An environmental education group is calling on the ACT Government to ensure children under five are included in the Territory’s next Climate Change Strategy following the release of a community consultation report.

The Australian Association for Environmental Education ACT Branch said the report highlighted strong public support for climate education, adaptation, community resilience and protecting future generations, but argued the strategy should explicitly include early childhood education.

ACT branch president Gabby Millgate said early learning services should be recognised as part of the Territory’s climate adaptation infrastructure, helping children develop practical knowledge about nature, weather and environmental change.

The association said Recommendation 11 of the ACT Legislative Assembly’s 2024 inquiry into climate change and a just transition had already called for a nature pedagogy pilot in early childhood settings.

It is urging the ACT Government to include children from birth to five in the 2026-2035 Climate Change Strategy, support nature-based learning in early childhood services, invest in educator training and incorporate early childhood climate education into the strategy’s implementation and reporting framework.

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