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UAE: Planet-friendly school meals, teachers with 'green' skills can mitigate climate change: Report

The Dubai Cares report, released after two years of consultation with experts, has called for integration of education and climate change

Planet-friendly school meals, preparing youngsters for a changing planet, and equipping teachers with ‘green’ skills — these are some of the ways how climate change can be mitigated, according to a new report by Dubai Cares.

Released after two years of consultation with education and environment experts, the report has called for integration of education and climate change.

“School meal planning and policy can promote the use of native foods that are locally produced, with shorter supply chains,” the report noted. “By incorporating food system education and whole food approaches into the curriculum, children, teachers, and future generations are better informed about how the food system operates and can take advantage of opportunities to make it more sustainable."

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The report pointed out that teachers can play a pivotal role in education of students about the environment. It cited the example of the program 'Teachers for the Planet' that has proven innovations in climate and education that are useful for teachers, school leaders, and education/climate policymakers.

Importance of education

Titled The Rewiring Education: The Climate Education Nexus, the report is a culmination of consultations and bold dialogue at the RewirEd Summit 2023 at COP28 UAE and beyond.

“There cannot be tangible accelerated progress on any of the global challenges without a complete rewiring of education systems globally,” read the foreword to the report.

“The report is a call to action to all stakeholders to sow the seeds of change wherever they may be to leverage the climate-education nexus to the fullest.”

It has offered five win-win solutions that emphasise holistic development, ensuring that every stage of a person’s educational journey equips them with the knowledge, skills, values, and experiences needed to contribute to and thrive in a sustainable world.

Calling climate change “the defining crisis” of the current times, Dr. Tariq Al Gurg, Chief Executive Officer and Vice-Chairman of Dubai Cares, stressed how important education was to deal with the crisis. “Education is key to confronting this crisis head-on,” he said. “Real progress on global issues - whether poverty, health, or climate change - depends on a fundamental transformation of education systems. The report offers a clear, actionable blueprint to integrate education into the climate agenda, while also ensuring climate solutions are embedded in education.”

More solutions

Other solutions suggested by the report includes investing in Early Childhood Development. It noted that 88 per cent of the global burden of disease attributable to climate change occurs in children under 5 years old. “Early Childhood Development with its multiplier effect across all Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is a key contributor to increasing climate change adaptability and resilience of young children and their families,” it noted.

The inaugural report launched in 2022, titled Rewiring Education for People and Planet, presented six solutions designed to align thinking and actions across sectors and stakeholders. The new edition builds on these solutions to focus more strongly on the critical role of education transformation for climate action from an ecosystem perspective.

“The achievements at COP28 UAE are historic,” the report noted. “However, they remain the first step in the journey for education to claim its rightful position in the climate action agenda. This report offers a roadmap that will require stakeholders to move from rhetoric to action with a sense of urgency.”

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