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UCL academics have released a policy proposal highlighting the key contributions of subjects to climate change and nature education.

In the proposal, UCL’s Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education, based in the UCL Institute of Education, sets out a realistic way to embed more climate change and nature education into the school curriculum. 

The proposal has been developed in partnership with Global Action Plan, the National Association of Environmental Education and the Council for Subject Associations, at a timely juncture for the current Curriculum and Assessment Review (CAR). In particular, the proposal asks that:  

1. One of the overarching aims of the national curriculum should respond to the climate and nature crisis.
2. The aims of every subject in the national curriculum should include a reference to their distinctive contributions to climate change and nature education.

The proposal includes an overarching curriculum aim to illustrate the potential power of such a statement. It goes on to feature a short aims statement, written in collaboration with subject associations and learned societies, for every subject. These aims – in part or in full – could easily be integrated into the revised curriculum and would legitimise and encourage teachers’ efforts to respond to the climate and nature crisis in their classrooms. Importantly, they shift attention to the lenses through which existing content can be explored and they highlight the crucial role of skills and values alongside knowledge.   

Dr Alison Kitson, Programme Director at CCCSE, emphasises the pragmatic approach taken in the proposal: 

“We know that the CAR panel is looking to reduce rather than increase the amount of prescribed content in the revised curriculum. However, we also know that there is an urgent need for the curriculum to reflect the climate and nature crisis in ways that are meaningful, constructive and empowering.  This proposal sets out a way to achieve both at the same time.” 

Professor Nicola Walshe, Executive Director of CCCSE, welcomes the publication of the proposal, calling it:

“an extremely important contribution to the Curriculum and Assessment Review at a critical time for our planet. We have been delighted to work with a wide range of significant partners on this proposal. The high levels of engagement of all relevant stakeholders are a reminder that these issues are increasingly important for everyone’s agenda.” 

The proposal ends with a statement underscoring teachers’ voices in this review:

“We know that many teachers would value more commitment from policymakers to support them in their desire to make young people’s education fully fit for purpose.

"To ignore the wishes of those people responsible for educating the youth of today would be a missed opportunity.”

On 24 September 2025, Global Action Plan will hold a free webinar to discuss the proposal and invite quesions. The session will be co-chaired by two of the proposal’s authors Dr Alison Kitson (UCL) and Morgan Phillips (Global Action Plan), plus input from fellow co-author Professor Justin Dillon (NAEE UK, and UCL), and Liz Moorse (Council for Subject Associations), teachers, and teacher educators.

Links

• Access, download and share: 'The key contributions of subjects to climate change and nature education: a curriculum policy proposal'
• Read more in the UCL blog: Teachers are teaching themselves how to incorporate climate change and sustainability into their teaching: we can and should support them
• Dr Alison Kitson's UCL profile
• Professor Justin Dillon's UCL profile
• UCL Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education