Resources
Explore a wide range of valuable resources on GCED to deepen your understanding and enhance your research, advocacy, teaching, and learning.
68 Results found
World Heritage Glaciers: Sentinels of Climate Change Year of publication: 2022 Corporate author: UNESCO | International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) It outlines the importance of glaciers for sustaining life, their role as indicators of climate change, and their accelerated retreat due to global warming. The report emphasizes the urgent need to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming to 1.5°C, which could save glaciers in two-thirds of World Heritage sites. Additionally, it underscores the importance of adaptive measures like improved monitoring networks, early warning systems, and targeted policies to address the inevitable changes in glacierized areas. It also advocates for inclusive stakeholder engagement, particularly involving Indigenous Peoples and local communities, to develop effective responses to the challenges posed by climate change. The document serves as a call to action for international cooperation and collaboration to protect the Outstanding Universal Value of World Heritage glaciers and ensure their continued benefits for humanity. 
Climate Justice and Human Rights Year of publication: 2022 Author: Noha Bakr Climate justice is linking the impacts of global warming with principles of justice, specifically environmental justice and social justice, by exploring issues resulting from global warming such as equality, human rights, collective rights, and historical responsibilities. 
How Can We Talk About Climate Without Turning It Into a Contentious Issue? Year of publication: 2023 Author: Laurent Cordonier Corporate author: Le Monde How can we tackle the climate issue without talking only to the convinced? Debates on the climate issue run the risk of becoming a highly divisive political issue, hampering much-needed action, warns sociologist Laurent Cordonier in a new episode of “Chaleur humaine”, a weekly podcast for reflection and debate on ways of tackling the climate challenge. 
The Impact of Climate Displacement on the Right to Education Year of publication: 2020 Corporate author: UNESCO Ce rapport tente d'expliquer les conséquences du réchauffement climatique sur l'éducation des populations, vouées à se déplacer pour fuir la dégradation de leur environnement, ce qui empêche les enfants de suivre une scolarisation complète et de qualité. This report attempts to explain the consequences of global warming on the education of populations, who are forced to move to escape the degradation of their environment, preventing children from receiving a complete, quality education. 
Green School Quality Standard: Greening Every Learning Environment Year of publication: 2024 Corporate author: UNESCO Climate change threatens our planet and future. Schools and other learning institutions are central places for accelerating climate action among learners and local communities. By empowering teachers and students to understand climate change in their own context contribute to making societies more sustainable and climate resilient. This publication provides for the first time ever a quality standard for greening schools and other learning environments. It outlines four core areas for integrating sustainability principles and climate action: 1) school governance, 2) facilities and operation, 3) teaching and learning, and 4) community engagement. Through the Greening Education Partnership, this standard establishes a common language for all stakeholders to jointly reach the global target of greening at least 50% of schools in all countries by 2030. Policy-makers and ministries in charge of education accreditation schemes, as well as educators, learners and communities are encouraged to use the green school quality standard and join the climate-ready school movement to ensure that every learner is equipped to address climate challenges. 
Greening Curriculum Guidance: Teaching and Learning for Climate Action Year of publication: 2024 Corporate author: UNESCO This Guidance responds to the calls from young people for a holistic approach to climate change and sustainability in the curriculum. It outlines a common language on how quality climate change and sustainability can be reflected in the curriculum by setting expected learning outcomes per age group (from 5-year olds and up to 18+ age group, including a lifelong learning approach).This is crucial for accelerating country-level action and ensuring joint monitoring of progress. The objective is to have 90 per cent of all countries include climate change in their curricula by 2030, as established by the Greening Education Partnership.This Guidance aims to support countries, schools or individual practitioners in reassessing their ongoing practices to adopt a more action-oriented, holistic, scientifically accurate, justice-driven and lifelong learning approach to climate change. 
Climate Risk Informed Decision Analysis (CRIDA): Collaborative Water Resources Planning for an Uncertain Future Year of publication: 2024 Corporate author: UNESCO Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP) | International Center for Integrated Water Resources Management (ICIWaRM) | Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (AGWA) | Deltares The importance of integrating climate change considerations into water resources planning is recognized on a global scale. Various frameworks, such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and the Paris Agreement, emphasize the need for proper planning, policy-making, and adaptation strategies. The Climate Risk Informed Decision Analysis (CRIDA) methodology was launched in 2018 as a response to these international agendas, bridging the gap between climate change uncertainty and water resource planning. 
Pacific Climate Security Assessment Guide Year of publication: 2023 Author: Spencer McMurray | Lukas Ruttinger | Serena Arcone | Michael Crowe Corporate author: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) | Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) The new Pacific Climate Security Assessment guide aims to support Pacific Island Countries to collectively and individually uncover, assess and respond to climate security implications for their peoples, prosperity and peace. The Assessment Guide builds off of the Weathering Risk initiative’s methodology, and was undertaken by adelphi in collaboration with the UNDP, IOM and PIF as a part of the UNPBF-funded “Climate Security in the Pacific” project. In addition to incorporating a brief regional trend analysis and limited entry points to kick start countries’ efforts to address climate insecurity, the guide provides a “how to” for countries to undertake assessments themselves and across different levels. Anchored in the Pacific, the guide was developed through extensive consultation with regional specialists, key regional institutions, civil society and with Forum member representatives. 
Climate Change and Sustainability in Science and Social Science Secondary School Curricula Year of publication: 2024 Author: Marcia McKenzie | Aaron Benavot Corporate author: UNESCO There is an urgent need to transform the way climate change and sustainability are taught in classrooms and at schools. Learners must grasp the environmental impacts of climate change, how climate change relates to their own context and what actions can be undertaken and contribute to making societies more sustainable, equitable, just and climate-resilient. The findings presented in this publication indicate that accelerated efforts are needed. In a study of over 530 Grade 9 science and social science curricula from 85 countries worldwide, we found that 69 per cent of curricula contained no references to climate change, while 66 per cent had no references to sustainability. Furthermore, while 69 per cent of surveyed teachers from eight of the countries studied reported that environment, sustainability and climate change topics were included in the science and social science curricula in their schools only 50 per cent included them in their teaching. While there is a notable inclusion of environment, sustainability and climate change in science and social science curricula across countries, the depth of focus of this inclusion varies widely. Cognitive learning prevails over social and emotional or action-oriented learning. Climate change and sustainability in school practices must be strengthened, with teachers playing a key role in enhancing integration through teaching methods and materials. 
The Water, Energy, and Food Security Nexus in Asia and the Pacific: The Pacific Year of publication: 2024 Corporate author: UNESCO | UNESCO Bangkok | UNESCO Jakarta Global climate targets and the call to action from the Pacific must be heeded while major environmental, societal and economical progress is needed in the region. Leadership from Pacific Island Countries and Territories needs to be supported with action and resourcing to meet both global net zero goals and regional SDGs. This volume applies the water, energy, and food security nexus approach solely in a Pacific context for the first time, bringing together the region’s 17 countries and 7 Territories. This approach improves the security of each sector and supports regional climate and environmental priorities. Effective intersectoral solutions exist with connectivity between the water-food and water-energy sectors of particular benefit. Traditional knowledge and crop production have historically and will continue to play a major role in food security and water resources management in the region. Increased energy demand needs to be met with increased renewables installation as well as new technologies that encompass storage and transport considerations.