Alberta Council for Environmental Education • Offers programs such as Alberta Youth Leaders for Environmental Education. • Supports integrating environmental education into the K–12 curriculum. • Operates the Alberta Green Schools Initiative, which supports students’ environmental, energy and climate change education. Alberta Environment and Protected Areas • Provides various environmental resources and information to schools and youth groups, facilitating access to a variety of educational materials and programs. Alberta Parks • Education programs provide edu- cational resources and programs, including teacher workshops and in-class presentations such as "Kananaskis in the Classroom," which brings environmental education dir- ectly to students. Calgary Board of Education (CBE) • The CBE Sustainability Framework 2030 guides environmental education and initiatives, emphasizing energy management, waste reduction and sustainable operations. EcoSchools Canada in Alberta • Provides a certification framework for K–12 schools to achieve bronze, Environmental education and sustainability programs in Alberta schools
Policies, not targets ... and making the case for hope Climate change expert Andrew Leach shares his thoughts.
Reason for optimism Leach was the architect of Alberta’s policy to phase out coal-fired power generation. An - nounced by the Rachel Notley government in 2015, the policy called for the end of coal power by 2030. However, the last coal-fired plant went offline in 2024, having switched to natural gas as a fuel source. This change resulted in a 50 per cent reduction in GHG emissions from power generation. Leach says the speed of Alberta’s coal phase-out surprised experts and illustrates how quickly technological change can occur once clear policies are in place. As further cause for optimism, he pointed to the rapid advancement in low-cost solar and wind power, as well as utility-scale battery storage. “ Our ability to produce clean, renewable power is far and away [above] what anyone would have expected 10 or 15 years ago ... that’s the big thing that gives me hope.” - Andrew Leach “I’m not saying it’s going to be perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I think we’re going to have a vastly different world in terms of being able to adapt, being able to mitigate emissions. Another 20 years of progress like we’ve had in the last 20 and our energy systems are going to be unrecog- nizable.”
Cory Hare
Notably, Holy Trinity Academy in Okotoks was built to LEED Gold standards, mak- ing it the first high school in Canada to receive this prestigious recognition. Ȥ Information compiled by the ATA’s Global Education Global, Environmental & Outdoor Education Council (GEOEC).
silver, gold or platinum certification by engaging in sustainability and climate action projects. Edmonton Public Schools • The division has set carbon reduction targets and are exploring renewable energy options, waste reduction strat- egies and sustainability education. Government of Alberta • Environmental educator workshops provide training on nature and water resources, equipping teachers with tools to incorporate environmental education into their practices. Inside Education • Offers classroom programs, field trips and teacher professional development focused on Alberta's natural resour- ces and environmental topics. Their programs encourage critical thinking and provide hands-on learning experi- ences related to energy, forests and water conservation. Green initiatives École McTavish Public High School This Fort McMurray school has invested more than $750,000 in solar panels and features both indoor and outdoor gardens. Christ the Redeemer Catholic Separate Regional Division No. 3 This division has been recognized for constructing “green” school facilities.
Managing Editor, ATA Magazine
POLICIES, NOT TARGETS , are what are needed to address climate change. That’s one of the messages contained in Between Doom & Denial , a book by Andrew Leach, a University of Alberta economist who served as chair of Alberta’s Climate Change Advisory Panel in 2015 and one of Canada’s fore- most experts in climate change policy. In the book, Leach writes that, globally and within Canada, it’s common to find governments that are willing to make ambitious emissions reduction pledges that would combine to limit temperature increases to less than two degrees, but without the policy ambition to deliver on those goals. For example, following the Paris Agreement of 2015, Canada committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and a 40 to 45 per cent reduction in emissions relative to 2005 levels by 2030. Canada has increased action on climate change through initiatives like national carbon pricing, clean fuels and clean electricity regulations, vehicle emissions standards and subsidies for emissions-reducing capital investment. These actions have slowed the growth of emissions but haven’t put us on a path toward meeting our commitments. “Despite substantial technological and policy progress, Canada remains far from meeting its targets,” Leach writes. “I would much prefer that Canada focus on the stringency of our emissions mitigation policies than promises of Canada sits 12th among the world’s top emitters of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, far behind the frontrunners China, U.S. and India in terms of total volume of GHG emissions. However, in terms of GHG emissions per capita, Canada sits fourth, with Canadians’ consumption habits producing emissions at 2.5 times the global average. Some argue that, since Canada produces less than two per cent of global emissions, it shouldn’t be expected to pursue reductions, however Leach argues that even the largest emitters cannot address climate change on their own and that “the lowest cost climate mitigation strategy is to get as many countries as possible to put in reasonably similar levels of effort.” “If Canada doesn’t take measures to address emissions, it risks being sub- jected to external measures imposed by the rest of the world,” Leach writes. outcomes we cannot guarantee.” A drop in the bucket?
Embrace evidence-based education and action
When seeking out climate change information, look for groups whose programs include • a commitment to evidence-based climate change education; • attention to the root causes of the climate crisis in political, social, economic and colonial systems and the role of the oil and gas industry within these systems; • a focus on intersectional ap- proaches to climate justice with particular attention to decoloniza- tion and Indigenous justice; • clarity about the need for urgent action to avoid the worst impacts; and • a concern to engage students in meaningful collective action that attends to their well-being. Ȥ Source: Polluting the Schools: The Influence of Fossil Fuels on K–12 Education in Canada. A report by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and For Our Kids , February 2025.
ATA Magazine Fall 2025
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THE ALBERTA TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION
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