We must use the European Year of Skills to invest in activities that promote climate literacy.
The European Union has declared 2023 the European Year of Skills. Realising that the transition away from fossil fuel dependency requires new thinking and new approaches, the EU wants to use the Year to help the European workforce to acquire the skills necessary for this new reality.
Global Action Plan is calling on the government, employers, chambers of commerce and education providers to use the European Year to invest in initiatives that advance climate literacy.Â
We must use the European Year of Skills to invest in activities that promote climate literacy.
The idea behind the European Year of Skills is to invest in training and upskilling opportunities to help workers acquire the skills needed in a fast changing labour market. We are highlighting that among the skills most needed in society now is the ability to understand our influence on our climate, and the climate’s influence on our society.
Investing in climate literacy is investing in understanding climate change, and investing in ideas on how we can stop it.
In our programmes, Global Action Plan promotes the idea of climate literacy. Through our activities, we focus on people and how they can take practical action in their everyday lives for a more sustainable life, community, and world.Â
Climate change education must not be confined to the school system. We need climate literacy at all levels of society.
We are working with schools, community groups and businesses to help people understand the wealth of scientific information about the Earth’s climate systems, how to effectively communicate their knowledge about climate change and how to make informed decisions about our own impact on the climate.
These are the skills we all need now; and we must use the European Year of Skills to ensure that everyone has access to opportunities to acquire them.
