It’s clear that climate change is not a distant threat but a pressing reality. The UK aims to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and schools can play a critical role in achieving this goal​. As teachers, we have an opportunity to equip children with the knowledge and skills to navigate a climate-impacted world. By developing children who are passionate advocates for change, we empower them to be responsible global citizens. This blog explores practical steps schools can take to integrate sustainability and climate action into their daily operations and curriculum.

What schools must do for sustainability and climate action

The UK government’s sustainability and climate change strategy mandates specific actions for all education settings by 2025. This framework integrates sustainability into the education sector. It emphasises the crucial role of schools in achieving national climate goals and aims to ensure that all educational institutions can contribute effectively to sustainability and climate resilience.

So, what exactly do schools need to do?

1. Nominate a sustainability lead:

Each school must designate a sustainability lead responsible for driving and coordinating sustainability efforts across the school. This role can be held by an individual or a team.

2. Develop a climate action plan:

Schools are required to create and implement a comprehensive climate action plan. This plan should cover:

• Decarbonisation: Actions to reduce carbon emissions, for example improving energy efficiency and using renewable energy sources, such as installing LED lighting and solar panels.

• Adaptation and resilience: Measures to mitigate risks from climate impacts such as flooding and overheating. Consider planting trees to provide shade and reduce heat.

• Biodiversity: Initiatives to enhance green spaces and biodiversity within school grounds, for example creating wildlife habitats.

• Climate education and green careers: Integrating climate change education into the curriculum and providing training for staff to teach sustainability topics effectively. Offer workshops and seminars for teachers.

3. Engage the entire school community:

Effective climate action requires the involvement of all stakeholders, including senior leaders, the estate team, teachers, pupils, support staff, and even parents. Schools should promote a whole-setting approach to sustainability, ensuring everyone is engaged and contributing to the efforts.

4. Sign up for sustainability initiatives:

Schools are encouraged to join national campaigns and initiatives such as the Let’s Go Zero pledge, aiming for zero carbon by 2030, and the National Education Nature Park, which provides opportunities for pupils to engage with nature and develop sustainability skills.

5. Utilise available resources and support:

Schools can access a range of resources, services, and tools through the Sustainability Support Hub for Education. This hub offers guidance on developing climate action plans tailored to each school’s specific context and needs.

6. Conduct a baseline audit:

Schools should start with an initial baseline audit to assess their current sustainability practices and identify areas for improvement. 

Getting started with an audit

By conducting an initial baseline audit, as recommended above, to determine your school’s current position, schools can establish a clear starting point, identify key areas for improvement, and track progress over time in decarbonisation, adaptation and resilience, biodiversity, and climate education and green careers.

Key questions for the audit include:

• Do you have a budget for sustainability initiatives? Assess whether funds are allocated for improving the school’s sustainability and if there is a dedicated budget for sustainability projects.
• Are you involved in wider sustainability campaigns? Evaluate your school’s involvement in wider sustainability campaigns and the current level of participation in national or local sustainability initiatives.

• Have you addressed climate change in your safeguarding policy? Assess local air quality to determine if there are high levels of air pollution in your area, as this is crucial for developing strategies to mitigate its impact on the school environment. Additionally, check if your school safeguarding policy references climate change to ensure climate resilience is integrated into overall safety plans.

• Do you have green spaces and biodiversity initiatives in place? Review the availability of outdoor spaces or greenery at your school. Examine the extent and quality of green spaces within the school grounds to enhance biodiversity and provide natural learning environments. Verify access to an allotment or school vegetable patch to confirm if there are facilities for gardening and growing plants, which can support hands-on sustainability education.

• Is your school taking action to help with decarbonisation? Check if the school boiler is less than 10 years old to evaluate heating efficiency and consider upgrades to reduce carbon emissions. Assess the modes of transport used by staff and pupils to promote sustainable travel options. Verify the availability of recycling bins in each classroom. Review the use of renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind power, to support clean energy adoption.

• Are your staff and pupils engaged in climate education and sustainability activities? Determine if lessons across the school cover climate change to ensure pupils receive essential sustainability knowledge. Identify staff who feel confident in teaching climate topics to highlight areas for professional development. Additionally, check for extra-curricular groups focused on sustainability, providing further opportunities for pupil engagement and learning. 

Climate change as a safeguarding issue

Recognise that climate change is a safeguarding issue. To reduce anxiety around climate change, help staff understand what they can do, including findings ways to:

• Promote biodiversity: Introduce more biodiversity on the school grounds.
• Encourage outdoor well-being: Use green spaces for well-being activities.
• Discuss risk management: Talk about managing climate risks outdoors.
• Address misinformation: Cover fake news and social media stories on climate change in ICT lessons.
• Explore local impacts: Investigate local climate change effects, such as flooding, through case studies.

Creating an eco-community

Establishing an eco-community within your school can significantly advance sustainability efforts and engage pupils in meaningful, hands-on activities. A largely pupil-led, teacher-guided group can help implement policies and promote sustainable practices. Here are some examples of small changes to add to a policy to get you started:

• Printing: Only print when necessary. Use double-sided printing, reduce text to one sheet, and avoid printing materials that pupils can copy into their books.
• Exercise books: Ensure books are filled to capacity before issuing new ones. Teach pupils to use pages efficiently and consider shared books for subjects.
• Unwanted textbooks: Arrange a collection area for old books to be pulped for free.
• Energy conservation: Implement simple measures such as turning off lights and electronic devices when not in use to conserve energy. This reduces the school’s carbon footprint.
• Water usage: Promote water-saving habits, such as turning off taps properly and using water-efficient fixtures. This helps conserve water.
• Waste reduction: Encourage the reduction, reuse, and recycling of materials. Set up recycling stations and educate pupils on sorting waste correctly. This promotes a culture of sustainability.

Integrating climate change into the curriculum

Incorporating climate change into the curriculum is essential for preparing pupils to navigate and address the challenges of a climate-impacted world. Whether schools choose a structured scheme, for example Kapow Primary’s Geography scheme, or develop their own approach, they aim to highlight climate change and equip children with the knowledge and skills they need.

The Kapow Primary scheme weaves climate change throughout the Geography curriculum, providing structured and age-appropriate lessons that help pupils understand the causes, effects, and solutions to climate change. This scheme integrates sustainability into various subjects, promoting a holistic understanding of environmental issues.

Kapow Primary also partners with Eco-Schools and supports schools in achieving the Eco-Schools Green Flag accreditation. This programme provides a simple seven-step framework that empowers young people to make a difference in their school, community, and beyond. See our dedicated mapping document showing how our schemes map to the programme.

Integrating sustainability and climate action into schools’ daily operations and curriculum is not just a government mandate but a vital step in preparing our pupils for the future. More information is expected to emerge over the next year, but for current details, visit the Government Guidance on Sustainability in Education.