Equipping children and young people to thrive in a rapidly changing world therefore means enabling them to understand and meet the global challenge that climate change presents.

The Review noted that changes to curriculum content are only part of the picture and that teaching also has an important part to play through the use of climate-related examples and resources to teach existing curriculum content.

(Government response to CAR, Nov 2025)

The government response to CAR acknowledges the need to improve education about climate, environment and sustainability. The core responsibility for this is placed in Geography, Science and Citizenship, however, there is also acknowledgement that examples should be woven in across all curriculum subjects that can both help to teach that subject and education about the climate crisis.

The HA has been supporting articles, CPD and resources that will enable teachers to weave climate and environment into history teaching for a number of years. You may also be interested to know that the HA facilitates the Teach Environmental Histories teacher network who meet online. The following is a selection of HA resources to support you to develop your knowledge of history’s role in climate and environment education and to support your planning.

Wangari Maathai as a significant individual – In this article from Primary History, inspired by her telling the story of the hummingbird, Ailsa Fidler lays out an enquiry about Wangari Maathai as a significant individual.

History Abridged: Salt mines in Eastern Europe – This Historian article demonstrates the powerful relationship between nature and human settlement through the salt-mines of eastern Europe.

Teaching about the climate emergency – This page provides links to Global Dimension’s top picks for learning about the climate crisis.

Primary History 96: Climate and Environment – Primary History 96 was entirely dedicated to climate and environment, including a range of articles and resources to support planning and teaching.

The year without a summer and other cautionary tales – In this 2024 Primary History article, Susie Townsend explores the story of the Tambora volcanic explosion of 1815 and the catastrophic effect that this had on climate around the world.

Recorded webinar: Helping primary students understand climate change – This page introduces University College London’s Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education and their fantastic Teaching For Sustainable Futures resources.

Using indigenous and traditional stories to teach for climate and ecological action – Caitríona Ní Cassaithe and Anne Marie Kavanagh explore how herbs and wild plants were and are used to create natural remedies. They use archive material and oral history to promote and explore how environment and diversity intersect through engaging with indigenous voices.

The potential of primary history – In this article Alison Kitson and Michael Riley consider the potential of the primary history curriculum to educate children about climate change and sustainability. They suggest some important principles, and a range of strategies, that could be used to develop a stronger emphasis on environmental history in primary history.

Recorded webinar: Teaching history during a climate emergency: how can we respond? – In this 2021 recorded Virtual History Forum talk, Alison Kitson argues that history provides a vital perspective that enables young people to understand our interaction with the natural world through time. 

Earth heroes: Etta Lemon, ‘The Mother of Birds’ – In this article Ailsa Fidler considers Etta Lemon and her role in halting the plume boom, which saw many bird species driven to the edge of extinction, all in the name of fashion. Linking a study of Etta to the government’s policy on Climate Education, the article shows how Etta’s story can be one of hope: we can all make a difference.

Ideas for Assemblies: Linking historical events with geography – In this edition of Ideas for Assemblies, Primary History editors highlight some interesting anniversaries that might provide a link with geography, either through maps, ideas about climate change or conservation and protection of wild animals.

Dig for sustainability! – In this 2024 Primary History article, Paul Spear uses World War II government advertising strategies such as ‘Make do and Mend’ to consider how to promote modern campaigns related to sustainability. 

Trees – This article includes a compilation of a series of articles about significant trees around Britain. It is hoped that this will prompt readers to explore their own environments, helping children to engage with and enjoy nature. 

Why we need to teach about the history of trees and woodland... – In this article, Michael Riley highlights the importance of educating children about the history of trees and woodland. He explores the potential of primary history to develop an understanding of our changing relationship with trees. 

Recorded Webinar: Our Human Planet – The Anthropocene is much debated. For the first time in our home planet's 4.5-billion year history a single species began dictating Earth's future. In this webinar, Prof. Mark Maslin traces our environmental impact through our history revealing when humans began to dominate the Earth and shows us what the new epoch means for all of us. 

Exploring sustainability in the Early Years – In this article, Lucy Hawker thinks about how we might begin to explore the idea of sustainability with very young children. She suggests focussing on why we might save or reuse materials and objects. She presents a loose structure that could be used to develop talk. She also considers how we might use picture books to introduce the concept.

Our corporate primary members can also benefit from our subject leader guide on Embedding climate change and sustainability education into primary history.