Climate Change Education in focus at Climate Week NYC 2025
Climate Change Education in focus
at Climate Week NYC 2025
Strategic Roundtable: "Unlocking the transformative power of climate change education”
Climate change education is emerging as a cornerstone for effective adaptation strategies, the development of green skills, and the creation of new employment opportunities. It plays a pivotal role in advancing a just and inclusive transition worldwide.
In the run-up to the of COP30 in Brazil, Siemens Stiftung together with the Office for Climate Education (OCE, UNESCO Center) are convening an event during New York Climate Week to bring forward concrete perspectives on the current state and potential of climate change education worldwide.
Investing in youth, teachers and skills for a changing world
Drawing from OCE’s unique and extensive international implementation experience, including multi-year programs in Latin America, Africa, and Europe, and Siemens Stiftung’s strategic philanthropic leadership in supporting climate education since 2017, this event brings holistic global expertise. It aims to offer evidence-based insights into how climate change education can meaningfully contribute to green skills development, employment opportunities, and adaptation strategies.
In 2025, this conversation gains additional significance. As countries prepare to submit updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs 3.0) ahead of COP30 in Brazil, climate change education is increasingly recognized as a key pillar of national climate adaptation strategies. This event will offer a timely opportunity to explore how their support for education initiatives can be strategically aligned with countries’ NDC commitments under the Paris Agreement framework.
Furthermore, 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement: An ideal opportunity to reflect on the progress made in integrating education into climate action, to take stock of lessons learned, and to chart more ambitious paths forward for the coming decade.
Strategic Roundtable
This event aims to offer donors and practitioners evidence-based insights on how climate change education can meaningfully contribute to green skills development, employment opportunities, and adaptation strategies.
Objectives
- Offer evidence-based insights on how CCE can meaningfully contribute to skills development, employment opportunities, and adaptation strategies.
- Share international case studies, lessons learned, and effective models for transformative CCE including effective pathways to meaningfully fund it.
- Demonstrate how philanthropic investment in CCE can be aligned with national climate commitments (NDCs 3.0) and the broader Paris Agreement framework.
- Facilitate dialog between practitioners, donors, and policymakers on scalable and fundable approaches, particularly in the lead-up to COP30.
- Reflect on institutional and political enabling conditions for CCE integration and funding.
Speakers at the roundtable
- David Wilgenbus, Executive Director – Office for Climate Education (UNESCO center)
- Badin Borde, Deputy Head of Education – Siemens Stiftung (Germany)
- Carol O’Donnell – Director of the Smithsonian Science Education Center at Smithsonian Institution (USA)
- Ana Ligia Scachetti, CEO – Nova Escola (Brazil)
- Ingrid Sánchez – Senior Advisor for Education and Climate at UNESCO’s Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office
- Renata Koch Alvarenga, Founder and Executive Director Empoder Clima
The roundtable will be followed by a networking event.
Resources
Interested in surveys, briefs, best practices, and presentations from Climate Week NYC 2025? Here is our collection.
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Partners
Contact
Would you like to work with us? Or do you have any questions?
Head of International Relations and Communication
Djian Sadadou
djian.sadadou@oce.global
Head of Strategic Relations
Julia Kirchweger
julia.kirchweger@siemens-stiftung.org