Climate Change Education in India: Current Status and Future Directions
Acceptance: 02/01/2026
Published: 15/01/2026
Abstract
Climate change education (CCE) is increasingly recognised as essential for strengthening climate literacy, resilience, and sustainable development. This paper presents a narrative policy review of the status of climate change education in India, examining how global frameworks and national education policies shape curricular integration and implementation practices. The review draws on peer-reviewed literature and institutional policy documents published between 2008 and 2024, including reports from UNESCO, UNICEF, UNFCCC, and the World Bank, alongside key Indian policy frameworks such as the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCFSE) 2023. Findings indicate that while policy acknowledgement of climate education has increased, classroom implementation remains uneven due to gaps in teacher preparedness, limited infrastructural and digital resources, and fragmented curricular treatment of climate change. The paper concludes by recommending stronger integration of CCE across disciplines, systematic teacher capacity-building, and expansion of contextually grounded, experiential, and technology-supported pedagogies to strengthen climate education outcomes in India.
Keynote: Climate Change Education, Environmental education, Education policy, India
Author Name:
Shradha Yadav & Dr. Nagendra Kumar
Pages:
39-47
DOI Number:
10.5281/zenodo.18253226
Reference
Aikens, K., McKenzie, M., & Vaughter, P. (2016). Environmental and sustainability education policy research: A systematic review of methodological and thematic trends. Environmental Education Research, 22(3), 333–359. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504622.2015.1135418
Centre for Environment Education. (n.d.). Climate change education. https://www.ceeindia.org/climate-change
Doğru, M., & Doğan, M. F. (2025). Climate change education, digital technologies, and artificial intelligence. In Current concepts and innovative research in educational sciences (pp. 133–142). All Sciences Academy.
Earth.Org. (2022). Environmental education: How India is integrating climate consciousness into schools. https://earth.org/environmental-education-how-india-is-integrating-climate-consciousness-into-schools
Government of India, Ministry of Education. (2020). National Education Policy 2020. https://www.education.gov.in
Hargis, K. (2024). Practicing climate action in a K–12 school using a whole institution approach. In A. E. J. Wals, B. Bjønness, A. Sinnes, & I. Eikeland (Eds.), Whole school approaches to sustainability (Sustainable Development Goals Series). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-56172-6_18
Indian Ministry of Human Resource Development. (1986). National Policy on Education 1986. https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/upload_document/npe.pdf
India Development Review. (2022). Invest in climate change education. https://idronline.org/invest-in-climate-change-education/
India Today. (2024). Empowering students: Innovative approaches to climate change education. https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/featurephilia/story/empowering-students-innovative-approaches-to-climate-change-education-2525088
Jain, M., & Sharma, R. (2022). Teachers’ conceptions of climate change knowledge in India: Implications for curriculum and pedagogy. British Educational Research Journal, 48(5), 1045–1063. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3939
Jackson, S. T. (2025). Climate change. In Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/climate-change
Kumar, S., & Patel, M. (2023). Effectiveness of activity-based teaching in improving climate change awareness among school students. International Journal of Global Warming, 15(3), 251–267. https://www.inderscience.com/info/inarticle.php?artid=84790
Maharashtra State Government, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change. (2022). Majhi Vasundhara curriculum. https://www.mahavasundhara.in
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. (2022, July 28). Progress in eight missions on climate change [Press release]. Press Information Bureau, Government of India. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1845820&lang=2®=3
Monitoring and Evaluating Climate Communication and Education (MECCE). (2023). Country profile: India. https://mecce.ca/country_profiles/cce-country-profile-india/
National Council of Educational Research and Training. (2005). National curriculum framework 2005. https://ncert.nic.in/pdf/nc-framework/nf2005-english.pdf
OECD (2021), OECD Regional Statistics (database), http://stats.oecd.org/Index.aspx?DataSetCode=REGION_DEMOGR.
Our World in Data. (2023). Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts. https://ourworldindata.org/sdgs/climate-action
Ramesh, A. (2022, May 12). India’s unbearably hot schools show we must climate-proof education. Time. https://time.com/6174322/india-schools-heat-climate-change/
Reuters. (2024, April 30). Extreme heat is closing schools, widening learning gaps worldwide. https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/extreme-heat-is-closing-schools-widening-learning-gaps-worldwide-2024-04-30/
Shah, N. (2023). Climate literacy and the Indian student: A gap study. Bharatiya Environmental Journal, 42(2), 105–121.
Society for Environment and Education. (n.d.). Environmental programs in India. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_for_Environment_and_Education
The Hindu. (2024, February 18). Survey of TN students on climate literacy highlights need for enhancing curriculum in schools and colleges. https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/survey-of-tn-students-on-climate-literacy-highlights-need-for-enhancing-curriculum-in-schools-and-colleges/article68117993.ece
UNESCO. (2023). 2023 state of education report for India: Education and climate action. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000387358
UNICEF India. (2023a). Education on the edge: Battling climate change in India’s classrooms. https://www.unicef.org/india/blog/education-edge-battling-climate-change-indias-classrooms
UNICEF India. (2023b). Paving the way for a climate-resilient education system in India. https://www.unicef.org/media/138766/file/Paving%20the%20way%20for%20a%20climate%20resilient%20education%20system%20(India).pdf
University Grants Commission. (2016). Compulsory environmental studies course at undergraduate level. https://www.ugc.gov.in
World Bank Group. (2024). Choosing our future: Education for climate action. https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/education/publication/education-for-climate-action
Writer Name
Shradha Yadav & Dr. Nagendra Kumar
Pages
39-47
DOI Numbers
10.5281/zenodo.18253226
Our Social Networks
AD EDUXIAN Publication is dedicated to advancing educational research and providing innovative learning solutions. We offer a wide range of services including publishing, editing, design, and marketing to support authors and researchers in their academic and professional endeavors.
Never miss any important news. Subscribe to our newsletter.