Centring education in community-led adaptation and retreat

We wish to make the following comments:

The Aotearoa Climate Education Coalition comprises individuals and networks who work in sustainability and climate education as educators, researchers, academics, providers of professional development, and community action. 

In terms of this Inquiry, we argue that genuine community-led empowerment and socially-just climate adaptation and retreat needs to begin with access to well-designed, well-resourced, community learning and education opportunities.

Our coalition sees the need for transformative education in Aotearoa New Zealand for a climate-changing, low-emissions Aotearoa New Zealand. We are advocating for a system-wide approach to education which informs, enables and empowers our people to adapt to climate impacts and live regeneratively with nature, in a low-emissions society. This must include intentional learning design within formal education sectors (schools, ECE, tertiary settings) as well as sustained support and resourcing for community- and marae-based learning that is grounded in, and driven by, the values, needs and aspirations of communities.

Our Coalition has previously analysed and provided feedback on advice from the Climate Change Commission, the Government’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP), the first Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) and Equitable Transitions Strategy (EqTS). Each time, we have identified a lack of attention and focus given to designing and resourcing effective, timely, responsive, and empowering learning for all New Zealanders as part of climate action policy and plans. We urge the Select Committee to ensure that resourcing and support for learning and education are designed into the frameworks that support community-led adaptation and retreat. 

As we have said previously, education is wider than the formal education system and when done well, goes deeper and creates more personal engagement than public information campaigns. 

Our comments address five key areas:

1. The importance of tangata whenua as indigenous kaitiaki of te ao Tūroa

2. The role of schools in climate adaptation and retreat, both in terms of their physical presence, and the school’s role as a connection point for whānau and community

3. The role of education in transitioning to a climate-impacted future

4. The importance of education for equitable transition

5. The need for evidence-based, research-informed education and learning design to be at the very heart of community engagement, empowerment and decision-making'.

1 The importance of tangata whenua as indigenous kaitiaki of te ao Tūroa

Putting in place a system-wide approach to education which informs, enables and empowers our people to adapt to climate impacts and live regeneratively with nature, in a low-emissions society has to centre tangata whenua as the primary guardians of the environment. 

We acknowledge the significant contribution te hekenga rauora makes to this kaupapa and further endorse the learning held within te hekenga rauora as part of any climate education strategy. Further, we believe that such an approach supports rangatiratanga, which itself is a responsibility of local body government to “enable democratic local decision-making and action by, and on behalf of, communities”(Section 2.58, p.82 Report of the Expert Working Group). 

2 The role of schools in climate adaptation and retreat

Schools already have a key role in climate-related emergencies,  as was seen in the Auckland Anniversary flooding events and Cyclone Gabrielle.  Many schools are formally recognised as Community Emergency Hubs, which are places for the community to gather, communicate and coordinate resources in times of an emergency.  During recent extreme weather events, such as Cyclone Gabrielle, many schools have had to act as first responders. Yet schools and other parts of the education sector have not been adequately supported, resourced, informed, and empowered to play a more proactive role in educating and supporting communities to anticipate and prepare for climate adaptation BEFORE reaching crisis moments.  

The two articles below demonstrate that schools are at the centre of communities and hold deep community connections which become crucial in emergencies. We believe that they can, and should be, centres for communities to learn, discuss and plan together before they face emergency situations. Quoting principal Lou Reddy “I think that collectively we need to grow resilient communities that can face these kinds of things.”

This role sits naturally with a school because of its position in a community, but is outside its funding or expertise, so additional support and funding would be required for this. 

https://gazette.education.govt.nz/articles/schools-as-community-hubs-in-emergencies/

https://akojournal.org.nz/2023/07/21/surviving-gabrielle/

3. The role of education in transitioning to a climate-impacted future

Education must be recognised as a “social tipping point” intervention that helps society transition from where it is now, to where it needs to be for a climate-adapted and low-emissions future (Otto et al., 2020).

Education for environmental and socially-just climate adaptations in Aotearoa requires more than just providing people with knowledge and information. It must be grounded in a holistic understanding of the social, economic, emotional, cultural, and spiritual frameworks. 

These frameworks often shape how people think about themselves and their communities and how they react to the often overwhelming and disempowering impacts of a changing climate. Recent research points to the complexities of learning design that supports empowered social change and what is effective in different contexts, such as schools, early learning settings, tertiary education settings, and community-based education. 

This research also extends to what does not work. National and international research demonstrates that under-recognition of education’s pivotal role and contribution to climate transitions is an ongoing problem (McKenzie & Stahelin, 2022, Hargis & McKenzie, 2023). 

This recent story about community-led adaptation efforts to address the damage done by Cyclone Gabrielle in Tairāwhiti and Wairoa demonstrates the pivotal role that community educators can play in empowering communities in the face of a terrible environmental situation - in this case EIT | Te Pūkenga in the Slash for Cash.  A quote from the story “The [Adult and Community Education] programme, its design and its allowance for us to bring in various technical skills into the community, is something that I treasure highly… It’s like having a mother or father holding your hand as you start your first steps and then watching you grow.”

4 The importance of education for equitable transition

Education and learning design for climate adaptation (and mitigation) is needed for all communities, not just those identified at greatest risk of climate impacts.  A climate-justice approach recognises the causes and exacerbating factors that have led to the need for communities to adapt and/or retreat, and the competing interests that may be at play in collaborative decision-making spaces. 

