Read the full paper here: ESDF Extreme weather impacts on Education in Northern Ireland

This paper and associated graphs illustrate the extent of lost learning days due to extreme weather in Northern Ireland between 2019 and 2026. This is an example of how the climate crisis is already having a real-life and lived impact on the education of children and young people in Northern Ireland. Climate change appears to impact weather patterns mostly in terms of frequency and intensity. Since the negative impacts of climate change already affect children in multiple aspects of their lives, it is essential that they are taught about climate change and its impacts, and how they can effectively adapt to them.

In 2025, the Education Minister announced a review of the Northern Ireland Curriculum. This opened the opportunity for ESDF to advocate for change in the Transform Ed NI Curriculum 2028. The importance of our children and young people learning about Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), including environment, nature, climate and outdoor learning, can not be underestimated. Education represents one of our most significant social interventions to address climate change. Children and their education are being directly impacted by extreme weather. They have a right to learn about the subjects directly impacting them. Instilling this awareness from an early age can equip them with the knowledge that will support their current and future adaptation actions to a constantly changing environment. Education for Sustainable Development can act as a useful tool and medium of lifelong learning and social development on subjects related to nature and climate change.