November Newsletter
Hello Eco-Educators!
Welcome to Cut Your Carbon month when Eco-Schools’ annual carbon-cutting, behaviour-changing, awareness-raising campaign kicks off. If you haven’t registered yet, there’s still plenty of time – find out more and sign-up below!
Also in this month’s newsletter, Count Your Carbon updates and, as always, we’ve gathered information from our friends about other environmental projects and initiatives happening this month or shortly thereafter.
Finally, we’d just like to also mention that winners of our annual Topic and School of the Year awards will be announced in our December Newsletter!
Cut Your Carbon
Cut Your Carbon takes place throughout November. It raises awareness about climate emissions and empowers young people to take action. With our planet’s temperature rising and natural disasters becoming more frequent and devastating, this campaign has never been more important. Register, or read on for more information!
Resources
When you register for Cut Your Carbon, you will be e-mailed all of the amazing resources needed to deliver this campaign in your setting, including: a delivery guide, advertising materials, the all important pupil challenge checklist, a kick-off assembly template, our ‘Comparing Carbon’ quiz, an ABC of Sustainability, and pupil certificates. Get involved.
Competition
At the end of the campaign, we encourage participants to share their results. We use your results to showcase how small efforts can lead to significant impacts. As a thank you, everyone that shares results will be entered into a competition to win a mural for their school grounds. Two winners will have a chance to work with a talented mural artist on a prize worth up to £4,000!
An Introduction to Carbon Literacy
As part of Cut Your Carbon 2024, we’ve teamed up with Arete Zero Carbon to develop this 60 minute session covering the basics of climate change, how carbon is measured, and key factors that influence a school’s carbon footprint. Check out our webpage or click the dates to register for your free spot on one of three dates throughout November, the 12th, 20th, or 28th
Using Count Your Carbon to Form a Carbon Action Plan
On Monday, 25th November, join us as we guide you through using Count Your Carbon to calculate your school’s carbon footprint. We will then advise how your carbon footprint can be used to create an impactful climate action plan for your setting, which is in line with government requirements. Reserve your spot!
Count Your Carbon
Count Your Carbon is our nation’s first free, full scope carbon emissions calculator for schools and nurseries. In recent weeks we’ve made some significant changes, making it easier than ever to calculate your setting’s footprint and use this footprint to deliver meaningful climate action!
Improved Reporting
Once you’ve completed your calculation, you will receive our updated Carbon Footprint Report. This six-page document will detail your total footprint in tonnes of CO2e and provide emissions per area as a percentage. This allows you to identify the biggest carbon emitters within your operations. The report also includes information about the Count Your Carbon methodology. If you’ve already completed a calculation, old reports have been automatically updated to this new format. Log in to check it out!
Improved Outcomes
After completing your calculation, you now have two resources to help you use this data to drive change in your setting. Our Carbon Reduction Guide assists in designing a carbon reduction plan for your setting. It features over sixty carbon-cutting actions for you to consider categorised by operational area, cost, and ease of implementation. Additionally, our Carbon Action Planner allows you to select which of these 60 actions you would like to take, automatically transforming them into a climate action plan.
What Else is Happening?
- We think everyone deserves time in nature. So we’re excited that our friends at WWF are launching their Daily Dose of Nature classroom pack! Sign up for your free A1 poster and sticker set, which will help you facilitate daily doses of nature in your school.
- Most schools use over 60% of their gas out of school hours. Reducing out of hours gas is usually the quickest, easiest, and most effective way to reduce emissions. But what can your students do about this? Join Energy Sparks on 27th November at 3:30 to find out!
- Join Plastic Clever Schools on Friday 15th November for an International Day of Action, and kickstart your school’s journey to eliminating single-use plastics. With curriculum activities, assemblies, and workshops your school can join this international movement!
- Celebrate National Tree Week with The Tree Council later in the month. You can find existing events nearby to join or plan and share your own. You might even decide to host a tree party using their free Tree Party Pack, or attend one of their free tree talks.
- Join Plastic Free Schools on November 22nd for their Live Pupil Power Assembly. With both a primary and secondary session planned, this event is designed to inspire young people to connect with and care for our blue spaces and learn to get their voices heard!
- Children For Change is a new ebook inspiring 8-12 year-olds to tackle climate change. Curated and annotated by author and broadcaster Konnie Huq. Download this ground-breaking ebook for free, and even send it to every parent and guardian too!
