Article 6 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) recognizes the importance of education, training and public awareness to achieve “action for climate empowerment, (ACE) and ultimately to achieve the goals set forth in the Paris Agreement. In a UNFCCC meeting this past summer, over 750 participants from 22 countries gathered to discuss Education as a Driver of Sustainable Development Goals. At the meeting, Adriana Valenzuela, focal point for ACE with the UNFCCC said:
Education plays a fundamental role for the implementation of the Paris climate change agreement and for the Sustainable Development Goals. All relevant organizations urgently need to build capacity, in all areas of society. There is a wealth of knowledge that we can tap into, and international cooperation and knowledge-sharing can play a major role in making the world more sustainable.
At Climate Generation, we believe education is a tool of empowerment and that empowering educators as critical messengers of climate and energy literacy is part of the solution to climate change. We also recognize that youth will inherit the unparalleled impacts of climate change and are among our most powerful advocates. As an organization, we are building the capacity of educators to teach students, and youth in their communities, to create the climate-resilient 21st century the Paris Agreement envisions. Â
To support the implementation of the Paris Agreement as it enters into force, today, November 4, we are dedicated to bringing educators and youth to the international climate negotiations at COP22 in Marrakech. Through the unique experiences of attending COPs, educators and their students are connected, and youth empowered to share their voice with the global community. It is also where they can learn and inform what role they will play in the future we are creating. Finally, through a strong youth presence, we amplify the importance of climate change education and youth voices at the international climate negotiations. Over the next two weeks we look forward to amplifying the voices of Siiri, Craig, Isabel and Johanna, as they act as Ambassadors of Climate Generation and climate change education to the international community at COP22 in Morocco.