Teacher’s Approach on Climate Change …
621
Thirteen years after the first global initiative to discuss EE in 2005, UNESCO
declared the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. In this historical
context of theoretical approaches directed to the terms “education” and “sustainability”, Education in Climate Change emerges in 2009 (Læssøe et al. 2009).
Recently, in 2015, the UN launched the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
The agreement between the member countries involves a series of actions aiming a
better world by 2030. More precisely, the fourth SDG deals with Quality Education,
with the overall goal of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education, promoting
long learning opportunities (UN 2015). In addition, the goal 4.7 aims to ensure that
all students gain skills and knowledge in order to promote sustainable development
and lifestyle. Thus, instigating many educational centers to work and create projects
in favor of society and environment, contributing to sustainable development.
The thirteenth SDG, in general, addresses actions against global climate change.
The goal 13.3 makes it explicit: “to improve education, increase human and institutional awareness and capacity on global climate mitigation, adaptation, reduction of
impact, and early warning of climate change” (UN 2015). There is a need to integrate
SDG 4 in the success of learning related to climate change—SDG 13. According
to Freire (2001), “if education alone does not transform society, society will change
without it.”
The aim of this work is to describe the relationship between sustainability and
education, with focus on climate change education.
3 Metodology
Figure 1 illustrates the methodological structure of the article, which is divided in
three stages.
3.1 Step 1: Education and Sustainability
UNESCO—Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency
of the UN system and carries out several important actions in the world for the sake
of sustainability. Yet many of UNESCO’s annual publications are distributed at no
cost to global communities. Among many UNESCO’s study themes, it is necessary
to emphasize education. Since UNESCO is the reference and the source (in this area
of study) more secure, developed with different collaborative views (Blanchfield and
Browne 2013).
In this sense, step 1 identified UNESCO publications focusing on: Environmental
Education, Education for Sustainable Development and Education in Climate Change
(UNESCO 1997, 2005, 2014).
The content analysis of the selected materials identified the following descriptions for each publication: interrelationships between EE, ESD and CCE; objectives
621
Thirteen years after the first global initiative to discuss EE in 2005, UNESCO
declared the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. In this historical
context of theoretical approaches directed to the terms “education” and “sustainability”, Education in Climate Change emerges in 2009 (Læssøe et al. 2009).
Recently, in 2015, the UN launched the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
The agreement between the member countries involves a series of actions aiming a
better world by 2030. More precisely, the fourth SDG deals with Quality Education,
with the overall goal of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education, promoting
long learning opportunities (UN 2015). In addition, the goal 4.7 aims to ensure that
all students gain skills and knowledge in order to promote sustainable development
and lifestyle. Thus, instigating many educational centers to work and create projects
in favor of society and environment, contributing to sustainable development.
The thirteenth SDG, in general, addresses actions against global climate change.
The goal 13.3 makes it explicit: “to improve education, increase human and institutional awareness and capacity on global climate mitigation, adaptation, reduction of
impact, and early warning of climate change” (UN 2015). There is a need to integrate
SDG 4 in the success of learning related to climate change—SDG 13. According
to Freire (2001), “if education alone does not transform society, society will change
without it.”
The aim of this work is to describe the relationship between sustainability and
education, with focus on climate change education.
3 Metodology
Figure 1 illustrates the methodological structure of the article, which is divided in
three stages.
3.1 Step 1: Education and Sustainability
UNESCO—Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency
of the UN system and carries out several important actions in the world for the sake
of sustainability. Yet many of UNESCO’s annual publications are distributed at no
cost to global communities. Among many UNESCO’s study themes, it is necessary
to emphasize education. Since UNESCO is the reference and the source (in this area
of study) more secure, developed with different collaborative views (Blanchfield and
Browne 2013).
In this sense, step 1 identified UNESCO publications focusing on: Environmental
Education, Education for Sustainable Development and Education in Climate Change
(UNESCO 1997, 2005, 2014).
The content analysis of the selected materials identified the following descriptions for each publication: interrelationships between EE, ESD and CCE; objectives