Climate change and sustainability: student, parental and community action and engagement
Introduction
We each have a part to play in solving the climate emergency. Inspiring students, parents and the wider school environment to take action to improve and sustain the environment is key. We know that there are no greater advocates for environmental action than young people. Building a generation of eco-advocates and providing them with the tools to take positive actions and decisions together with providing them with the platform to share their work and inspire others is key.
This section provides information on programmes, audits and action plans that can be built within schools.
3 actions you can take now:
- Adopt a child-led environment and action programme to empower and motivate pupils to drive change and improve environmental awareness in their school, local community and beyond.
- Set a piece of action orientated homework – e.g. ask pupils to carry out an home energy or waste audit.
- Develop an age appropriate ideas board for environmental action locally, nationally and globally and invite your local MP or County Councillor to listen to the children talk through.
- Eco Schools
- Bright Green Future - an environmental leadership programme for teenagers between 14 and 19 who want to create a more sustainable future for our planet.
- The Foundation for Environmental Education - promotes five different programmes to empower people of all ages to take action for a sustainable world.
Ask pupils to carry out an home energy or waste audit.
Invite your local MP or County Councillor to listen to the children talk through their environmental ideas board.
Campaigns
Get inspired by getting pupils involved in one of the campaigns below.
30 Days Wild campaign
The Wildlife Trusts ran a 30 Days Wild campaign in the month of June. They have 30 simple, fun and exciting Random Acts of Wildness. To still get involved either download the resource pack or the 30 Days Wild App.
The Wildlife Trusts: 30 Days Wild
Clean Air Day campaign
Clean Air Day is the UK's largest air pollution campaign and takes place annually. The Clean Air Hub has been created to bring together information on what air pollution is, how it affects your health and what actions you can take to protect yourself and others. The Hub also has air pollution forecasts so that you can see what the predicted air pollution is like in your area over the next few days, downloadable resources to help you get involved in clean air campaigning and the latest news stories on air pollution.
Clean Air Hub: The UK's go to source for information on clean air and air pollution
Further air pollution data can also be found via the Air Quality England website:
Air Quality England: Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire monitoring data website
Climate Action Super Hero campaign
The UN campaign empowers children to be heroic leaders for change and believe in the impact they can have on the planet is crucial. There are eight climate action heroes. Each of their missions has downloadable content including activities for kids to do with the help of an adult.
United Nations Sustainable Development: Climate Action Superheroes
Earth School campaign
TED have created 30 quests for students around the world to celebrate, explore and connect with nature. Each Quest includes a discovery video and quiz, combined with a series of engaging learning resources — all curated by environmental experts.
TED-Ed: Earth School - An immersive 30 day nature adventure
Greening campaign
The Greening Campaign was founded by Terena Plowright and engages residents to tackle climate change within their communities. The Greening Campaign is a structured approach which guides communities through a four-phase process. Each phase contains an information pack, online resources, videos and further tools to support communities to become more sustainable and resilient towards future climates and sees individuals as the key drivers for change.
Save Our Streams campaign
Affinity Water: Save our streams
Campaign to waste less water. Affinity have a water dashboard which will tell you how much water your household uses, give you the opportunity to book a free one-to-one consultation with a water saving expert, and offer you some free water saving gadgets to use at home. Households can donate their earned points to schools.
Tree planting
There are currently a number of charities, companies and organisations providing individual trees and tree packs to schools for planting. The aim of the projects is to highlight the part trees play in achieving the UK goal of becoming carbon net-zero by 2050. Hertfordshire County Council supports the initiatives and in particular the Queen’s Green Canopy, to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022.
Share your successes, or ask us for resources
We are keen to hear from schools on the actions they are taking to reduce climate change. Contact us at climateactionschools@hertfordshire.gov.uk to share your success stories. The most inspiring will feature in our planned digital publication “Inspiring Stories to Reduce Climate Change in Schools”.