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UNICEF and the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator, in cooperation with Armenia’s Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, held a discussion titled “Biodiversity and Sustainable Development in Education” at the UN pavilion in the Blue Zone at COP17, focusing on education about climate change and biodiversity.
The speakers included Anna Babajanyan, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport; Alvard Poghosyan, Head of Education at UNICEF Armenia; and Arevik Anapiosyan, Advisor to the UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia.
According to Armenia’s Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, the discussion brought together young delegates from Armenia, Argentina and Mexico, policymakers, education experts and representatives of international organizations. The delegates and participants discussed how education on climate change and biodiversity could be moved beyond standalone projects and awareness campaigns to become an integral part of school curricula, teacher professional development and everyday learning.
Anna Babajanyan, Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sports, noted that developing environmental awareness among students is one of the key challenges facing the education system.
“The most important thing we can do now to promote environmentally conscious approaches is to give students greater freedom to pursue their own interests and involve them in such projects. In other words, we should provide opportunities and support to help them express their interests and preferences in caring for the ecosystem,” she said.
The discussion also addressed methodological materials developed through cooperation between the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports and UNICEF, with support from the Austrian Development Agency. The materials help teachers incorporate climate change education into school curricula.
Between 2020 and 2025, more than 400 teachers from 33 communities received support through the initiative to strengthen their capacity to deliver climate change education through project-based learning. During the same period, 2,015 students carried out more than 275 local environmental projects.
“Armenia’s experience shows that climate change education can be practical and directly relevant to children’s lives when teachers receive the necessary support. Our priority now is to consolidate the results achieved and make this type of education accessible to every child,” said Alvard Poghosyan, Head of Education at UNICEF Armenia.
“We cannot expect to achieve our climate and biodiversity conservation goals without equipping people with the necessary knowledge, critical thinking skills and ability to take action,” said Arevik Anapiosyan, Advisor to the UN Resident Coordinator in Armenia.
During the event, one episode of the Sevanik animated series was also screened. The series was created with the support of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport and UNICEF Armenia, in cooperation with OnOff Studio. It demonstrates how environmental issues can be presented to young children in an accessible and understandable way through engaging stories and appealing content.