Education institutions in the UK building a sustainable future
The 24th of January was named the International Day of Education by The United Nations General Assembly to celebrate the role of education for peace and development.
It is a day to contemplate the importance of inclusive and equitable education and its capacity to dismantle societal problems such as gender inequality and poverty.
This year’s theme is ‘Changing Course, Transforming Education’ which highlights the transformations which have been nurtured to emphasise and allow for everyone’s right to an education. It is the hope that this will enhance our collective ability to foster a more sustainable and fair future.
Funding the change
We want to take this chance to recognise all the work that is being undertaken by schools, academies, colleges and universities to lower their carbon emissions as a result of the funding provided by Salix Finance Ltd on behalf of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
The purpose of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS), funded by BEIS, is to offer grant funding for capital energy efficiency and heat decarbonisation projects within public sector non-domestic buildings, including central government departments and non-departmental public bodies in England.
Sustainable measures and studies
Alongside practical initiatives, many schools incorporate sustainability into their cirriculum in the hopes to increase awareness of the climate crisis.
Abbey Multi-Academy Trust was awarded £5m as part of the scheme to reduce the carbon emissions produced by its eight schools across England. Its sustainability programme has invested in over 500k worth of LED lighting, reduced emissions and energy costs which will be reinvested in resources for the pupils. The project has also increased awareness of climate issues for the students, who are encouraged to understand and practice waste reduction and take part in an ‘Eco Club.’
Similarly, St Andrew’s Primary School in Chedworth ensures that sustainability is weaved into the schools’ curriculum with teachings on the climate crisis and the importance of accountability.
The school has implemented a myriad of decarbonisation measures across its buildings, including an air source heat pump and Solar PV, which generate enough energy to meet the school's power demands.
Keele University is collaborating with its student union to upgrade the ageing infrastructure in the union buildings. Alongside instilling its eco-ethos into the student's studies it works to learn from the examples of best practices that are shared among The Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) forums.
Utilising natural materials and resources
Institutions are seeking to utilise the natural resources available to them as they set out on their carbon reduction journeys. Leven Valley Church of England Primary School sourced natural and sustainable building materials to create a thermally efficient building that would be suitable for heat decarbonisation measures.
It became the first school in the UK to use Salix funding to install 30.12 kW ground source heat pump (GSHP) and it is predicted that its work will result in a 77% reduction in heat-related carbon dioxide emissions per annum.
The Bedford College Group, which is comprised of several sites across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire, is expecting to save over 350 tonnes of carbon and £88,000 annually through an ambitious heat decarbonisation plan.
The college capitalised on its natural surroundings by implementing a water source heat pump (WSHP) at its Brundtland Building which extracts water from the nearby Ouse River.
Utilising natural materials and resources
Institutions are seeking to utilise the natural resources available to them as they set out on their carbon reduction journeys. Leven Valley Church of England Primary School sourced natural and sustainable building materials to create a thermally efficient building that would be suitable for heat decarbonisation measures.
It became the first school in the UK to use Salix funding to install a 30.12 kW ground source heat pump (GSHP) and it is predicted that its work will result in a 77% reduction in heat-related carbon dioxide emissions per annum.
The Bedford College Group, which is comprised of several sites across Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire, is expecting to save over 350 tonnes of carbon and £88,000 annually through an ambitious heat decarbonisation plan.
The college capitalised on its natural surroundings by implementing a water source heat pump (WSHP) at its Brundtland Building which extracts water from the nearby Ouise River.
Find out more about the examples mentioned above by accessing their full case studies here.