The approach to climate change in basic education and the emerging challenges of Environmental Education

Abstract

Climate change is a recurring theme in political, educational and scientific discussions and productions. In the Brazilian context, the agricultural sector stands out as one of the main emitters of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs), and has the potential to contribute significantly to the reduction of these emissions. In this sense, Environmental Education emerges as a crucial tool to face this challenge, promoting awareness and engagement of society. Adapting the approach of Environmental Education in Elementary Education, together with the implementation of public policies targeted at the main actors in the sector, is necessary to pave the way for the reduction of GHGs emissions. The present study investigates and analyzes, through a bibliographic survey, the main publications with the terms: climate, climate collapse and climate change in the Brazilian Journal of Environmental Education, delving into how the topic of climate change has been addressed in basic education in Brazil. Based on the analysis, it was concluded that despite the mandatory implementation of Environmental Education in basic education, it is not efficient in creating in students a critical and ecological awareness about climate change, which is worked within a reductionist bias, with a lack of interdisciplinarity and without encouraging reflection on the social and economic dimension of the problem. Furthermore, despite the laws and policies implemented, it was noted that greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise as a result of the constant conversion of land use in Brazilian territory, influenced by political and economic interests.