Learning for a Sustainable Future: Live at COP26 (FutureLearn)

Learning for a Sustainable Future: Live at COP26 (FutureLearn)

Explore global issues during COP26 and be part of the call for collective action. What on Earth could be more important? Live at COP26. The 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) is being held in Glasgow, Scotland between 31st October and 12th November 2021. It will bring together heads of state, climate experts and campaigners to agree and accelerate coordinated global action on climate change.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see FutureLearn's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Be part of the action at COP26
This two-week course, which runs in parallel with the COP26 conference, offers you an opportunity to examine what COP26 is, why it’s important and reflect on how you can add your voice to the call for collective action for a sustainable future.
You’ll explore the broader context of COP26 and consider other key frameworks such as COP15 (The UN Convention on Biological Diversity) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Throughout the course, we will share ‘live’ insights into the issues being discussed at COP26, as well as responses to the conference themes from children and young people, community groups and ministerial bodies, both nationally and internationally. Using these ‘starting points’, we will invite you to reflect on what you have heard, watched and read and think about what these conversations and issues mean to you. We will provide opportunities for discussion and reflection and will share ideas and inspiration to help us all take our next steps beyond the Conference.
Join us and collaborate for a sustainable future
There has never been a more urgent need for the world to work together and take collaborative action to secure a sustainable future for people and planet.
Join us and become part of our shared learning community, where everyone, course team included, is encouraged to reflect, share and learn with and from one another during COP26.
You may also be interested in our 5-week Learning for a Sustainable Future course.

What topics will you cover?

  1. COP26: Setting the Scene.
  2. Sharing Thinking.
  3. Working Collaboratively.
  4. Moving to Action.
  5. Futures Thinking.

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Investigate the broader context of COP26 and consider other associated frameworks such as COP15 (The UN Convention on Biological Diversity) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
  • Consider local, national, and global perspectives on COP26 through a range of responses to the core themes of the Conference.
  • Reflect on the work of educators and communities in Scotland who have been engaged in 'COP26 focused' activities.
  • Explore a range of artistic and creative responses that offer engaging and alternative ways into the complex themes of COP26.
  • Share ideas and inspiration as to how individuals, communities and organisations can take collaborative action for a sustainable future.

Who is the course for?
This course is designed for anyone with an interest in sustainability – and that should be all of us!
You may find the course particularly useful if you are involved in education at any level.

Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Climate Intelligence: Using Climate Data to Improve Business Decision-Making (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Reading

Climate Intelligence: Using Climate Data to Improve Business Decision-Making (FutureLearn)

Build climate resilience in your business as you learn how climate intelligence helps make decisions that mitigate risks. How exposed is your organisation to climate risk? Climate and weather projections hold the data that businesses need both to evaluate the risk climate change poses and to mitigate that risk. However, interpreting this data can be challenging. On this two-week course, you’ll learn how to identify relevant and reliable climate data for your business and explore how that raw data can be converted into information that connects with the particular operational and financial decisions you face.

Self Paced
2 Weeks
Introduction to Sustainable Practices in Food Service (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
International Culinary Studio

Introduction to Sustainable Practices in Food Service (FutureLearn)

Create a more sustainable food service business and make a difference to your bottom line, your stakeholders, and the environment. Improve your sustainable practices within your organisation. Sustainability isn’t just about ‘greening’; sustainability actually means ‘meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.’ On this course, you’ll look at general global sustainability concepts, issues, and concerns, before focusing on sustainability specifically within food service and what you can do to reduce your impact.

Self Paced
2 Weeks
Nutrition for Health and Sustainability (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
EIT Food,EIT

Nutrition for Health and Sustainability (FutureLearn)

Learn what makes up a healthy, sustainable diet and how certain food types can help to treat and prevent disease. Explore the relationship between health, nutrition, and sustainability. Diet is the biggest single risk factor for preventable diseases in the world and a key driver of diabetes, heart disease, and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs). On this course, you’ll look at what makes up a healthy diet, and see what types of foods play a crucial part in preventing diseases and improving wellbeing.

