Education – Knowledge Sharing Platform

Students at GEMS Legacy School in Dubai, led by 2020 UN CC:Learn Champion Asha Alexander, are tackling food waste through awareness campaigns and hands-on initiatives after completing the UN CC:Learn Food Waste Prevention course. Their efforts have led to measurable changes within their school and inspired plans to expand their impact across the community.

In Dubai, a group of dedicated students from GEMS Legacy School has taken steps to address the pressing issue of food waste in their school and community. Guided by Principal Asha Alexander, a 2020 UN CC:Learn Champion committed to climate change education, and driven by insights gained from the UN CC:Learn course on Food Waste Prevention, Noel Nixen, Kashinath Sreekumar, Meeca Lolith, and Kifa Bukhari are educating their peers and working toward long-lasting impact and behavioural changes.

The journey began with the completion of the UN CC:Learn Food Waste Prevention course, which highlighted the alarming rates of food waste across the globe while comprehensively unpacking the problem and providing solutions. Inspired by this knowledge, the students committed to tackling this issue by launching a campaign to raise awareness of the food waste issue and foster sustainable habits within their school and beyond. Their determination has resulted in a concrete impact: over 380 students and 30 teachers at GEMS Legacy School have completed the Food Waste Prevention course, significantly boosting the collective understanding of food waste and its environmental impacts.

In addition to the campaign, the group also explored ways to reduce food waste from the school by monitoring and assessing food waste produced by the school canteen. They tracked the canteen’s food waste patterns, gathered data, and presented their findings to the school administration. Through these data-backed proposals, the students have suggested adjusting portion sizes and providing more flexible meal options to curb waste, ideas the school is now considering.

The team has also expanded its initiative to the broader community, collaborating with the UAE Food Bank, a unit of Dubai Municipality. With the guidance of a teacher, they learned about the UAE Food Bank’s mission and its efforts to reduce food waste by 30% by 2030. The students have committed to raising awareness among their peers about the Food Bank’s recovery programmes with the goal of introducing one of these programmes in the school.

For Noel, Kashinath, Meeca, and Kifa, this journey has been more than an educational experience; it’s a call to action that they hope will inspire sustainable practices in other schools across Dubai. With a focus on changing mindsets and habits, the team plans to expand their campaign to additional schools, launch food recovery initiatives, and continue monitoring the progress of their canteen’s new food management practices. As the students look to the future, they’re empowered by the knowledge that their school community is embracing the principles of food waste prevention—ensuring that their impact will be both lasting and far-reaching.

The “Sustainable Development in Practice” learning series has won a hat-trick in this year’s Brandon Hall Excellence Awards, highlighting UNITAR’s excellence in e-learning solutions.

Read on to find out more.

The “Sustainable Development in Practice” e-courses have earned three prestigious gold awards at the renowned Brandon Hall Excellence Awards. Developed in 2024, this course series triumphed in the Human Capital Management category, winning top honors for Best Certification Program, Best Competencies and Skill Development, and Best Results of a Learning Program.

The Brandon Hall Excellence Awards, established in 1993 by the Brandon Hall Group, are often referred to as the “Academy Awards” for Learning, Talent, and Business Executives. These awards celebrate organizations that have successfully designed and implemented programs, strategies, tools, and processes that deliver measurable outcomes.

DelphianLogic, UNITAR’s instructional design partner, played an instrumental role in the success of the series, from development to implementation. It was DelphianLogic that submitted the course series for consideration at the awards, further highlighting the team’s crucial contribution.

This is the second time that UNITAR/UN CC:Learn has won a Brando Hall award. In 2021, both UNITAR and DelphianLogic won gold in Excellence in Learning for the Green Economy and Trade and Green Fiscal Policy e-courses.

The “Sustainable Development Series” is a two-part learning series hosted on UN CC:e-Learn that examines an integrated approach to sustainable development and why countries should prioritize it. The series explores the rationale, drivers, challenges, and opportunities for addressing environmental, climate, and poverty issues in an integrated manner. It builds on UNDP/UNEP’s Poverty-Environment Action for Sustainable Development project (UNDP-UNEP PEA), which aimed to bring poverty, environment, and climate objectives into the heart of development plans, policies, budgets, public and private finance in partner countries.

