Ecopedagogy as a Lever for Climate Justice Towards a Just Transition

Abstract

The article explores critical learning pedagogies focusing on ecopedagogy and emphasizing the importance of adopting a Freirean approach to learning as a lifelong commitment to promoting civically engaged and responsible climate action. It moves beyond the conventional standardised methods of environmental education taught in formal institutions with structured syllabi and courses. The article highlights ecopedagogy as a learning philosophy integrated through grassroots actions. We discuss selected global issues, threatening biological, social, and environmental marginalization, as case studies to inform the article’s dialogue. We examine the definition and interpretation of ecopedagogy in the context of Paulo Freire's vision. We conceptualize ecopedagogy as a pathway to achieving a Just Transition, described as a framework that ensures workers and communities are not left behind as economies shift to sustainable practices. It focuses on fair wages, new job opportunities, and social support for those affected by changes like the move away from fossil fuels. The article proposes a framework that connects ecopedagogy with Just Transition through humanization and critical consciousness. To inform the non-existence of a uniform vision for what just transition entails (Cha & Pastor, 2022), we provide practical applications of this framework in policy and practice, offering recommendations for reconstructing education by implementing ecopedagogy in community-based settings to reconstruct policy aligned to Just Transition.