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Greener governance

Greener Governance

NGA's Greener Governance campaign aims to ensure all schools and trusts have a strategy for their contribution to environmental sustainability and to equip governing boards to play their role in overseeing this work.

Campaign
07/02/2024

Greener Governance progress

In our 2023 annual governance survey, 64% of respondents said they had taken action on environmental sustainability in their school or trust, up 23 percentage points from 2022.

The most common action included:

  • embedding environmental sustainability into the curriculum/learning
  • provided opportunities for outdoor learning eg forest school, visits or trips
  • energy saving measures and solar panels
  • reduced waste eg recycling, composting
school-environment pupils running on field

Guidance

Environmental sustainability: a whole school approach

This guide is designed to help governing boards understand the role of schools/trusts in improving environmental sustainability, learn from inspiring case studies, and how to lead positive change.

Read the guide
Decorative

Where next?

Line of people talking holding a meeting
E-learning
Environmental sustainability: the governance role
Training
Environmentally sustainable schools
Man talking over the notes from the meeting
Webinar
An introduction to the board's role in environmental sustainability

Resources

Schools and trusts can access a range of resources from the Department for Education (DfE) and specialist organisations:

Choice Voting – a process to set up and launch online elections. Online voting improves the environmental impact that your school or trust has by eliminating paper and ink waste.

Energy Sparks – free online energy analysis tool and energy education to help schools reduce their carbon footprint and teach pupils energy saving and sustainability life skills.

SchooliP audit tool – a free online tool to help governing boards adopt environmental sustainability as a strategic priority and for leaders to develop climate action plans.

National Education Nature Park – a DfE initiative that gives children and young people the opportunity to lead the way in mapping, monitoring and enhancing their spaces for nature.

Let’s Go Zero – the national campaign uniting teachers, pupils, parents and their schools with support on setting zero carbon targets and developing roadmaps for delivery.

UK Schools Sustainability Network (UKSSN) – brings together regional networks of school staff and students from all over the UK. They share in common a focus on youth social action and sustainability education. Also see their ops group for school business professionals and governors.

Climate Ambassadors – scheme led collaboratively by the University of Reading and STEM Learning which aims to improve the climate education of young people and help guide schools and colleges on their path to Net Zero.

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