which discussed elements for transforming education in this thematic area, and set out key recommendations to translate knowledge to policy and practice.
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SDG4.7 – As we noted last week, a report on behalf of the Our Shared World Coalition of organisations has been published. The report gathered evidence of the extent to which the themes of Sustainable Development Goal Target 4.7 are being engaged with within schools in England. There’s an edited video of the event here and the report can be downloaded here. And here’s a comment on one aspect of the report by NAEE’s Chair.
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Weather Experiments – The Royal Meteorological Society believes that every student should leave school with the basic climate literacy that would enable them to engage with the messages put forward by the media or politicians, or to make informed decisions about their own opportunities and responsibilities. The Society’s educational website provides a range of experiments, demonstrations and DIY weather instruments “to bring weather teaching to life”.
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Global Cases – The GEEP Case Study E-Book has chapters available for download, with more on the way. The editors say that these reflect the complexity, messiness, beauty, and diversity of environmental education programmes across the planet that strive to create a more sustainable future for us all. To download a chapter, you will need to LOGIN with an eePRO account. Having this account also allows you to network and share resources with other educators around the world. The account is free and the case library is here.
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Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage – In an article for The Conversation, Raffaella Ocone, who has a Chair in Chemical Engineering at Heriot-Watt University, asks whether the UK’s largest wood-burning power plant which is to trial bioenergy with carbon capture and storage [BCCS], will do enough to cut emissions. It’s fair to say that she is sceptical.
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Building Back – The UN recently celebrated International Biodiversity Day. The theme in 2022 is building a shared future for all life. This fits within the context of the ongoing United Nations Decade on Restoration which says that biodiversity is the answer to several sustainable development challenges. The UN says that the slogan conveys the message that biodiversity is the foundation upon which we can “build back better”.
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COP15 – Much less well known than COP26 or COP27, COP15 begins in Kunming in western China on October 1st. We wonder if this is less well known because it is only focusing on biodiversity rather than on the climate issues we face. This is what UNEP says: “Despite on-going efforts, biodiversity is deteriorating worldwide and this decline is projected to worsen with business-as-usual scenarios. The UN Biodiversity Conference [COP15] will convene governments from around the world to agree to a new set of goals for nature over the next decade through the Convention on Biological Diversity post-2020 framework process. The framework sets out an ambitious plan to implement broad-based action to bring about a transformation in society’s relationship with biodiversity and to ensure that, by 2050, the shared vision of living in harmony with nature is fulfilled.”
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In Nature you have no Limits – There’s an invitation to join a knowledge exchange symposium to explore the intersections of research and practice in arts, nature and wellbeing. The event marks the end of the AHRC-funded Eco-Capabilities research project, which explored ways of supporting the wellbeing of children living in high deprivation areas through participatory art in outdoor spaces. Details here.
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Celebrating Nature – The Festival of Nature 2022 programme – June 10 to 18 – has been published. The full list of events is here.