Swansea P&P ready for Go Green action
What is Go Green?
Go Green is People & Planet’s campaign to transform the environmental impact of the UK’s schools, colleges and universities. Find out more about how universities and schools can Go Green in this section of the website.
Universities Going Green
People & Planet
Going Green is the report which sets out the research underpinning People & Planet’s Go Green campaign. A study of the UK’s top green universities identified four key factors essential for any university wanting to improve its environmental impact.
Download the Going Green report.
Read the Executive Summary for a quick overview.
Go Green in Schools and Colleges
The Go Green campaign is expanding into schools and colleges.
The aim of the Go Green Campaign in schools and colleges is to turn these institutions into models of sustainability. Schools and colleges can then be used as examples for other sections of society, so that the whole of the UK can reduce its effect on climate change.
Currently, when taken as a whole the education sector consumes a vast amount of energy just for its heating and lighting needs. Schools emit 9.3 million tonnes of CO₂ per year, and that’s not counting the 1.2 million tonnes of CO₂ emitted by people travelling to school by car. Schools alone account for 15% of all public sector carbon emissions, this means that UK schools are responsible for 2% of UK greenhouse gas emissions, and the average school pupil emits 256 kg CO₂ per year while at school.
If we are going to stop climate chaos we need to cut carbon emissions in the UK by at least 80% by 2050, and according to some scientists, by 90%. This may sound like a lot, but it is possible. If we reduce carbon emissions by around 3-4% a year, this will add up to the cuts we need in the long run. Put like that it sounds much more manageable, doesn’t it? However, unless we radically improve our schools and colleges performance, so that they become an example of sustainability, this will not be possible.
- Find out more about how to Go Green in schools and colleges, and how you can take action in five key areas.
Useful Links
The Go Green links page has loads of information on different aspects of going green, relevant to universities, schools and colleges.