By Dr Jako Olivier, Adviser: Higher Education, COL
For many across the Commonwealth, access to education has long been limited. On any given morning, millions of learners travel to classrooms by bus, car, or foot, often facing barriers of cost, distance, and time. As climate change intensifies, these challenges are only likely to grow, with increased floods, fires, and other natural disasters making access to education even more difficult. But what if Open and Distance Learning (ODL) could both expand access and leave a lighter footprint on the planet? At COL, we see ODL as a powerful answer, broadening opportunities while supporting more sustainable ways of learning.
This year’s Earth Day theme, Our Power, Our Planet, emphasises the importance of agency, highlighting how education can be leveraged to empower societies to build sustainable futures. In this context, open learning creates opportunities, promotes inclusion, and enables societies to function with sustainability in mind. In reflecting on how COL’s ODL efforts support climate action, we examine how educational systems can become more resilient, equitable, and responsive to climate change.
Post-secondary education institutions have an important role to play in this effort. Universities, colleges, and vocational training institutions prepare graduates, professionals, and entrepreneurs who contribute to greener economies and stronger communities across the Commonwealth. COL’s report, Transforming education for climate action: Report to Commonwealth Ministers of Education, advocates for a “New Green Learning Agenda” that equips learners with green skills for jobs, life, and systems transformation. The report also provides guidance on how education systems can decarbonise their operations and delivery models.
Further research shows that ODL offers significant advantages for decarbonisation. A recent systematic review of 17 studies found that ODL typically produces substantially lower emissions than campus-based education, with some landmark studies reporting reductions of more than 80 per cent. The greatest savings come from reduced daily commuting, lower campus energy use, and more centralised delivery, along with decreased reliance on printed learning materials.
The rise of Open Educational Resources (OER) — freely accessible and often digital learning materials — further reduces emissions by minimising the need for printing and distribution. Case and point, OAsis, COL’s repository of Open Access publications and learning materials, provides institutions and learners with thousands of digital resources, including courses, guides, toolkits, reports, and books, supporting more sustainable and accessible education systems.
For Commonwealth countries, the benefits of ODL extend well beyond reducing carbon emissions, with distance and blended models expanding access for working adults, women and girls, learners in remote corners of the world, as well as others who are traditionally excluded from education due to cost, geography, or inflexible schedules. Against this backdrop, lower-carbon education becomes more inclusive and cost-effective, supporting livelihoods while reducing environmental harm.
While the climate-positive impacts of ODL are well documented, some academic discourse highlights that digital learning is not entirely impact-free. A forthcoming review by Zawacki-Richter and Cefa warns that rebound effects may offset gains when both homes and campuses consume energy simultaneously. The review also points to the growing environmental cost of Generative AI, noting the significant amounts of electricity and water required to power data centres and the potential for an increased digital education footprint. In 2024, data centres — driven largely by AI and other digital technologies — consumed approximately 415 terawatt-hours of electricity, accounting for about 1.5 per cent of global electricity demand. The International Energy Agency projects that this demand will more than double by 2030.
This Earth Day serves as an important reminder for those working across education to remain climate-conscious, particularly in the use of AI and digital learning solutions. At COL, Our Power, Our Planet means leveraging open, distance, and digital approaches to expand access, improve quality, and reduce emissions, while also investing in efficient infrastructure, thoughtful pedagogy, and responsible AI use. In COL’s pursuit of digitalisation and the ethical leverage of the digital dividend, ODL and OER are delivering equity with quality at scale in climate-responsible ways.
Reflecting on global climate goals, we remain committed to working with our partners to empower people through learning, accelerating economic growth, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability across the Commonwealth.
