Summary
Earth’s changing climate and environmental degradation has big implications for businesses, policy
makers and above all, our citizens. The recent pandemic has exposed the interrelations between our
natural and societal systems, demonstrating that our society depends on a resilient environmental
support system and that biodiversity loss and intensive food systems make zoonotic diseases more
likely.1 Against this backdrop, it has never been more important for UK citizens to have the education
and skills to understand the situation and meet this challenge. This submission proposes three
interventions:
1) The introduction of Climate and Environment Studies as compulsory new subject for the
national curriculum;
2) The development of a new Climate and Environment Law which mandates employers to offer
free training to all employees about reducing their climate footprint; and
3) The development of legislation which means that all government skills and training funding
must be spent in line with principles that “maintain or benefit” our climate and environmental
standards.
These interventions would be transformative in ensuring that the UK meets our ambitions in
addressing the climate crisis and exploiting the economic and societal opportunities that would lead
from this.
Proposal
According to the definition of the Department for Education, the National Curriculum should provide
pupils in England with an introduction to the core knowledge that they need to be educated citizens.
The recent context of the pandemic has highlighted the question of whether there is sufficient
education on Climate and Environment Studies, given the vulnerability of our current ecosystem.
Some reports have even noted that the lack of education is resulting in increased anxiety amongst our
youth, resulting from a feeling of powerlessness.2
History education provides students with a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past
and that of the wider world. In contrast, there is not currently a subject which specifically explains our
planet, the environment and humans’ experiences of interacting with these ecosystems. There are
aspects of Geography which touch on issues such as the causes of extreme weather conditions3, but
there is no specific focus on the current situation and level of intervention and behaviour change
required. Some commentators have suggested that climate studies could be integrated across
different subjects4 but this would arguably dilute the focus. The UK recognises the importance of
History as a subject being taught in its own right, Climate and Environment Studies requires the same
level of critique, deliberation and understanding.
The Committee on Climate Change or organisations such as McKinsey and Company have noted that
Leaders should start integrating climate risk into their decision making now.5 In a similar vein, it is
surely time for policy to support employers in integrating climate and environmental issues into
1 https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/covid-19-and-europe-s
2 https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/feb/11/pupils-draft-climate-bill-anxiety-lack-guidanceschools
3 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-curriculum-in-england-geography-programmes-ofstudy
4 https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/feb/11/the-national-curriculum-barely-mentions-theclimate-crisis-children-deserve-better
5 https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/sustainability/our-insights/confronting-climate-riskeveryday decisions, specifically through training. In the same way that the UK has strong Health and
Safety Law which mandates employers to offer free training to all employees, similar training should
be mandatory on reducing our climate footprint. Reports suggest that this intervention would also
help UK businesses to become more competitive.6
The final aspect of this proposal builds on similar policy to that created by the European Commission
in adopting the “do no significant harm” principle7 in the context of the European Green Deal, to
ultimately prevent government funding from being spent on areas which contravene climate goals.
The UK should develop legislation in a similar vein, but conversely focussed on requiring that all
funding meet the levels of ambition for protecting and bettering the UK and our planet, perhaps
developing a “maintain or benefit” standards principle. All government research, skills and training
funding must be spent in line with principles that “maintain or benefit” our climate and environmental
standards.
In a year that the UK will be hosting COP26, such policy announcements could not be timelier in
demonstrating the commitment of the UK to seriously tackle climate change and ensure that our
current and future populations are properly equipped for tackling this crucial issue.
Practicality and resource implications
The introduction of Earth and Climate Studies as compulsory new subject for the national curriculum
would require consultation across Government and schools, before delivery spearheaded by the
Department of Education. There are opportunities for collaboration between other government
departments including DEFRA, BEIS and the Cabinet Office who lead on COP, to ensure that the
content of the curriculum will meet future skills and employment needs. It would require a small but
dynamic policy team to implement this.
The development of a new Climate and Environment Law which mandates employers to offer free
training and development of legislation which means that all government skills and training funding
must be spent in line with principles that “maintain or benefit” our climate and environmental
standards would require a longer-term approach necessitating appropriate consultation across
businesses, trade bodies, trade unions and across government. This could be jointly led by teams in
BEIS and DEFRA. This proposal would of course equally need cross-party champions in Parliament.
Impact of ideas
Should this policy proposal be implemented effectively, the impact for England, and the wider UK
would be transformative. We would be the first country in the world to have recognised and
addressed the need to equip both our current and future populations with sufficient understanding
of the current climate crisis. Climate and Environmental Studies as a subject in the curriculum would
empower every child to make a difference. Our employees would have training on our environmental
impact which will help integrate these principles across all aspects of work, therefore making the UK
more competitive. Government funding on skills and training would be being spent in line with
principles that “maintain or benefit” our climate and environmental standards which would
demonstrate the UK leading by example. The combination of these interventions would truly
demonstrate an innovative UK, transforming our education to meet the greatest challenge of our time.
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