The Shifters, Supported by SDSN Belgium, the Shift and Shift Project Deliver on Education4Climate
New tool helps students choose where to study to contribute to the carbon transition and have an impact on the climate
Environmental issues, the erosion of biodiversity, and climate change have become a matter of major concern for all citizens, but youth in particular fear the consequences. The transition to a CO2 neutral society by 2050 decided by the European Union is a step in the right direction, and requires significant investments and changes in sectors such as industry, services, infrastructure, agriculture, to name a few.
Human intelligence and skills, however, are also essential for a successful transition.This makes proper education necessary for safeguarding biodiversity and the climate. In this vein, Belgian universities and High Schools have a special role to play: each year they graduate nearly 100,000 young people who will become actors and decision-makers in our society.
Goal
The Education4Climate project was born from the belief that education in environmental sustainability (biodiversity, climate) is essential to guarantee the best possible transition, and, to
provide young people with the knowledge and skills they will need. The aim is to help promote the teaching of these issues within Belgian higher education.
Deliverables
The Education4Climate project has 2 components:
- Website
An application hosted on the site www.education4climate.be (now redesigned) lists the courses and training modules that address environmental and climate sustainability, as well as the names of the professors who teach these issues within Belgian Universities, and, from February 2022 onward, High Schools. The site is navigable in French, Dutch and English.
This site allows (future) students to identify the courses, training courses, or universities that best meet their training aspirations in environmental issues. It also allows them to easily get in touch with educators who have expertise on these issues. Training managers will also find a powerful tool to help them manage their programs, which allows them to monitor the training offer. Finally, teachers who wish to get started in teaching these issues will easily be able to identify their peers who have already acquired expertise in the subject.
- A report on education relating to environmental and climate sustainability in Belgian universities and high schools
This report, to be published in November 2021 in its intermediate version, will include an analysis of the training offer in environmental and climate sustainability, a survey of students and teachers, as well as a series of reasoned proposals to promote the teaching of these issues. This report will be published in French and Dutch, and an executive summary will also be published in French, Dutch and English.
The aim of this report will be to spark debate on the importance of education for these issues, particularly, in the context of financing the transition. We are pursuing the objective of drawing the attention of Belgian media (print media, audio / television media) and politicians to the importance of including higher education in transition plans. Education4Climate has also been selected for an oral presentation at the 2021 International Conference on Sustainable Development (ICSD).
Milestones
- June 2021 – end of beta testing Education4Climate
- September 2021 – launch Education4Climate 1.0 (universities)
- November 2021 – Publication of the interim report: "Report on teaching on environmental and climate sustainability in Belgian universities.”
- February 2022 – Publication of the interim report: "Report on teaching on environmental and climate sustainability in Belgian universities and High Schools.”
- February 2022 – launch Education4Climate 2.0 (universities & high schools)
Who is Behind Education4Climate?
Education4Climate is driven by The Shifters Belgium, under the mentoring of SDSN Belgium , The Shift , and Shift Project.
The Education4Climate project team is made up of 7 core volunteers with varied profiles: engineers, data scientists, a linguist, a psychologist, a web developer, and Python programmers, to which has been added the contribution of more than 20 other Shifters on various and varied points. Interlocutors from the academic world also contributed, through discussions, to the continuous improvement of the project.
