CommentPublished: 29 December 2025Isabel Ruiz-Mallén ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-9679-33291,2,Francesc Baró ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0145-63203,4,5,6,Hayat Bentouhami7,Nathalie Blanc8,9,Lidia Casas7,Céline Clauzel8,10,Raquel Colacios ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-5525-61802,Elsa Gallez5,6,Amy Phillips ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-6533-09115,11,Paula Presser ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-2322-576612,Diana Reckien ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-1145-950912 &…Filka Sekulova2,13 Nature Climate Change (2025)Cite this articleSubjectsDecision makingGovernanceTransforming school environments into nature-based climate shelters not only promotes cooling and greening under extreme heat, but also fosters quality education, ecological restoration, empowerment and reconnection with nature, and provides children with healthier, safer, more playful, equitable and climate-proof spaces.This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institutionAccess optionsAccess Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journalsGet Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription27,99 € / 30 dayscancel any timeLearn moreSubscribe to this journalReceive 12 print issues and online access269,00 € per yearonly 22,42 € per issueLearn moreBuy this articlePurchase on SpringerLinkInstant access to the full article PDF.39,95 €Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkoutFig. 1: The main benefits offered by nature-based climate school shelters.ReferencesClimate Change as a Threat to Health and Well-being in Europe: Focus on Heat and Infectious Diseases (European Climate and Health Observatory, 2022); https://go.nature.com/3Y1opc0Gallez, E. et al. 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F.B.’s contribution to this work is also funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and by ESF+ through the grant RYC2023-042663-I.Author informationAuthors and AffiliationsFaculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), Barcelona, SpainIsabel Ruiz-MallénTURBA Lab, Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Social and Cultural Transformations (TRÀNSIC), Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC), Barcelona, SpainIsabel Ruiz-Mallén, Raquel Colacios & Filka SekulovaUniversity Research Institute for Sustainability Science And Technology, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Barcelona, SpainFrancesc BaróDepartment of Environmental and Civil Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Barcelona, SpainFrancesc BaróDepartment of Geography, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, BelgiumFrancesc Baró, Elsa Gallez & Amy PhillipsDepartment of Sociology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, BelgiumFrancesc Baró & Elsa GallezSocial Epidemiology and Health Policy (SEHPO), Department of Family Medicine and Population Health (FAMPOP), University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, BelgiumHayat Bentouhami & Lidia CasasUMR 7533 CNRS LADYSS, Paris, FranceNathalie Blanc & Céline ClauzelUniversité Paris Cité, Paris, FranceNathalie BlancUniversité Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, Paris, FranceCéline ClauzelDepartment of Planning, Property and Environmental Management, University of Manchester, Manchester, UKAmy PhillipsDepartment of Urban and Regional Planning and Geo-Information Management, Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, University of Twente, Enschede, The NetherlandsPaula Presser & Diana ReckienDepartment of Economic History, Institutions, Politics and World Economy, University of Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, SpainFilka SekulovaAuthorsIsabel Ruiz-MallénView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarFrancesc BaróView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarHayat BentouhamiView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarNathalie BlancView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarLidia CasasView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarCéline ClauzelView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarRaquel ColaciosView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarElsa GallezView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarAmy PhillipsView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarPaula PresserView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarDiana ReckienView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarFilka SekulovaView author publicationsSearch author on:PubMed Google ScholarCorresponding authorsCorrespondence to Isabel Ruiz-Mallén or Francesc Baró.Ethics declarationsCompeting interestsThe authors declare no competing interests.Rights and permissionsReprints and permissionsAbout this article