At last year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference in Baku, education was mentioned only in passing, and in the context of teaching climate change in the classroom. But an increase in financing for education in conflict- and crisis-affected countries would build resilience and nurture ecology-minded leaders.
ABUJA – In my country, Nigeria, the climate crisis is driving people from their homes, fueling conflict, claiming lives, and causing economic instability. And Nigeria is hardly alone: climate change is a global challenge, and one of the most powerful tools we have to achieve the systemic change required to meet it is education, particularly in conflict- and crisis-affected countries.
Unfortunately, education in emergencies has been sidelined in climate debates. At last year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, I attended panels and events about adaptation and mitigation, early-warning systems, disaster-risk reduction, and gender equity. But education was mentioned only in passing, and in the context of teaching climate change in the classroom.
This narrow view of education underestimates its potential to build climate resilience, create eco-minded leaders, and stimulate innovation. That is why Education Cannot Wait, the Global Partnership for Education, Save the Children, UNICEF, UNESCO, and other organizations are calling for more climate finance to be channeled to education in emergencies.
Since 2022, more than 400 million children have experienced school closures due to extreme weather. According to UNICEF, floods and storms exacerbated by climate change have displaced the equivalent of roughly 20,000 children per day in recent years. These pressures put children at greater risk of exploitation, including child marriage, sexual violence, and recruitment by armed groups.
In Nigeria, for example, nearly 18 million children are out of school, owing to the overlapping crises of climate change, armed conflict, and forced displacement. The devastating 2022 floods in Pakistan damaged or destroyed 30,000 schools, disrupting the education of millions of children. The challenges are even more dire in countries experiencing humanitarian crises, including Ethiopia, Haiti, Sudan, and the Sahel countries.
The destructive effects of climate change are only getting worse. Last year, floods devastated parts of the Sahel, East Africa, and Central Asia, while severe droughts plagued northwest and southern Africa, as well as parts of the Americas. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs found that these disasters have exacerbated food insecurity and triggered mass displacement, which pushes more children out of the classroom.
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To break these negative feedback loops, the international community must make good on its promise to provide quality education for all, as agreed in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This would enable young people around the world to acquire the skills needed for the green economy of the future.
Policymakers must also integrate education goals into their nationally determined contributions, national adaptation plans, disaster-risk-reduction efforts, and other climate measures. To support these efforts, platforms such as the Green Climate Fund and the Global Environment Facility, as well as national governments, donors, and the private sector, must channel substantially more climate financing toward education. Currently, only 0.03% of such funding is spent on education. While an increase to 1% might sound small, it would make an enormous difference in terms of building climate resilience.
Schools can advance sustainability and climate goals in many ways. School meals and gardens can strengthen food security and encourage sustainable agricultural practices. New school buildings can be constructed using energy-efficient materials and be equipped with solar panels to lower carbon emissions, as well as automated weather stations to improve monitoring, forecasting, and early-warning services. Eco-clubs can teach children about environmentalism and lead tree-planting initiatives to reduce school heating and cooling costs.
As the Loss and Damage Fund established at COP28 in Dubai starts financing projects this year, it is important to remember that while children have contributed the least to the climate crisis, they stand to lose the most. Meeting their needs should be a top priority when determining how to compensate developing countries stricken by floods, sea-level rise, droughts, wildfires, and other climate-related disasters.
Financing education has the added benefit of boosting sustainable economic growth. Investing less than $2 per day in girls’ secondary education could increase GDP in developing countries by an average of 10% by 2030. Of course, GDP growth and carbon emissions usually rise in tandem. But countries with an educated workforce are better positioned to pursue the systemic changes needed to achieve the green transition.
As the world prepares for COP30 in Belém, Brazil, leaders are considering how to raise global climate ambitions. They would be well advised not to overlook the long-term environmental and economic benefits of increased funding for education in emergencies, especially for children on the front lines of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.
