Can Green Schools help African countries build climate-resilient economies?

By Dennis Mithika

Can Green Schools help African countries build climate-resilient economies?

There is no doubting the effects of the changing climate and population displacement on the quality of both life and education with millions of people being internally displaced due to climate-change-related disasters each year. However, the majority of youth living in developing countries that are the most affected by this issue do not understand the concept of climate change. Moreover, according to a UN analysis of green curriculum content in 76 developing nations, environment and sustainability accounted for 50% of the content while with climate change and biodiversity accounted for 21% and 12% respectively, demonstrating a gap in climate change education.

With this in mind, the question as to whether the Green School concept helps the nations most affected by climate change become more resilient is of great importance.

In this article, we focus on the concept of Green Schools, which is a pivotal initiative for promoting climate-resilient economies in developing nations by equipping learners and communities with adaptive knowledge and skills. By acknowledging the results of the program’s implementation in some African countries, the article demonstrates how climate change education is improving livelihoods, education outcomes, resource management, and the economic stability of the developing world.

Why focus on Green Schools in developing nations?

According to the UN, 70% of young learners from 166 developing nations do not understand the concept of climate change, necessitating the need for climate change education to be integrated within schools.

Focusing on developing nations is important since they bear the brunt of the impacts of climate change, despite being the least responsible for the crisis, whereas developed nations, responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs), face less direct effects. According to the World Bank report, very poor, agriculture-invested countries do not consume a great deal of energy. In 2011, the 900 million individuals living in the 50 developing nations emitted only 0.8% of global CO2 emissions but they face an eightfold rise of natural crises compared to the 1980s. Despite hardly contributing to the GHGs, Africa is the most vulnerable continent to the effects of climate change under scenarios above 1.5 degrees Celsius, experiencing severe damage that threatens its rain-dependent agriculture, education, water and food supplies, and overall economy.

What are the “Green Schools”?

Green Schools also known as Eco-schools, are educational institutions that integrate sustainable practices, environmental stewardship, and climate change programs into their curricula and introduce activities to improve eco-friendly behavior and awareness among learners.

The Green Schools concept is grounded on the following targeted outcomes:

  • Increasing the number of green jobs: One key goal is to prepare emerging economies to manage workforce transitions by creating more green jobs due to the emergence of green technologies that reduce emissions. Utilizing the global modeling work of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN Environmental Programme, and research counterparts, green recovery scenarios with investments in green energy and transport will create 20.5 million jobs by 2030, indicating the ability of green investments to create jobs for the mass population.
  • Improving sustainability policies and well-governed allocation: Maintain the focus on the development of the prerequisite systems and leadership structures to support resilience, responsible procurement, and sustainability programs in schools. The sustainability initiatives aim to ensure that approximately 50% of tertiary institutions and schools in every country are green by 2030 as per UNESCO goals.
  • Enhancing the integration of sustainable facilities and operations: Mitigate the impacts of climate change by climate-proofing and increasing emergency preparedness, while ensuring sustainability through energy and water conservation and waste management.
  • Raising community engagement and awareness between schools and communities: Increase awareness of climate change and preparedness by empowering learners and involving stakeholders in organized campaigns to develop a culture of resilience and sustainability through shared responsibility.

How can green schools help Africa countries achieve climate-resilient economies and sustainable growth?

Supporters of the Green Schools Initiative suggest that by integrating the program into the curricula, developing nations will equip students with the skills to get jobs in the green economy, promote sustainability practices, and support green entrepreneurship.

According to International Labour Organization estimates, the transition to energy sustainability by 2030 will create approximately 18 million new jobs globally.

ILO projections of energy sustainability scenarios on jobs by 2030

Source: ILO, Skills for a Greener Future: A global view based on 32 country surveys, Geneva, 2019.

The UN supports this data with the recommendation to introduce Green Schools around the world.

In 2019, South Africa, in partnership with the Flanders government, launched the Keep It Cool-Climate Change Education initiative, a three-year initiative with a budget of €1.4 million. The program focused on climate change education and offered strategic support to secondary schools in Eastern Cape, Limpopo, and KwaZulu-Natal regions. The results of the program implementation revealed that participants obtained a detailed understanding of climate change and an increased interest in climate-related professions, improved presentation skills, and confidence among learners.

In Kenya, the pilot stage of the eco-schools program, implemented through a partnership of the local government and the Foundation for Environmental Education, established 12 pilot schools that executed income-generating micro-projects to address environmental challenges. The project enhanced out-of-classroom learning by incorporating real-world environmental solutions into the curriculum and fostered cooperation with local communities. The program also improved education on sustainable development for 6,196 primary and 1,201 secondary school learners.

In 2015, Senegal launched a 7-year National Strategy for the Promotion of Green Jobs (SNEV) program financed by ILO and the UN Environmental Programme that acted as a reference module for green opportunities in a climate-resilient economy. By June 2019, the SNEV program had created approximately 2,000 green jobs, doubling the 1,000 jobs created in the target areas in 2015.

Final word

In their aim to strengthen climate-resilient economies, Green Schools are equipping young people with the knowledge and skills to adopt sustainable practices such as renewable energy use, green youth entrepreneurship, and resource allocation, while improving environmental conservation and community engagement. Through successful implementation in some African countries, the initiative is supporting climate-resilient economies by promoting environmental awareness, creating job opportunities, and alleviating education outcomes.

However, despite its short-term apparent effectiveness in alleviating climate change, the concept must be complemented with strong initiatives such as scaling up renewable energy investment, implementing stringent climate policies, and supporting large-scale reforestation efforts.