Preface

With the increasingly severe global climate situation, climate change education has become a crucial part in dealing with the climate crisis. On the afternoon of April 26, 2025, the Shanghai Climate Week co-organized event “Asia-Pacific Climate Change Education Panel” was successfully held at the International Business School Suzhou (IBSS),  Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU). This event is jointly organized by Shanghai Climate Week Executive Committee, IBSS of XJTLU, Design School of XJTLU, Science School of XJTLU, and Shanghai Green Light-Year, supported by the SORSA Cambridge Chapter and RCE Suzhou.

This panel attracted representatives from international organizations, academic institutions, foundations, and NGO from multiple countries. Everyone gathered together, transcending the boundaries of regions and professional fields, and jointly focusing on the urgent issue of climate change education. Dr. Nafissa Insebayeva, research fellow at the UNU-IAS, pointed out that children and adolescents are the most sensitive to the impacts of climate change, but they often lack the support of formal education. Relevant goals should be implemented to promote climate education with a three-dimensional balance, and she also shared the “action-oriented education method” and practical cases.

Additionally, Save the Children (Beijing) focused on the link between children’s rights and the climate crisis; the co-founder of SDGs4Future shared innovative practices of a global online climate education platform; the sustainability advisor from Gambia shared grassroots ecological projects; the educator in Malaysia showcased community climate education cases. Delegates from diverse backgrounds brought a wealth of experience in advancing climate change education in schools and communities around the world. Their sharing not only showed a variety of educational practice modes, but also provided valuable ideas and directions for climate change education in the Asia-Pacific region.

 

Keynote Speech

Mr. Bob Liu, representative of Suzhou Industrial Park Learn-Will Cultural Exchange Center, introduced his team’s three paths in promoting cultural sustainability:  First, by organizing visits to museums and World Heritage sites, voluntary service and cooperation between schools and localities to promote the construction of cultural heritage ecosystem; Second, as a bridge to serve Chinese and foreign communities, to provide life support and cultural mutual learning; Third, volunteer service is the carrier to promote the participation of foreign residents in cultural communication and environmental improvement. Bob Liu emphasized that cross-cultural understanding and local action are the key to promoting pluralistic coexistence and a sustainable lifestyle.

Yu Yi from Duke Kunshan University’s Climate and Sustainability Initiative systematically presented the synergistic achievements in the university’s four key domains: research, education, operations, and community engagement. For the 2024/25 academic year, the university launched 28 sustainability-related courses and cultivated students’ climate awareness systematically through core required courses such as “Global Challenges in Science, Technology, and Public Health.” Meanwhile, leveraging Duke University’s globally leading environmental education resources, the university designed interdisciplinary courses like “Let’s Talk about Climate Change,” attracting over a hundred students to participate. Yu Yi also highlighted campus sustainability practices, including green campus development, community gardens, student-initiated biodiversity conservation projects, and eco-friendly thrift stores. Students are currently advancing the preparation of the 2025 Sustainability Report, further demonstrating the institution’s systematic exploration in cultivating “action-oriented” sustainability talent.

Ms. Ming Liu, the Director for Strategy and Advocacy from Save the Children (Beijing) emphasized that “the climate crisis is essentially a crisis of children’s rights.” She introduced the organization’s practices in promoting “climate-resilient education,” including strengthening school infrastructure to cope with climate risks, supporting children to speak out as actors and advocates, and promoting transformative education programs by integrating the concept of “intergenerational justice” into the education system. Ms. Liu Ming pointed out that education reform should focus on the most vulnerable groups, such as girls and children with disabilities, to promote both equity and sustainability.

Dr. Daniel Nicolai, co-founder of SDGs4Future and CEO of KNE from Germany, demonstrated online how his team’s global online climate education platform can help people quickly master the points of “net zero” and emission reduction actions. He called on educators from all over the world to strengthen platform cooperation and make “digital learning” an inclusive engine for low-carbon education.

Ms. Yuan Tian, Executive Deputy Director of the Solar Decathlon China (SDC), introduced how SDC and RCE Zhangjiakou assisted college students to deeply participate in green building and renewable energy design practices through project-based learning. She pointed out that the project has attracted dozens of universities and thousands of students to participate, cultivating a group of “climate actors” and “green building talents” for the “zero-carbon future”.

Ms. Mariama Sonko, Sustainability Advisor of Jula Consultancy FZE (UAE) who was originally from Gambia, shared two grass-roots projects in Gambia, namely CAPED and GSNEF. These projects involve the restoration of three million mangroves through community cooperation and the implementation of sustainable skills training for people with disabilities. This initiative not only improves the ecology but also provides local people with income and food security.

Dr. Nur Sabrina from the Green Educators Workgroup (GREW) in Malaysia presented cases of students and teachers jointly participating in community climate education. She emphasized that climate education is not just about imparting classroom knowledge, but also about combining practical life experiences with social responsibilities. She called on more regions to establish platforms for joint climate actions by teachers and students to promote regional collaboration.

Ms. Xiaojing Sun, the Project Operation Specialist of Green Light-Year, introduced the research results of community-based climate change education in China. She pointed out that grassroots education projects in China are attempting to integrate data platforms, field research, and local cultural elements to form an “community-driven” educational intervention path. At the same time, she suggested establishing a cross-regional teacher network to enhance the flow of knowledge.

Dr. Nafissa Insebayeva, the research fellow of UN University-Institute of Advanced Studies, noted that although children and adolescents are most sensitive to the effects of climate change, they often lack support from the formal educational system. She pointed out that SDG4.7 should be implemented to promote climate change education with a three-dimensional balance of cognition, emotion and behavior. She introduced the key elements of “action-oriented education pedagogy” and showed three practical cases in the RCE network, including community engagement projects in the United States, Vietnam, and Malaysia. She advocated for real issues and local knowledge to move learners towards real action.

Ms. Huan Ni, Founding Director of Shanghai Green Light-Year, put forward the idea of establishing the Climate Change Education Network for Asia-Pacific (CCENAP). This network aims to promote climate education cooperation within the region, covering aspects such as teacher training and certification, translation of multilingual teaching materials, educator forums, and sharing of training resources. It is planned to be established in 2026, and a physical institution will be set up in Lujiazui, Shanghai, within the next 3 – 5 years. Ms. Ni Huan pointed out that this initiative originated from the OCE conference in Paris in 2023 and has received initial support from UNESCO OCE, Save the Children, KNE, GREW Malaysia, and other parties.

Andy from Dulwich College Suzhou, showcased the integrated curriculum of Dulwich College Suzhou and the sustainable education system encompassing the campus and the community. The curriculum emphasizes the use of systematic thinking to analyze climate change issues, guiding students to study the social, economic, and political dimensions of climate change, and exploring solutions such as sustainable lifestyles, investment in green technologies, and international cooperation.

Rowan Kohll from Dulwich College Suzhouintroduced the school’s practical actions in sustainable development and global citizenship education. Guided by the framework of “Good Life Goals”, the school has carried out a number of projects, including environmentally friendly classrooms, Earth Day themed activities, and the construction of a campus ecological garden. At the same time, in combination with the United Nations “Free Rice” project, the school has guided students to participate in global public welfare. Through these courses and activities, DCSZ is committed to integrating climate education into daily teaching and cultivating responsible global citizens.

 

Special Thanks

 

Co-Organizers

Shanghai Climate Week Executive Committee

IBSS of XJTLU

Design School of XJTLU

Science School of XJTLU

Shanghai Green Light-Year

 

Supporters

SORSA Cambridge Alumni Network

RCE Suzhou