Thriving Sustainably on Planet Earth
How do we thrive sustainably on planet earth? As educators, policymakers and communities grapple with climate change and other global challenges, an important question emerges: how can education help young people build the knowledge, resilience and agency needed to shape a more sustainable future for decades to come?
During London Climate Action Week 2026, we joined Cambridge Zero at the British Library to celebrate the publication of Thriving Sustainably on Planet Earth: Inspiring Innovation in Children's Education. The event focused on exploring how education can help young people navigate an increasingly complex future.
Hosted by Professor Emily Shuckburgh CBE, co-editor of the book and Chief Scientific Advisor to the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero, the evening brought together two other Chief Scientific Advisors to the UK Government, Professor Anjali Goswami (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and Professor Micheal Thomas (Department for Education). Together, they discussed how academic thinking on environmental education can be translated into meaningful action in classrooms and communities. Commenting on the event, Emily said:
"I think the most important thing about the conversation tonight is that we’ve brought people with multiple perspectives together to think through that key challenge of how we educate children. To do that effectively requires that conversation. It requires having that breadth of different viewpoints coming together."
Thriving Sustainably on Planet Earth
The book is one of the first titles in our new Education Visions series which aims to bridge theory and practice. Dr James Biddulph MBE, co-editor of the book, Chief Executive of Avanti Schools Trust, and former Head Teacher of Cambridge University Primary School described it as “a dance between academic research and practitioner wisdom”, bringing together diverse perspectives to inspire discussion rather than prescribe solutions.
"This book is to inspire conversations... The hopeful dialogue that will come from the book is that new ideas will be formed, tested, challenged or even dismissed."
- Dr James Biddulph
A recurring theme throughout the event was the importance of equipping young people not only with knowledge, but with hope, creativity and agency.
Dr Amy Munro-Faure, Head of the Climate Change Engagement Team at Cambridge Zero, reflected on the broader purpose of education in a changing world during the panel session:
"I think it’s about how we construct a future that people want to live in."
A picture speaks a thousand words
The book's cover image, created by pupils at the University of Cambridge Primary School as part of an arts project, features a ladder made from twigs and branches reaching towards the sky.
For co-editor Dr James Biddulph, it reflects both optimism and uncertainty:
"The sky is very clear and the rungs of the ladder are hopeful. And yet there's a kind of precariousness to it as well. It's a metaphor for what we're trying to get across in the book."
A future of climate literacy
The event panel highlighted the growing need for climate literacy, green skills and clearer pathways into sustainability-related careers.
Professor Liz Bentley, Chief Executive of the Royal Meteorological Society, explained the Society’s aspiration that “every child leaves school weather and climate literate”, supported by curriculum development, teacher training and classroom resources.
Not underestimating the importance of imagination, the panel also discussed the role of resilience and community in education. From place-based learning to stronger connections between schools and their local communities, the panel emphasised that addressing environmental challenges requires collaboration across disciplines, sectors and generations.
In helping young people navigate an uncertain future, Dr Amy Munro-Faure also highlighted the value of ensuring young people's voices are reflected in education.
"…Their perspective is fundamental because they have the most time to live and the most to lose in terms of what might happen if we don't meet that challenge."
Closing the panel discussion, Dr James Biddulph reflected on the inspiration behind the book:
"This is about how we help young people live better for a more wholesome society."
The evening demonstrated exactly that ambition – opening up a timely and hopeful conversation about the future of education and the role it can play in helping the future generation thrive sustainably on planet Earth.
