Can education Change the Climate?

International conference at the Danish School of Education, Aarhus University The Danish School of Education and Aarhus University’s Climate Secretariat are hosting a conference on the role of education in addressing the climate crisis. The conference will be held at the Danish School of Education on 11 December 2009, during the COP15 climate summit.
A number of international researchers will present results and recommendations based on a yearlong research project at the think tank International Alliance of Leading Education Institutes.

The Danish School of Education at Aarhus University serves as project coordinator and will host the international conference on education and climate challenges. The researchers’ primary message is that education should play a central role in relation to sustainable development.

The conference has two themes:

The first theme focuses on how education can contribute to sustainable development.

The second theme focuses on climate communication between expert and the general public in the context of the struggle against climate change.

Sustainable development requires education

“The role of education in sustainable development is often forgotten in our discussions of possible responses to the climate crisis. This is unwise”, says Professor Jeppe Læssøe (the Danish School of Education at Aarhus University), who is project manager of the research project.

“While education is not some kind of magic formula for solving the crisis, it is meaningless to work with sustainable development without factoring in education as a necessary dimension."

Disagreement on climate change is the greatest barrier

There are many opinions on how we as a society should handle the climate challenge, and disagreements on the subject are thought to be one of the greatest barriers to concrete initiatives for change. Climate expert Professor Michael Hulme (University of East Anglia School of Environmental Studies, UK) will draw on his book Why We Disagree About Climate Change to explore this issue at the conference.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

The conference will take place in English. Politicians, journalists, special interest organisation representatives and professionals from the environmental and educational sectors are encouraged to attend.

Time and place

Friday 11 December 2009 9.30-17.00
The Danish School of Education, Aarhus University
Tuborgvej 164
2400 Copenhagen NV
Energy Agency Conference – From target to action
With a starting point of the new set of climate and energy targets within the European Union, the Association of Swedish Regional Energy Agencies will organize a conference for European local and regional energy actors.
The Association of Swedish Regional Energy Agencies
The new set of climate and energy targets within the EU aim at a minimum of 20% reduction of greenhouse gases, 20% reduction of energy use and 20% of produced energy from renewables.

The conference themes are:

•Which role can local and regional energy actors play in achieving these targets and what support can the European Commission provide?
•New working areas are likely to occur. What are the strategies needed to cope with these?
The conference will take place during the important UN COP15 meeting on climate change in Copenhagen where many climate and energy activities are planned to happen at that time. Malmö is situated only 30 minutes away from Copenhagen by train, so you can take the opportunity to combine both events.

Register before 9 Oct and get a cheaper price. Also book one of the reserved hotel rooms.

More information about all the above: http://www.ek-skane.se/eac

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