The UNESCO Greening Education Partnership (GEP) is a global initiative launched at the UN Transforming Education Summit in 2022 to support countries in strengthening education systems that respond to the climate crisis and promote sustainable development. The Partnership works with governments, educational institutions, civil society, youth, academia and other stakeholders to ensure all learners gain the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes needed to address climate change, protect the environment and contribute to sustainable societies. 

GEP aims to “get every learner climate-ready” by embedding climate action and sustainability across education from early childhood to lifelong learning. It contributes to global education and climate goals, including UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (quality education for all), by integrating climate and sustainability into policy, teaching and learning. 

The Partnership’s work is guided by four key pillars of transformative education: 

-Greening Schools: Encouraging whole-school approaches where sustainability is part of facilities, operations, governance and student engagement. 

-Greening Curriculum: Supporting integration of climate change and sustainable development into curricula and learning outcomes across all levels and subjects. 

-Greening Teacher Training & Capacities: Strengthening education systems by building teachers’ and policymakers’ capacity to deliver climate-smart education. 

-Greening Communities: Promoting lifelong learning beyond the classroom and empowering communities to take local climate action