Climate crisis is one of the greatest challenges faced by the humanity today. Climate change has been already affecting the lives of millions of people and ecosystems throughout the world. It has been also threatening the operation of global companies and local enterprises, value chains, employees and communities. This crisis affects all of us, but the most severe consequences will be faced by the future generations - our children.
Following the existing path of global greenhouse gas emissions, we will most probably exceed the global warming threshold of 1.5°C within the next 15 years, in effect of which we will witness irreversible changes to the ecosystems (IPCC, 2021). However, there is still time to prevent the black scenarios. The crucial decade of the Earth history is ahead of us and we can deal with climate crisis only through joint efforts - the efforts of each of us.
The United Nations consider the climate education the essential element of response to climate change. The experts, scientists, non-governmental organisations, youth associations and international organisations, notably the UN, speak together with one voice appealing for reliable climate education in schools. Their appeal is supported by civic society - more than 62 thousand people in Poland signed the petition "YES! for climate education" addressed to the Polish Government. Also we, the representatives of business, join the call for reliable climate education.
The business needs highly skilled experts, who will support the delivery of ambitious climate goals and policies . Their education in this field should start already at the school level. Reliable climate education underlies innovations and environmental optimisations of crucial importance to provide savings in the resource and material management and to decrease energy consumption in the industry.
Recent research performed in Poland confirms that knowledge of students on climate change is at alarmingly low level. Without well-educated staff understanding the importance and consequences of climate change, competitiveness of the Polish companies on the European Union and global markets will decline.
Climate education is of importance for business also in terms of our customers, who expect reliable information on the nature of the problems associated with climate change and inspiration on how to tackle them. Only the aware and well-educated society with environment friendly everyday habits will be able to save our future.
As the business representatives, we call for introducing a reliable and scientific data-based climate education to the Polish schools. We have been taking many initiatives for climate in our companies and are aware that intensifying them requires skilled experts understanding the importance and consequences of climate change. We believe that only fighting together for sustainable development at many levels can bring changes and positively affect our common future.