CL.AI.mate set out to equip educators, future teachers, and local stakeholders with the skills to use Generative AI as a practical tool for understanding and teaching climate change. The project pursued six concrete objectives: (1) develop participants' digital skills for analysing climate data and understanding climate mechanisms; (2) build capacity for both mitigation and adaptation strategies, connecting global science to local realities; (3) facilitate cross-regional dialogue between partners in Belgium and Greece on shared climate challenges; (4) introduce GenAI tools into everyday educational and civic practice; (5) enable localised climate solutions through AI-driven data interpretation; and (6) establish durable educational partnerships that outlast the project period. A particular focus was placed on university students - future teachers who will shape the next generation's understanding of both climate change and digital tools. By training them before they enter the classroom, the project embedded climate literacy and responsible AI use at the start of their professional formation, rather than as an add-on later.
Climate change is accelerating, yet many educators - especially in rural or remote areas - lack both the tools and the knowledge to analyse its local impacts or teach about it effectively. Generative AI offers real potential for interpreting environmental data, but without dedicated training, it remains out of reach for most educators. CL.AI.mate addressed a concrete gap: educators, future teachers, and local stakeholders were not equipped to use GenAI for climate literacy, and existing training provision did not cover this intersection of digital competence and environmental education. The three partners, PRECISION (Belgium), the University of Thessaly, and DIAN (Greece), focused specifically on educators of students with special needs and those from rural areas, where climate impacts are more severe and access to cutting-edge digital tools is most limited. By delivering structured training, developing an AI-supported curriculum, and producing reusable educational resources, the project built lasting capacity for data-driven climate action - directly aligned with the EU Green Deal's goal of making Europe climate-neutral by 2050.