Greening the Future: The Role of Nature-based Solutions in Achieving Sustainability Goals in Education

Overview

As climate concerns continue to grow, schools can become powerful platforms for environmental responsibility. Green roofs and green walls offer a way to reshape learning environments, improve air quality, reduce energy use, and create direct contact with natural systems. These features turn school buildings into active teaching tools, helping students connect theory with real-world ecological impact.
Green infrastructure in education supports curiosity, responsibility, and hands-on learning. It encourages innovation in teaching and strengthens relationships between schools and their communities. These systems can help reframe environmental education as something built into the everyday experience of students and staff, not treated as a separate subject.

This seminar will explore successful examples, propose policy ideas, and share practical approaches that help integrate green systems into school planning and construction. Green infrastructure has the potential to support broader educational reform while advancing climate goals. When school spaces reflect the values of sustainability, they help shape generations who are more aware, engaged, and prepared to lead with care for the world around them. Participants will leave with concrete strategies for advocating for green infrastructure in their own school communities.