Academics and education specialists at the University of Cambridge are collaborating to link classrooms, communities, and policymakers in efforts to explore how education can support justice, sustainability, and wellbeing. The university’s educational outreach extends from its 24,000 students in Cambridge to global initiatives through Cambridge University Press & Assessment, which develops academic content and assessments for about 100 million learners worldwide.
“Educational institutions have a responsibility to share knowledge, build capacity, and inspire young people to take positive action,” said Professor Bhaskar Vira, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Environmental Sustainability.
In September 2025, education leaders met in Oxford ahead of COP30 to discuss climate justice within education. The event was organized by Cambridge’s Faculty of Education alongside other university-affiliated bodies such as Cambridge University Press & Assessment and the Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre. Participants included policymakers and representatives from organizations like Education International, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the Global Partnership for Education, and Save the Children.
The discussions focused on issues affecting the Global South. A framework based on five principles—People, Policy, Place, Partnerships, and Peace—was developed to guide inclusive and evidence-based educational systems promoting equity and resilience. Key priorities identified were recognizing local knowledge, generating policy-influencing evidence, and securing funding for climate-related educational initiatives.
Professor Hilary Cremin from the Faculty of Education argued in her book Rewilding Education that “long-term, radical change” is needed in education to balance academic achievement with social, emotional, and ecological learning. This aligns with the faculty’s mission to foster systems rooted in empathy and sustainability.
Research led by Professor Nidhi Singal and Dr Camilla Hadi Chaudhary examines how secondary students in India understand climate change. Their work highlights significant concern about environmental issues but points out a need for empowering education that enables action.
In Rwanda, Professor Ricardo Sabates is working with local partners on an initiative called One Child, One Tree (OCOT). The project encourages tree planting in schools as a way to promote both environmental awareness and psychosocial wellbeing among children.
Another project in Senegal involves Dr Noella Binda Niati and Dr Sokhna Rosalie Ndiaye partnering with youth organization Guediawaye Hip-Hop. Supported by the Mastercard Foundation, they use music-based learning to connect young people with training opportunities in green jobs.
A separate study titled “In Search of Green Jobs: Voices of (Unheard) Young People,” led by Professors Bhaskar Vira and Pauline Rose across several African countries including Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, and Uganda—also supported by the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme—calls for new approaches to skills training with an emphasis on gender equity.
Read more: www.geog.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/youthvoicesgreenjobs
“Ensuring equity in access to education and skills training can help all young people regardless of their background secure decent green jobs that benefit their own future and the future of the planet,” said Rose.
Cambridge University Press & Assessment will bring together international partners at COP30 to discuss how educational strategies can strengthen climate action. Topics will include building climate literacy to counter misinformation as well as improving financing mechanisms for climate-focused education within national plans.
At last year’s COP29 conference,Cambridge University Press & Assessment partnered with ICESCO (Islamic World Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) to launch a policy framework aimed at integrating climate considerations into curricula across 53 member states. This roadmap addresses greening curricula as well as schools themselves through teacher training programs or community involvement. Ongoing collaboration includes regional workshops designed to implement these reforms nationally.
Through these projects—as well as broader research collaborations—the University of Cambridge continues its role supporting global efforts towards sustainable development through education.