Dubai Cares Launches Report On Integrating Education And Climate Action For Systemic Change

Dubai Cares, a civil society organisation linked with the United Nations Department of Global Communications, has released a new report titled "Rewiring Education: The Climate Education Nexus." This document advocates for integrating education with climate action. It is the result of two years of discussions and consultations at the RewirEd Summit 2023 during COP28 UAE and beyond, gathering insights from both education and climate sectors.

The report was introduced during the 79th United Nations General Assembly week. It builds on the outcomes of the first RewirEd Summit report launched at the Transforming Education Summit in New York in 2022. The initial report, "Rewiring Education for People and Planet," proposed six solutions to align actions across different sectors. The latest edition expands on these ideas, emphasising education's role in climate action from an ecosystem perspective and highlighting cross-sector collaboration.

The core message of the report is that climate action and education transformation should not be tackled separately. The connection between these fields holds significant potential for systemic change but remains underutilised. By working together, these sectors can achieve their goals more effectively and have a greater impact. The report provides a strategy to unite education and climate efforts, offering concrete recommendations and urging collaboration across sectors to meet educational and environmental objectives.

Charles North, Deputy CEO of the Global Partnership for Education, highlighted the need for guidance at the RewirEd Summit 2023. He stated, "Governments around the world are asking: Where do we begin? What works? How do we design this?" This report aims to assist governments, policymakers, civil society, academia, educators, practitioners, youth, and private sector stakeholders in integrating education with climate action by providing practical solutions for effective strategies.

Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, CEO and Vice-Chairman of Dubai Cares, commented on the report's launch by stating that humanity has historically overcome significant challenges. Today’s defining crisis is climate change. He emphasised that education is crucial in addressing this crisis directly. According to him, real progress on global issues like poverty or health depends on fundamentally transforming education systems.

Al Gurg further urged stakeholders to prioritise education transformation within climate solutions as COP29 approaches. He called on global leaders to include education in their climate negotiations and consider this report's vital recommendations. He stressed that immediate action is necessary to ensure everyone gains the knowledge and skills needed for a sustainable future.

Global Participation at RewirEd Summit 2023

The RewirEd Summit 2023 at COP28 UAE marked the first global education convening focused on climate issues. It attracted over 1,000 participants including two heads of state, 22 ministers, 28 CEOs, along with 260 speakers representing 209 entities from 76 countries.

This gathering underscored the importance of uniting diverse voices to address educational transformation within climate agendas effectively.

With inputs from WAM