Examples of successful climate training initiatives

[Leapfrog-to-Better Weekly Series] #6: The Climate Fresk! If you think back at the time you were a student, what are some *specific* classes that stand out in your memory? We’ve all sat through so many classes, but we’re more likely to remember a field trip than a lecture, a hands-on workshop over a boring presentation, or a reverse-learning-style pitch rather than a standard conference where we were passively listening. I believe this captures the core challenge in education today: pedagogical innovation. Pedagogical design. Pedagogical engineering. How do we create and offer learning experiences that pull students out of their disengaged, pandemic-era learning gaps, break through short attention spans fueled by social media, and counter the notion that “AI can give us everything we need anyway so why should we make any cognitive effort anymore?”. One powerful tool to achieve this is The Climate Fresk. Designed by Cedric Ringenbach back in 2018, the Climate Fresk workshop simply involves one big table covered by an equally big piece of white paper, 5 to 8 participants ready to be on their feet and toes for 3 hours, a set of 42 cards, some stationery supplies, and a facilitator. Its core task is simple but impactful: mapping climate science by arranging the cards from cause to consequence (spoiler: it starts and ends with humans!). This workshop beautifully mobilises collective intelligence, peer listening, creativity and emotional intelligence, all grounded in climate science from the latest IPCC reports. My own first experience with The Climate Fresk was quite unforgettable, as it offers a brilliant cocktail - fun, gamification, collaboration, emotions… - to long-lastingly anchor the experience in the participants' brain. With transparent, decentralised, and do-ocratic practices - following the swarmwise approach -, nearly 90,000 facilitators have been trained, and 1.9 million people have played The Climate Fresk mostly across France and Europe since inception. While it has achieved strong momentum in France, its journey in India is just beginning, and I see huge potential here. In fact, Virgile Montambaux and I facilitated about 10 Climate Fresks at Techno India Group here in Kolkata just in the past couple of weeks, and we look forward to more in other institutions and organisations across West Bengal and India! Especially in times of climate urgency, how do we reinvent education in order to offer mind-shifting / mind-blowing / eye-opening / heart-opening experiences? I’d love to hear about any such tools and learning experiences that stayed with you and why they made such a difference! Climate Fresk India

🌍 Planet is no longer an external risk—it’s an internal imperative. In the age of disruption, every strategic choice organizations make is measured not just by its business impact, but also by its planetary impact. That’s why Planet → Sustainable and Responsible Learning is the fifth pillar in my “From Strategy to Skills” framework. Here’s the shift L&D leaders must make: ✔️ From “what we do at work” → to “how we do it responsibly.” ✔️ From siloed sustainability modules → to skills that shape everyday decisions. ✔️ From compliance → to innovation, efficiency, and cultural resilience. 🌍 In the AI era, the stakes are even higher. Generative AI is powerful—but it comes with a planetary footprint. We must teach employees not just to use AI productively, but responsibly—balancing efficiency with environmental impact. The good news? Organizations already show the way: - France & UC San Diego → mandatory climate literacy courses - Unilever → embedding sustainability into product innovation - PwC → upskilling 328,000 employees on climate & biodiversity - Google → training data center teams on green computing Lesson: Sustainable and responsible learning isn’t “extra credit.” It’s a survival strategy. 👇 Read the full article ---- #Innovation #Sustainability #Management #Technology #Education #FutureOfWork #LearningAndDevelopment #AIAndSustainability #ResponsibleLearning #StackFactor

I was moved by this story of how the Red Cross strengthens communities as our climate warms and the planet changes: "The weather that we are supposed to be experiencing at this time of the year should be dry and sunny instead it is wet and cold,” said Seru Ramakita of Navuevu, Fiji. As a result of the continuous rain, his community is now experiencing flooding for the first time in 50 years. In Fuji and around the world, we see that climate change impacts our futures and how we live today. It's today that worries young people like Robin Kaiwalu who has been affected by the recent floods. Robin joined the Y-Adapt program run by the Fiji Red Cross Society and sponsored by the Japanese Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - IFRC. Y-Adapt is a youth-based training program designed to educate, engage and inspire young people to take action and become climate change leaders in their communities. It also builds climate resilience through increased technical understanding and planning skills to take climate action. In Fiji, 60 youths have participated in the Y-Adapt program. Among them, 70% were unemployed or school dropouts. Some of these youths are now pursuing further studies in vocational studies, while others have found employment in hotels or are still seeking jobs. Through collective action and collaboration, youth like Robin can leverage their diverse ideas, skills and perspectives to tackle climate change challenges effectively. Robin's been volunteering for five months and says the program's been a great experience, allowing him to use his time and energy to help his community. Seru says that while his community is changing, he's hopeful to see volunteers like Robin making a difference. “It is very heartening to see our youths, the future leaders of tomorrow, taking the lead in helping their very own communities with such initiatives," he said. Link the the full photo essay and story in the comments.

Exciting news: The federal government announced a new initiative, the Climate Corps, to train more than 20,000 young people in trades essential to combating climate change. The Washington Post reports that the new workforce training program will equip young people with the skills necessary to install solar panels, restore coastal wetlands, and retrofit homes to be more energy efficient. Our country’s transition to a green economy will require upskilling to fill millions of jobs. Data shows that in the infrastructure workforce, broadly, only 11% of workers are 24 years or younger. This initiative will prepare a new generation of workers for high-quality, union jobs in clean energy and adjacent sectors. Programs like these, that simultaneously meet the needs of the planet and our workforce, are the future of the American economy. When we invest in education and workforce development, commit to job quality, and improve opportunities for young people, we move our economy toward equity and resilience. https://lnkd.in/grPmZswj #ClimateCorps #WorkforceDevelopment #GreenEconomy