School actions
The role schools can play>
Educating the next generation
By educating young people, the next generation will be environmentally conscious and armed with the knowledge and skills needed to build sustainable ways of living and adapt to the challenges ahead.
Engaging the wider school community
Schools can help drive the vital societal shift by engaging their community, sharing advice, and leading by example. Children's learning has a ripple effect. For example, promoting active travel to school could prompt friends and family to re-think their wider travel habits.
Decarbonising
school buildings
Schools in England contribute a quarter of public sector carbon emissions, making them crucial in achieving the UK's net zero goals. By cutting energy usage, schools can save money and involve students in conserving energy, transforming global concerns into meaningful local action.
Did you know...
Schools in the UK currently clock up a total annual energy bill of £543 million. The Carbon Trust has identified that as much as a quarter of this - £135m - could be saved through simple cost-effective measures, such as installing energy-efficient lighting and heating controls, which typically pay back in less than three years.
Local and national targets for schools>
Your school can contribute to local and national targets by putting sustainability at the heart of your school’s ethos.
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Cutting your school’s carbon emissions>
Make a pledge >
Sign up your school to Let's Go Zero 2030 and tell the world that your school wants to be carbon neutral by the end of the decade.
Making a pledge on behalf of your school can help direct your action and keep you accountable. It is also a great thing to get your students involved in, giving them opportunities to learn about the school’s carbon footprint.
Tackle your school footprint>
Schools can make a significant impact on their carbon footprint by focusing on energy efficiency. The Department for Education suggests three key actions to tackle this:
1. Conduct an
energy audit
Understand your school’s energy usage, so you can target areas for the greatest energy savings.
2. Develop an
energy plan
Develop a plan using your audit to instill good practices and further interventions.
3. Implement the plan
Implement and manage the proposed interventions to reduce energy consumption.
Improved energy management in schools has lots of benefits. According to the Carbon Trust, these benefits include:
Saving
money
Energy is not a fixed overhead - it can be managed, and costs can be reduced. By saving energy, more funds can become available for other school resources and facilities.
Educational opportunities
Schools offer a great chance for children to learn about responsible energy and water usage, helping them grasp the impact of their everyday actions on the environment.
Improving
comfort
Boosting energy efficiency to reduce carbon emissions can improve the comfort and working conditions of staff and students, eliminating issues like draughts and overheating.
Improving environmental performance
Carbon dioxide is emitted whenever heat and electricity are used. Saving energy decreases these emissions and the impacts of climate change.
Join a pioneering network of schools and teachers in Northumberland taking action - the Northumberland Schools Sustainability Network.
Joining the network can help your school to:
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Become a pioneer in climate change education
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Access a programme of talks, projects, activities and shared teaching resources through the wider UK Schools Sustainability Network
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Gain confidence in teaching climate and environment topics
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Learn from each other and network with other like-minded schools across Northumberland
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Become more sustainable, through advice, support and best practice shared across schools
Learn from each other>
Resources to support climate education >
The Council has developed a Climate Change and Sustainability Resource Pack especially for schools in the county to tell the story of climate change through a Northumberland lens.
