LocationsLast week, Minsk, Belarus, hosted a two-day international forum on supplementary and environmental education for youth, with a distinct focus on climate education.
Climate Education: Linking the Minsk Forum to the Global Agenda of COP30
November 18, 2025
Photo: UNDP in Belarus.
The forum, organized with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Belarus, demonstrated how global objectives are being translated into regional initiatives. Educators from Grodno, Gomel, Minsk, Kobrin, Moscow, Kursk, and Kaliningrad shared their practical experiences working with young people. The discussions affirmed that today's extracurricular centers and environmental clubs serve as incubators for "green" ideas, fostering the environmental culture of the next generation.
The hybrid offline-online International Forum brought together approximately 100 participants, including experts and ministerial representatives from Belarus, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, and Kazakhstan.
Photo: UNDP in Belarus.
Achieving long-term climate goals is contingent upon preparing a new generation of leaders, scientists, and citizens equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills. UNDP in Belarus is actively promoting the integration of climate education into the country's supplementary education system. The use of innovative teaching materials, such as the "Climate Box" educational kit developed under the regional Climate Change Education and Awareness Project “Climate Box”, helps students move beyond rote memorization to a deeper understanding of the scientific, economic, and social dimensions of climate change.
Aliaksandra Baeva, the Climate Box Project Manager, presents educational materials titled "Climate Box" to an audience.
Photo: UNDP in Belarus.
A key objective is to empower young people, transforming them from passive observers into active participants in climate policy. In Belarus, youth are already contributing to the development of national climate strategies, including the government's recently adopted third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0).
UNDP National Climate Expert Alexander Grebenkov shares his experience in the development of NDC 3.0 with forum participants.
Photo: UNDP in Belarus.
At the forum, a presentation by a UNDP national expert on the development of NDC 3.0 and Belarus's CO₂ emission reduction targets underscored the direct link between education and national policy.
The initiatives discussed in Minsk directly resonate with the global climate agenda, especially in the context of the ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil. Significantly, COP30 has been dubbed the "Implementation COP," as its primary goal is to shift the focus from ambitious pledges to concrete actions.
The upcoming conference in Brazil will urge countries to accelerate the implementation of their climate plans. By supporting climate education, UNDP is helping to build the necessary human and intellectual capital for this transition. In the long term, an educated and motivated youth population will be a primary driver of these national strategies.
One of the central themes of COP30 is the empowerment of youth, women, and indigenous peoples. The Minsk forum, and UNDP's work in general, directly answers this call by positioning young people as active agents of the climate agenda, not merely its subjects.
Through initiatives like the "Climate Box" and teacher training seminars, UNDP helps make global sustainable development goals more accessible, translating them into tangible and practical projects at school, city, and regional levels.
Photo: UNDP in Belarus.
The international forum in Minsk effectively showcased the link between global climate ambitions and their practical implementation at national and regional levels. While participants presented a variety of approaches to climate education, they shared a consensus: investing in knowledge and engaging young people today is the most reliable foundation for fulfilling global climate commitments tomorrow.
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