Rosa Hinds is an editorial assistant at Educake. She has found being part of the climate change review an eye-opening experience, inspiring her to join Educake’s sustainability group.
At Educake, we’re committed to providing accurate, up-to-date resources that support teachers and help students understand the world around them. That’s why we’ve partnered with the Royal Meteorological Society (RMetS) to carry out a review of our climate change-related content.
RMetS brings expertise on weather and climate, working closely with educators, policymakers, educational platforms, and schools to improve understanding of climate science. Together, we’re working to ensure that our climate change materials are not only scientifically sound but also empowering for students – and practical for teachers to use.
Why are we doing this review?
Climate change is the one of the biggest challenges facing today’s students. According to the International Panel on Climate Change (IPPC), children who were under ten in 2020 are likely to experience four times more extreme weather events. By 2100, when they reach their eighties, the percentage of people exposed to heat stress, the leading cause of weather-related death, will have risen from 30% to between 48 and 76%.1IPCC Sixth Assessment Report: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability. 27th February 2022. ‘FAQ3 : How will climate change affect the lives of today’s children tomorrow, if no immediate action is taken?’.
In contrast, older generations are unlikely to experience such drastic changes within their lifetimes. It is, therefore, the generation of students currently in key stages two, three and four who will first experience the full effects of climate change. These young people will grow up in a world where the fundamental systems that support human life are placed under extreme pressure by the warming planet.
The Department of Education stresses that ‘sustainability and climate change will affect every career’.2GOV.UK, 20th December 2023. ‘Sustainability and climate change: a strategy for the education and children’s services systems.’ Good climate education is key to ensuring that young people grow up with the skills to work in the new green economy.
Talking about climate change
How we choose to talk about climate change can have a powerful, though subtle, impact students’ perception of global warming. We’ve taken a close look at our wording to make sure it’s clear, accurate and encourages a sense of urgency without creating fear.
Here are some simple but powerful shifts in language we’re making (and that you might consider in your own teaching too):
- Stress that human greenhouse gas emissions are solely responsible for recent climate change.
Rather than saying “humans increase levels of greenhouse gas emissions” we can say “humans are directly causing climate change through greenhouse gas emissions”.
GCSE geography students are required to learn about natural and human causes of climate change. We must be careful not to imply that natural factors play a part in recent global warming.
It may be useful to distinguish between ‘climate change’ as referring to any possible causes of climate change and ‘global warming’ as produced by human greenhouse gas emissions.
- Stress that climate change is happening now.
Instead of “human activities will cause the temperature of the Earth’s surface to increase” we say “human activities are causing the temperature of the Earth’s surface to increase”.
We need to foster a sense of urgency by making it clear that climate change is not a problem of the future.
- Emphasise scientific consensus around climate change, rather than uncertainty.
Saying “most scientists agree” undersells the strength of evidence. We now say “over 97% of scientists agree” to reflect the overwhelming agreement among experts.
Following a recent survey of school leavers, RMeTs has reported a ‘concerning finding’ relating to the ‘perception of scientific consensus’.3The Royal Meteorological Society, 18th December 2024. ‘DfE Climate Literacy Survey 2024’. Most of those surveyed reported that scientific consensus is lower than it is.
Helping students understand common misconceptions
Even well-intentioned resources can sometimes leave students with the wrong impression. Here are a few key ideas we’re clarifying in our materials:
- The greenhouse effect isn’t a distant layer
Diagrams that depict the greenhouse gas effect are often misleading. Misleading greenhouse gas diagrams show gases in a layer high above the Earth’s surface, rather than mixed through the atmosphere.
- Planting trees won’t solve climate change
Planting trees won’t solve climate change on its own. Trees cannot possibly store all the vast amounts of greenhouse gases we emit. Moreover, trees store carbon as biomass while they are alive, but when trees are burned or decompose, that carbon is released back into the atmosphere. To be truly effective carbon stores, trees could never be chopped down or decompose. It’s important to frame tree planting as one part of a broader strategy – not a fix-all solution.
- Carbon footprints aren’t the full picture
Brainchild of a PR firm working on behalf of BP, the idea of the individual carbon footprint was originally conceived as a marketing tactic. It shifted blame for greenhouse gas emissions onto individuals and away from commercial polluters. In reality, just 57 companies were linked to 80% of greenhouse gas emissions between 2016 and 2022.4The Guardian, Jonathan Watts, 4th April 2024. ‘Just 57 companies linked to 80% of greenhouse gas emissions since 2016.’
That’s why it’s important to move away from using carbon footprints as a measure of individual emissions and toward using carbon footprints as a way of holding big business accountable.
Finding hope in climate education
RMetS has found that students often leave school without understanding that the worst effects of climate change can still be avoided.5The Royal Meteorological Society, 18th December 2024. ‘DfE Climate Literacy Survey 2024’. Similarly, many of these students are not aware of the encouraging extent of green energy production in the UK.6The UK produced a record 40% of electricity from renewable sources in 2022. See LSE, 23rd June 2023. ‘How much do renewables contribute to the UK’s energy mis and what policies support their expansion?’.
This gap in understanding can contribute to “eco-anxiety” – growing feelings of hopelessness in the face of climate change, an anxiety which disproportionately affects young people.
By showing students what has been achieved, and what can still be done, we help them feel more confident, hopeful, and ready to be part of the solution. This is something every teacher can support – whether that’s by talking about innovations in renewables, celebrating local sustainability projects, or simply reminding students that their voices matter.
