COP31 in Türkiye puts climate education at heart of agenda

Eric Guilyardi, a climate scientist at CNRS-IPSL and president of the Office for Climate Education (OCE), said the upcoming COP31 conference in Antalya represents a critical opportunity to embed climate education within the global climate agenda, emphasizing that quality instruction is "probably the most transformative climate adaptation action." The French National Centre for Scientific Research expert told Anadolu Agency that Youth and Education ranks among the 10 priority areas of the COP31 Action Agenda as the UN climate conference prepares to convene in Türkiye this November.

'Most transformative' adaptation action

Guilyardi, who served as a lead author on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report, said climate education extends beyond scientific knowledge to equip young people with tools to envision their future world. "There are many reasons why we need young people worldwide to better understand what climate is, how it works, how we are modifying it through our human activities, and what course of action we can think of to limit the changes we are doing and their impact on societies and ecosystems," he said. The interdisciplinary subject spans from climate science to humanities, sports and history, yet Guilyardi warned it can "fall through the cracks" depending on how an education system is structured.

Underlining that teachers stand at the center of effective climate education, Guilyardi said changing professional practice requires between 30 and 80 hours of specialized training. "This education is very different from just awareness. You're not going to have a two-hour conference and that's it. It's not enough to change your professional practice in the classroom," he said, adding that many teachers currently feel isolated when addressing climate topics they do not fully master. Guilyardi emphasized the necessity of adapting content to local realities, cultures and education systems, stating: "This is absolutely key. The one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work in this field."

Quality education reaches fraction of youth

Despite climate change appearing in more than 50% of national curricula — a development that was not the case even five years ago — Guilyardi said things are "changing fast" yet remain insufficient. "If we look at the different surveys we've been doing in the 30 countries where OCE is working, we estimate at the moment - it varies among countries -- that between 3% and 7% of the young generation receives quality climate education," he said. The expert noted that awareness of climate change remains high globally but must be transformed into action through quality instruction, which requires bridging the current disconnect between climate and education arenas.

Antalya conference to advance global standards

The fifth edition of the "Teachers' COP" — a global platform OCE established five years ago — will convene at COP31 in Antalya, Guilyardi announced, describing it as "extremely exciting" that the conference is dedicating a full day to youth and education. The OCE is contributing to the organization of this dedicated day alongside Turkish authorities, he noted, adding that the event could create a platform to move quality climate education beyond mere awareness. Guilyardi stressed that equipping teachers to overcome anxiety-inducing narratives around climate remains critical to the initiative's success.

Education's inclusion in the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) — at the heart of the Paris Agreement — marks a "game-changer" since the last COP, Guilyardi said, adding that OCE will hold several events at COP31 to help countries seize this opportunity. He noted that disinformation work launched under the Belém Agenda at the previous conference will continue at COP31, with "prebunking" — equipping young people to discern trustworthy information from disinformation on social networks — moving higher on the agenda. The fifth edition of the "Teachers' COP" will convene alongside the main conference sessions in Antalya this November.