Developing environmental awareness from an early age: Biodiversity Education D

Efforts to conserve biodiversity must begin with education, developing learners’ environmental awareness, critical thinking and responsible behaviour from an early age, Armenian Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan said at a Biodiversity Education Day event held during COP17.

“Biodiversity loss is one of the most serious challenges of our time. Addressing it requires not only effective environmental policy but also knowledge, responsibility and the active involvement of all sections of society. In this context, education becomes a key tool for fostering an informed attitude towards nature and the skills needed to protect it.

“For Armenia, the biodiversity conservation agenda is particularly important, given our country’s rich biodiversity and natural ecosystems, which are an important national asset and require a consistent, long-term conservation policy,” the minister said, stressing Armenia’s commitment to developing biodiversity education.

According to a statement from the ministry, Andreasyan highlighted the importance of strengthening the role of education for sustainable development, integrating environmental knowledge into learning and strengthening learners’ connections with nature and their communities.

The minister said education should go beyond imparting theoretical knowledge and enable learners to apply what they have learnt by participating in environmental initiatives.

She also stressed the significance of the Global Plan of Action for Education on Biodiversity (GPA-EB), highlighting the need for effective cooperation between national education policies, environmental initiatives, civil society, young people, local communities and international organisations.

The event was held under the theme “Biodiversity Education for Transformative Change: Implementing the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework through Education and Practical Action”.

Changing people’s attitudes towards nature

Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, also stressed the importance of education in conserving biodiversity and developing environmental awareness, placing particular emphasis on young people’s active involvement. She also addressed the new action plan for biodiversity education, describing it as an important guide for coordinating international efforts.

António Abreu, Director of UNESCO’s Division of Ecological and Earth Sciences, stressed that achieving biodiversity conservation goals required changes in people’s attitudes and behaviour towards nature.

“We cannot achieve the ambitious goals of the Global Biodiversity Framework without changing how people perceive and value their relationship with nature. Education is a fundamental prerequisite for this transformation,” Abreu said, stressing that education must extend beyond classrooms, linking knowledge with practical action and nature conservation with people’s everyday lives.

Thematic discussions

Biodiversity Education Day will include thematic discussions and interactive workshops on integrating biodiversity topics into different levels of education, developing teachers’ capacities, innovative approaches to environmental education and expanding community involvement.

Participants in the discussions include representatives of state institutions, international and non-governmental organisations, educational institutions, youth initiatives and the environmental sector.

One of the event’s key topics is the draft Global Plan of Action for Education on Biodiversity, which aims to promote knowledge of biodiversity, develop capacities for nature conservation and encourage broad public participation.

The event’s main organisers are the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Commission on Education and Communication (IUCN CEC) and Armenia’s COP17 presidency.