Schools and other educational establishments are crucial in achieving environmental sustainability in the UK. This starts with educating young people about the importance of sustainability in today’s society and building attitudes and approaches for a more responsible future/citizens.
Schools represent 25% of the UK public sector building emissions.
(source: https://www.nga.org.uk/media/uqfcpiht/nga-environmental-sustainability-20220616.pdf)
Over 24,000 schools in England provide the opportunity to enhance biodiversity, help nature recover, and engage their students in various opportunities associated with the natural environment.
(source: https://www.nga.org.uk/media/uqfcpiht/nga-environmental-sustainability-20220616.pdf)
In April 2022, following COP26, the DfE released their ‘Sustainability & Climate Change Strategy for Education’
The aim was to establish the UK as the world-leading education sector in sustainability and climate change by 2030.
The strategy has four key aims:
- excellence in education and skills for a changing world
- net zero
- resilience to climate change
- a better environment for future generations
Organisations such as the WWF see a clear link between climate change and nature loss and state that we cannot tackle one without the other, ensuring that we do not compromise the needs of the future by meeting the demands of the present. Schools can take action in several ways, including transforming school values, championing sustainable behaviours and even putting pressure on their own organisation and local businesses to deliver climate promises and work towards a net zero philosophy. Schools are a focal point for inspiring students, their families and stakeholders to change how they operate sustainably and improve their own environmental/carbon footprint.
WWF Schools sustainability PDF spreads_0.pdf
The whole business of sustainability and trying to achieve net Zero is a bit of a roller coaster, and it’s very easy to be all doom and gloom and sad about it. However, lots of great stuff is happening, and we have all the tools and technology to make big inroads and make it happen now. Looking at what we must do, it doesn’t have to be a massive change.
The way we do things and our lifestyle choices make a big difference. This is not to say that everyone has to stop flying in airplanes; maybe we need to cut down and reduce the amount of flying we do.
We don’t all have to become vegetarian or vegan. We do, however, need to consume less meat and dairy. So it’s about being measured and realistic, focusing on the things that make the big difference, and not getting too hung up on the more minor things that don’t have the most significant impact.
What are Technology Companies doing – Net Zero?
Technology has two kinds of prongs to it. One is direct action in terms of the providers and the technology companies, and then technology significantly influences energy use and sustainability. How our data centres and computers and tech are made and run, for example, how other industries can become smarter and reduce their energy needs and energy efficiency, all of these things, including AI, have a big part to play.
Google became the first major company to become carbon neutral back in 2007. Google says it has wiped out its carbon footprint by investing in “high-quality carbon offsets.”
It became carbon-neutral in 2007 and has now compensated for all the carbon it has ever created. So, they are in a position to influence the take-up of renewable energy and are helping. They were the first company to offset and remove its legacy carbon emissions essentially, and that’s a step beyond just being net zero. Now, their commitment is to do more as an organisation, helping their customers and helping the rest of the world by providing tools and resources to help everybody else.
Microsoft is on a slightly different path. They’ve got a long legacy in terms of years active, and they’re looking at being carbon-negative by 2030 and removing all the historical emissions by 2050. They’re doing a lot around zero waste and water biodiversity.
How much is my carbon footprint?
Have you ever wondered how much your carbon footprint is and what you can do to reduce it? Why not try The Carbon Footprint Calculator (link below)? You don’t need to have any bills or personal information to hand; it’s just asking you general queries about your day-to-day usage, which will approximate your carbon footprint.
WWF Footprint Calculator
ICT has a great deal of influence on energy use. Data centres, computers, printers and televisions are big energy users. On the other hand, ICT applications offer opportunities for energy saving.
ICT-enabled solutions (for example, smart grids, smart buildings, smart logistics and industrial processes) are helping to transform the world towards a more sustainable and energy-efficient future. These green technologies and processes have the potential to play a significant role in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.
Research and impact:
In recent research, the following findings demonstrated the impact of reducing the number of books a school uses, replacing them with digital technology and the positive effect on their carbon footprint:
(source: PedTech Impact Report – LEO Academy Trust)
- Reduction from 17 books a year to 6 books per child.
- This equates to £24.50 per child and nearly £100,000 across the trust.
• When photocopying, it was calculated that 4 million pieces of paper were saved, saving £500,000 annually.
- This represented over 54% of the total cost of the 1:1 Chromebook provision.
- This also represents a saving of just under 400 trees.
• In moving activities from paper-based to digital tasks, the trust worked out that each teacher saved 100 minutes per week.
- This is 11 days per academic year.
- If all 200 staff members across the trust were to save this amount of time, then this would equate to 11 members of full-time staff (around £300,000 of staff time).
Climate Change – Statistics:
CO₂ emissions from fossil fuels and land-use change, World (ourworldindata.org)
Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions
- 2023 = 54+ billion tons
- 1960 = approx. 10 billion tons