Developing the skills to tackle climate change

What skills are relevant to climate change?

Knowledge about climate change has been commonly associated with geography and science-related subjects but, as a major issue facing society, multiple subjects can contribute the skills required to understand and tackle the climate crisis. This multi-disciplinary approach is particularly relevant as we help learners to develop not only knowledge about climate change, but the values, attitudes and skills to understand and address climate change.

For example:

• Quantitative skills and the ability to engage critically with quantitative data and statistics are vital for thoughtful engagement with evidence about climate change, so mathematics has a distinctive contribution to make.
• Valuable communication skills are developed through literacy and oracy. In particular, English and languages education equip learners to understand others’ viewpoints and express their own reasoned opinions.
• Critical thinking skills are important in being able to evaluate arguments about climate change. Media Studies, for example, develops learners’ skills in evaluating narratives and influence across societies.
• Creative subjects make a distinctive contribution in enabling learners to express their responses to climate change and to appreciate the responses of diverse groups.
• The ability to understand and work with, a range of perspectives is key in climate change education. Cambridge Global Perspectives, encourages learners to explore both the global and national perspectives on a chosen issue, such as climate change. It also allows learners to develop and embed the skills of analysis, collaboration, communication, evaluation, reflection and research.

Teacher support

Tips, ideas and inspiration

Read perspectives from our schools and from experts on climate change education in our series of blogs. And for news, tips and ideas about climate change education listen to our latest podcasts:

• How can teachers, school leaders and learners bring sustainability education to their school?
• What is education’s role in tackling the climate crisis?