Climate change resources to support COP27

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) occured in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt and ran from 6–18 November 2022. The 27th United Nations Climate Change conference goal is to bring parties from around the world together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

For a short introduction to the conference, see A climate change expert’s simple guide to COP27. Dr Richard Hodgkins speaks about loss of damage, one of the key themes, other issues, and outcomes from previous COPs.

Science Learning Hub resources

We have LOTS of resources on the science of climate change and climate change education! Sometimes it can be difficult to know where to begin, so we recommend starting with Climate change resources – planning pathways. It groups Hub resources into key science and teaching concepts like evidence and models and sea level rise. The article Climate change – a wicked problem for classroom inquiry provides additional information on how to tackle big socio-scientific issues.

MethaneSAT is Aotearoa New Zealand’s first government-funded space mission to use a purpose-built satellite to measure methane – a potent greenhouse gas. Fixing ‘fugitive’ leaks from oil and gas operations can potentially cut emissions around the world by 45% and will have a similar impact to shutting down 1,300 coal-fired power plants!

Our atmosphere and climate – introduction resources focus on climate change with an eye on Aotearoa specific data and evidence and includes a mātauranga Māori lens. Dairy innovations – targeting climate change features innovative research projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions associated with dairy farming.

If you want more, see the wide range of resources under our climate change topic – a reminder – you can use the filters, for example to see just activities suitable for secondary or primary level.

Curated collections

Another way to see our climate change content is via one of these curated collections, below:

• Climate change (Focuses on the science of climate change and associated socio-scientific issues – including melting ice and sea level rise.)
• Climate change (HoS) (This collection supports the House of Science Climate Change Kit – but it is also useful for anyone exploring what is climate change, ocean acidification, sea and land water, how climate change affects Māori, the Earth's interacting systems and ideas to tackle these wicked problems in the classroom.)
• Our atmosphere and climate 2020 (The Our Atmosphere and Climate 2020 report was released to all New Zealanders in October 2020. In collaboration with the Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ we developed a suite of teaching and learning resources around this important report.)
• Design a satellite mission to help fight climate change (Foster blue-sky thinking to design a purpose-built mission that leads to science-based climate solutions/actions.)

Find out more about using our Collection tool, including tips on making one of these collections your own to amend to your own needs, collaborate with and more.

We have also curated a wide range of supporting resources in this Climate change Pinterest board.

Listening to scientists

Having information from the experts is important and we have a wide range of videos on climate change – these are a great way for students to hear from scientists. For example, listen to Professor James Renwick in What can I do to stop climate change and Dr Shaun Awatere in The impact of climate change and mātauranga Māori.

These two articles have lots of helpful tips about using our videos in the classroom: Scientists talking to students through videos and Communicating with scientists – interview techniques and protocols.

Other resources/contacts

There are a wide range of organisations working to help our planet, below are just a few educators might find useful

If you use Facebook, there are these groups:

• Climate action for educators – Mātauranga Māui
• The New Zealand Association for Environmental Education.

Other contacts

Below are just a few other organisations that have information on climate change. Some may have a scientist that could be available for an interview by your students.

• Ministry for the Environment
• Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research
• NIWA
• Most universities: i.e. He Kaupapa Hononga at Otago University, The New Zealand Climate Change Research Institute (NZCCRI) at Victoria University, Waikato University – have the world’s first Bachelor of Climate Change degree.
• Local councils – see how climate change might impact you.
• Volunteer agencies like Forest and Bird often have knowledgeable people, see the list of branches.