We’re delighted to share that since the launch of Climate Education earlier this year, 100 climate actions have been pledged, 35 actions have been completed and 42 currently underway. Our Climate Education schools are all well on their way to meeting the Department of Education targets of becoming the world leader in sustainability and climate change within the education sector by 2030.
Delving deeper into our impacts so far
- 31 Zero Waste and Sustainable Living actions pledged – including visits to recycling centres, development of school recycling initiatives to include hard-to-recycle classroom waste like batteries and pens and carrying out community litter picks.
- 29 Our Natural Environment actions pledged – including planting trees to increase the green percentage of the school site, creating outdoor classroom spaces for students to learn and explore in, and creating wildlife spaces such as a pond to increase biodiversity in the school site.
- 17 Zero Carbon and Climate Change actions pledged – schools took part in village campaigns and events linked with climate change and doing our part for nature, with some committing to a change to renewable energy and providing electric vehicle charging points for school staff, visitors, and community.
- 15 Local Sustainable Food actions pledged – including the promotion of waste-free lunch box initiatives, growing a school orchard, and reducing food waste within the school.
- 8 Sustainable Travel and Health actions pledged – many of our schools carried out travel audits and aimed to reduce the carbon footprint of the school community.
Spotlight on The Shade Primary School
Congratulations to The Shade Primary School for completing the most climate actions since the launch! They completed a total of 15 climate actions across all 5 themes showcasing the range of their projects and commitment to whole-school sustainability. These included –
- 8 Our Natural Environment actions – The Shade have committed to providing homes for nature in their school grounds and creating wildflower meadows to benefit pollinators in the spring/summer months. They have also set up curriculum-based outdoor learning opportunities for students.
- 7 Local Sustainable Food actions – The Eco-Warriors have set up a school growing programme and are responsible for looking after the fruits and vegetables growing in the school’s grounds. The Shade are also actively reducing their carbon footprint of food and reducing food waste.
- 6 Zero Waste & Sustainable Living actions – from setting up their own uniform swap shop to becoming a single use plastic free school, The Shade are setting a great example for responsible resource use.
- 2 Sustainable Travel & Health actions – The Shade have increased the number of children cycling or scootering to school because they have increased cycle and scooter security on site. They also held a walk to school week in a bid to change habits and reduce the school’s carbon footprint.
- 2 Zero Carbon & Climate Change actions – The Academy Trust have installed solar panels and automatic lights in every room in the school to reduce electricity usage.
What’s coming next?
We’ve listened to your feedback, and we are excited to bring new features to your dashboard this coming September!
Look out for:
- A school carbon calculator to track your emissions and report your carbon footprint
- An updated interactive calendar for all your National Days
- Launch of the Climate Education Accreditation scheme
Plus, lots more!
By 2025, every education setting should have a designated sustainability lead and a climate action plan. Climate Education does all the hard work for you, from linking climate actions to appropriate resources to making it easy for schools to delegate climate actions within the schools.
Not yet a member? Don’t miss out and sign up here.