The course has attracted significant global attention, with over 9,178 certificates awarded to learners worldwide.

The Young Climate Innovators Programme (YCLIP) was officially launched at a launch event at the University of Ghana on 20th August 2024. This comprehensive training programme aims to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to be drivers of innovation in climate action.

Read on to find out more.

Youth innovation is crucial for climate action as it brings fresh perspectives, creativity, and energy to the development of sustainable solutions. By empowering young people to lead, we ensure that climate strategies are forward-thinking, inclusive, and resilient, potentially addressing current challenges and future impacts.

In light of this, the Young Climate Innovators Programme (YCLIP) came to life on August 20^th 2024 in Accra, Ghana. This initiative, supported by UN CC:Learn, the University of Ghana, the Centre for Climate and Sustainability Empowerment, the HBCU Green Fund, and the Omega Institute, seeks to empower young students to develop and implement innovative climate solutions.

Mr. Hussein Kassim presenting at the launch

Mr. Hussein Kassim, Executive Director of the Centre for Climate and Sustainability Empowerment and organizer of the training programme, presented at the launch.

The YCIP is a comprehensive training programme. The first phase, delivered in collaboration with UN CC:Learn, will involve intensive training for 200 students from the University of Ghana. These students, selected for their diverse academic backgrounds, will undergo one month of training focused on the science of climate change, climate change communication, advocacy, activism, and topics like the green economy and gender and environment.

As part of this initial and qualifying phase, participants will have to complete three UN CC:Learn courses (Climate Change: From Learning to Action, Intro to Green Economy, and Gender and Environment) and participate in three webinar series. At the end of this phase, 25 students will be selected to pursue more in-depth training. This second phase will involve more hands-on experiences, including research work, an entrepreneurship boot camp, community engagement, and the development of innovative solutions in critical areas such as circular economy, biodiversity conservation, renewable energy, water, sanitation and health (WASH), and climate-smart agriculture.

During the launch event, several notable speakers shared their insights and perspectives. Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse, Professor at the University of Ghana and Vice Chair of the Working Group 1 of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), expressed her optimism that the programme would foment innovations that could reshape climate action in the future.

“We know that climate change is a global challenge, but it’s also a local challenge because we feel the impact locally. So, we thought that the young people, the youth are very good with innovations, and it’s an opportunity also for us to tap into their innovation and provide solutions for climate change, so we’re engaging them.”

Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse at the launch.

The UN CC:Learn team was present online. Ms. Cristina Rekakavas, Specialist, UNITAR, and coordinator of the UN CC:learn Programme, walked participants through UN CC:Learn, its collaboration with the Government of Ghana, and presented three inspiring climate stories from UN CC:Learn Champions. Mr. Lucas Terra, Training Assitant, UNITAR, presented the UN CC:Learn e-learning platform to the students while showing them how to navigate it and enroll in the courses they need to complete.

The UN CC:Learn Team walking the students through the courses.

The launch of the Young Climate Innovators Programme marks a pivotal moment in Ghana’s climate action journey. The programme’s emphasis on innovation and community engagement ensures that it will raise awareness and foster tangible solutions that can make a real difference in the fight against climate change.

Watch the news report:

A workshop on the “Regional Declaration on Strengthening Climate Change Education in West Africa” took place in Dakar, Senegal, on August 12, 2024. The workshop was another step in the ongoing efforts of the region to ramp up climate change education.

Read on to find out more.

West African countries are stepping up their commitments to climate change education. This week, Guinea-Bissau became the seventh country to endorse the “Regional Declaration on Strengthening Climate Change Education in West Africa”, launched at COP28, joining Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Niger, Senegal, and Togo. This development confirms the region’s climate education momentum, which also saw Cabo Verde pledge to sign the Declaration soon.

