Climate change education is now a priority for India. Degrading of biodiversity, unprecedented shifts in climate, increasing natural disasters are making environmental studies a must on account of climate change and its impact.
India’s University Grants Commission (UGC) has introduced Environmental Studies as a compulsory subject at all branches of undergraduate degree in all of its affiliated universities and colleges across the country. The reason is clear.
India is one of the most vulnerable countries at the receiving end of adverse impacts of climate change. Year after year, India is witnessing human casualties as well as economic loss due to climate change. Therefore, there is a need to impart knowledge on various aspects of climate change, sustainability and the environment across our country.
Environmental education is not a new subject for the students. In schools, we learned about the environment, climate change, etc. Analysing the draft document about the Guidelines and Curriculum Framework for Environment Education, what we see is an extended subject that one has learned in schools.
At present, environment education should move beyond a credit course and just an exam subject. According to a report titled Gearing Up The Indian Workforce For a Green Economy(2023), India is one of the emerging leaders in green growth and has the potential to create 35 million green jobs by 2047.
Today, governments, companies and international bodies are searching for young talents with specific skill sets for India’s new green economy.
Additionally, during the green growth, new entrepreneurial opportunities will also emerge. Therefore, higher education institutions should initiate various skill and ecopreneurship development programmes for the students.
Climate change induced disasters will create havoc. Along with the skills for jobs or economics, we must prepare our youngsters for disaster management & disaster risk reduction training. In such scenarios, our youngsters must be first responders to the disaster.
Higher educational institutions play a crucial role in promoting and demonstrating sustainability practices. Often, the integration of sustainability in higher education institutions is completely overlooked. Campuses through their day-to-day operations produce carbon footprints, consume water and energy while generating waste.
Thus, higher education institutions should set an example for the students on how they address waste and carbon footprint through innovations. Higher education institutions should be a place where students can experience the positive impact of sustainability on the environment, society and economy.
This can be achieved in three ways – firstly, through supporting innovation and research. Next, by adopting a sustainable culture in the campus through their operations. And, lastly, promoting extracurricular activities on sustainability and the environment.
Across the globe, higher education institutions are implementing various sustainability policies and practices. However, in India, sustainability in higher education institutions is still nascent and under-researched. One reason is that the implementations are not comprehensive and systematic. Lack of policies, monitoring and reporting mechanisms is another issue faced by India’s higher education institutions.
Similar to the introduction of environmental studies as a compulsory subject, the University Grants Commission (UGC) can introduce sustainability guidelines specific to the universities and colleges of India. Introducing multidisciplinary courses and research will redefine the status quo of higher education institutions of India.
Featured Photo: Laurie Baker Center via Wikimedia commons
—o0o—
