Addressing Climate Change through Education for Sustainable Development SOCIETAL CHANGE TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE 31 MARCH 2009 SIXTY-THIRD SESSION OF THE ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, CENTER OF ESD PRESENTED BY IRINA SEMKO

UNECE Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development KEY THEMES poverty alleviation, peace building among countries, ethics, democracy, justice, security, human rights, climate change, sustainable consumption and production, health, equity, cultural diversity, economy, environmental protection, natural resource management, biological and landscape diversity 2

UNECE Strategy for Education for Sustainable Development  Developed through participatory process involving governments and various stakeholders  Suggests establishing a partnership mechanism between different ministries and agencies to coordinate the implementation  Is meant to serve as a flexible framework  Aims at encouraging countries to incorporate ESD into their formal education systems, and in non-formal and informal education 3

Climate change has implications for education and learning  Education needs to take into consideration the following implications of climate change, all of which are characteristics of ESD  All levels and forms of existing educational and teaching and learning programmes need to be reviewed and re- oriented to address the causes and consequences of climate change  Climate change requires educators to include new content into education, training and public awareness programmes  Creativity, problem solving and social transformation skills need to be developed and nurtured.  Positive, participatory action and solution-centred approaches to education and learning need to be developed 4

Good Belarusian Practices in ESD addressing Climate Change INTERNATIONAL SAKHAROV ENVIRONMENTAL UNIVERSITY ISEU is the base institution of academic society for CIS-countries in environmental education, radio-ecological education and ESD RENEWABLE POWER SOURCES LABORATORY On the base of this complex laboratory the students are trained in specialization “Renewable power sources”, training and informational workshops are conducted PRINCIPAL APPROACHES OF THE ACTIVITY  Set up demonstrational, training and research site of renewable energy sources (RES)  Set up Competence-center for effective use of local fuel and RES  Arrangement of informational and educational workshops for school children, students and teaching staff on energy-efficient technologies and use of renewable power sources 5

PROJECTS  SCHOOL AGENDA 21  YOUTH FOR SUSTAINABILITY IN BELARUS: Awareness Raising, Capacity Building and Twinning for Sustainable Lifestyles through Youth EcoTeams  SPARE - the largest international school project on energy, climate and environment GREEN CONSUMERISM ACTIONS  GREEN FINGER - «SURVIVAL IS NON-NEGOTIABLE!»  POWER PATROL  EARTH HOUR 6 Good Belarusian Practices in ESD addressing Climate Change

EARTH HOUR-2009 IN BELARUS 7 YOUR LIGHT SWITCH Off IS YOUR VOTE Example of cooperation within Belarusian society at all levels, the involving key stakeholders from -ministries and departments - local authorities -educational institutions - the private sector -civil society organizations to cooperate on effectively mitigation and adaptation to the effects of climate change

CHALLENGES 8  Confusion in understanding of Environmental Education and ESD  Inflexibility of education system  Lack of policies & institutional frameworks  Lack of ESD teaching tools, methodologies, competences and research  Lack of cooperation between the ministries and departments, local authorities, educational institutions, civil society organizations and the private sector  Lack of financial support for promotion ESD

PERSPECTIVES 9  Development of Belarus National Strategy and Action Plan for ESD, with a focus on climate change  Strengthening cooperation between the ministries and departments, local authorities, educational institutions, civil society organizations and the private sector on ESD addressing Climate Change  Strengthening cooperation on ESD addressing Climate Change at all levels within the UNECE region

THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION! 10 LET’S MAKE A CLIMATE FOR CHANGE! SIXTY-THIRD SESSION OF THE ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, CENTER OF ESD PRESENTED BY IRINA SEMKO 31 MARCH 2009