Genesis of environment education

Education is most common and most practical solution to protect earth from degradation. Raising awareness, increase knowledge and providing skills would help to combat the challenges of environment protection. Education is the process through which knowledge, values, attitudes and skills can be imparted to children and youth and motivate them to take actions towards protection of environment.


"Education & Youth Empowerment" group of Indian Youth Climate Network aims to provide youth with

•  ability to be informed youth
•  provide knowledge and skill to protect environment
•  to empower youth to take part in global governance
•  influence decision making process through participation

Genesis of environment education

The world first Intergovernmental Conference on Environment Education (ICEE) was organized by UNESCO and UNEP in October 1977, known as Tbilisi Conference. The objectives identified in Tbilisi Declaration were raising awareness, providing knowledge, motivating with set of values and attitudes, skills for solving environment problems and participation. Later in 1992, at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio, popularly known as the Earth Summit resulted into documentation of Agenda 21 and three conventions. Chapter 36 of Agenda 21 deals with "Promoting Education, Public Awareness and Training". The programme areas identified are reorienting education towards sustainable development, increase public awareness and promoting training. In December 2002, at the 57th meeting of United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (2005-2014). ESD addresses three pillars of sustainable development i.e. Society, Environment and Economics with culture as underlying dimension. One can notice the change in the language of the text from Tbilisi declaration which talks about environment education with awareness, knowledge, values, skills and participation as key words to integrating society, environment and economics for ESD. People, development, livelihood and environment were taken as deeply interlinked issues and combined approach was needed to safeguard the environment. UNCSD also has Education Caucus which works towards promoting ESD in collaboration with other UN agencies and NGO's.

The Earth Summit Agreement (Rio 1992) lead to three legally binding Conventions aimed at preventing global climate change, protecting diversity of biological species & combating desertification. All the convention has education as an important component.

• Article 6 of UNFCCC on education for Climate Change
• Article 13 of UNCBD on education for conservation of biodiversity
• Article 19 of UNCCD on education to combat desertification and mitigate effects of drought

Chair of SBI with Article 6 star given by Youth

Youth has played an important role in leading to a decision on Article 6 at Cancun, UNFCCC COP 16. Article 6 of the UNFCCC was at a dormant stage until COP 8 held in New Delhi, India in 2002 where New Delhi Work Programme Decision 11/CP.8 (NDWP) was formulated leading to a five year work programme on Article 6 with country driven approach. This decision has encouraged programmatic response by NGO's, designated national focal points for Article 6 activities, increase availability and dissemination of information on climate change and prepare assessment of needs but there was no special funding mechanism for the same. The New Delhi Work Programme was amended in 2007 (aNDWP) at COP 13 and intermediate review of aNDWP was held in COP 16 in 2010. Before the intermediate review by the parties at COP 16 at Cancun, the youth have gathered the energy towards this pending review to make sure the decision is finalized at Cancun. Kari Anne Isaksen (members of YOUNGO, youth consistency under UNFCCC) had made an important intervention at intersession at Bonn under Contact Group of Article 6 at SBI plenary. This youth intervention has influenced the decision at Cancun on Article 6. Youth inputs were incorporated in the final decision text. This decision is a victory of youth in UNFCCC process as this would enable youth to;

1. Have voice in your country's decisions on climate change.
2. Get support and recognition for youth-led education on climate change that takes place
outside of curriculum.
3. Work closer with government and other decision-making bodies to improve Climate Change
education in your country.
4. Increase and enhance the role of Official Youth Delegates at UNFCCC meetings.
5. Argue for increased funding or training for young people attending UNFCCC meetings.
6. Get some training in climate change communication and education.
7. Include women and girls in national climate change strategies.
8. Get support from the Secretariat to catalyse action on education.

The challenges ahead for the youth is to make the governments accountable for implementing Article 6 decision of Cancun Agreement, having a national focal point appointed with whom the youth of nation can interact and work together towards climate education.

The youth sincerely hope that the decision on Article 6 of UNFCCC would be implemented soon and our future will not be [bracketed].