Together with Let’s Go Zero – a national campaign fighting climate change by uniting parents, teachers and students – we formed a collaboration in July 2022 to spread awareness of the value of net zero operations.
A zero carbon movement
Let’s Go Zero brings together schools to make a commitment to a more sustainable future. The movement, which currently has 2,000 UK-based schools, institutions and nurseries participating (representing more than 1,000,000 students), strives to transform schools while safeguarding the environment for future generations.
Let’s Go Zero collaborates with legislators, speaking with the government about these goals and the campaign’s policy requests, to ensure that schools have the resources they need to cut emissions and achieve zero carbon status by 2030. Four of the campaign’s seven policy requests have already received support from the UK government, ensuring:
- Investment in training for those involved in sustainable development education across the curriculum
- Every school has a Climate Action Plan – that is sponsored and offers instructions for overcoming current procedures to achieve zero carbon status by 2025.
- By 2025, sustainability will be classified as a required component of career guidance in UK schools.
By including young people early on, modern policies and financial support will make zero carbon objectives a reality. As a result, young people will be able to obtain effective climate education, preparing them to graduate from school and live sustainable lives.
The movement supports schools in joining a community that’s working towards a better, carbon-free future. The campaign places zero carbon at the forefront of the schools’ plan, establishing a unified drive for change – even if many schools are already taking steps to cut their carbon emissions.
A collaboration with educational influence
At Net Zero Buildings, we guide our clients to achieve net zero carbon in operation. We were eager to help the campaign, due to its extensive expertise in developing sustainability for the educational sector. We saw this as a chance to support Let’s Go Zero’s purpose and emphasise the significance of net zero in operation in the education sector.
Our future presentations will support Let’s Go Zero in its mission to educate schools and students about the path to carbon neutrality, while emphasising the urgency of the situation and the part that each person can play in it.
Let’s Go Zero also hosts significant round tables with top government officials – with our support, the campaign is looking to direct and accelerate action from these discussions. These debates will call for further UK government assistance to enable UK schools to reach their targets of being carbon-free by 2030.
In order to help Let’s Go Zero in its mission to educate the participating schools on how reduced carbon can be achieved, as well as the steps that can be taken, we intend to highlight its net zero projects and accomplishments. These illustrations can emphasise patterns in student behaviour, building types and locations and data analysis – including information on energy efficiency. Events, fundraising, campaigns and messaging will all be used to spread this message.
The collaboration will have an impact on families and other communities in addition to schools. Anyone involved can contribute to the protection of the environment and ensure a healthy planet for future generations by igniting local action.
Mark Graham, our Business Development Director, was keen to get a conversation going – “Net Zero Buildings’ collaboration with Let’s Go Zero will help to create a greater impact to communities by making others aware of the positive impact net zero in operation has.
“Moving forward, we believe together we can encourage future generations to protect our environment, tackling climate change by embedding societal and environmental values at an early age.”
Delivering sustainable solution with low emissions
A recent project with Hart School, which supported lowered emissions and delivered a highly sustainable solution employing innovative lean, green and clean technologies, demonstrates our solid track record in the education sector. The new structure’s energy efficiency is backed by:
- Timber-faced panels that are incredibly airtight and well-insulated to reduce heat loss
- Ventilation with mechanical heat recovery
- Low-energy lighting with sensors
- Estimated annual energy bill savings of £30 per m2.
By educating students about the significance of operating at net zero to meet goals by 2030, we intend to encourage schools and the next generation of people through its support of Let’s Go Zero.
Lucy Blackburn, Senior Development Officer, Ashden – a UK-based climate solutions charity – was keen to learn how we can support Let’s Go Zero’s campaign moving forward. “We’re delighted to be working with Net Zero Buildings to push our campaign even further. Net Zero Building’s case studies will inspire schools, showing them what’s possible, and we look forward to sharing its expertise with the Let’s Go Zero network.”
Together, Net Zero Buildings and Let’s Go Zero will support local communities in gaining more knowledge and impact, educating others about the advantages of a zero-carbon strategy and advancing a sustainable future.
The collaboration can support minimising the carbon impact of existing facilities, educating in new ways and using available funding to look into how zero carbon in operation for new build schools can be achieved.
Promoting climate action in localities across the UK will lessen environmental impact generally for a genuine and long-lasting shift. To find out more about starting your net zero journey, get in touch or call us on 01638 596 155.
