CLIMATE CHANGE EDUCATION--EXPERIENCE OF THE UNITED NATIONS ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME

摘要

Nowadays climate change is an issue that affects everyone and everywhere. The scale of the problem requires a concerted effort not only from the governments, who are formally responsible for formulating sound climate policies, but also from the general public and key population groups, who can contribute substantially to the national dialogue on sustainable environment. Recognizing this fact, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) adopted in 2002 the New Delhi Work Programme on Education, Training and Public Awareness that seeks to engage all stakeholders and major groups in the development and implementation of policies relating to climate change, consistent with sustainable development goals. Above all, the Programme highlights the importance to promote, facilitate, develop and implement education and training programmes focused on climate change, targeting youth in particular, and including exchange or secondment of personnel to train experts. Environmental, and particularly climate change education, in most of the developing countries and countries with economies in transition is still inadequate. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been a long standing partner of UNFCCC in climate change outreach and assisted countries in Africa, Europe, Asia and the Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean to launch and implement their national climate awareness programmes and also worked extensively with various population groups to enhance their education and training patterns with relation to climate change. For example, in Russia UNEP collaborated with local partners in producing educational curriculum on global climate change for higher school and universities as well as in compiling training guides on climate change for decision-makers. In Uzbekistan a series of new climate change educational materials was elaborated, including a school book for teachers and students of secondary schools and colleges, special training course for students of institutes and universities, and finally methodological guide for teachers of institutes and universities. In India climate change education was performed through environmental clubs established in more than 200 schools all over the country. The approaches taken to address education needs of different population groups varied. Materials for schoolchildren were compiled and designed in a simple language, quoting simplified cases of climate change and citing straightforward lessons of climate-friendly behavior to follow. Students and college pupils were approached with more sophisticated texts that could enhance their initial interest in environmental problems and motivate towards dedicated choice of future environmental occupation. Civil servants and decision makers were provided with the state-ofthe- art information on climate change in their countries supplemented with various scenarios of climate policies, which could be considered for national planning purposes. The first experience with climate education that turned out positive, will be analysed and extended in the follow-up climate outreach activities of UNEP.