Abu Dhabi Joined forces with UNICEF to improve climate change education

The Ministry of Education, Abu Dhabi has joined forces with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to introduce the ‘Greening Capacities Initiative.’

This collaboration aims to achieve the goals outlined in the Green Education Partnership Roadmap in anticipation of COP28, according to the official statement.

The initiative claims to have an objective to promote climate education and action among young people, enabling them to adapt and address the challenges posed by climate change.

The partnership between the Ministry of Education and UNICEF claims to focus on the ‘Greening Capacities’ aspect, one of the four pillars of the roadmap unveiled by the ministry in April. The other pillars include ‘Greening Learning,’ ‘Greening Schools,’ and ‘Greening Communities.’

Through this partnership, both organisations will launch and implement three joint programs: Educators Training, Net Zero Heroes, and the Children’s Art Competition. These initiatives are designed to have a meaningful impact by empowering students and educators to navigate climate change and contribute to a more sustainable future, release informed.

“We are delighted to collaborate with UNICEF, a global institution. This partnership will equip educators to raise awareness of climate change among students and foster environmental awareness and sustainability skills, preparing students to lead the UAE’s future sustainability efforts. The Ministry of Education will continue to forge local and international partnerships to organise programmes that promote climate awareness among youth, adolescents and children before, during and after COP28,” Amna Al Dahak Al Shamsi, assistant undersecretary, Care and Capacity Building Sector, Ministry of Education, said.

Through these programs, the Ministry of Education aims to equip students with the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed to address climate change and promote sustainable development. This will be accomplished through professional development for all teachers and school principals in the UAE, in collaboration with UNICEF. Simultaneously, both organisations aim to provide opportunities for children to voice their opinions in the lead-up to COP28 through initiatives like Educators Training – “Climate Education Pioneers,” the Net Zero Heroes initiative, and the Children’s Art Competition, as mentioned in the release.