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ABUJA – In my country, Nigeria, the climate crisis is driving people from their homes, fueling conflict, claiming lives, and causing economic instability. And Nigeria is hardly alone: climate change is a global challenge, and one of the most powerful tools we have to achieve the systemic change required to meet it is education, particularly in conflict- and crisis-affected countries.
Unfortunately, education in emergencies has been sidelined in climate debates. At last year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, I attended panels and events about adaptation and mitigation, early-warning systems, disaster-risk reduction, and gender equity. But education was mentioned only in passing, and in the context of teaching climate change in the classroom.
This narrow view of education underestimates its potential to build climate resilience, create eco-minded leaders, and stimulate innovation. That is why Education Cannot Wait, the Global Partnership for Education, Save the Children, UNICEF, UNESCO, and other organizations are calling for more climate finance to be channeled to education in emergencies.
Since 2022, more than 400 million children have experienced school closures due to extreme weather. According to UNICEF, floods and storms exacerbated by climate change have displaced the equivalent of roughly 20,000 children per day in recent years. These pressures put children at greater risk of exploitation, including child marriage, sexual violence, and recruitment by armed groups.
In Nigeria, for example, nearly 18 million children are out of school, owing to the overlapping crises of climate change, armed conflict, and forced displacement. The devastating 2022 floods in Pakistan damaged or destroyed 30,000 schools, disrupting the education of millions of children. The challenges are even more dire in countries experiencing humanitarian crises, including Ethiopia, Haiti, Sudan, and the Sahel countries.
The destructive effects of climate change are only getting worse. Last year, floods devastated parts of the Sahel, East Africa, and Central Asia, while severe droughts plagued northwest and southern Africa, as well as parts of the Americas. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs found that these disasters have exacerbated food insecurity and triggered mass displacement, which pushes more children out of the classroom.
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At a time of escalating global turmoil, there is an urgent need for incisive, informed analysis of the issues and questions driving the news – just what PS has always provided.
Subscribe to Digital or Digital Plus now to secure your discount.
Subscribe Now
To break these negative feedback loops, the international community must make good on its promise to provide quality education for all, as agreed in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This would enable young people around the world to acquire the skills needed for the green economy of the future.
Policymakers must also integrate education goals into their nationally determined contributions, national adaptation plans, disaster-risk-reduction efforts, and other climate measures. To support these efforts, platforms such as the Green Climate Fund and the Global Environment Facility, as well as national governments, donors, and the private sector, must channel substantially more climate financing toward education. Currently, only 0.03% of such funding is spent on education. While an increase to 1% might sound small, it would make an enormous difference in terms of building climate resilience.
Schools can advance sustainability and climate goals in many ways. School meals and gardens can strengthen food security and encourage sustainable agricultural practices. New school buildings can be constructed using energy-efficient materials and be equipped with solar panels to lower carbon emissions, as well as automated weather stations to improve monitoring, forecasting, and early-warning services. Eco-clubs can teach children about environmentalism and lead tree-planting initiatives to reduce school heating and cooling costs.
As the Loss and Damage Fund established at COP28 in Dubai starts financing projects this year, it is important to remember that while children have contributed the least to the climate crisis, they stand to lose the most. Meeting their needs should be a top priority when determining how to compensate developing countries stricken by floods, sea-level rise, droughts, wildfires, and other climate-related disasters.
Financing education has the added benefit of boosting sustainable economic growth. Investing less than $2 per day in girls’ secondary education could increase GDP in developing countries by an average of 10% by 2030. Of course, GDP growth and carbon emissions usually rise in tandem. But countries with an educated workforce are better positioned to pursue the systemic changes needed to achieve the green transition.
As the world prepares for COP30 in Belém, Brazil, leaders are considering how to raise global climate ambitions. They would be well advised not to overlook the long-term environmental and economic benefits of increased funding for education in emergencies, especially for children on the front lines of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises.