Climate Change Archives

How can teachers make a difference in climate change education?

by Hasret Baş, İlknur Özbebek, Rahime Çobanoğlu | NW 30 Environmental and Sustainability Education Research, ESER

Student: Teacher, I want to play with snowballs, but it’s not snowing. My Mom said that it used to snow a lot at this time of year.

Teacher: Your Mom is right. It’s December! We’re used to snow in winter, but we haven’t had any this year.

Student: Why isn’t it snowing now? What’s happening to the seasons?

Teacher: What you’re noticing is climate change. We need to explore it to protect our planet.

The above dialogue illustrates that climate change is no longer a distant concern; it has become a reality we experience firsthand. From unseasonably warm days to extreme weather events, we are becoming more aware of the changes happening around us. Research has confirmed that long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns are occurring. The United Nations (2023) reports that the Earth’s average surface temperature is now about 1.2°C warmer than it was before the industrial revolution. It is now well recognized that human activities that increase greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere contribute to climate change (World Meteorological Organization, 2024). The human impact on climate change highlights the importance of education as a strategic tool for promoting environmentally responsible behaviors to help mitigate its effects.

Teachers undoubtedly play a key role in climate change education. While many teachers may think that only science or geography educators can tackle climate change, research reveals that it’s a cross-disciplinary topic that can be woven into every subject (Tibola da Rocha et al., 2020). But how can teachers effectively respond to climate change and create a meaningful impact? In this blog post, we outline the key principles of effective climate change education.

The importance of teacher education programs

Illustrated infographic titled “How can teachers make a difference in climate change education?” with a central question surrounded by ten action points. These include:

Develop a green curriculum
Focus on mitigation and adaptation
Address emotions, values, knowledge, thinking, and skills
Tackle misconceptions
Invest in teacher education and professional development
Empower student action
Integrate across subjects
Use technology
Engage all stakeholders
Use active, experiential, reflective learning
The design features icons representing each point and is decorated with plants, trees, and a sun to evoke nature and sustainability.

To address climate change effectively, teachers need to embrace evidence-based strategies that target two crucial areas: mitigation and adaptation (Anderson, 2012). To effectively guide students in these areas, however, teachers themselves must first be strongly aware of climate change – the causes, the impacts, and the strategies for both mitigation and adaptation. Given that many teachers struggle with inadequate preparation in both knowledge and practical approaches for engaging their students in addressing the climate crisis (Beach, 2023), teacher education programs and professional development initiatives become essential in bridging this gap. These programs can serve as powerful catalysts, providing educators with the insights, strategies, and confidence they need to tackle climate change. learning.

Greening the curriculum

While teacher education is crucial, so is the effort to green the curriculum. A well-designed curriculum empowers teachers and strengthens their impact on students. According to UNESCO (2024), effective climate change education requires a green curriculum that covers diverse aspects of climate change, integrates relevant local knowledge, and emphasizes learner-centered, experiential, and reflective learning approaches. Equally important is how teachers bring the curriculum to life in the classroom. Teachers who are effectively prepared for climate change education go beyond simply delivering facts; they help students understand climate challenges deeply, reflect on their consequences, and explore ways to contribute to solutions (Stevenson, Nicholls, & Whitehouse, 2017).

Using the bicycle metaphor as a framework to address climate change education

Bicycle model on climate change education: presenting and evaluating a model (Cantell, et al)

The bicycle metaphor of Cantell et al. (2020) provides a valuable framework for teachers in shaping their approach to climate change education.

Wheels: the foundational knowledge and thinking skills necessary to address climate issues.

Pedals: highlight the action-oriented aspect of climate change education, where knowledge is transformed into meaningful change.

Lamp: underscores the importance of emotions and hope for climate change education, reminding teachers to nurture emotional awareness and resilience in their students.

Frame: symbolizes the core values that shape how students understand and engage with climate challenges.

This holistic approach encourages teachers to integrate knowledge, action, emotions, and values into their lessons.

