CLIMATE CHANGE AS AN EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGE

Abstract

Climate change is a global phenomenon and it affects every human being. Counteraction of climate change should be included not only in climate policy; whole societies and business entities should make efforts to support it. However, the willingness to undertake such actions depends on knowledge and awareness of climate change. The article aims to diagnose climate education in Poland from a geographical perspective and makes an attempt to define effective means of its implementation. It also describes the factors determining climate education initiatives and presents the results of the questionnaire surveys conducted among Polish students and teachers. The level of climate awareness in Polish society is low; a considerable knowledge gap is declared more often by young people (age 18–24) than by older groups. For the majority of the population, the main source of information about climate change is mass media which makes it difficult to build a high level of social awareness concerning climate change based on sound knowledge. It is necessary to adjust the school curriculum for each education stage in terms of climate issues and to strengthen cooperation between schools and scientific institutions concerning climate education, which is an important part of teaching geography. Climate education should be also introduced into other areas of education, involving economists, architects and urban planners, in order to shape attitudes that are in line with the idea of sustainable development.