As for other aspects of life, there is a link between education and environment.
Article 29.1(e) of the Convention of the Rights of the Child states that ‘the education of the child shall be directed to: the development of respect for the natural environment.’ The Committee on the Economic, Social and Cultural Rights stresses that ‘education has a vital role (...) in protecting the environment’ (General Comment 13 on the Right to Education, para. 13). The Committee on the Rights of the Child also highlights that ‘the right to education is highly vulnerable to the impact of environmental harm, as it can result in school closures and disruptions, school dropout and the destruction of schools and places to play ’ (General Comment No. 26 on Children’s Rights and the Environment with a Special Focus on Climate Change, para. 51). This is particularly true in the context of climate change which impacts the enjoyment of the right to education in multiple interrelated ways.
The link between environment, climate change and the right to education can be watched through three perspectives:
The impact of the environment and climate change on the enjoyment of the right to education
The role of education to raise awareness of environment and climate change issues
The adaptation of education systems to environment and climate change issues.
The environment and climate change issues relate to the 4As dimensions of education: availability, accessibility, acceptability and adaptability.
