COP29 in Baku underscored the urgent need to intertwine education and climate finance, highlighting the threats posed by climate change to children’s education. Experts from Education Cannot Wait (ECW) advocated for anticipatory measures to protect educational systems from climate shocks. It was noted that only a tiny fraction of climate funding addresses educational needs, which must change to secure a sustainable future for children worldwide facing crises fueled by climate impacts.
Education is increasingly jeopardized amid escalating crises, as evidenced during COP29 in Baku, which signifies an essential opportunity to integrate education within climate finance. Dianah Nelson, Chief of Education at Education Cannot Wait (ECW), highlighted pilot initiatives in Somalia and Afghanistan aimed at educational resilience in the face of climate threats. ECW organized various discussions addressing the intersection of education, climate challenges, and anticipatory actions. Adenike Oladosu, ECW’s Climate Champion, notably stressed the urgent need for anticipatory measures to avert irreversible losses in educational access due to climate emergencies. The testimonies from advocates like Zulekha from Pakistan underscored the immense damage climate events have inflicted on educational infrastructure, displacing millions of children. The stark reality presented at COP29 was that, as climate change increasingly affects educational avenues, it must also be prioritized in climate financing. Despite education proving vital in fostering resilience and addressing climate issues, only a minuscule percentage of climate finance—merely 0.03%—is allocated towards education. The call for education to play a fundamental role in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) is urgent, given past crises that have already led to widespread school disruptions for children globally. A push for innovative financing solutions was reiterated, aiming to connect educational needs with existing climate funds to ensure prompt and impactful support. The ECW stressed the necessity of concentrating on educating vulnerable children, emphasizing that losing out on educational opportunities has catastrophic societal implications. The concluding discussions anticipate a shift in how future climate financing frameworks, particularly the New Collective Quantified Goal, prioritize educational commitments to ensure every child has access to learning, especially those facing the direst conditions. In looking ahead to COP30 in Brazil, the connection between climate change and educational integrity becomes increasingly imperative, as the potential societal losses from inadequate education during climate crises are profound. The emphasis is clear: the collective responsibility is to ensure that no child’s potential is wasted due to a crisis beyond their control.
Recent years have seen education threatened by a confluence of crises, particularly climate change, exacerbating the challenges in delivering learning and educational equity. At COP29, discussions emphasized the importance of embedding education within the climate finance discourse, as both sectors significantly influence each other. The recognition that children’s access to learning is fundamentally disrupted by climate disasters presents an urgent call for action. Education Cannot Wait (ECW), as a global fund, plays a pivotal role in advocating for education in emergencies, highlighting the necessity of proactive measures against climate impacts affecting schools and learning environments. The catastrophic impacts of climate-related disruptions to education have been pronounced in various countries, leading to the displacement of millions of children and extensive damage to educational infrastructure. Reports show the glaring lack of funding directed towards education within climate finance efforts, accentuating the need for systemic changes that prioritize educational resilience in climate action plans.
The integration of education within climate finance is no longer a supplementary objective but a critical necessity. As highlighted by various experts at COP29, education is central to building resilient communities capable of weathering climate challenges. The pressing need for anticipatory actions to safeguard children’s education from climate shocks underscores the importance of prioritizing educational funding in climate finance frameworks. The path toward COP30 must be paved with commitments that ensure every child, particularly those in vulnerable situations, can access quality education amidst the threats posed by climate crises.
Original Source: www.ipsnews.net
