FEATURE FOCUS: SUSTAINABILITY
Climate-conscious schools: how can you make a difference?
children about the impact of global warming, how to adapt to climate change, deal with the unexpected, and encourage them to think creatively about solutions. But what is the appetite to do so amongst teachers and how can they be helped along the way?
Earlier this year, our Pearson School Report revealed some hopeful figures. After surveying over 6,000 teachers and 1,000 students, we discovered that six in 10 teachers believe that they play a powerful role in shaping the sustainably- minded citizens of tomorrow. Almost all schools in England – nine in 10 – are also taking action to protect the planet.
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ontinuing our focus this month on all aspects of sustainability, from menu evaluations to energy-saving initiatives, Clare Cox, Sustainability Lead at Pearson Schools, shares some of the steps schools are taking to become more sustainable, and collates key tips and advice from leading voices across the sector.
Is education ‘key to addressing climate change’?
The United Nations certainly believe that schools have a crucial role to play in teaching
The most common way this is being done is via teachers exploring environmental issues with their students (75% of teachers selected this), but action is also being taken in other ways from running student eco-clubs to energy-saving initiatives.
Barriers to sustainability
However, despite all this progress and action, our research also showed that seven in 10 teachers do not think that the current education system is developing sustainably-minded future citizens, with time pressures and a “crammed curriculum” cited as the biggest blocker to delivering environmental education by 4 in 5 teachers.
Six positive steps forward There is a clear appetite to drive positive change, 34
www.education-today.co.uk
but capacity remains a challenge. In my role as the Sustainability Lead at Pearson Schools, I’ve had the privilege of speaking with fantastic experts and teachers who are inspiring change with the resources they have available. Could any of the steps below work for you too?
• Small steps can make a big difference The journey to becoming more sustainable can feel like an overwhelming one, but there are small changes that can make a big impact. For example, could the thermostat be turned down by a degree or two? This will make a big difference to the amount of energy you use and could cut down the school’s heating bills by up to 10%!
Are students and teachers encouraged to turn off lights and devices that don’t need to be on? This can help foster a positive culture of energy awareness and conservation, which makes for a more energy-efficient and eco-conscious school setting that could spread into communities too! For more tips, be sure to check out Let’s Go Zero, the national campaign uniting teachers, pupils, parents and their schools as they all work together to be zero carbon by 2030.
• Think about your food
In 2021, 11% of the UK’s carbon emissions came from agriculture alone. What we choose to eat can have a huge impact on carbon emissions. When I spoke with Richard Dunne, Lead at
December 2023
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