The signing occurred during a national workshop on the declaration’s implementation hosted by the Government of Senegal on August 12, 2024 . This workshop offered a valuable platform for a diverse group of stakeholders, from government officials to civil society representatives, to engage with the document, understand its objectives, and discuss strategies for enhancing climate change education both nationally and regionally

Mr. Daouda Ngom, Minister of Environment and Green Transition, attended the workshop and answered several questions from the audience.

Workshop session.

The Declaration is emerging as a compelling instrument for countries in the region to push for increased investment in climate change education. West African nations increasingly acknowledge the need for a unified regional approach to ramp up climate change education in the region. The Government of Senegal, for instance, has multiple climate education initiatives underway and plans to explore collaborative opportunities with neighboring countries to maximize the impact of these programs.

Mr. Daouda Ngom gave an interview during the workshop.

Investing in climate education offers significant economic and environmental benefits, particularly in regions with large youth populations.

“Africa has a large and growing young population, with about 60 percent under 25. While the sheer size of this young population poses challenges in terms of providing education and employment, it also brings major opportunities …. in ways that can accelerate economic growth, build resilience, and drive transformational adaptation.” – States and Trends in Adaptation, Global Centre on Adaptation

This declaration stems from a UNITAR-UN CC: Learn initiative, supported by the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) and Burkina Faso at COP 27 in 2022. The initiative united eight West African states to address the critical issue of funding climate change education to confront the climate crisis.

In the upcoming COP29, in Baku, Azerbaijan, the Declaration will keep making waves with several events planned and additional countries expected to become signatories.

Niger, represented by the Minister of Hydraulics, Sanitation and the Environment, signed the Regional Declaration on Climate Change Education, reinforcing West Africa’s commitment to the fight against climate change.

Read on to find out more.

On Monday, July 29, 2024, Niger’s Minister of Hydraulics, Sanitation and the Environment, Colonel Maizama Abdoulaye, signed the Regional Declaration on Strengthening Climate Change Education in West Africa.

This Declaration is the result of an initiative launched by UNITAR-UN CC: Learn, supported by the Permanent Inter-State Committee for Drought Control in the Sahel (CILSS) and Burkina Faso at COP 27 in 2022. This initiative brought together eight West African states to address the issue of financing climate change education to tackle the climate emergency.

Niger thus becomes the sixth country in the sub-region to endorse this Declaration, which was previously signed by five countries on December 4, 2023 in Dubai during COP 28.

With Niger’s signature, the Declaration is increasingly establishing itself as an essential reference in the fight against climate change in the sub-region. Indeed, the Declaration reflects the determination of countries in the sub-region to make education about change a top priority in the fight against climate change.

It is expected that a larger number of countries will also sign the Declaration in the coming months.

Photo group during the workshop in Benin.

The 2024 World Environment Day in Benin addressed land degradation and desertification, emphasizing the need for land restoration and sustainable practices.

Read on to find out more!

The celebration of the 2024 edition of World Environment Day, on June 5, 2024, was an opportunity for Benin’s Ministry of Livelihood and Transport in charge of Sustainable Development, to mobilize the public for “land restoration, combating desertification and improving resilience to drought”.

In the face of increasing land degradation, Benin counted on awareness-raising to start remedying the visible and worrying damage caused by human activities and restore ecosystem health.

“This requires a firm commitment to restore degraded land, replant trees, protect natural flora, safeguard drylands and promote sustainable agricultural practices. Achieving this will require collective attention backed up by tangible, effective action”, said Professor Pépin Aina, Director General for the Environment and Climate.

The statement was made at an awareness-raising workshop organized as part of World Environment Day with the support of UN CC:Learn and the NDC Partnership as part of a project dedicated to communication and awareness-raising on climate change and Benin’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The workshop took place against a bleak backdrop: in Benin, some 43,393 km² of land, or 37.36% of the national territory, is recognized as degraded land (UNCCD Report, 2022). In terms of productivity, 43,322 km² of the national territory, or 37.31%, have low productivity. The annual World Environment Day is one of the main channels for raising awareness and taking action to protect the environment worldwide, including in Benin.

