Hi,

On World Environmental Education Day, we are highlighting one of the pillars of our Earth Day 2021 Restore Our Earth theme: Climate and Environmental Literacy.

What is climate and environmental literacy? It is a critical understanding of how the natural world works around us, the ability to analyze how we each are connected to natural and social systems around us and the motivation to effectively advocate for a sustainable future. By arming the next generation with knowledge, skills and efficacy, we will create a literate citizenry that can effectively tackle the climate crisis.

Learn more about our global Climate and Environmental Literacy campaign.

Our children need an interdisciplinary education that instills a respect for the planet and inspires action to protect it. Teachers can weave environmental themes throughout subjects to encourage a critical, systems approach to the world. Civics skills — knowledge on how to participate in community and government — will enable individuals to effectively act on behalf of the Earth.

To this end, EARTHDAY‍.ORG believes every school in the world must have compulsory, assessed climate and environmental education with a strong civic engagement component.

The next generation will inherit a complicated world, and we are obliged to give them the skills they need to create equitable solutions and build hope for a brighter future. Climate and environmental literacy will create jobs, build a green consumer market and allow citizens to engage with their governments in a meaningful way to solve climate change.

Read more about our global campaign and how we’re using education to change the world.

For the future,

EARTHDAY‍.ORG Education Department

P.S. If you missed today's Earth Day Live digital event on this topic, Environmental Literacy and Civics: Education to Change the World, you can view it here.