As Bentz (2020) emphasized, it is vital that teachers discover effective ways to engage young people with a topic that often feels abstract, distant, and overwhelmingly complex, while also addressing the feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and anxiety it can evoke. Rousell and Cutter-Mackenzie-Knowles (2020) indicated that didactic approaches to climate change education have proven largely ineffective in influencing students’ attitudes and behaviors. Thus, shifting away from traditional lecture-based teaching toward more interactive and creative methods is essential for meaningful climate change education in schools. Research by Monroe and colleagues (2019) offers valuable insights into strategies that can make climate change education truly impactful. At the heart of these strategies is promoting student reflection and active engagement to understand the causes and consequences of climate change, while also empowering them to explore adaptation and mitigation strategies, and take necessary actions.

4 actionable approaches teachers can use to address climate change education

Foster meaningful discussions: Create opportunities for students to discuss climate-related issues openly, share their perspectives, and learn from one another.
Connect students with scientists: Invite experts into your classroom to help students learn about climate science firsthand and encourage them to ask questions to deepen their understanding.
Tackle misconceptions: Address common misunderstandings about climate change and guide students toward evidence-based knowledge.
Support project-based learning: Encourage students to work on projects that connect classroom learning to real-world issues, whether through school initiatives or community-based efforts.

As part of these approaches, teachers can take advantage of integrating technology into learning. Research shows that technology-enhanced games and simulations can significantly impact awareness about climate change (Creutzig & Kapmeier, 2020). For instance, NASA (2025) has created a website called ClimateKids, which includes games, activities, and videos, making it a valuable resource for teachers.

The importance of collective climate action with and beyond the school community

Finally, it is important to highlight that while teachers’ approach to climate change education matters, their impact can be significantly amplified when other stakeholders such as principals, school staff at all levels, families, and community members are actively involved in the process. This whole-institution approach reinforces the idea of collective climate action and fosters a unified effort toward meaningful change (Hargis et al., 2021). Teachers, aware of the significance of collective action, can take the lead in building partnerships, encouraging collaboration, and creating opportunities for these stakeholders to contribute to climate change education. Drawing on the leadership and guidance inherent in their profession, teachers can empower students to become informed, responsible, and active individuals committed to building a sustainable future.

Key Messages

Climate change is an urgent and undeniable reality, with human activities driving rising temperatures and environmental threats.
Teachers are in a strategic position to inspire the behaviors needed to mitigate its impacts and promote a more sustainable future.
Climate change education should extend beyond simply presenting facts. Teachers must integrate knowledge, critical thinking, action, emotions, and values to foster meaningful engagement and empower students to actively contribute to climate change solutions.
Teachers need to find effective ways to teach climate change, adopting approaches that engage students in meaningful, interactive, and creative ways, rather than relying on traditional lecture-based methods.
A whole-institution approach fosters collective climate action, with teachers playing a key role in building partnerships and encouraging collaboration among all stakeholders, including principals, students, families, and community members.

References and further reading

Anderson, A. (2012). Climate change education for mitigation and adaptation. Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, 6(2), 191-206. https://doi.org/10.1177/09734082124751

Beach, R. (2023). Addressing the challenges of preparing teachers to teach about the climate crisis. The Teacher Educator, 58(4), 507-522. https://doi.org/10.1080/08878730.2023.2175401

Bentz, J. (2020). Learning about climate change in, with and through art. Climatic Change,162(3), 1595-1612. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-020-02804-4

Cantell, H., Tolppanen, S., Aarnio-Linnanvuori, E., & Lehtonen, A. (2019). Bicycle model on climate change education: Presenting and evaluating a model. Environmental Education Research, 25(5), 717-731. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2019.1570487

Creutzig, F., & Kapmeier, F. (2020). Engage, don’t preach: Active learning triggers climate action. Energy Research & Social Science, 70 (101779), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2020.101779

Hargis, K., McKenzie, M., & Levert-Chiasson, I. (2021). A whole institution approach to climate change education: Preparing schools to be climate proactive. In R. Iyengar and C. T. Kwauk (Eds), Curriculum and learning for climate action: Toward an SDG 4.7 roadmap for systems change (pp. 43-66). Boston: BRILL. https://doi. org/10.1163/9789004471818

Monroe, M. C., Plate, R. R., Oxarart, A., Bowers, A., & Chaves, W. A. (2019). Identifying effective climate change education strategies: A systematic review of the research. Environmental Education Research, 25(6), 791-812. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2017.1360842

NASA. (2025). ClimateKids. https://climatekids.nasa.gov/climate-change/.

