Towards environmental sustainability in schools

Karen Gorrie Deputy Principal

TOWARDS

environmental sustainability in schools

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Climate change has been recognised as one of the major challenges of the 21st century. With global temperatures rising, the impact of climate change ranges from such consequences as threatened food production, increased catastrophic weather events, including fires and flooding on our lands, and reduced access to clean air and drinking water. Environmental awareness and the language around climate change within the school setting is not new. In fact, sustainability was identified as one of the key cross-curriculum priorities of the Australian curriculum from when it was implemented into our classrooms. As such, the priority of sustainability is addressed throughout each learning area, rather than comprising a curriculum on its own. Therefore, there are many opportunities to add depth and richness to student learning in this area throughout all classes, with strong but varying presence depending on the relevance to each learning area (ACARA n.d.). But what about schools themselves? We have been teaching about sustainability for many years, but what about the operations of the school? Are all schools in Australia, and indeed across the world, adopting sustainability practices within their day-to-day operations to ensure they are working towards becoming net zero enterprises? While teaching about climate change and environmental solutions within schools is not new, this level of adaptation of operational practices of schools seems to be relatively recent. In 2020, the K12 Climate Action Commission was formed in the United States of America, with ‘22 education, environment, youth, civil rights leaders, and more coming together to recognise the urgency of climate change and the opportunity for the education sector to be a leader in creating a more sustainable society’ (K12 Climate Action Commission 2021). They identified the opportunity for the education sector to take action, advance climate solutions, and prepare today’s students to lead a sustainable future. The result was an action plan, aimed at policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels, with the aim that they work in collaboration with school leaders, educators, students, families, and communities to implement actions that would ensure schools across the US build lasting change and a sustainable future (K12 Climate Action Commission 2021). In April 2022, the UK government published a policy paper on sustainability and climate change, acknowledging that the Department of Education has an important role to play in all aspects of sustainability, but that the area where most work is needed is in reducing their environmental footprint and moving towards achieving net zero (UK Department of Education 2022). Similar to the K12 Climate Action paper in the US, this policy paper detailed some proposed actions and recommendations for schools to adopt sustainable operations. In Australia, there is yet to be a federal initiative or action plan aimed at sustainability for schools. Victoria and Western Australia have made some inroads in this area, with Victoria releasing a draft Climate Change adaptation action plan for community consultation (The State of Victoria Department of Education and Training 2022) and the Western Australia Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage releasing a Response of WA Schools to Climate Change (Government of Western Australia 2021). However, a federal response or action plan for climate change in schools is conspicuous by its absence. Many companies and corporations across the world have developed Environmental Social Governance policies (ESGs) since 2006. Forbes magazine reports that ‘ESG issues were first mentioned in the 2006 United Nation’s Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) report consisting of the Freshfield Report and “Who Cares Wins.” ESG criteria was, for the first time, required to be incorporated in the financial evaluations of companies’ (Atkins 2020). A commitment for companies to develop ESGs in the corporate sector is increasing as more investors are making their investment decisions around the commitment to ESG criteria that these companies have (Atkins 2020). The education sector is such a huge sector of communities and governments across the world, but not many schools or education departments have adopted an ESG. In 2022, St Margaret’s is developing an ESG. This means that we will be one of the first schools in Australia to adopt an ESG policy, and we have had to look very carefully at our Environmental, Social and Governance areas of the school and develop some targets and actions for the future. In developing a sustainability plan for the school as part of the environmental component of the ESG, we are outlining how our school will help contribute to climate solutions through strategies to promote the following: • Waste Reduction. This includes reducing paper waste, such as no more paper takeaway cups or straws at M's Café; providing school publications via e-copy and on the school website; ensuring all student/staff/parent communications are in electronic format through the learning management system (POD) and other electronic communication platforms; reducing paper use in classrooms; enhancing the capabilities of the POD and another electronic means; carefully managing food production to minimise waste; procuring supplies (e.g. food) from local sources to reduce

the distance these supplies travel to the school, thereby decreasing the amount of greenhouse gases emitted from transportation; and donating and/or selling materials, such as furniture no longer used, via online marketplaces. • Waste Recycling. This includes recycling bins for bottles and cans placed in key locations around the school; placing paper waste receptacles in all classrooms and key areas of the school; recycling all printer cartridges; investigating food composting options and implementing this system in the boarding house and tuckshop.

• Renewable energy solutions for our buildings and operations. This includes exploring solar energy solutions, lighting solutions (such as LED and natural lighting), rainwater tanks, and other building solutions. We have an opportunity as we renovate and modernise our buildings to also address climate change. Using 100 per cent renewable energy not only helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it will also save the school money by reducing energy costs. It has the added benefit of creating learning opportunities for students. • Greenspaces. Planting trees can improve air quality, cool areas and prevent harm from heat. Studies have shown that spending more time surrounded by green space may improve mental and physical health. A Harvard University study also found that those schools with more green space and better air quality had lower absentee rates compared to other schools, regardless of social or economic factors. • Education and involvement of the community. This includes promoting professional development programs to provide teachers with instructional tools to improve teaching and learning about climate change, climate solutions and sustainability; educating staff and students on the importance of conserving energy and what they can do to

conserve energy; forming staff and student environmental committees with members contributing to the plans for implementing sustainability measures. As a school and an education provider, we have a moral obligation for our students and wider school community to understand about climate change. We need to lead in this area and model ways to combat climate change in our daily operations and practices.

References

Atkins, B 2020, Demystifying ESG: Its history and current status, viewed 30 May 2022, https://www.forbes.com/sites/ betsyatkins/2020/06/08/demystifying-esgits-history--currentstatus/?sh=704e3b982cdd Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority n.d. Sustainability (Version 8.4), viewed 12 February 2022, https://www. australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/cross-curriculumpriorities/sustainability/ K12 Climate Action Commission 2021, K12 Climate Action Plan 2021, The Aspen Institute, viewed 12 February 2022, https://www. k12climateaction.org/blog/climate-action-plan-2021. UK Department of Education 2022, Sustainability and climate change: a strategy for the education and children’s services systems, viewed 30 May 2022, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ sustainability-and-climate-change-strategy/sustainability-and-climatechange-a-strategy-for-the-education-and-childrens-services-systems. The State of Victoria Department of Education and Training 2022, Education and Training Climate Change Adaptation Action Plan 2022-2026, viewed 30 May 2022, https://www.vic.gov.au/sites/default/ files/2022-02/education-and-training-climate-change-adaptationaction-plan-2022-2026_1.pdf Government of Western Australia 2021, Response of WA Schools to Climate Change, Department of Planning, Lands and Heritage, Office of the Government Architect, retrieved 30 May 2022, https://www.parliament.wa.gov. au/Parliament/commit.nsf/luInquiryPublicSubmissions/ D94FF57A2BE8CBFE4825879D00127305/$file/00012NoCover.pdf SUNATA 33

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