On July 5 and 6, 2022, as part of the Educating the Educators Initiative of the Energy Transition Education Network (ETEN), a consultation workshop was held in the United Arab Emirates in collaboration with the Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates to IRENA and the UAE Ministry of Education to bring together global stakeholders such as IOs, national governments, educational institutions, teacher associations, youth, and the private sector to develop the skills needed for a sustainable energy future.

The workshop focused on how to promote climate education in schools and how to approach teachers with the ideal mindset so they can go the extra mile when it comes to implementing climate education in countries where climate change and renewable energy are not included in their curricula. 

ETEN brought together worldwide renewable energy education partners to examine prospects for collaboration in areas such as producing and sharing teaching resources and increasing awareness of the need to improve renewable energy education in national curricula. 

Global Head Of Climate Education and Leadership at Teach For All, Mr. Lennart Kuntze, chose and invited Cohort 13 Fellow Ahmad Al Baghdadi of Teach For Lebanon and Mr. Edson Donga of Teach For Zimbabwe to represent the network and offer their direct knowledge of climate education. During the workshop, Ahmad and his colleague emphasized the need to incorporate climate education into existing curricula rather than use it as a stand-alone resource.

The event ended with promises to keep working together towards a global aim, which is giving teachers worldwide the resources and training needed to be able to incorporate climate education into their own countries and communities.

According to Ahmad, “The experience was an eye-opening one. I learned a lot from people carrying this cause worldwide, and I am happy and proud that I could provide them with the knowledge of implementing climate education on a technical level. The feedback I received after my presentation further strengthened my resolve and enthusiasm for this issue, and I am currently working towards helping others in Lebanon in taking action and providing support on this topic.”