Critical climate education: studying climate justice in time and space

Abstract

What education should children and youth be offered about climate mitigation choices? Drawing on critical pedagogy, political ecology, and environmental justice, I here suggest the elaboration of a critical climate education that would provide citizens with knowledge and skills to respond to the climate crisis with responsible action. I argue that students need to learn to critically examine options in their own countries for reducing greenhouse emissions and to discuss whether or not each of these measures may contribute to climate justice in time and space. A critical climate education should also offer insight into reasons why some climate mitigation alternatives have been embraced instead of options that could provide more climate justice in time and space. The need for a critical climate education is illustrated with a case study about climate mitigation choices that have been made in Norway without concern for climate justice.