Thousands of young people are coming together to celebrate and accelerate their incredible work addressing climate change next month. The Let’s Go Zero Coalition, one of the UK’s biggest school climate campaigns, is inviting school students across the country to join the Climate Action Countdown – 29 days of activities to help the environment this summer.
From June 7 to July 5 the Climate Action Countdown will see teachers and pupils up and down the country embark on fun and quirky challenges to reduce their carbon emissions.
The month-long event will draw attention to the huge efforts schools are making to reach zero carbon emissions by 2030, and how they are helping communities create a more sustainable future.
No action is too small, with whole schools, classes, pupils, caretakers, and dinner ladies asked to take up the challenges. Colleges and nurseries are invited to take part too. The countdown’s message is no-one is too tiny to make a big difference.
Teachers, pupils, parents and community and school supporters can all register for the Climate Action Countdown now. They will be emailed a pack of everything needed to get involved, including a calendar of fun and easy-to-do challenges each day, from holding a uniform swap shop to vertical gardening, holding a plant-powered picnic or taking part in our Great Big Climate Quiz. The pack also includes musical downloads of the Climate Action Countdown song, sung by SOS from the Kids – the well-known eco choir who were semi-finalists on Britain’s Go Talent.
The event encompasses a whole season of national climate events including Great Big Green Week (June 8th – 16th); Show Your Stripes Day (June 21st), Clean Air Day (June 20th); and London Climate Action Week (22nd – 30th June).
Schools will be sharing climate challenge stories and photos on social media during the month with the hashtag #ClimateActionCountdown, for the chance to win exciting weekly eco-prizes.
Head of the Let’s Go Zero Coalition, Alex Green, said: “The Climate Action Countdown is a fantastic opportunity for schools to show how they are leading the country in sustainable best practice, through curriculum, campus and culture.”
“With school-aged or younger children in 42% of all UK households, our classrooms can inspire progress right across communities. And this is a great time, with a general election on the cards, to show leaders how we need to listen to schools, who really want to be zero carbon. By joining the Climate Action Countdown, schools can help persuade the government to make that happen.”
Lee Hughes, Chief Operating Officer from Peterborough Diocese Education Trust, said: “The Climate Action Countdown is an outstanding opportunity for our school communities to come together and show leadership in the fight to reduce carbon emissions and act positively on the government’s climate change strategy for education.”
“As a Multi Academy Trust of 33 Church of England primary schools, we aspire to act now, engaging our staff, children and communities to make sustainable changes. No action is too small, and we want to encourage our schools to embrace the climate challenge and show that positive steps can be taken, even with really old estates! We will be asking our schools to join together this summer and working with our partners, the Let’s Go Zero coalition, to engage with the Climate Action Countdown.”
Rowan Ryrie, Co-founder and Co-director of Parents for Future, said: “Schools are at the heart of our communities and are a space where all generations can come together. We’re looking forward to seeing children, parents, teachers and the wider community having some fun and making an impact and will be supporting parents to be part of the Climate Action Countdown with a week-long courageous climate conversations challenge.”
About Climate Action Network
The Climate Action Countdown brings together a powerful network of organisations supporting schools and young people to take action to cut their carbon emissions. These form the Let’s Go Zero Coalition and include WWF, Eco-Schools, Global Action Plan, Sustrans, Soil Association, Carbon Trust, Fairtrade, The Tree Council, Energy Sparks, WRAP, Young Peoples Trust for the Environment, The Green Schools Project, Ashden and Surfers Against Sewage. They have also been joined by the National Education Nature Park partnership, the Eden Project, The Wildlife Trusts, Running Out of Time, University of Reading, Earth Cubs and Great Big Green Week.
What is the Let’s Go Zero Coalition?
The Let’s Go Zero Coalition is the UK’s largest schools climate action group. It is made up of 16 organisations, with a combined membership of several millions. The groups have come together because they know, if they all shout with one voice, they can no longer be ignored. Together they are taking on major climate challenges such as making schools comfortable, energy and waste efficient, and supporting schools and communities to learn about the worldwide impact of climate change and the opportunity we must take action that builds a fairer, greener future for our country and the whole world.
The Let’s Go Zero Coalition is asking the UK Government and decision makers to support schools in becoming zero carbon by 2030, to make a significant impact on the UK’s carbon emissions, and to demonstrate to the world that the UK cares about its climate impact globally. To read more about the coalition click here.
The campaign’s impact: Carbon emissions from English schools are estimated at 8.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. These emissions are projected to reduce by less than 20 per cent over the period to 2050, which is insufficient to play a leading role in reducing schools’ impact on dangerous climate change – which is damaging lives and livelihoods in the UK and overseas.
The Let’s Go Zero coalition supports schools, councils and community groups to deliver inclusive solutions for a zero-carbon school estate. These changes bring better health and wellbeing, for young people receive a robust climate education and an understanding of how their choices can shape the future, be offered improved job prospects, greater efficiencies, a higher understanding of a modern, sustainable global economy, and lower costs in running schools, increased funding, a boost to local economies, and access to nature, as well as lower emissions.
The Let’s Go Zero coalition is working with the UK Department for Education to ensure policy change happens to support schools to become zero carbon.
For more details on the Climate Action Countdown and to sign up, visit www.letsgozero.org/climate-action-countdown/