School sustainability projects to receive £100,000 of funding

^{Our Schools Our World aims to create a recognised framework for sustainability in schools which focuses on curriculum and operational structures (Image credit: Let's Go Zero/Brighton and Hove Council).}

Five sustainability projects working with UK schools have been chosen to receive £100,000 each to boost green measures and reduce carbon emissions from UK schools’ sustainability campaign, Let’s Go Zero.

This fund is a new development for the Let's Go Zero campaign, which aims to unite schools across the UK to work together to become zero carbon by 2030.  The ‘Zero Carbon Fund’ is a one-off grants scheme financed by Green Future Investments Ltd, supporting the five organisations over the course of a year, helping them scale up their innovative work with schools as quickly as possible.

All the projects support young people under 18 and cover a range of sustainability issues relevant to schools including food, retrofit of schools and energy efficiency, carbon reduction, and training for staff.

Those receiving the climate-focused grants include a community-food project which promotes sustainable, healthy and local eating in schools, a 'Count Your Carbon Playground' that models the carbon reductions of changes to school policies, actions and infrastructure and a student-led campaign asking the next government to finance a rebuild and retrofit of the school estate.

Alex Green, head of Let’s Go Zero, said: “Through this Zero Carbon Fund, we have discovered some really bold and innovative projects that will help schools implement exciting and impactful solutions which bring about longstanding change in educational settings.

“To win the grants, applicants had to demonstrate how their work is addressing a compelling need and how they will measure that impact, sustain the project beyond the funding, and outline long-term goals. 

She said they prioritised those that focus on less-advantaged areas and those that include youth and community voices in decision-making. 

"We’re incredibly excited to see what sort of changes will be made over the next year by each of the five winners to help schools make great strides in their journey to being zero carbon,” she added. 

One of the projects to be funded is Brighton and Hove Council's 'Our Schools Our World' (pictured above) which aims to create a recognised framework for sustainability in schools which focuses on curriculum and operational structures. 

Currently up and running in 90 per cent of schools in Brighton, the aim is to set-up four hubs in different regions across the country to transform the way climate education and action is delivered.