Environmental education is a powerful but underused tool to address the global crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. This will help build a cleaner, and more sustainable economy for generations to come. It equips Canadians—children, youth and their educators in particular—with the knowledge, skills and agency they need to take meaningful action, navigate misinformation and disinformation, and be part of resilient communities. It is essential to supporting green jobs in Canada and transitioning to a resilient and sustainable society. It is also key to mitigating the adverse impacts of a changing climate on children's health, well-being and academic performance. 

A collaboration of the Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and its partners and stakeholders, the National Framework for Environmental Learning seeks to bridge gaps and better integrate environmental learning across Canada. It provides guiding principles, key focus areas and examples to inspire action. The Framework is for educators, policy makers and other leaders in the formal and non-formal education sectors to help them create or build on existing learning materials, programs and initiatives. It also supports the development of goals, assessment criteria and reporting. The Framework is high-level by design, to respect provincial and territorial jurisdictions and recognize the need to adapt it to local contexts.