Participants at the workshop.

This year’s World Environment Day focused on a major challenge: the growing problems posed by land degradation, desertification, and drought through the theme of “Land restoration, combating desertification and drought resilience,” highlighting concrete actions to reverse the damage caused to the planet.”

“Today, we have the opportunity to make our voices heard, share our experiences and strengthen our commitment to the environment”. – Prof. Aina.

Following opening messages from the Director General for the Environment and Climate, the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Cotonou, the Director of UNITAR’s Planet for Division and the Technical Advisor for Government Reforms, participants were offered in-depth presentations, debates, and recommendations.

Presentations explored, among other things, the impacts of desertification and drought on local communities, the need for sustainable land management practices, innovative approaches to land restoration, improving policies and frameworks to support land restoration initiatives, and improving waste and resource management. In addition, participants also discussed the role of governance in combating environmental degradation and the importance of public awareness and education in promoting environmental management.

The workshop organized in Cotonou underlined the urgency of concerted efforts to meet environmental challenges. By bringing together different stakeholders, encouraging discussion, sharing innovations, and formulating concrete recommendations, the event aimed to pave the way for sustainable land management and greater resilience to environmental stress.

https://www.uncclearn.org/news/un-cclearn-helps-train-climate-youth-negotiators/

The Climate Youth Negotiator Programme trains young people to actively participate in climate negotiations, empowering them to represent their countries in global fora. This year’s programme kicked off this month. Read on to find out more!

“Young people must be at the table – as designers of their own future, not as recipients of decisions of elders who have, let’s be honest, failed them in so many key respects.” – António Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations

Climate change processes and decision-making often do not consider young people’s interests. However, to achieve fair and just climate action, all age groups should have a seat at the table. This is part of the drive behind this year’s Climate Youth Negotiator Programme (CYNP) Fundamental Training, which kicked off in July 2024.

The CYNP training programme is a collaboration between the Future Leaders Network and UN CC:Learn that aims to equip youth negotiators with the knowledge and skills to navigate the often-complex multilateral climate negotiations. The CYNP is in its third edition and has trained over 230 youth from over 50 countries. To participate, countries appointed up to 4 young people to join the program and who are eligible to act as youth climate negotiators on their behalf.

The 2024 program will take young participants on a six-month learning journey that will culminate in in-person training at COP29 in November 2024. During this period, participants will participate in a comprehensive capacity-building and experience-sharing programme that will provide them with the necessary knowledge and skills to negotiate on-site for their countries in the upcoming COP in Baku, Azerbaijan. The training will bring different experts to lecture the participants, exposing them to theory and real-life experiences on a range of climate-related issues.

UN CC:Learn is also extending its support to the inaugural Land Youth Negotiator Programme that aims to train youth delegates from around the world on the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and negotiations under the UNCCD in readiness for the upcoming COP16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in December 2024. The Land Youth Negotiator Programme also kicked off in June 2024 and will run parallel to the Climate Youth Negotiator Programme.

You can learn more about the 2022 and 2023 editions of the Climate Youth Negotiator Programme.

Last year’s graduation ceremony during COP28.

This Advanced course builds upon the introductory course Introduction to Sustainable Development in Practice. It teaches learners HOW to apply in practice an integrated approach to sustainable development throughout the various stages of the policy and project cycle, including analysis, dialogue, planning, financing, communicating, monitoring, and evaluation. The course contains tools, tips, and methods for applying sustainable development in practice.

Enroll

Education
Green Economy

Self-paced course

8 hours

English

Why take this course?

This Advanced Course takes an in-depth look at how to take an integrated approach to policy analysis, integrated planning, designing interventions, financing, communications, and monitoring and evaluation in the context of integrating poverty and environment issues more fully into development planning. The course explores a number of tools, tips and methods that can aid practitioners put in place interventions related to the environment, climate action, and poverty reduction, at the national and sub-national levels.

