ECOSF participated in the Climate Change Education Summit organized by the Reading University, UK

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University of Reading, UK in collaboration with Office for Climate Education, Royal Meteorological Society, Met Office UK organized a virtual Climate Education Summit on September 15, 2021. The Summit included keynote plenary sessions and roundtable discussions with the aim of identifying and outlining how a step change in climate and sustainability education can be made so that young people have the skills and knowledge needed for the twenty-first century. The scope included both policy-related matters and in-school activities. Summit was widely attended by scientists, teachers, students and the general public. On behalf of ECOSF, its President Prof. Dr. Manzoor Hussain Soomro and Engr. Khalil Raza participated in the online summit. It is pertinent to mention that Prof. Soomro is an alumnus of the University of Reading and was especially invited to join the summit.

Invited speakers during the summit underlined that the impacts of global warming are already being felt across the world, the decisions taken now on climate action will most affect today’s young people. Climate experts recognized that many children rarely encounter discussion of climate change in the classroom or in their wider lives, except in often-distressing news stories or through what they see on social media.

Summit also highlighted that regardless of the quantity of climate education in the curriculum, the quality is another key issue. Surveys of teachers by the “Teach the Future” campaign group showed that nine out of 10 teachers agree that climate change should be compulsory in schools, yet only three out of 10 feel properly equipped to teach it. Addressing any shortfall in climate education is a complex process and doesn’t necessarily have to involve formally changing the curriculum. Summit concluded that generation armed with knowledge about the challenges it faces, and the potential solutions, is much more likely to engage with the climate challenge with greater confidence and vigour.