Rousell, D., & Cutter-Mackenzie-Knowles, A. (2020). A systematic review of climate change education: Giving children and young people a ‘voice’and a ‘hand’in redressing climate change. Children’s Geographies, 18(2), 191-208. https://doi.org/10.1080/14733285.2019.1614532

Stevenson, R. B., Nicholls, J., & Whitehouse, H. (2017). What is climate change education? Curriculum Perspectives, 37, 67-71. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41297-017-0015-9

Tibola da Rocha, V., Brandli, L. L., & Kalil, R. M. L. (2020). Climate change education in school: knowledge, behavior and attitude. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 21(4), 649-670. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-11-2019-0341

United Nations. (2023). What Is climate change? https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/what-is-climate-change

UNESCO. (2024). Greening curriculum guidance: Teaching and learning for climate action. https://doi.org/10.54675/AOOZ1758

World Meteorological Organization (2024). State of the climate 2024: Update for COP29.https://library.wmo.int/records/item/69075-state-of-the-climate-2024

Hasret Baş

Student, Sinop University, Türkiye

Hasret Baş is a master’s student in the field of Curriculum and Instruction at Sı̇nop University, Türkiye. Her research interests include climate change education and curriculum studies. She is currently writing a thesis on climate change education and also works as a teacher in a public school.

İlknur Özbebek

Student, Hacettepe University, Türkiye

İlknur Özbebek is a doctoral student in Curriculum and Instruction at Hacettepe University, Türkiye. Her research interests include culture, ethnomathematics, curriculum and instruction. She is currently working as a research assistant at Sinop University.

Dr. Rahime Çobanoğlu

Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction, Sinop University, Türkiye

Rahime Çobanoğlu is an Associate Professor of Curriculum and Instruction at Sinop University, Türkiye. Her research interests focus on teacher practices, curriculum implementation, and teacher beliefs. She is currently supervising a thesis on climate change education.

The UK Sustainability and Climate Change policy paper – An analysis

by Dr Athanasia Chatzifotiou | BERA, NW 30 Environmental and Sustainability Education Research, ESER

In April 2022, the UK Department for Education (DfE) published a policy paper laying out a strategy for the education and children’s services systems on the topic of sustainability and climate change. Dr Athanasia Chatzifotiou, Senior Lecturer at the University of Sunderland in the UK took a closer look at the policy paper to help us understand its provisions and proposals.

Key Messages

The Strategy identifies the importance of sustainability and climate change aiming to reach teachers and other professionals engaged in a variety of children’s service systems.
The Strategy has limitations that emanate from the language used and its actual content that is not presented in a clear and coherent manner for different stakeholders.
The Strategy acknowledges the DfE’s role in sustainability, and it promotes mainly knowledge on its environmental aspect (e.g. focus on biodiversity, outdoor/nature knowledge, etc.). The social aspects of sustainability are hardly addressed, and the economic ones are presented as job opportunities.
The Strategy takes into consideration important policies, and national and international initiatives but it fails to show how these can inform the action areas and initiatives that drive the Strategy.
The Strategy does not enable practitioners to facilitate a thorough climate and sustainability education where both socio-economic and socio-scientific issues can be taken into consideration.

The Strategy

The policy paper Sustainability and climate change: a strategy for the education and children’s services systems (referred to as the Strategy onwards) should be welcomed. It had been missing from the wider political and educational context (Greer, King and Glackin, 2021).