This course is based on Chapter 2 to Chapter 8 of the publication “Sustainable Development in Practice: A Handbook for Integrating Environment, Climate and Poverty Reduction” (Bass et al., 2023).

Learning Objectives

After completing the course, learners will be able to:

Examine and promote evidence-based approaches to poverty and environment issues
Set up effective sustainable development dialogue process with key stakeholders
Develop strategies for embedding poverty and environment issues into policy processes and plans
Demonstrate the integration of poverty and environment issues into public and private finance, including fiscal policy
Design an effective communication strategy supporting poverty and environment issues integration
Formulate approaches for effective monitoring & evaluation of poverty and environment actions
Discuss institutional change approaches to enabling integrated sustainable development

The course at a glance

1. Analysing Poverty and Environment Issues: Module 1 deals with the first stage of the policy cycle i.e., analysis, and speaks to the various pathways, methods, and approaches for identifying and analysing the interlinkages between poverty and environment issues
2. Engagement and Dialogue: Module 2 looks at the processes of engagement and dialogue, as an important step in shaping an integrated approach to address interlinked environment and poverty issues that works for stakeholders.
3. Integration into Planning Processes: Module 3 deals with the important issue of mainstreaming and integrating poverty and environment objectives into the planning processes in a country.
4. Financing Sustainable Development in Practice: Module 4 delves into the issue of financing an integrated approach, by looking at integrating poverty and environment objectives into national budgets and public and private investment.
5. Communications on Poverty and the Environment: Module 5 looks into the important issue of communication and how poverty and environment issues can be better framed to effectively reach different stakeholders.
6. Monitoring and Evaluation: Module 6 provides guidance on how monitoring and evaluation can help track the integration of poverty and environmental issues across the policy cycle.
7. Building Integrated Transformative Institutions: Module 7 equips learners with the knowledge of how robust institutions can help integrate poverty and environment issues.

Get your Certificate

After completing the course, you will get a certificate of completion. Once you complete all videos, lessons, and activities in each module, you will need to complete the final quiz at the end of the course before the certificate becomes automatically available for download.

You can keep track of your progress and download your certificate under the “Certification” tab on the main course page.

Partners and contributors

This course is a collaboration between UN CC:Learn and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Poverty-Environment Action for Sustainable Development (PEA).

If you liked this course and other trainings on the platform, why not making a donation? Every little bit helps to improve the platform, add more courses, and reach new learners! Thank you!

“Net Zero 101: What, Why and How” is a free and self-paced e-learning course that provides a foundational understanding of climate change, the science behind it, and its impacts, while showcasing actionable steps one can take as a responsible citizen to contribute to climate action and achieve a net-zero society.

Enroll

Education
Science

Self-paced course

1,5 hours

English

Background

Have you ever heard about “net zero”? From governments to companies, net zero has often been mentioned as an important climate goal. But what does this concept really mean?

Understanding net zero requires understanding many climate science terminologies, and this course breaks down the science in easy-to-understand terms. Throughout the course you will be provided with practical tips to contribute to climate action. By the end you will gain a solid foundation in the science behind climate change and net zero.

What will you learn?

After completing the course, you will be able to:

Define what anthropogenic climate change is and link it with the concept of net zero.
Identify UN organizations, key milestones and international treaties relevant to climate action.
Analyze the environmental and socio-economic impacts of climate change. Explain the importance of a whole-of-society approach and the roles of different actors in achieving net zero.
Describe the importance of contextualized measures to achieve net zero and determine sustainable and practical ways to reduce one’s carbon footprint.
Select the most effective and viable renewable energy solutions considering their cost-effectiveness and sustainability given different contexts.

Course at a glance

This self-paced course consists of three easy-to-follow short modules, comprising an online lesson and a quiz. Each module takes about 20-30 minutes, depending on how in-depth learners explore them.

Module 1: What is Net Zero?
Module 2: Why Net Zero?
Module 3: How to Net Zero?

Who is this course for?

