Back

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

04/11/2021

Greener Governance pledge

We are asking every governing board to pledge to:

reduce carbon emissions at your school or trust
put your school’s or trust's contribution to environmental sustainability on the agenda
ensure a climate action plan is developed to make this happen

In our 2022 annual governance survey, only 41% of schools and trusts had acted on environmental sustainability.

school-environment pupils running on field

Education sector impact

Schools represent 25% of UK public sector building emissions: tackling this can make a significant contribution to reach net zero.
Over 24,000 schools in England provide the opportunity to enhance biodiversity, help nature recover, and engage children and young people in the natural environment.
1 in 70 car miles are associated with the school commute: there’s the potential to change behaviour to create significant long-term impact.

Where next?

Greener governance

An introduction to the board’s role in environmental sustainability

Resources

Schools and trusts can access a range of free resources from the Department for Education and specialist organisations.

Culture: the way things are done

The Department for Education has published Sustainability and climate change: a strategy for the education and children’s services systems.
Choice Voting is a effective and environmentally sustainable process to set up and launch your online elections.
Lets Go Zero 2030 is a campaign aiming to unite schools working to become carbon zero by 2030.
Groundwork's 'Youth In A Changing Climate' report investigates young people’s views on climate change.
The Eco-Schools programme empowers children to drive change and improve their environmental awareness through the simple seven-step framework in order to achieve the international Eco-Schools Green Flag.

Campus: buildings, energy, and grounds

Read the DfE’s new guidance on energy efficiency for the school estate.
Energy Sparks is a registered charity which provides a free online energy analysis tool and energy education.
The BEIS Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme provides grants for public sector bodies to fund heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency measures.
For a list of grants available to schools and trusts (of which some are specifically environment focused) and for help in applying see the A&S website.
Use a water calculator like Thames water calculator to work out how and where your school is using water and to improve efficiency.
Visit Waterwise to find out more about water efficiency.
Forum Strategy #TrustLeaders environmental sustainability strategy group supports trust leaders in making environmental sustainability a core strategic priority.
DfE guidance: Top tips for sustainability in schools suggests practical ways for schools to become more sustainable.

Community: working together inside and outside of school

Living Streets is a UK charity that encourages everyday walking including children walking or wheeling to school.
Explore: Urban nature campaign ran by the Natural History Museum supports urban schools to learn about their local nature.

Curriculum: teaching and learning

The NAEE website contains journals, case studies and curriculum guides to help schools understand and act on the need to live more sustainably.
Request a climate ambassador (volunteers with climate expertise) who will provide support on the curriculum and advice on reducing carbon emissions.
To help teachers and those involved in education to learn about environmental sustainability, The One UN Climate Change Learning Partnership (UN CC:Learn) has developed a selection of free e-courses on climate change.
The Sustainability and Environmental Education hub brings together, shares and enhances best practice in environmental education
Climate in the Classroom is a project run by the University of Reading aiming to create an action plan for better climate education.
The Royal Meteorological Society’s research aiming to understand the level of climate literacy, (understanding of the Earth’s climate and the impact of global warming), amongst those leaving secondary education.
Linked to the national curriculum, the Ministry of Eco Education weave together the best free resources into series of lessons to help schools embed sustainability across the curriculum for every pupil in every lesson.