The Strategy identifies the importance of sustainability and climate change and is aimed at teachers and other professionals engaged in a variety of children’s service systems. Aside from the positive note upon its entry, however, the Strategy has limitations. These limitations emanate from the language used and its actual content that is not coherently presented for different stakeholders (e.g. teachers, civil servants etc.). For instance, the vision presented aims to make the UK ‘…the world-leading education sector in sustainability and climate change by 2030’, but the Strategy applies to England only. This rhetoric is accompanied by principles (e.g. ‘..we will seek opportunities to work with others… Evidence will be at the heart of our activity… we will make the greatest impact. We will adopt a systems-based approach…’, etc.) that are hard to argue against, but it is also hard to see how these aims will be achieved. These limitations are discussed below in relation to the general provisions the Strategy makes and to climate education in particular.

The Strategy’s provisions

The Strategy acknowledges the DfE’s important role in all aspects of sustainability. It highlights the overall aim of reducing our environmental footprints in accordance with achieving Net Zero. Net Zero is the ‘umbrella’ UK policy for decarbonising all sectors of the UK economy by 2050. However, there is a focus on environmental sustainability that creates a disequilibrium among the social, economic and environmental aspects. This also favours the country’s economic goals rather than its educational or environmental ones (Dunlop and Rushton, 2022).

While the Strategy acknowledges the DfE’s role in sustainability, its focus centres upon knowledge (e.g. biodiversity, outdoor/nature knowledge, etc.). Rushton and Dunlop (2022, p.3) identified a similar issue arguing that the Strategy: “…is on learning more about…not empowering young people to act for the environment or challenging the root cause of climate change.” This is evident in the Strategy’s identified Action areas (five in total) and initiatives (three in total).

The Actions are:

1) Climate Education,

2) Green Skills and careers,

3) Education Estate and Digital Infrastructure,

4) Operations and Supply Chains and

5) International

The initiatives are:

1) the National Education Nature Park (a virtual nature park)

2) the Climate Leaders Award (similar to other awards like the John Muir Award, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, etc.)

3) Sustainability Leadership (noting support from senior management leadership).

Within the above, the social aspects of sustainability are barely identified, and the economic ones are presented as job opportunities. For instance, the Action area ‘Green skills and jobs’ highlights only the potential number of green jobs that will be created and nothing more; the Action area ‘Education Estate and digital technology’ contains information around heating solutions, water scarcity, etc. that links them to school buildings without clearly showing the role of teachers and children in these.

Even though the Strategy takes into consideration important policies, national and international initiatives (e.g. the United Nations’17 Sustainable Development Goals and UNESCO’s ‘Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), the Paris Agreement and Glasgow Climate Pact, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child (UNCRC), the UK Climate Change Act (2008), etc.), it fails to show how these can inform the action areas and initiatives that drive the strategy. An example of such failure can be seen with the initiative National Education Nature Park. The focus seems to be mostly on environmental knowledge (e.g. ‘deliver improvements in biodiversity, contribute to the implementation of the nature recovery network, etc.); a ‘trend’ that shows in other counties as well (Monroe, Plate, Oxarart, Bowers and Chaves, 2019). Nowhere is visible how the 17 SD goals or the Convention on Children’s Rights can inform the above in a manner that professionals can make a change. The focus on environmental knowledge is prevalent throughout the Strategy including climate education.

Action Area 1 – Climate Education

I want to focus on Climate Education (Action Area 1) because the proposals are for children to learn about nature, the cause and impact of climate change and the importance of sustainability. These suggestions reflect once more an approach to ‘learning about’ rather than empowering action. Admittedly, the latter is much more difficult to achieve, especially in an educational context where mainly discipline and conformity are promoted amongst pupils.

The Strategy highlights particular National Curriculum subjects (e.g. science, geography, etc.) that can promote such learning from early years onwards. It highlights the GCSEs (General Certificate for Secondary Education) in design and technology, food preparation and nutrition, and economics as topics that can further enhance the importance of learning about sustainability while at the same time, it announces a new natural history GCSE by 2025 for ‘deeper knowledge of the natural world’.