This e-course caters to anyone who wishes to develop a foundational level of understanding on the basic sciences behind climate change, its environmental, social and economic impacts, and actions we can take as responsible citizens to achieve a net-zero society. You do not need a technical background in climate science to complete the course. The course is conducted in English only.

Certification

You will receive a certificate of completion from UNU-IAS once all of the following conditions have been met:

Complete the three online lessons; and
Score at least 75% on the quiz of each module.

Discover how UN CC Learn’s free and self-paced online courses are contributing to climate literacy and driving global climate action. The 2023 Impact Survey reveals that learners are not only applying their new knowledge but also making significant changes in their personal and professional lives. Read on to explore the detailed findings and learn how education is empowering individuals to combat climate change.

Education is one of the most powerful drivers of positive social and environmental change. Since 2014, UN CC:Learn has contributed to climate change education globally by providing free and self-paced online courses on climate change to over 880,000 learners.

The +100 e-courses in up to 17 languages available on the e-learning platform strive to provide individuals and communities with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to effectively understand and respond to climate change.

But are UN CC:Learn courses actually contributing to positive and long-lasting behavioral change in its learners?

To answer this and other questions, UN CC:Learn prepared the 2023 Impact Survey. The Impact Survey is conducted on an annual basis and follows an approach based on the Kirkpatrick Level 3 evaluation model intended to assess the degree to which beneficiaries apply the skills and knowledge learned through the e-courses at their workplace. The survey also intends to understand how these new skills have supported UN CC:Learn alumni to adopt climate-friendly decisions and take action on climate change.

The 2023 Impact Survey was sent to a random sample of 495 participants who received a certificate of completion after taking an e-course on the UN CC:Learn e-learning platform. The sample enabled results with a 95% confidence level and 5% error range. The survey was available in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese and the results were reported anonymously and in an aggregated format.

Here are some of the key findings.

Learners are applying the knowledge they have acquired from a UN CC:Learn e-course

82% of respondents have applied, used, or transferred the knowledge and skills acquired from a UN CC:Learn course.

In addition, 92% of respondents from countries in special situations said they have applied used, or transferred the knowledge and skills learned from UN CC:Learn.

Graphs showing results of the impact survey as described in the article.

Learners are taking climate change action after completing a UN CC:Learn e-course

96% of respondents said the UN CC:Learn course has given them the necessary skills and knowledge to take climate action.

In addition, 60% said they have become more efficient in the way they use water or energy, 55% said they have recycled more of their waste at home and at work, and 54% said they have supported climate actions in their communities.

Learners have changed their consumption patterns after completing a UN CC:Learn e-course

98% of female and 97% of male respondents have made important changes in their lives and routines in relation to climate change.

In addition, 99% of respondents from countries in special situations have said they have made important changes in their life and routine upon completing a course.

The acquisition of new skills and knowledge has led to important improvements for beneficiaries.

75% feel more knowledgeable about climate change, 58% said they gained skills they can apply in their careers, and 8% said they received a pay rise after completing a UN CC:Learn course.

Read the full survey here.

Students at GEMS Legacy School Close in on Food Waste

The “Sustainable Development in Practice Series” Wins Triple Gold at Brandon Hall Excellence Awards

Empowering Ghana’s Youth: The Launch of the Young Climate Innovators Programme

Senegal Workshop Confirms West African Climate Education Commitment

Niger signs the Regional Declaration on Climate Change Education

World Environment Day: An invitation to land restoration in Benin

Empowering Youth: Training Tomorrow’s Climate Negotiators

Advancing Sustainable Development in Practice

Why take this course?

Learning Objectives

The course at a glance

Get your Certificate

Partners and contributors

Net Zero 101: What, Why and How

Background

What will you learn?

Course at a glance

Who is this course for?

Certification

From Knowledge to Action: How UN CC:Learn courses are driving behavioral change

Learners are applying the knowledge they have acquired from a UN CC:Learn e-course

Learners are taking climate change action after completing a UN CC:Learn e-course

Learners have changed their consumption patterns after completing a UN CC:Learn e-course

The acquisition of new skills and knowledge has led to important improvements for beneficiaries.