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communal vegetarian food consumption to enable the value shift amongst the
youngest generations. At the policy level, this needs more effective policies and
partnerships that prioritize the environment over the economy (Steele 2010).
14.3 Discussion and Results
Based on educators’ and students’ insights on climate education to action, this chapter focuses on three challenges that prevent both sets of actors from engaging in
climate action: students’ consumption patterns and behaviours, peer pressure from
classmates and educators’ lack of knowledge on climate change. Other challenges
and factors are listed in Table 14.1. These issues have a strong influence on climate
education; thus addressing these explicitly in curriculum has the potential to contribute to climate action. Results presented below were obtained at a workshop led
by the corresponding author at the ‘First RCE Thematic Conference: Towards
Achieving the SDGs’. Nearly 60 educators participated from various geographical
locations globally.
Address Unsustainable Consumption Within Education Institutions
There is increasing resistance amongst students to sacrifice unsustainable lifestyles.
This is due to the lack of incentives to amend negative behaviour, mainly associated
with diet and clothing consumption. Furthermore, the growing gap between student
values and the schooling curriculum exacerbates this issue. Educators claim that
students do not identify with sustainable lifestyle, which prevents them from translating their sustainable education into the relevant climate action. Below is a short
description of factors that impact on students’ engagement in the achievement of
SDG 13.
As a result, incentives must be created to motivate students to change their unsustainable consumption patterns and behaviours. Whilst education institutions are not
responsible for behaviour outside of their walls, they can incentivize behaviours that
encourage sustainable consumption. In doing so, educators and other key actors
should encourage students to engage in research through first-hand experiences
aimed to foster sustainability. It is therefore clear that building students’ capacity
such that they reconsider their consumption patterns and drift towards a sustainable
lifestyle should be imbedded into both the formal and informal schooling
curriculum.
Such incentives for students to unleash their potential and entrepreneurial skills
for advancing climate action through addressing consumption can include climate
leadership campaigns, as well as events including clothing swaps and school markets for sustainable products commercialization. Both of which work to reduce climate pressure and amend unsustainable consumption patterns. Students should also
engage in vocational programmes that address climate action in their transition
towards higher education or gainful employment in sustainability-related areas.
I. B. Franco et al.
communal vegetarian food consumption to enable the value shift amongst the
youngest generations. At the policy level, this needs more effective policies and
partnerships that prioritize the environment over the economy (Steele 2010).
14.3 Discussion and Results
Based on educators’ and students’ insights on climate education to action, this chapter focuses on three challenges that prevent both sets of actors from engaging in
climate action: students’ consumption patterns and behaviours, peer pressure from
classmates and educators’ lack of knowledge on climate change. Other challenges
and factors are listed in Table 14.1. These issues have a strong influence on climate
education; thus addressing these explicitly in curriculum has the potential to contribute to climate action. Results presented below were obtained at a workshop led
by the corresponding author at the ‘First RCE Thematic Conference: Towards
Achieving the SDGs’. Nearly 60 educators participated from various geographical
locations globally.
Address Unsustainable Consumption Within Education Institutions
There is increasing resistance amongst students to sacrifice unsustainable lifestyles.
This is due to the lack of incentives to amend negative behaviour, mainly associated
with diet and clothing consumption. Furthermore, the growing gap between student
values and the schooling curriculum exacerbates this issue. Educators claim that
students do not identify with sustainable lifestyle, which prevents them from translating their sustainable education into the relevant climate action. Below is a short
description of factors that impact on students’ engagement in the achievement of
SDG 13.
As a result, incentives must be created to motivate students to change their unsustainable consumption patterns and behaviours. Whilst education institutions are not
responsible for behaviour outside of their walls, they can incentivize behaviours that
encourage sustainable consumption. In doing so, educators and other key actors
should encourage students to engage in research through first-hand experiences
aimed to foster sustainability. It is therefore clear that building students’ capacity
such that they reconsider their consumption patterns and drift towards a sustainable
lifestyle should be imbedded into both the formal and informal schooling
curriculum.
Such incentives for students to unleash their potential and entrepreneurial skills
for advancing climate action through addressing consumption can include climate
leadership campaigns, as well as events including clothing swaps and school markets for sustainable products commercialization. Both of which work to reduce climate pressure and amend unsustainable consumption patterns. Students should also
engage in vocational programmes that address climate action in their transition
towards higher education or gainful employment in sustainability-related areas.
I. B. Franco et al.