Sep 4th 2023
3 Weeks
Renewable Energy: Achieving Sustainability through Bioenergy (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Leeds

Renewable Energy: Achieving Sustainability through Bioenergy (FutureLearn)

Understand the principles of bioenergy and learn how to harness this form of renewable energy to achieve sustainability. Learn about the principles and environmental implications of bioenergy. On this two week course, you will explore bioenergy, one of the most diverse and readily available sources of renewable energy. You’ll look into what types of biomass can be used and how sustainable energy solutions can be developed in a wide range of communities.

Self Paced
2 Weeks
Climate and Energy: An Interdisciplinary Perspective (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Glasgow,CIVIS

Climate and Energy: An Interdisciplinary Perspective (FutureLearn)

Explore climate change issues from an interdisciplinary perspective to find innovative solutions for a better future. Gain interdisciplinary skills for climate change solutions. On this four-week course, you’ll join educators from ten universities on a virtual field trip to a remote Swedish island to gain perspectives on climate and energy from a multitude of disciplines.

Self Paced
4 Weeks
Tackling Environmental Challenges for a Sustainable Future (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of York

Tackling Environmental Challenges for a Sustainable Future (FutureLearn)

Discover how environmental research can inform how we respond to and solve the major global environmental issues of today. Explore sustainable solutions to environmental issues like changing glaciers. Our energy use is unsustainable, we’re producing waste plastic that’s endangering oceans, and large parts of the natural world are disappearing. We know our planet is facing huge environmental challenges, but what are we doing to solve them?

Self Paced
4 Weeks
Making Climate Adaptation Happen: Governing Transformation Strategies for Climate Change (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Groningen,Global Center on Adaptation

Making Climate Adaptation Happen: Governing Transformation Strategies for Climate Change (FutureLearn)

Explore how adaptive governance could help policymakers plan for and manage sudden environmental changes. Learn the governance tools to respond to climate change. Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing governing bodies across the globe. On this course, you will be introduced to climate science, the societal effects of climate change, and the responses already available in the form of climate adaptation.

Self Paced
4 Weeks
Upcycling: From Green Ideas to Starting a Business (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
MINCA,Hands of Honour

Upcycling: From Green Ideas to Starting a Business (FutureLearn)

Explore the concept of upcycling, its link to sustainable development, and how you can start your own upcycling business. Understand upcycling, how to make upcycling products and start up a company. Have you ever turned unwanted objects or waste materials into entirely new products? Upcycling is the ideal way to combine creative ideas with a passion for sustainability and entrepreneurship.

Self Paced
3 Weeks
Medical Equipment Donations to Low Resource Settings (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
St George's, University of London

Medical Equipment Donations to Low Resource Settings (FutureLearn)

Learn how to plan a medical equipment donation to a low-resource setting that's appropriate, sustainable, and has a real impact. Navigate the pitfalls of planning and organising donations of medical equipment. Unavailability of essential clinical equipment can be a serious problem in low-resource settings. On this course, developed in collaboration with the Tropical Health Education Trust (THET), you‘ll learn best practices in planning a donation of medical equipment to a low-resource setting.

Self Paced
2 Weeks
How to Drive Sustainable Healthcare: Educate, Engage, and Empower (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University College London

How to Drive Sustainable Healthcare: Educate, Engage, and Empower (FutureLearn)

Understand how healthcare impacts the environment and gain the skills to drive sustainable change within your healthcare setting. Discover the importance of sustainability in healthcare. Though healthcare systems play a vital role in society, they also have a considerable environmental impact. As we face the climate crisis, we must identify ways to reduce this impact. On this three-week course, you’ll discover how healthcare systems negatively affect the environment and what you can do in your healthcare setting to mitigate this. With this understanding, you’ll gain skills to promote sustainability and improve the health of your patients and the planet.

Jan 29th 2024
3 Weeks