Getting Serious about Climate Change in Schools

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Originally appears in the Summer 2021 issue.

Editor’s Note: In this latest entry as part of our running Finding Common Ground sub-series, we move into the realm of climate change. If you (like me at many points in the past and occasionally even now) get that feeling in the pit of your stomach every time the term “climate change” comes up, I think you’ll find our approach in this article refreshing. While acknowledging the urgency and magnitude of the issue, we focus on empowerment and action. There exist exciting opportunities for collaboration across geographic boundaries as well as political ideologies. In the education space, we can mobilize across subject areas and age groups. Though we focus on Canada in this article, much of what we discuss here applies elsewhere, so there’s plenty of relevance for our many readers outside Canada. Plus, it’s always instructive to see what others are up to, so that we can learn from one another and push ourselves to innovate.

By Gareth Thomson and Ian Shanahan

To say the least, these are interesting times for educators. Despite the additional pressures created by the pandemic, many educators remain connected to other global issues — and for many teachers, the list begins with climate change.

And on that front, there is much good news! A blizzard of recent books from highly influential figures, such as Mark Carney and Bill Gates, focus on climate change and what we must do about it. Education is embedded in our market-based economy, and even a casual glance at media over the past year shows a tremendous increase in consciousness — and action — from the business community when it comes to responding to climate change. Many businesses are feverishly developing strategies to better orient themselves towards more climate-friendly environmental, social, governance (ESG) and economic goals, and have announced commitments and strategies to help their businesses become net-zero producers of greenhouse gases. At the federal-government level in Canada, all major parties now agree that carbon should be priced, while the government is funding programs and initiatives to help us reduce greenhouse gas emissions and meet our commitments to the Paris Agreement, as we “build back better.”

Even Canada’s more conservative jurisdictions now accept that climate change is real, and human caused. Canadians — despite a set of new worries and concerns related to COVID-19 — still cite climate change as a top issue that must be addressed. 

In short, there has never been a better time in Canada (and certainly beyond) for teachers to take the next step when it comes to helping students understand climate change and take climate action.