Climate change is considered among the biggest global challenges of the 21^st century. Countries around the globe now accept that action is urgently needed to address these problems. This new era demands that sustainability is enshrined in all aspects of life; this means rethinking the way we act, design, develop, produce, market and distribute goods and services in all sectors of the economy. As such, environmental awareness and knowledge of the concept of sustainability will become a prerequisite of all jobs and a crucial aspect of citizenship. It will impossible to achieve the ambitions of a green transition if people do not have the required knowledge and skills; this translates to radical changes in education, training and lifelong learning.

At present, the development of skills is happening unevenly across the globe, with many countries   facing a major skills gaps; in particular as it concerns sustainability, climate change and related sectors. In addition, level of engagement in lifelong learning continuous development of adult skills is poor. Furthermore, the number of youth not in education, employment or training (NEETs) remains consistently high. Definitely, “green jobs” are expected to grow in the coming years and there will be a need for new types of skills to match the new types of jobs. Besides, environmental education will be required in order to promote critical and creative thinking skills among younger people. Thus, new mindsets and new skills will be required for people of all ages and stages in life.

The mission of the Unit “Education, Training, Upskilling and Re-skilling” of the Global Climate Hub (GCH) will be to support the green transition by educating and training people, building skills ecosystems, which will also be aligned with national, regional, local and sectoral green strategies.  The educational programs will be delivered under six themes corresponding to the Six SDG Transformations namely:  

1. Education, Gender, and Inequality
2. Health, Wellbeing, and Demography  
3. Energy Decarbonization and Sustainable Industry
4. Sustainable Food, Land, Water, and Oceans
5. Sustainable Cities and Communities
6. Digital Revolution for Sustainable Development

The unit will accommodate various modes of learning (both in-persona and online) depending on the specific training program. In addition, the unit will collaborate with the wide network of international academic and training partners within the SDSN network, as well as build on existing training opportunities available via the SDG Academy.   

Training of National Teams

Working closely with the other units within the GCH, this unit will provide tailor-made training programs targeting local teams to support them in gaining a better understanding of the GCH approaches and tools; ensuring local accountability and long-term sustainability of the work at national level. 

Bespoke training programs and negotiated learning

The GCH will collaboratively co-develop tailor-made training programs to focus on targeted areas specific to the individual training cohort, adapting the content and the mode of delivery to meet the needs of learners with various levels of knowledge.

Youth engagement

A range of programs particularly targeting younger learners, utilizing alternative pedagogic approaches and engaging academic partners at all levels (from school age to university), and extra-curricular learning spaces such as museums.

Public outreach and awareness

Awareness programs aimed at the wider public designed with a range of innovative engagement campaigns and events.