Declaration of Intent on Climate Action
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Status of project
Ongoing -
Region
Global -
Topic
Public Engagement
Overview
On 19 January 2026 BGCI launched the Declaration of Intent on Climate Action Education – a high level statement and series of goals that aim to outline the collective impact that our network can have in addressing climate change goals through education. Use the headings below to navigate to the relevant section.
Latest news about the Declaration
Background
Climate change presents a significant threat to plant conservation, a 2-3°C temperature rise could lead to half the world’s plant species being threatened with extinction. The UN Sustainable Development Goal Climate Action (2030) is a key target for halting the climate crisis, but we only have 5 years left to achieve our goal. We need urgent collective action and the ability to reach millions of people, to create more sustainable, inclusive consumption, and ensure support for plant conservation.
BGCI’s global network of 950+ botanic gardens has a greater collective reach than any single plant conservation organisation in the world, presenting the opportunity to engage and empower hundreds of millions of people to take meaningful action.
With a grant from the Big Give’s Green Match Fund, BGCI has developed a Declaration of Intent on Climate Action Education.
Workshop held at the 11th International Congress on Education in Botanic Gardens (ICEBG)
The 11th ICEBG took place in Seoul, South Korea in June 2025. This event was attended by over 1,700 delegates from 53 countries. The project was announced at the Congress, and two workshops were held to design the declaration. The workshops aimed to identify activities that our members are already doing in education to contribute to climate change solutions, and identify new areas and example activities that collectively would have the greatest impact.
From this workshop seven key goals were identified, and these goals form the foundations of the Declaration. Following on from the Congress the draft Declaration was developed, win consultation with BGCI’s Education Consortium (a group of individuals that represent botanic garden education across the globe).
The Declaration of Intent
The Declaration of Intent on Climate Action Education for Botanic Gardens and Arboreta is a document that outlines the commitment that our network makes to address climate change challenges, outlines seven key goals where we can have the most impact, and provides example activities under each goal.
This Declaration covers the period 2026-2030 and invites botanic gardens and arboretums to sign up to the Declaration, agreeing to contribute to at least one of the seven goals.
These goals are wide ranging and designed to ensure that there is a goal that every organisation can contribute to, regardless of size, location or budget. Some organisations may feel that they are only able to contribute to one, where as others may choose to view the goals as a ladder or progression and work their work across all of them.
The intention is that each organisation commits to contribute to at least one of the seven goals but it is up to each organisation to decide what that commitment looks like and how many goals they can contribute to.
The seven key goals
- Build the foundations for nature connectedness and climate learning
- Collaborate to embed climate change education (relevant to plants, carbon and ecosystems) into school curriculums
- Empower our visitors/audiences to take climate action
- Influence government policies and agendas (local to international)
- Empower the next generation of climate conscious youth and communities
- Build the right partnerships to mobilise change and increase cooperation
- Build high-trust relationships to increase inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility of our programming through community outreach so that no-one is left behind.
How does the sign up work?
Sign up can be from an individual (within an organisation), a team or the whole organisation. The commitment that each signatory makes is for one year (i.e. January to December 2026 initially). During sign up, individuals will be asked to provide a baseline of what their organisation is currently doing under these seven key goals, and will then be asked to commit to at least one goal, under which they agree to develop activities or programmes that will contribute towards that goal.
At the end of each year, those signed up will be asked to report (briefly) on their activities under the Declaration for that year, and be invited to sign up for the following year.
Please note: We are looking for specific projects that will address 1-2 of the key goals, in your application please try to focus on one or two key activities or projects that will lead to high impact for climate change, rather than an overview of all of the activities you do against the seven goals.
Support available
BGCI will be developing a suite of support and training tools to inspire and motivate gardens and arboretums to take part. This will include regular webinars, updates in our GLOBE newsletter and training modules. In addition we hope to have some small grants available to support organisations to implement their activities. More details to follow.
Webinars
Watch the launch video (that took place on 18 January 2026). This provides an overview of the declaration and how to sign up. it also includes details of the new education grants available.
Additional webinars are planned for 2026.
Grants
To align with the International Day of Education in Botanic Gardens (12 June), BGCI and KNA have announced an annual grants programme – The International Day of Education Grants. These are small grants for education projects that align with at least one of the key goals of the Declaration.
Commitments made (signed up to the Declaration)
| Name/institution | Country | Goal(s) committing to | Activities |
| Jardin Botanique de Montréal | Canada | 7 | Planting activity with residents of long‑term care centres (CHSLDs), expand its Jardins Jeunes program—designed to teach responsible gardening to youth aged 8 to 16—into residential centres for young offenders or young people facing mental health challenges under the Youth Protection system. These activities explore gardening, the socio‑ecological transition, and biodiversity conservation, while also helping to break isolation and create meaningful, memorable human moments connected to nature. |
| Siit Arboretum Botanical Garden | Philippines | 3 & 6 (also activities for 1 & 5) | Activities include: 3) Spreading tools to our visiting public via seedlings distribution and renewable energy presentations to expand climate awareness and action 6) Maintaining collaboration with companies such as with East Solar Works and Marine Conservation Philippines with regards to environmental conservation and renewable energy, both companies being on hand in our premises |
| Jardín Botánico La Almunya del Sur | Spain | 4 & 5 (also general activities for other 5 goals) | 4) The garden is supporting public sustainability policies and agendas, serving as a demonstration space for nature-based solutions and facilitating technical and outreach events for government agencies and professionals in the green sector. 5) Promoting environmental volunteering programs, training internships, and support for academic work related to biodiversity, ecosystem services, and sustainability. |
| Universiti Brunei Darussalam Botanical Research Centre | Brunei Darussalam | 5 (and 1, 3 & 6) | Goal 5 – Two programmes: Green Learning programme (started in 2025), introduces secondary students to biodiversity and hands on plant care, and Green Minds, a pilot climate and biodiversity awareness programme conducted with the Brunei Climate Change Office (BCCO) involving Sixth Form students. These initiatives foster early climate literacy and lasting connections to nature. |
| Jardín Botánico de Castilla-La Mancha | Spain | 2 & 5 (and 1 & 7) | Climate change programme with schools. Consists of three phases, Phase 1: Conducted in the classroom over the course of the school year, this phase introduces students to the main environmental challenges of our time. Phase 2: This is the core of the project and takes place during the visit to the Botanical Garden. The Garden serves as a demonstration space for nature-based solutions, allowing students to observe and analyse how ecosystems and plant species can help mitigate and adapt to climate change. Phase 3: After the visit students produce a written reflection. They connect what they observed with the content studied in class and with their own daily actions. |
