“During heatwaves schools always close. During flooding the schools are closed” – pupil, South Sudan.  

Recognising the growing need and demand to strengthen the resilience of the education sector, in 2023, the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) launched the Climate-Smart Education Systems Initiative. The project is funded by GPE and implemented by Save the Children, UNESCO and UNESCO’s International Institute for Educational Planning. 

The Climate-Smart Education Systems Initiative works in 35 countries and territories to: 

• Strengthen education ministries’ capacities to integrate climate change adaptation and environmental sustainability into education sector plans, budgets and strategies.  

• Support coordination and collaboration between education ministries and other critical stakeholders such as environment ministries, and climate change and disaster management authorities.  

• Help countries understand how climate finance can be accessed to support the education sector.