COP29: Ministers Commended For Commitment Towards Greening Education
Zeniat Abubakar Abuja
Ministers from member countries of the Greening Education Partnership (GEP) have been commended for their commitments to take further action on greening education in their respective nations.
Founder International Foundation and National Project Coordinator of the Green Schools Project in Nigeria, Mr. Unyime Robinson, gave the commendation aftermath of the just concluded COP29 in Baku Azerbaijan.
Mr Robinson who is a member of the Greening Education Partnership advocated for greater ambition in translating these pledges into concrete, actionable steps.
“This requires accelerating political and financial support for greening education, alongside increased overall financing for the education sector. Particular focus should be placed on targeted investments in green transitions, research, and innovation,” Mr. Robinson stated.
He also noted that the first time in COP history, education took center stage at the conference.
According to him, “the event, Ministers from member countries of the Greening Education Partnership (GEP) pledged to take further action on greening education in their respective nations.
“A joint statement was issued emphasizing the importance of synergistic collaboration across sectors, including education, environment, health, jobs, children, and youth, under the overarching theme of human development to foster global climate resilience.”
Mr Robinson further stressed that the Green Schools Project is working in partnership with African Centre for Environment, Agriculture & Rural Development and Green Schools International Foundation, a non profit organizations working towards education sustainability.
He said Nigeria has also developed and validated the National Implementation Framework for Greening Schools Project guided by UNESCO publications on Green Schools Quality Standards and Green Curriculum Guidance.
“The framework was developed through a rigorous three step process of initial drafting by a team of experts, followed by feedback from the committee, Revisions of the document to incorporate suggestions and recommendations from stakeholders, and Finalization and validation of the document.”
“The framework outlines a comprehensive roadmap to transform schools into vibrant hubs of sustainability, innovation and community engagement.”
“As part of the scaling up plan, three schools- Federal Science & Technical College, Orozo, Government Secondary School, Wuse Zone 3 and Police Secondary School, Dei Dei, Abuja FCT have commenced Green Schools project implementation. The activities include the inauguration of Green Champions ( Eco club) and the establishment of fruit orchards through trees planting initiatives.” He explained.
The Greening Education Partnership is an independent and inclusive community of practices on the role of education in tackling climate change.
It is led by national governments, intergovernmental organizations, youth, civil society organizations and private sector, among others.
The Secretariat is hosted by UNESCO’s Headquarters in Paris, and Nigeria is a signatory to the Greening Education Partnership.
Oyenike Oyeniyi
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