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More than 80,000 ‘green schools’ around the world are following UNESCO's recommendations
Schools are on the front line in giving students and communities the keys to tackling climate challenges. On this World Environment Day, I congratulate schools that have already implemented UNESCO's environmental recommendations, and I encourage policy-makers, educators and learners to join the green schools movement.
Under the impetus of its Director-General, 91鶹Ʒ made environmental education a priority, both in terms of integrating it into school curricula and in the daily life of schools.
In 2024, the Organization published the Green school quality standard, a framework that defines for the first time the minimum requirements for creating ‘green learning environments’ around four dimensions: governance, facilities and operations, teaching, and local community engagement.
Focusing on concrete actions, this guide includes the setting up of a ‘green governance’ committee in each school, made up of pupils, teachers and parents, with the task of overseeing the sustainable management of the school. It also calls for teachers to be trained in these issues, for energy, water, food and waste audits to be carried out, and for links to be forged with local players to encourage pupils to do their bit for the environment.
One year after the publication of this guide, available in English, French, Portuguese and Spanish, 27,450 nursery schools, 39,587 primary schools, 13,329 secondary schools and 507 higher education establishments have adopted UNESCO's recommendations. The majority of these establishments are in Europe, North America, Asia and the Pacific.
Green schools are accredited by governments and authorized organizations, such as the and the UNESCO Associated Schools Project Network. The aim is to have at least 50% green schools in every country by 2030.
UNESCO mobilizes for environmental education
In addition to the green school quality standard, UNESCO published in 2024 the Greening curriculum guidance, which provides concrete advice to governments on how to integrate environmental topics into all school subjects at all levels of education. The aim is for 90% of countries to incorporate climate change into their school curricula by 2030.
Through the Climate Integrated Education Systems Initiative, UNESCO is helping ministries of education in 35 of the countries most vulnerable to climate change to build their capacity in this area.
These programmes are part of the Greening Education Partnership. Led by UNESCO, this initiative currently brings together 97 Member States and more than 1,700 organizations, including United Nations agencies and organizations from civil society, youth and the private sector, around four pillars of action: developing green schools, integrating the environment into every school curriculum, adapting teacher training to climate change, and promoting green communities.
New data shows the strong commitment of the countries that have joined the partnership: 85% plan to integrate climate change and sustainability into education, 66% are committed to developing national green school accreditation systems aligned with UNESCO standards, and 69% will develop national green school networks.
With just a few days to go before the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC), UNESCO is also working to promote ocean education, notably through its programme, which aims to integrate ocean sciences into school curricula, the Blue Schools network, which brings together more than 2,400 schools, and the ocean education programme, in partnership with Prada, which has raised awareness of ocean conservation among more than 35,000 schoolchildren in 56 countries.
