Tip Sheet on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA): Education

Main recommendations extracted from the SEA of the Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) for the for the Human Dignity Action Area (Education)

In compliance with the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals, GAC has produced a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of its Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) and its action area policies. The purpose of the SEA is to assess the potential environmental effects, either positive or negative, associated with the FIAP and its action area policies and to incorporate the results in the development of these policies in order to reduce potential adverse environmental effects and enhance environmental and developmental outcomes.

Summary of the Education Action Area priority pathways: Canada will support efforts to improve quality education and learning from pre-primary to end of secondary, increase access to skills development for youth and adults, and improve access to quality education in conflict and crisis situations. 

What are the environmental sustainability issues and linkages?

• Integrating environmental literacy in basic and advanced education, including in technical and vocation training, not only influences individual behaviors but also prepares professionals for better informed decision-making and for taking concrete actions to improve the environmental management of businesses and their surroundings. In many countries, girls are responsible for fetching water and firewood. Deteriorating environments force them to go further and further from home and to take more time in the early morning to carry out this arduous chore, sometimes preventing them from attending schools or forcing them to arrive late and tired.
• Target 4.7 of the SDG states that by 2030, ‘all learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development.
• Technical and vocational training on green technologies, clean energy, environmental management and other filed associated with low carbon economies will help prepare the workforce to address emerging development challenges. 

What are the potential environmental effects of the proposed pathways?

• Ill-conceived construction, rehabilitation and operation of education facilities can result in adverse environmental effects.
• Making environmental literacy a part of education curricula and training programs will help people to make responsible decisions and behaviour, including with respect to improving business practices and the adoption of technologies and solutions that offer long-term environmental benefits.
• Promotes environmentally sound classrooms and education facilities, clean water, and safe sanitation and hygiene, environmental literacy, technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in climate-smart agriculture and other areas. 

What are the proposed measures to minimise potential adverse environmental effects and increase positive development outcomes?

• Encourage and support the integration of environmental literacy in education policies, plans, and teaching curricula and material, acknowledging that environmental literacy is an effective means to develop responsible citizens capable of innovating and finding new solutions towards sustainable development.
• Promote and support quality education infrastructure facilities, including safe water and sanitation responsive to women and girl’s needs, school gardens or forests, green school canteens, promotion of recycling and composting activities, renewable energy such as solar panels, and help strengthen environmental management capacities of education ministries and education facility administrators to help create safe, clean, and good learning environments. Schools should be designed to be resilient to natural disasters and adapted to a changing climate. 
• Foster the development of sustainability competencies, making citizens and professionals able to think in terms of product life cycles and resource efficiency, and make environmentally-sensitive decisions.
• Encourage and support technical and vocational training programs that develop environmental management skills and respond to emerging challenges (e.g. clean technologies, energy efficiency, life-cycle analysis, recycling and waste management). Also, help remove constraints and facilitate women’s participation in technical training in emerging environmental sectors such as clean technologies, renewable energy sources^{Footnote 1} (e.g. solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, wave, heat-exchange, tidal, solid biomass, biogas and liquid biofuels), energy efficiency, green construction technologies, where analysis demonstrates these are promising sectors. These sectors generally support better-paying jobs and could help address current barriers to women’s participation in environment related economic activity.

For more information, consult the Public Statement: Strategic Environmental Assessment of Action Areas under Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy