Date: June 16, 2026
Time: 4:30 PM – 5:45 PM
Venue: Berlin Room
Location: Bonn, Germany

Context

This side event aims to contribute to ongoing discussions on Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) under the UNFCCC, particularly the midterm review of the Glasgow Work Programme on ACE and the 2026 Dialogue on ACE. It seeks to identify concrete pathways to strengthen the Education-Climate Nexus in national and international policies.

The event builds on recommendations from education coalitions in Burkina Faso, France, Madagascar, Senegal, and Togo, aligning with the Lima Declaration (COP 20), the Joint Declaration on Education and Climate Change (COP 28), the Paris Agreement, and the Regional Declaration on Climate Change Education in West Africa (COP 28).

Its goal is to urge states to recognize the urgent need to transform education systems into pillars of climate action and resilience.

Programm

4:30 PM | Opening: Why Place Education at the Heart of Adaptation?

• Welcome and Opening Remarks – Ms. Léa Rambaud, Coalition Education
• Presentation of the Position Paper “Making Education a Pillar of Climate Resilience” developed by education coalitions from Burkina Faso, France, Madagascar, Senegal, and Togo – Mr. Kofi Kanitom, National Coalition Education for All, Togo
• Overview of Existing International Commitments on the Education–Climate Nexus – Mr. Sena ALOUKA, International Director, Young Volunteers for the Environment

4:45 PM | Multi-Stakeholder Policy Panel: How to Make Education a Pillar of Climate Resilience: From Commitment to Implementation

The discussion will revolve around four cross-cutting questions:

• How can education be fully integrated into national and international climate policies?
• How can the resilience of education systems be strengthened in the face of climate change impacts?
• How can climate change education be institutionalized in curricula and teacher training?
• What financing and governance mechanisms are needed to establish a true Education-Climate nexus?

1. The International Framework: What Ambition for Education in Climate Negotiations?

• Representative from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Ministry of Ecological Transition 

2. Regional Dynamics in West Africa: Where Do We Stand?

• Mr. Do Etienne TRAORE, Director of the Coordination of International Conventions, National Council for Sustainable Development of Burkina Faso 

3. From National Level to Action: The Examples of Togo and Senegal

• Mr. Komla AZAKPO, UNFCCC Focal Point, Ministry of Environment, Forest Resources, Coastal Protection, and Climate Change of Togo 
• Mr. Modou Fall Gueye, Director of the Center for Environmental Education and Training, Ministry of Environment and Ecological Transition of Senegal

4. From Public Policy to Practice: What Concrete Solutions?

• Ms. Amandine Hersant, President of Planète Urgence 

5:20 PM | Q&A with the Audience 

Objective:

• Encourage reactions from the delegations present.
• Identify additional recommendations.
• Promote political ownership of the proposals.

5:45 PM | Conclusion and Call to Action

• Ms Louise Clement, Coalition Education France

Co-organizers and Partners:

Action Education, Agence Française de Développement, CN-EPT/Burkina Faso, CNT/EPT Togo, Coalition Éducation France, COSYDEP Senegal, Education Out Loud - Global Partnership For Education, Jeunes Volontaires pour l’Environnement, Planète Urgence, Plan International.