RIYADH: An inaugural panel discussion explored the outlook for education and sustainability globally at the Future of Education, Science and Culture International Organizations Forum (FESCIOF) on March 8 in Riyadh. The panel discussion, titled “Greening the Agenda: Future of Education,” was moderated by Rawan Radwan, journalist and deputy section editor of Spotlight and the special projects department at Arab News. Experts discussed measures that could be taken by schools, government and nongovernment organizations to promote action for the ecosystem. In the panel, Asha Kanwar, president and CEO at Commonwealth of Learning, said the green learning agenda has three dimensions: skills for green jobs, green life skills, and skills for a green transformation. Kanwar said that institutions should transition to green jobs to support the move to a low-carbon economy. An example of green life skills is teaching youth about climate literacy. “I think we can galvanize the youth if we really want to make a difference, because every day, over a billion children go to primary and secondary schools. If these children were to become champions of climate action and climate change and environmental conservation, we would really have a major impact globally,” said Kanwar. He also discussed the Green Teacher program by the National Teachers Institution in Nigeria, with 100,000 teachers enrolling and inculcating environmental concerns in students from an early age. Kanwar said that skills for a green transformation rely heavily on climate justice. “We do need to address the issue of how marginalized people deal with a climate crisis. It’s always the poor who get it,” he said. Mathieu Denis, head of the Center for Science Futures at the International Science Council, said that leadership and research play an essential role in fulfilling the goals of green transformation. “We need to inject those dimensions in our departments, in our teaching, and also in the research,” Denis said. Denis said that universities globally should take advantage of implementing research on the environment. “It is mind blowing to see how little our own universities are taking advantage of the research they’re producing within their walls to change their own practices,” he said. Abdullah Ali Alqataee, CEO of the National Center for Assessment, said that assessments are needed to measure growth in education to evaluate the curriculum in schools. Rami Eskander, director of the Education Department at the Arab League Educational Cultural and Scientific Organization, spoke about Saudi Arabia’s work toward a greener future. “Saudi Arabia now is taking the lead and it has expertise. It has also many entities and institutions. So if they start to implement the Clean Green Initiative plans, they will assure us a sustainable development,” Eskander said.