Can Climate Change Education Save the Planet?

Can Climate Change Education Save the Planet? This November, the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) was due to take place in Glasgow, UK but was postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, climate change is still a burning issue that cannot be put on hold because of other current societal challenges. The Royal Irish Academy, Ireland’s leading body of experts in the sciences and humanities, and ALLEA, the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities are of the view that it is vital for Climate Change Education to be kept high on the research and political agenda. To this extent, this Royal Irish Academy-ALLEA webinar entitled ‘’Can Climate Change Education save the planet? European perspectives’’ will address the role and importance of climate change education within both the European and the Irish context. This webinar will hear from a number of national and international experts on Climate Change Education and will feature discussions of the key issues facing Climate Change Education.

The event takes place Tue, 24 November 2020 from 16:00 – 17:30.

Findings from a recently published ALLEA report “A snapshot of Climate Change Education Initiatives in Europe: Initial findings and implications for future Climate Change Education” will be presented at the webinar and will be a starting point for discussing climate change education initiatives in Europe which will consider successes, challenges and the future of Climate Change Education throughout Europe. A recent Royal Irish Academy Briefing Paper prepared by Dr Cliona Murphy, Chair of ALLEA’s Science Education Working Group and the Royal Irish Academy’s representative, discusses this report and its implications for Ireland and will be included in the proceedings.

More information, including the running order, will issue soon.

Please direct any queries to [email protected]

Maynooth University run a Climate Change course. The course provides a well-integrated and encompassing programme of taught modules that reflect the major themes of climate change, together with essential technical training in modelling and analysis and are designed to nurture independent and critical thinking on climate change issues.

ALLEA is the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities, representing more than 50 academies from over 40 EU and non-EU countries. Since its foundation in 1994, ALLEA speaks out on behalf of its members on the European and international stages, promotes science as a global public good, and facilitates scientific collaboration across borders and disciplines.