The ClimAct Initiative in partnership with UNESCO New Delhi recently organized the “National Youth Consultation on Greening Education”, intended to gather the experiences and perceptions of young people on climate change and environmental education in India and future opportunities for shaping formal and non-formal climate change education in the country. POP Mentors, Komal Mittal and Drishya Pathak joined the consultation and contributed their experiences. The youth consultation was aligned with UNESCO’s Greening Education Partnership that promotes a whole-of-system approach to leverage the critical role of education in tackling the climate crisis through a collaborative, inclusive, and multi-stakeholder approach. The consultation was held on 28th May 2024 at the UNESCO New Delhi Cluster Office, with an option for young people—aged 18–30 years— to participate either in-person or virtually. Read more about the consultation>>>

The consultation was well-attended with about 35 in-person participants and 30+ participants joining virtually. These included young stakeholders who are already active in the climate action space and also students and recent graduates from multidisciplinary fields. The main points that emerged from the discussions included the need for recognizing climate change as a standalone subject in formal education and a more pressing need to modify the narratives to emphasize the actionable solutions for addressing climate change, including traditional and contemporary best practices from India and across the world. Continuing on the latter discussion, the youth also voiced their preference for learning about climate change and climate action through experiential learning at the grassroots level, interactions with communities living with the impacts of climate change, and exchanging experiences with peers from other geographical and cultural backgrounds. They also mentioned a need to integrate different sociological issues, including gender equality, farmers rights, resource mining, armed conflicts, etc. within the discourse of climate change. And also highlighted the potential of fine arts and performing arts as a powerful medium for improving education and awareness about climate change and climate action. The findings of this consultation are intended to inform the development of future climate change and environmental education, training, and capacity building programmes targeted towards youth, which will be both inclusive and comprehensive of the intersectional aspects of climate change.National Youth Consultation on Greening Education organized by the ClimAct Initiative in partnership with UNESCO New Delhi. This consultation contributed valuable experiences and views on the current state of environment and climate education and future opportunities for a greener approach to education in India.