A digital education program on climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is expected to assist a million African university students in 2023–2024.
This was highlighted by Gaia Education Trustee Tim Clarke during a COP27 event on “Mobilising youth and transforming communities – embedding the SDGs in formal and informal education”.
The event focused on the innovative approaches for boosting a just climate transition and embedding the SDGs in education, livelihoods, and renewable energy solutions, ranging from pan-African university courses to youth capacity building for regenerative community design, green energy and local empowerment.
Climate change education has been noted as an area of significance in empowering the youth during COP27, which has been taking place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, with calls across various side events at the conference for funding for the development of climate curriculums at educational institutions.
Read also: Poll: Britons want UK to pay for climate action in poorer countries
The climate change, SDGs and Africa project spearheaded by Gaia Education in partnership with the Association of African Universities, the SDG Center for Africa, and the All Africa Students Union (AASU) would involve designing, developing and implementing short digital courses on climate change and the SDGs.
In addition, it would enable students to become climate change ambassadors while catalysing the continent’s growth towards the SDG targets.
African university professors in conservation and environmental fields would lead in course development in order to bring an African perspective on climate change and the SDGs as well as the policies that need to be implemented.
Story was adapted from University World News.
