How climate links to the Cambridge OCR GCSE and A Level Physics specifications
11 February 2026
Sylvia Knight, Head of Education at the Royal Meteorological Society and Mike Jackson, Physics Subject Advisor
In this blog we discuss cross-curricular links, support for understanding and possible misconceptions around climate education in physics. Links to climate education are included in Cambridge OCR’s A Level Physics A and A Level Physics B (Advancing Physics) specifications, and in GCSE Physics A (Gateway) and GCSE Physics B (Twenty First Century) specifications.
How do the specifications link to climate?
Climate change, nature and sustainability education enables students to understand the interdependence of the Earth’s natural and human systems and the causes, consequences and possible solutions to climate change.
In GCSE Gateway science the greenhouse effect is part of the chemistry specification (C6.2c) and the carbon cycle is in the biology specification within ecosystems section in B4. They both link to physics in P8.3d through emission of radiation and, for higher tier, through 8.3h which specifically refers to the temperature of the Earth. The greenhouse effect can also be linked to 5.3a through transmission and absorption of waves with varying wavelengths.
In Twenty First Century science, climate change is covered in P1.2, What is climate change and what is the evidence for it?
In A Level Physics A, environmental damage from power stations is part of 4.2 (Energy, power and resistance) and 6.4 in relation to nuclear power.
The importance of cross-curricular links
Students may raise questions around the impacts of factors other than greenhouse gases, including solar output and changes in the Earth’s orbit (Milankovitch cycles). These are not directly covered by the science specifications but they do help to explain the importance of modelling to address misconceptions around scientific theories challenging misinformation in social media.
In this video, Simon Clark explains why the sun cannot be reponsible for global warming, as well as modelling of atmospherics.
Milankovitch cycles are part of the Cambridge OCR A Level Geography and GCSE Geography B specifications. Milankovitch cycles refer to the Earth’s orbit shape (eccentricity), axis tilt (obliquity) and how the direction the Earth’s axis of rotation is pointed (precession), which helps to explain some historical climate change but does not account for all current global warming. This article by Professor Joanna Haigh explains this in detail. The A Level Geography Delivery guide and Learner Resource 3 may also help with understanding of the level being taught and provides an opportunity to collaborate with geography teachers in your centre. Metlink (from the Royal Meteorological Society) provides teaching resources on climate change too.
Uncertainty in data
Analysis of the evidence for global warming provides an opportunity for students to further develop their understanding of uncertainties and claims based on data. Metlink’s teaching resources for climate change offers a range of useful graphs which can support this.
A Level students are required to have elementary knowledge of error bars and it may be suitable for some GCSE students to have awareness of these too. Graphical data with error bars can be used to consider lines of best fit (and worst fit). Potentially, students could be challenged to try to disprove correlations to improve their understanding further.
With appropriate human intervention Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can quickly generate graphs with error bars, and even worksheets for students. You could expand on this idea and broaden graph work and discuss the difference between correlation and causation.
Misconceptions to be aware of
While the greenhouse effect is a common term, there are clear weaknesses of a ‘greenhouse’ as an effective model for the greenhouse effect. The Earth’s atmosphere is not like a pane of glass at one point at a high altitude, nor do the mechanisms leading to higher temperatures work in the same way, which, in a greenhouse, are largely due to preventing convection/advection.
Teach students the differences in transmission of incoming and outgoing radiation from the Earth’s surface and absorption by the surface. This does present an opportunity to further develop students’ understanding of the use of models in science – considering all the strengths and weaknesses of each argument.
When teaching sustainability there are some other common misconceptions and misuse of language to be aware of. These include:
- Global warming is a factor that can lead to climate change, which itself is a large-scale, long-term shift in the Earth’s weather patterns (both averages and extremes).
- All of the increases in temperatures we have seen since the Industrial Revolution have been due to human activities (you can read more in the 2021 Climate Change report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change).
- Adaptation is climate action which reduces the impact of climate change, which differs from the use of the term in Biology.
- Mitigation is climate action which reduces the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere but be aware that “mitigation of impacts” has a different meaning (effectively adaptation).
- Air pollution does not usually include greenhouse gases but refers to particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide that affect air quality. However, the drivers of air pollution are often also sources of greenhouse gas emissions.
- Phrases such as ‘scientists believe’ are not representative of the scientific process, which is one of testing and proof. The most recent IPCC report concluded that: “Human activities, principally through emissions of greenhouse gases, have unequivocally caused global warming, with global surface temperature reaching 1.1°C above 1850-1900 levels during 2011-2020.
- Water vapour is a greenhouse gas controlled only by the temperature of the atmosphere and a positive feedback mechanism in amplifying the impact of other greenhouse gases whose concentration is directly affected by human actions.
- Nitrous oxide, N2O, is a greenhouse gas, but the broad term nitrous oxides would not be correct if used.
Moving forward
Students may have questions beyond the specification and the government’s Curriculum and Assessment (CAR) review notes that: “There is currently minimal explicit inclusion of climate education in the national curriculum.” The government response to CAR states: “We will take the opportunity to enhance the climate education content which is already present in the national curriculum, in the subjects of geography, science and citizenship.”
The reform of GCSEs may present an opportunity to improve climate education. We welcome your thoughts and feedback in the meantime!
Resources
The following resources may help to support teachers with sustainability and the environment:
Stay connected
Subject advisors are here to support you, so please let us know if you have any questions or if you would like a chat to consider or support changing to Cambridge OCR. We also welcome ongoing feedback from centres.
Share your thoughts in the comments below. If you have any questions, you can email us at science@ocr.org.uk or call us on 01223 553998. We each have a Teams booking page which you can use to set up a virtual meeting with us too.
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About the authors
Sylvia is a physicist and climate scientist who has been supporting the teaching of weather and climate in UK schools for many years. She’s also a visiting Professor in the University of Reading’s School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences and Institute of Education.
Mike joined OCR in January 2024 and is a subject advisor for A Level Physics. Mike completed an MA in Education at the University of Birmingham in 2014. Before joining OCR, he was a teacher for over 15 years, with roles included Acting Assistant Head, Head of Science, Physics Network Lead for a trust, a STEM Learning Facilitator and an SLE for Science. Mike is passionate about inclusion in education, environment and sustainability.
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