CONFINTEA VII and the Call to Climate Action: Clarifying Roles for Adult Learning and Education

Climate change and climate education concern more than climate and the environment, as our social and economic systems both rely upon and are impacted by climate and environment. We cannot address the human impact on our global climate and local environments without several nations reconstructing their social and economic systems to be equitable and inclusive. According to several key global guidance documents related to adult learning and education (ALE) and climate education, adult educators have significant roles in developing learners capable of engaging in climate and environmental action. However, defining climate education and roles for adult educators is not well-defined or explicit. To gain clarity in how ALE providers can facilitate learners’ understanding of how social/political, economic, and natural systems intersect to create and perpetuate the oppression, marginalization, and destruction of humans and the world upon which we depend, a close review of global guidance documents is warranted. This article analyzes key documents, such as the Marrakech Framework for Action (MFA), Education for Sustainable Development: A roadmap (ESD for 2030), and the International Council for Adult Education Spotlight Report for CONFINTEA VII. This process resulted in clarification of the definition of climate education from an ALE perspective and suggestions of explicit roles for ALE providers in the realm of climate education.