This interest in knowledge is further enhanced by the proposed annual Climate Literacy Survey from 2022 to benchmark progress in improving the climate knowledge of school leavers. Knowledge is important, but Rushton and Dunlop (2022) identified that teachers and students alike were asking for more critical thinking, doing research, taking action, communicating and networking with others. Knowledge alone does not necessarily lead to environmental action (Skamp, Boyes and Stannistreet, 2009). Still, the Strategy sees science knowledge as most fitting for climate education. This is reflected in science teachers’ Continuing Personal Development (CPD) and on developing a Primary Science Model Curriculum to include ‘an emphasis on nature to ensure all children understand the world’.

This ‘knowledge overload’ manifests itself in the implicit alignment that the Strategy brings between Climate Education and Education for Sustainable Development. However, throughout the Strategy there is neither a clear distinction between the two nor any links made for teachers to see how they relate to each other.

Climate change and political impartiality

Finally, and most disappointingly, the section on Climate Education closes with a message on political impartiality.

The message, amongst other things, says: “Teaching about climate change, and the scientific facts and evidence behind this, does not constitute teaching about a political issue and schools do not need to present misinformation or unsubstantiated claims to provide balance.”

Climate education is a socio-scientific issue (Henderson, Long, Berger, Russell, and Drewes, 2017) and as such it carries socio-political dimensions. A systematic review of effective education strategies in climate change education highlighted a distinction between ‘just the facts’(that is, ‘learning about’) and ‘also the actions’ approaches which refer to an apolitical and a political approach to the issue of climate change education (Monroe et.al, 2019).

When priority is given to ‘just the facts’, then the socioeconomic dimensions of climate and sustainability education – which are explicitly included in the United Nations Sustainable Goals – are compromised. Scholars like Gayford and Dillon (1995) have clearly shown since the ‘90s the dilemmas and difficulties that teachers face when teaching environmental issues precisely because they span through all domains (social, economic, physical). There needs to be a balance between the scientific information and the value-laden nature of climate and sustainability education. This kind of balance is missing from the said Strategy.

Conclusion

The Strategy has given schools an opportunity to consider their sustainability and climate education approaches. In a way, it is contributing towards ‘spreading the word’ on the importance of educating and acting upon environmental and climate issues. Acquiring scientific knowledge about these issues is paramount; but also of paramount importance are the socio-economic dimensions of these issues.

References and further reading

Department for Education, (2022). Policy paper: Sustainability and climate change: a strategy for the education and children’s services systems. Retrieved from: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sustainability-and-climate-change-strategy/sustainability-and-climate-change-a-strategy-for-the-education-and-childrens-services-systems

Dunlop, L. and Rushton, A.C. (2022). Putting climate change at the heart of education: Is England’s strategy a placebo for policy? British Education Research Journal. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3816

Dunlop, L. and Rushton, A. C. (2022). Five ways the new sustainability and climate change strategy for schools on Englabd doesn’t match up to what young people actually want. The Conversation, https://theconversation.com/five-ways-the-new-sustainability-and-climate-change-strategy-for-schools-in-england-doesnt-match-up-to-what-young-people-actually-want-181966 [Accessed 5/4/2023]

Gayford, C. and Dillo, P. (1995). Policy and the practices of environmental education in England: a dilemma for teachers. Environmental Education Research, v.1, p.173-183.

Greer, K. King, H. and Glackin, M. (2021). The ‘web of conditions’ governing England’s climate change education policy landscape, Journal of Education Policy, DOI: 10.1080/02680939.2021.1967454

Henderson, J. Long, D. Berger, P. Russell, C. and Drewes, A. (2017). Expanding the foundation: climate change and opportunities for educational research. Educational Studies, v.53, n.4, p.412-425. DOI: 10.1080/00131946.2017.1335640

Monroe, M. Plate, R. Oxarart, A. Bowers, A. and Chaves, W. (2019). Identifying effective climate change education strategies: a systematic review of the research, Environmental Education Research, 25:6, 791-812, DOI: 10.1080/13504622.2017.1360842

