Why having a sustainability leadership and a climate action plan is important

Our engagement has highlighted that settings and trusts have the greatest success in driving change where there is a holistic action plan that is supported by a leadership team with the authority, knowledge, and commitment to take it forward.

Ensuring you have clear leadership for sustainability in place, and a climate action plan, will help your setting to:

• increase the confidence and expertise of your leadership team, staff, learners, and students in understanding climate change and how positive change can be achieved
• create a culture that prioritises sustainability
• share effective practice with other education settings and develop a peer-to-peer learning network
• use data to identify and prioritise action
• improve energy and water efficiency
• calculate your carbon emissions and identify ways to reduce them
• reduce operating costs
• increase resilience and start adapting to the impacts of climate change
• enhance biodiversity
• help learners develop skills and knowledge which help them to contribute to sustainability and climate change in their lives and future jobs