Toward a Comprehensive Approach to Youth Empowerment for Climate Action

23 Sep 2020
Dr Leila Dagher
Dr Miranda A Schreurs

This brief focuses on empowering the youth to act on climate change and environmental protection by strengthening formal and informal environmental and sustainability education. Environmental education is the foundation for problem recognition and solving. The G20 is in a powerful position to exercise environmental and climate leadership by mandating sustainability and environmental education domestically, regularly tracking environmental and climate literacy internationally, investing in infrastructure and educator training for environmental education, promoting games drawing on real-world problems, developing partnerships for environmental education in local communities, and organizing an annual Youth Summit for Climate, Environment, and Sustainable Development Solutions.

Key recommendations of the brief

  • G20 governments should mandate sustainability and environmental education domestically and regularly track environmental and climate literacy internationally.
  • They should invest in environmental educational infrastructure and educator training.
  • G20 governments should promote games drawing on real-world problems and develop partnerships for environmental education in local communities.
  • G20 governments should organize a G20 annual Youth Summit for Climate, Environment, and Sustainable Development Solutions.
Tags
Climate action
Youth empowerment
Environment education
Partners
Think20 (T20)
Stakeholders
Secondary school students
Policy Makers