Skamp, K. Boyes, E. Stannistreet, M. (2009). Global warming responses at the primary secondary students’ beliefs and willingness to act. Australian Journal of Environmental Education, v. 25, p.15-30

Gently down the stream(ing): Can digital literacy help turn the tide on the climate crisis?

by Dr Peter Tiernan, Dr Fiona Gallacher & Dr Irene White | ESAI, NW 16 ICT in Education and Training, NW 30 Environmental and Sustainability Education Research, ESER, NW 6 Open Learning: Media, Environments and Cultures

The ubiquitous availability of digital content and web services has transformed the way we live, work, and learn (List et al., 2020). Technology provides us with tools to manage and accomplish work, content to entertain us, and applications to document, store and share our lives online. It is within this context that digital literacy features prominently in policy documentation and educational literature, recognising digital literacy as an essential skill for 21st-century living (Pérez-Escoda et al., 2019). However, as we stand on the precipice of climate disaster, is it time for digital literacy to focus its attention on the impact our increasing digital activity has on the environment?

Environmental impact of users’ digital lives

In education circles, conversations around the impact of educational technology on our environment have begun in earnest (Facer & Selwyn, 2021), however, this is less evident regarding the use of digital content and tools in our day-to-day lives. The usage of streaming services, for example, has soared in recent years and while providers such as Netflix have improved efficiencies in these services, their carbon footprint is still significant (Stephens et al., 2021).

Our music consumption habits have also shifted away from physical media, but overall greenhouse gas emissions from storing and distributing music online have doubled since 2000 (Brennan, 2019). Social media activity continues to increase at a remarkable pace, and a significant carbon cost (Perrin, 2015), and popular apps like TikTok and Reddit have a disproportionately large carbon footprint. Our regular scrolling of ‘news feeds’ contributes carbon emissions equivalent to a short light vehicle journey, per person, per day (Derudder, 2021).

This online activity, coupled with our desire to store data in the cloud, means data centres account for 1% of the global energy demand (Obringer et al., 2021). The continued desire for the latest phone is also costing more than our wallets, with the environmental impact of the device lifecycle being well documented (MacGilchrist et al., 2021). Current figures suggest that over half of consumers in many EU countries renew their devices every 18 – 24 months.

In our work environment, too, our digital impact must be acknowledged. While conferencing platforms such as Zoom come with great environmental benefits when compared with face-to-face meetings and conferences, further efficiencies can be achieved by challenging ‘camera on’ policies. A seemingly innocuous task like sending 65 text emails can cost as much carbon as a short car journey, and when factors such as attachments are considered, the cost is even higher (Duncan, 2022). This snapshot reveals just some of the impacts of our digital lives, some of which our students are unaware of.

Current focus of digital literacy and digital literacy frameworks

An acknowledgment of the need to develop our students’ digital literacy has existed since Gilster (1997) first coined the term and defined it as “the ability to understand and use information in multiple formats from a wide range of [digital] sources”.

Definitions of digital literacy have remained remarkably consistent in the decades that followed, focusing on the ability to source, evaluate and use digital information. In recent years, there has been an increased emphasis on content creation and communicating using digital channels. However, academic definitions of digital literacy lack any real focus on the environmental cost of our digital activities. In fact, there is little evidence of this aspect of digital literacy being discussed in academic literature.

There are many digital literacy frameworks available to help academics and other users understand digital literacy and its competencies. Only the UNESCO and DigiComp frameworks refer to the environmental impact of technologies and their use, and this is nestled under the ’digital safety’ strand. The range of digital literacy frameworks (e.g. DigiComp, UNESCO, JISC) and volume of journal publications suggests that academics and policymakers are committed to the development of digital literacy, however, it appears that the impact of our digital lives on the environment has been largely left out of the debate.

Shifting our focus

Calls for action to avert a climate catastrophe are becoming more strident. The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report (2022) paints a very troubling picture regarding the widespread and severe impacts of climate change. We must act now. We must adapt our practices and become more sustainable in everything we do.

