As over 60,000 students across Ireland sit down for their Leaving Certificate exams, one question should be on all our minds, not just theirs:
If you had to take a climate exam today, would you pass?
Climate knowledge isn’t just for students; it’s something every person in Ireland needs. The climate and biodiversity crises are shaping our future, yet most people in Ireland still have limited knowledge of what’s causing these crises, how they’re connected, and what we can do about them.
Climate literacy isn’t optional, it’s essential.
Climate literacy is no longer optional, it’s essential. Everyone in Ireland, not just young people, deserves to be equipped with the facts and the confidence to respond to the defining challenge of our time. As students prepare for questions that will shape their academic futures, it’s time the rest of us asked ourselves:
- Do I understand what’s driving the climate crisis?
- Could I explain how biodiversity loss threatens our food systems?
- Do I know what actions I can take, or demand our politicians take, to make a difference?.
Beyond the classroom: a whole-of-society challenge
Across Ireland, efforts to improve climate education are gaining momentum. But despite this, public understanding of the causes and consequences of the climate crisis remains too low.
According to the EPA and ESRI:
- Only 30% of Irish people correctly identify agriculture as Ireland’s biggest emissions source.
- Many underestimate the climate impact of personal food and transport choices.
- A significant portion of the public believes climate change is caused as much by natural forces as human activity, despite overwhelming scientific consensus to the contrary.
A new subject, a new opportunity
In response to the growing climate emergency, Ireland is taking important steps within the formal education system. A new Leaving Certificate subject, Climate Action and Sustainable Development, will begin rolling out in schools from September 2025.
This subject will equip students with the knowledge, skills and critical thinking they need to understand climate change, biodiversity loss and sustainability challenges, and to take meaningful action.
GAP Ireland, along with other education and civil society organisations, is actively supporting schools and educators involved in trialling this new subject. Together, they are developing resources and helping teachers bring climate learning to life in the classroom.
This is a welcome and important step forward. The formal education sector is showing real leadership in addressing the climate crisis through curriculum change. But it can’t stop there.
Outside of schools, the adult and community education sector is also responding, offering a growing range of climate-focused learning opportunities across Ireland. And Ireland’s active civil society sector – from environmental NGOs to youth groups, community initiatives and education charities – has also driven much of the progress in building climate awareness and action.
These organisations are essential for spreading knowledge and inspiring action, but they need reliable support to do this work at scale, especially as demand for climate education grows.
It’s time for a national climate learning effort
As Ireland’s Leaving Certificate students face their own tests today, GAP Ireland is calling for a national moment of reflection. Climate change and biodiversity loss will define the decades ahead, and we all need to be part of the response.
Whether you’re a student, a parent, a policymaker or a business leader, now is the time to ask yourself: Would I pass a climate exam?