Lessons from Freire: towards a pedagogy for socio-ecological transformation

Climate breakdown is one of the greatest challenges our world faces. Driven by social, economic, political, environmental and ideological forces, the climate crisis necessitates critical, creative, inclusive and impactful action across multiple levels of society. Adult learning is a core element of societal transitions to a more sustainable future and this article explores Paulo Freire’s ‘Pedagogy of the Oppressed’ as a valuable resource for understanding processes of, and barriers to, multi-level changes. Drawing on our innovative ‘Creating our Vision for a Greener Future’ project, we situate Freirean pedagogy as a cornerstone of teaching, learning and action for socio-ecological transformation.