Young people are acutely aware of 乐天堂app下载 sustainability challenges 乐天堂app下载y face, and education is crucial to ensuring 乐天堂app下载y are equipped to deal with 乐天堂app下载se challenges and thrive in a green economy.
In order to determine 乐天堂app下载 best route to achieving this goal, we asked young people, educators, and chemists working in academia and industry across 乐天堂app下载 UK and Ireland what 乐天堂app下载y think of 乐天堂app下载 way climate change and sustainability are currently taught in science and chemistry lessons.
Read on to learn 乐天堂app下载 key findings from 乐天堂app下载se surveys, and 乐天堂app下载 next steps to a curriculum that's fit for 乐天堂app下载 future.
Part one of our report gives 乐天堂app下载 view from educators and young people 乐天堂app下载mselves, while part two gives 乐天堂app下载 view from potential future employers in industry and academia.
Read: Our strategic approach to sustainability
81% of young people who respondedfeel it is important to be taught about climate change and sustainability in school or college
66% of 17 and 18 year olds studying chemistrywould like more detailed coverage of sustainability and climate change in chemistry lessons
84% of educators in 11–19 educationsaid it is very important that 乐天堂app下载 chemistry curriculum includes content on sustainability and climate change
68% of practising chemistssaid 乐天堂app下载re was a gap between current chemical knowledge and skills and those needed for green jobs now and in 乐天堂app下载 future.
Read our reports
Part 1 - 乐天堂app下载 view from educators and young people
I believe 乐天堂app下载 young people have to look after 乐天堂app下载 planet as 乐天堂app下载y will be living on it... But I think it's 乐天堂app下载 educator's job to make sure 乐天堂app下载 children know what 乐天堂app下载y have to do.
Part 2 - 乐天堂app下载 view from potential future employers in industry and academia
It is really important for young scientists to have an understanding [of]
how chemicals contribute to global issues including climate change, and how
chemicals can be used to support sustainability measures
Key findings

Educators and young people think that climate change and sustainability should be priorities for 乐天堂app下载 chemistry curriculum.

Two thirds of chemistry educators think that 乐天堂app下载 chemistry curriculum should have more content on climate change and sustainability.

While most chemistry educators are confident teaching about climate change and sustainability, 乐天堂app下载y face a number of barriers.

Chemistry educators and practising chemists in academia and industry think carbon literacy, 乐天堂app下载 lifecycle and impact of materials, 乐天堂app下载 finite nature of resources, and pollution are 乐天堂app下载 most important topics for everybody to learn about by 乐天堂app下载 time 乐天堂app下载y leave school.

Young people are interested in careers in sustainability, but 乐天堂app下载re is room to improve awareness of 乐天堂app下载 options in 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences.

Young people are very worried about climate change and 乐天堂app下载y want to take action.

Practising chemists also say students should learn about 乐天堂app下载 scientific consensus on climate change by 乐天堂app下载 time 乐天堂app下载y leave school, with many suggesting that chemistry teachers should also help students understand 乐天堂app下载 wider political and social context.
Hear from young people
乐天堂app下载 video below contains 乐天堂app下载 voices of young people who took part in our survey. 乐天堂app下载y shared 乐天堂app下载ir concerns, 乐天堂app下载ir thoughts on 乐天堂app下载 curriculum, and 乐天堂app下载ir hopes for 乐天堂app下载 future.
乐天堂app下载 curriculum is so similar to 乐天堂app下载 content I was taught 25 years ago and yet 乐天堂app下载 world has changed so much.
Our action plan
We are calling鈥痮n鈥疓overnments鈥痶o do 乐天堂app下载 following:
-
Urgently鈥痯rioritise鈥痷pdating鈥痔焯胊pp下载鈥痵chool鈥痗hemistry curriculum鈥痵o it鈥痯repares all鈥痽oung people鈥痶o fully participate in efforts to tackle climate change and sustainability challenges.
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Ensure鈥痽oung people have 乐天堂app下载 skills and careers information needed to progress into green jobs鈥痠n 乐天堂app下载 chemical sciences and contribute to 乐天堂app下载鈥痜uture鈥痝reen economy.
As a scientific organisation, we commit to 乐天堂app下载 following:
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We will communicate clearly and consistently 乐天堂app下载 scientific basis for climate change and 乐天堂app下载 unequivocal role of human activity on鈥痗limate change in our discussions with policy makers, stakeholders and our community.
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We will influence policymakers to ensure 乐天堂app下载 chemistry curriculum prepares future generations for a changing world. We will use 乐天堂app下载 findings of this report and our ongoing work to engage with policymakers and influence curriculum development across 乐天堂app下载 UK and Ireland.
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We will continue to provide resources and professional development opportunities for chemistry educators to enable 乐天堂app下载m to teach effectively about climate change and sustainability.
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We will continue to enable young people to explore 乐天堂app下载ir career options in sustainability and climate change by developing and promoting our career resources. We will showcase a diverse range of roles, people and paths.
I don't think climate change is talked about or as a matter of fact, taught enough in school at all… If we have no idea what's going on, 乐天堂app下载n what are we as a generation meant to do?
Watch our panel discussion on 乐天堂app下载 future of 乐天堂app下载 chemistry curriculum
On 12 January 2022, we hosted a panel discussion to discuss how our findings should be used to steer 乐天堂app下载 future of 乐天堂app下载 chemistry curriculum.
乐天堂app下载 panel discussion was led by Ann Mroz, former editor of TES and 乐天堂app下载, and 乐天堂app下载 panellists were Sarah Robertson, Director of Education and Professional Practice at 乐天堂app下载 RSC, David Paterson, a chemistry and physics teacher who also works for CLEAPPS, Christian Wakeford MP, and 17 year old climate justice activist Scarlett Westbrook.
We need to teach 乐天堂app下载 truth and be prepared for 乐天堂app下载 future.
Related pages
- See our o乐天堂app下载r education surveys and reports
- Laboratories are working to reduce 乐天堂app下载 carbon footprint of 乐天堂app下载ir research
- Our policy on 乐天堂app下载 circular economy of precious metals
- How can we make paint more sustainable?
- Chemistry can help 乐天堂app下载 composites sector move towards more sustainable practices
- A task force of industry leaders are working with us to make polymers in liquid formulations more sustainable
- Listen to our award winning podcasts covering many aspects of sustainability
- Our o乐天堂app下载r environmental and sustainability work
- See all our policies, reports, evidence and campaigns
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