In the second of our series of posts on lifelong learning and climate action, published to coincide with the Sixth International Conference on Learning Cities, Jürgen Forkel-Schubert explains how the learning city of Hamburg is rising to the climate-change challenge

As a major port city in the north of Germany, Hamburg is confronted with the harsh realities of climate change. Rising sea levels and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events have prompted Hamburg to take administrative and technical measures to mitigate the effects of climate change and support greater climate adaptation.

To achieve its climate goals, Hamburg is focusing on education. Hamburg wants to be a CO2-neutral city by 2045, in line with the Hamburg Climate Plan (2023) and the Hamburg Climate Protection Strengthening Act (2024). A major challenge is the climate-neutral conversion of state educational institutions and all other buildings in the city. Hamburg regularly reports online on the CO2 reductions achieved. The emissions shown are based on final energy consumption, which allows a direct link to consumption behaviour.

The city’s new climate plan underlines the importance of integrating climate protection into all areas of education, from early childhood education to vocational training and scientific research at university. Education providers are responsible for conveying climate issues and raising awareness of resource conservation. All actors should contribute to mitigating the effects of climate change and slowing climate change through targeted educational measures, strategies and projects.

Through a culture of sustainability awareness, Hamburg aims to nurture a generation of environmentally conscious and socially responsible citizens prepared for the challenges of climate change. Lifelong learning plays a central role here. The Hamburg Master Plan BNE 2030, adopted by the Senate in 2021, defines goals and fields of action for integrating the idea of ​​sustainability into all areas of education and promotes corresponding projects.

People’s behaviour in respect of climate protection is changing in many countries, including Germany. Knowledge of the climate crisis is more widespread than ever before – floods and other extreme weather events can almost be followed live in the media – while people are taking a range of actions to support climate action, from buying regional products to cycling to work or avoiding air travel. However, such actions alone are not enough. Many more people have to get involved. It would be much more effective to strengthen the social or legal framework rather than rely on the uncoordinated good will of citizens.

For example, for many decades, it was quite natural to take purchased goods with you in a free plastic bag. Anyone who did not want to do this had to make a conscious decision and bring their own bag. A 2015 European Union directive banned thick plastic bags in Germany from 2022 – and their consumption fell.

Opinion polls furthermore show that a growing number of people are rejecting more radical forms of protest, especially road blockades. The proportion of people who feel that such actions often go too far rose from around 50 per cent in 2021 to 85 per cent in 2023 – even though many people see the need for committed climate protests. This growing unease with radical actions and narratives increases social polarization and weakens the climate movement.

Added to this is the new phenomenon of climate anxiety, which is now so widespread globally that the annual report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has devoted a separate chapter to the topic of ‘climate change and mental health’ since 2022. This concern particularly affects young people. Though the term should be viewed critically, these fears can motivate more extreme forms of action, which can create greater distance from society as a whole and reduce mutual empathy.

But how can we deal with climate fear? Current examples from all areas of education show that it is important to approach the topic as playfully as possible and, ideally, to act together or in groups. In this way, the fight against climate change can be spread across many shoulders and the probability of success increased.

Hamburg is therefore focusing on playful learning and joint action and has taken innovative paths in climate education, some examples of which are shown below.

The Hamburg Climate School

Since 2010, Hamburg schools have had the opportunity to apply for the ‘Climate School’ seal of approval. The aim of this initiative is to promote climate competence in schools and to develop an individual plan for systematic, long-term climate protection to reduce the school’s CO2 emissions. Each school formulates goals and strategies as part of a climate protection plan, which must be approved by the school board – a representative body made up of students, teachers, parents, non-teaching staff and school management. These plans typically cover areas such as heating, electricity, waste management, procurement, nutrition, mobility and the like. Schools create inventories to identify ways to reduce CO2 emissions and propose solutions. Emphasis is placed on minimizing emissions where possible and offsetting those that cannot be avoided. This approach also extends to resource consumption, for example through reducing paper consumption by promoting electronic communication, using double-sided printing or planting trees to offset paper consumption. Climate schools take a holistic approach that involves all members of the school community in the planning process. The aim is to improve climate competence throughout the school community so that students can integrate climate-conscious practices into their lives outside of the school context.

The Hamburg Climate Scale

Every German citizen carries an ecological backpack of around 11 tons of CO2 emissions per year. For reasons of climate justice and resource protection, it is necessary to reduce this to 3 tons. The Hamburg Climate Scale shows private individuals their CO2 savings opportunities in the area of ​​everyday behaviour and climate-friendly alternatives through different models. These compare climate-damaging and climate-friendly alternatives in the areas of nutrition, mobility and consumption. The scale is a simple mechanical kitchen scale with two support plates and several realistic and attractive models, which can also be made simpler. This allows various goals to be achieved, including estimating CO2 emissions per model, comparing different models, finding out the causes of CO2 emissions, extrapolating emissions in a week/year per person, estimating total emissions per person in all areas of life and discussing comparisons of emissions between people in different countries and the challenge of personal behavioural change.

The climate scales are unique and not commercially available. Climate scales can be borrowed in Hamburg and various other cities. They are suitable as an information source, for introducing or deepening the topic of climate protection in seminars, lessons and workshops. By using them, the topic of climate change can be presented in a playful way for different age groups. The concept is freely accessible online, and the reproduction of modified climate scales is expressly encouraged.

By foregrounding play and joint action in this way, the city of Hamburg aims to support action on climate change that is not only coherent and well thought out, but also integrates climate protection throughout education and across life, laying the foundations for lasting, sustainable change. Only by fostering a culture of sustainability from an early age, and throughout life, can we hope to cultivate a generation of environmentally aware citizens who are equipped to tackle the challenges of climate change.

Jürgen Forkel-Schubert is a senior expert in education for sustainable development for the learning city of Hamburg