Eco-Schools launches new campaign to help schools ‘Cut Your Carbon’

When it comes to cutting carbon emissions it can be difficult for schools to know where to start.  

Eco-Schools’ new ‘Cut Your Carbon’ campaign is here to help schools do just that with a few very simple actions. 

We have less than seven years to reach zero emissions if we are to have a 50% chance of staying below 1.5 degrees of global warming *1.  

Yet in seven years’ time no current primary school pupils will have even had a chance to start taking action as adults to solve the climate crisis.  

With UNICEF’s latest report calculating 1 billion children are at extremely high risk from the climate crisis, it’s now up to every individual and organisation, including schools, to work together towards our shared goal of reducing emissions as far and as fast as possible.  

What every school does now has to go beyond education for the future, we must also implement concrete actions that improve the life chances of children around the world.  

Eco-Schools’ programme manager Adam Flint said: “As we all work towards a better future for our country’s young people, it’s important that we raise awareness and reduce our carbon consumption as much as possible. Every day is a new opportunity to make positive change.” 

‘Cut Your Carbon’ is here to help pupils raise awareness about the everyday changes that their school and wider community can make. It also outlines actions that can make an immediate impact in three areas that have big carbon footprints: clothing, energy use and school meals. Together, schools across England are committing to taking action to cut their carbon. 

  • Reusing 50% of school uniforms could save the same annual carbon emissions as everyone in Chichester *2 (the same weight as the Empire State Building – every year!) 
  • Cutting schools’ energy usage by just 10% could save the same weight of emissions as 3 Empire State Buildings *3 
  • More environmentally-friendly school meals could save the same carbon emissions currently produced by everyone in Oxford each year – the same weight as 6 Empire State Buildings *4. 

Eco-Schools is asking schools to pledge to participate in the campaign through a few simple actions that any school can take in each of these areas that will collectively make a huge difference. You can find out more about the incredible difference schools taking part in the programme are marking in Eco-Schools’ 2022 impact report

The campaign launches on the 14 February and runs to the 10 February. Those wanting to find out more about the campaign or take part should go to the Eco-Schools website: eco-schools.org.uk/cut-your-carbon