I believe we can refocus our attention on digital literacy to guide our students to being more critical users of technology and understanding its impact on our world. Using familiar language and strategies, we might encourage students to identify their current digital activities and analyse their carbon footprint, before evaluating areas where improvements can be made. Students could be encouraged to construct new meaning from their investigations by capturing trends associated with work, study and social practices, and communicating these findings with a wider audience.

This shift in focus is essentially a repurposing of what we already ask our students to do with regard to digital content, but targeted at addressing the authentic and urgent issue of climate change. While frameworks such as DigiComp and UNESCO should be commended for including environmental impact, further development of this area should be encouraged.

Digital literacy frameworks should provide a detailed scaffold which encourages a multidimensional understanding of digital tools, their impact on the environment, and consideration of actions that can be taken to affect change. Developing this aspect of digital literacy would increase students’ awareness of the ‘cost’ of technology and promote a more critical use of the tools and services they use in their day-to-day lives.

Conclusion

The coming years present major challenges for society to tackle the climate emergency. It is crucial that we shift our mindset and begin to understand the impact our actions have on the environment, and make the necessary changes to recalibrate our relationship with nature.

Changes are required in all aspects of our lives, from energy and waste, to the provision and rewilding of natural spaces. While a refocussing of digital literacy and digital competencies in this way is not the panacea to the situation, it can act as a move in the right direction, one more component of our lives where we begin to understand and address our toll on the environment.

The post is an abridged version of an article in the upcoming (October 2022) issue of the Nordic Journal of Digital Literacy

Key Messages

Society’s use of digital and online content is increasing

Digital literacy is recognised as a set of competencies for this digital world

Our day-to-day use of technology has an environmental impact

Digital literacy definitions and frameworks largely ignore the environmental impact

We should begin including environmental impact in our digital literacy definitions, frameworks, and discussions

References and Further Reading

A framework of pre-service teachers’ conceptions about digital literacy: Comparing the United States and Sweden https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360131519303380

Dimensions of digital literacy based on five models of development (Pérez-Escoda et al., 2019) https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/11356405.2019.1603274

Digital technology and the futures of education – towards ‘non-stupid’ optimism (Facer & Selwyn, 2021) https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000377071″>https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000377071

Carbon impact of video streaming (Stephens et al., 2021), https://prod-drupal-files.storage.googleapis.com/documents/resource/public/Carbon-impact-of-video-streaming.pdf

MUSIC CONSUMPTION HAS UNINTENDED ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL COSTS (Brennan, 2019) https://www.gla.ac.uk/news/archiveofnews/2019/april/headline_643297_en.html

Social Media Usage: 2005-2015
65% of adults now use social networking sites – a nearly tenfold jump in the past decade (Perrin, 2015) https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/10/08/social-networking-usage-2005-2015/

What is the environmental footprint for social media applications? 2021 Edition (Derudder, 2021) https://greenspector.com/en/social-media-2021/

The overlooked environmental footprint of increasing Internet use (Olbringer et al., 2021) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344920307072?via%3Dihub

Shifting scales of research on learning, media and technology, (Mcgilchrist, et al, 2021) https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17439884.2021.1994418

Text Messaging & Emails Generate Carbon Emissions (Carbon Footprint), (Duncan, 2021) https://8billiontrees.com/carbon-offsets-credits/reduce-carbon-footprint/texts-emails/

A Global Framework of Reference on Digital Literacy Skills for Indicator 4.4.2 http://uis.unesco.org/sites/default/files/documents/ip51-global-framework-reference-digital-literacy-skills-2018-en.pdf

Digicomp https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/digcomp_en

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report https://www.ipcc.ch

Featured Image Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash

How can teachers make a difference in climate change education?

The importance of teacher education programs

Greening the curriculum

Using the bicycle metaphor as a framework to address climate change education

4 actionable approaches teachers can use to address climate change education

The importance of collective climate action with and beyond the school community

Key Messages