Essay by Eric Worrall
Yep that’s the problem with the world – not enough Pedagogy.
Why we need decolonial teaching to fight climate change
Shrika Madivanan
02 August 2026Climate colonialism “forces a re-embodiment and relocation of how, why and who is at fault/responsible. The climate is failing to change. It is being colonised and forced to alter, modify, and – as catastrophes indicate – it is rebelling and resisting the assault upon it” (Doreen Martínez, 2014).
Viewed through the lens of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 on climate action, this quote is a critique of climate colonialism. Martínez is saying that responsibility for the climate crisis is being displaced onto the communities and countries that contributed least to the crisis, while Global North actors retain the authority to define both the problems and solutions.
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To change this, the global higher education sector must invest more in climate literacy through teaching and learning focused on decolonial climate pedagogy. This will allow for a comprehensive dialogue that can influence how current and future generations understand what climate solutions exist and how they can help those most affected.
Researching a decolonial approach
To better understand how decolonial climate pedagogy might be reflected in higher education, a research project was undertaken drawing on the International Association of Universities (IAU) SDG 13 Global Cluster, a network of lead and partner universities within the IAU Global Cluster on Higher Education and Research for Sustainable Development which collaborates on initiatives related to climate action.
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South-South connection
South-South connections are important because countries in the Global South often share related histories of unequal development and thus common goals. That said, these partnerships aren’t inherently decolonial and need to be examined for internal hierarchies.
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Ultimately, this research project emphasises the work needed within decolonial climate action through teaching and learning. This is a mechanism that is often neglected in SDG 13. However, it is the tool that best advances climate education by moving beyond interventions that reproduce the assault on our climate and help us toward solutions that respond to climate resistance.
Shrika Madivanan is studying for a Masters in Research and Innovation in Higher Education (MARIHE) through Erasmus Mundus and recently completed an internship at the International Association of Universities (IAU) with a focus on higher education and research for sustainable development.
Read more: https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20260731190606869
I guess if you can teach students what words like “pedagogy” mean, this would improve their vocabulary and mastery of language skills.
But I’m not sure saying to a potential employer “I mastered decolonial pedagogy at school” would necessarily guarantee you a job. Unless maybe you were applying for a job with the United Nations.
And Shrika, you need to be a little less subtle with your more funding requests, it is traditional in these articles to be a bit more direct, by saying something like “more research is required”.
