Page 69 - ALEF EDUCATION PR REPORT - DECEMBER 2025

12/4/25, 9:08 AM How Green Skills Are Reshaping Global Education
Education leaders should recognize the importance of preparing students for both current needs
and future challenges. With 170 million new jobs expected to be created by 2030 due to the green

transition, among other factors, the urgency is clear: Schools should prioritize green skills now to
meet demand and equip students for tomorrow's workforce.

The impact of incorporating green skills and climate education is multi-faceted, as it could not
only nurture eco-conscious leaders of tomorrow but also create a world where access to quality

education is not impeded by widespread climate change. According to UNICEF, extreme climate
events—such as heatwaves, cyclones, floods and droughts—disrupted schooling for 242 million

students across 85 countries in 2024. Amid this crisis, climate education receives almost no
funding—just 1.5% in 2021, according to the World Bank Group's report "Choosing Our Future:

Education for Climate Action." This makes it imperative for us to rethink existing educational
frameworks.

Decoding Core Green Skills

Green skills are the competencies needed to build a greener future. They fall within the broader

umbrella of sustainability education. A key aspect of this is technical skills that can help catalyze
the sustainable transformation of diverse sectors.

I believe the homes and offices of the future will be powered by solar and wind energy. The share
of renewable energy in the global energy mix is projected to rise from 16% in 2020 to 77% by

2050, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency's (IRENA) World Energy
Transitions Outlook 2023. This makes technical skills in this domain indispensable. Similarly,

expertise in eco-friendly farming and soil management methods is key to ensuring long-term food
security and achieving Sustainable Development Goal No. 2.

Critical thinking is equally essential. Students should be taught how to analyze complex
environmental linkages objectively and then employ problem-solving skills to innovate using

diverse knowledge systems and evidence-based reasoning.

Finally, socio-emotional skills are needed to enable students to seamlessly navigate on-the-ground
challenges, build community trust and collaborate to address environmental challenges. Together,
these skills can prepare students to tackle future challenges, opening brand new avenues to build a

sustainable world.

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