Effective education for climate adaptation must empower people to acknowledge, address, and move forward from environmental injustices and economic drivers that impact on their communities. It should also aim to support communities that are most insulated from these issues, recognising their shared responsibilities and obligation to act in ways that reduce the climate related harms to vulnerable people and communities.

5 Keeping education and learning design as the heart of community engagement

Evidence suggests that people are more likely to buy in to a decision when they have had access to up-to-date understandable data and perspectives, are invited to participate in discussions where they feel they can voice their concerns and ask questions, and have their contribution heard.  These are core elements of a comprehensive education programme. 

In the context of climate adaptation, in order for communities to plan for adaptation and retreat, they first need to understand the facts, consider wellbeing and social justice, and have an opportunity to discuss issues.

We believe it is imperative that funding and resourcing is made available to develop and implement an education programme done in, by and with communities at the earliest stages. A combined understanding of why any change is needed will ensure less resistance, and more creative, community-led solutions. Our coalition would welcome the opportunity to work with the Government to support evidence-based, research-informed climate education and learning design as a lever for community engagement, empowerment, and decision-making.

The mooted Climate Information Centre is a move in the right direction but it needs to broaden its brief to provide genuine education that will engage, empower and include. Information by itself is insufficient. We propose a Climate Education Centre or Hub that will coordinate and connect all the work that is happening in this space and make it available to everyone.

We wish to make the following recommendations:

Q1. Do you think we should use the term ‘community-led retreat’? If not, what do you think we should use and why?

As we have argued above, unless there is an opportunity to have more members of the community develop a deeper understanding of the issues and the need for action, the wording of a specific phrase is likely to be taken out of context.  If pushed for a wording recommendation, because we believe that more emphasis on community engagement is important, we would suggest community-engaged retreat?

Q2. Are there other barriers to Māori participation in adaptation and upholding Māori rights and interests?How can we better support Māori?

We have interpreted this question as “how do we centring the upholding of rights of Māori in climate education and community-led adaptation plans?” and would like to direct the Select Committee to the following articles, which our short answer below can be linked to.

The Rights of Tamariki Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand, Charters et al (2022)

An Indigenous Māori View of Doughnut Economics, Shareef and Boasa-Dean (2020)

Rauora Indigenous Worldview Framework, Ihirangi (2021)

We believe that centring the upholding of rights of Māori in climate education and community-led adaptation plans can make a significant contribution in addressing community concerns about barriers. 

The principle of Kotahitanga, and the process of collaborative decision-making is important for tangata whenua and their communities to have a shared vision and plan. Without significant attention and resource being put into getting this right, social cohesion is at risk.

The identified barriers are perpetuated when they are not being addressed through intergenerational education which includes understanding the reasons for the barriers and the history of the injustices.  Climate education that explores differing perspectives and values of diverse groups with the aim of fostering shared understandings and commonalities, rather than intractable differences, is essential to overcome the barriers. 

Q4. Are there any other issues that limit our ability to retreat in advance of a disaster? How can we improve our approach?

In addressing the shortcomings of the current adaptation system in Chapter 2, one of the most obvious is missing: the lack of education. As we have noted above, when people are faced with change, they need to be able to make informed decisions in order to make intentional change. Without education, our ability to understand adaptation and retreat is limited. 

There is an urgent need for MOE to review school infrastructure and community impact due to climate change. We know that this is happening from a property management point of view, but so far it has ignored the role that schools have in their community as a focal point for community connection and learning.  

Q5. Are there other issues with the way we fund adaptation? How can we improve our approach?

New Zealanders need to first understand why adaptation is necessary before considering how it is funded. We believe that it is the role of central government to fund education around climate change and adaptation for all New Zealanders: in schools, community spaces and workplaces. Greater understanding will lead to more buy-in and more people involved in innovative and creative solutions, rather than opposition or resistance. 

Q6. What does a te Tiriti-based approach to adaptation mean to you?

Using frameworks that centre te ao Māori to understand the issues and make informed decisions. For example, He raraunga o te ao which presents mauri ora as a guiding framework for global citizenship education from a Māori perspective. 

Education can create a mindset of adaptability so that we can enter into decision making processes that consider a Māori worldview and give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi 

Q21. How can we make sure that local adaptation planning is inclusive and draws on community views?

As we noted earlier, if there is relevant, local education about climate change first, which considers adaptation, this will naturally feed into local adaptation planning.

Q23. What do you think are the most important outcomes and principles for community-led retreat?

We agree with the outcomes and principles as listed in Table 7. We would like to strongly recommend the addition for a further outcome and principle:

• Outcome - Ensure access to full information and options available in clear, understandable language 

• Principle - Informed and intentional action is more likely through understanding

This connects well with the principle of involving communities but needs to be explicit in this document. Relevant local education where community members have access to up to date, understandable data and perspectives, and actively participate in  discussions are more likely to create buy-in to eventual decisions. This educational process should be planned and explicit and led by professional educators. 

Q24. Do you prefer option 1 (voluntary) or option 2 (a mix of voluntary and mandatory parts)? Are there any other options?

There are two basic ways to bring about change: regulation, and education. These are not mutually exclusive, but have different trajectories, and at various points a combination of each is likely to be needed. Whether a voluntary system or mixed voluntary and mandatory is chosen, education must play a role in assisting in understanding and taking action. This will make transition easier and lead to a willingness to make further change when needed.