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An 鈥渦nprecedented鈥� level of interest in girls鈥� education as a climate solution is growing worldwide, advocates say, as youth empowerment and gender are set to take center stage at the upcoming United Nations Climate Change Conference. 

From Oct. 31 through Nov. 12, roughly 20,000 international leaders and climate advocates will gather in Glasgow, Scotland for the conference known as COP26. The next annual meeting is an opportunity to shape global climate priorities 鈥� during COP21, which took place in 2015, the landmark Paris Agreement was adopted to limit global warming. 

This year鈥檚 conference is hosted by the United Kingdom, where climate and girls鈥� education has been prioritized over the last year. In 2021 the country led both the and Summit. In May, G7 countries reinforced political commitments for girls鈥� education, reaffirming that it鈥檚 a human right and setting two goals for the global community by 2026: 40 million more girls in school and 20 million more girls reading by age 10 or the end of primary school.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of pressure on this COP to accelerate progress on the Paris Agreement and there will be some progress. However, I think the question will be: 鈥榠s it enough?鈥欌�� Naomi Nyamweya, a lead researcher with the Malala Fund, told 社区黑料 by email. 鈥淟eaving girls behind undermines gender equality and governments鈥� ability to deliver on 鈥�

Climate crises will prevent an estimated 4 million girls in lower- and middle- income countries from accessing education in 2021, according to the . With current policy and emission trends, weather-related disruptions will prevent 12.5 million girls from finishing their education by 2025. 

鈥淲e need leaders to see that climate change, girls鈥� education and gender equality aren鈥檛 separate issues,鈥� Nyamweya added.

Quality, compulsory education for girls may to facilitate climate action, like literacy and critical thinking. And if climate curricula is prioritized alongside access to schools, young leaders can understand value in solutions that move beyond one-off, technical swaps to renewable energy, for example. Millions more can learn to assess climate threats and their root causes and support policies to curb poverty and environmental racism. 

An of countries with female political representation found that they are more likely to adopt stricter climate policies and have fewer carbon emissions. The findings further solidify arguments that investing in girls鈥� education and their pathways to leadership will yield positive outcomes for the earth. 

Countries can also build stronger, low-carbon economies with more girls鈥� educated and entering the workforce. Particularly if their education includes, as advocates and hope, career and technical . 

Climate change, and any possible solutions, are becoming harder to ignore. 

Despite at past climate talks, many countries are not currently naming climate change education, or girls鈥� education, as part of their policy strategy. of recently updated 鈥楴ationally Determined Contributions鈥� (NDCs) from 73 countries revealed that less than a quarter mention youth or children and none call for mandatory climate change education as a strategy, including the 鈥檚 plan.

While NDCs are not the 鈥渆nd-all-be-all鈥� of climate policy, they are the most visible, guiding document for nations to support Paris Agreement goals, says researcher Christina Kwauk, who penned the report and is a nonresident fellow with the Brookings Institute. 

If girls鈥� education continues to be omitted from the documents, she told 社区黑料, the priority will likely be overlooked in subsequent policies, strategies and initiatives 鈥� like expanding career and vocational training for green jobs or leadership.

鈥淕irls’ education is going to be collateral damage from climate change, if we’re not paying attention to it. From the research we know that investing in girls’ education can be a powerful climate solution, why aren’t we talking about these two hand in hand?鈥� Kwauk said. 鈥淚f our education system isn’t helping us to address those structural and systemic aspects of the climate crisis, we will have wasted some really valuable years.鈥�

If quality girls鈥� education and reproductive health care are provided over the next 30 years, (mass roughly equal to 16 billion elephants) of carbon dioxide emissions could be avoided, according to researchers with the international nonprofit , who estimate the impact of particular climate solutions. That is over four times more impactful than increasing concentrated solar power in the same timeframe.

Advocates caution against using Project Drawdown鈥檚 oft-quoted measure of impact as the sole driver for expanding girls鈥� education. 

鈥淢any stakeholders link girls鈥� education to reducing emissions, due to decreased fertility rates, however this places the burden of mitigating climate change on those least responsible for its cause and undermines a rights-based approach. We advocate for girls鈥� education as it is their right, and can equip them with the skills and knowledge to take climate action, adapt to impacts, be more resilient and engage in policy processes,鈥� Plan International鈥檚 Jessica Cooke, a London-based expert in climate change and resilience programming, told 社区黑料 via email. 

Cooke will attend the U.N. conference this year with colleagues and youth activists to call for transformative education policy that advances both climate and gender justice. 

鈥淎 gender-transformative education can equip girls with the skills and knowledge needed to tackle the climate crisis, claim and exercise their rights, and empower them to be leaders and decision-makers, including by challenging the systems and norms which reinforce gender, climate, racial and social injustices around the world,鈥� Cooke added. 

Roughly one third of girls don鈥檛 currently feel confident participating in climate policy processes, fewer boys feel the same hesitancy 鈥� about 25 percent, a recent Plan International revealed. And over 80 percent of youth surveyed in 37 nations, including the U.S., say that they don鈥檛 know anything about their country鈥檚 climate policy and that efforts to include them in decision making are insufficient. 

More womens鈥� rights and feminist organizations are pushing for climate education policy as they begin to 鈥渟ee climate justice as a key aspect of work for gender equality,鈥� said Bridget Burns, director of Women鈥檚 Environment & Development Organization. Her group partners with U.N. and government agencies as advisors on intersectional policy. 

Similar thinking is underway at the U.S. federal level on the eve of the conference. At the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration, Frank Niepold leads climate education efforts and holds a singular leadership role for the U.S. with the UN鈥檚 Action for Climate Empowerment. He served as a U.S. delegate to the 2015 climate conference.

Niepold told 社区黑料 that he鈥檚 searching for ways to collaborate with other agencies to support girls鈥� education as a key climate strategy. The infrastructure for dialogue leaves something to be desired. Beyond the climate talks 鈥� which are focused on the national level 鈥� there is not an existing support system for international groups to collaborate with sub-national agencies like his, which implements policies to protect the environment.

鈥淎 gender equity focus on educational programming at the federal level 鈥斅爄t is missing,鈥� he said, but added, 鈥淚 think it’s emerging.鈥�

Niepold confirmed that education remains on the negotiating table for this year鈥檚 talks. 

Many are closely watching to see what the U.S. prioritizes during and following the conference, especially given that President Biden鈥檚 key . The president originally planned to tout the move 鈥� to replace coal and gas power plants with wind, solar and nuclear energy sources 鈥� as an example of his country鈥檚 commitment to climate solutions and infrastructure.

In 2017, former President Trump pledged to drop out of the Paris accord; the U.S. was the first country in the world to . At the last in-person climate talks in 2019, over whether his re-election would further block meaningful climate action globally. President Biden has since made the current administration鈥檚 position on climate change clear, rejoining the agreement in February 2021. 

The Aspen Institute鈥檚 Laura Schifter, who鈥檚 heading up a new to make school infrastructure more sustainable, remains hopeful that the nation is now prepared to back more education-centered climate solutions. 

鈥淭he U.S. has the potential of really being an international leader in this space,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e have the administration right now committed to climate issues, we have schools across the country who have been experiencing climate impacts. We have a real need 鈥� the time is really right for education to mobilize and start taking climate action.鈥�

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