This is a guest article written by one of the leaders of the Climate Ambassadors scheme, The Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC).
Introducing Climate Ambassadors
Across professionals, employers and professional bodies, those in the SocEnv network need little persuading of the need to act with urgency, ambition, and impact in the face of the climate, nature, and societal crises we face. Whilst tackling these immediate challenges, we also need to be looking to the future: ensuring that the generations after ours are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and determination to continue the work we have started. This is where the Climate Ambassadors programme comes in, matching volunteer climate experts with education settings to develop climate action plans in nurseries, schools and colleges.
Why Education Matters
Education is one of the most powerful tools we have to drive meaningful change. By influencing the minds of young people today, we can instil the values, knowledge, and behaviours they will need to navigate their futures and contribute positively to sustainability through their lives and careers.
Additionally, the education sector itself has a significant environmental impact, with a collective estate twice the size of Birmingham. This vast network of buildings, grounds, resources, and activities means that the sector’s choices can have a profound effect on reducing carbon footprints and improving biodiversity.
Nearly everyone in society has some connection to an education setting—whether they live near a school, have friends or family members working in one, or have children attending. This creates a unique opportunity for community-wide engagement in sustainability efforts, amplifying the impact far beyond the school gates.
Turning Climate Ambition into Climate Action
In 2021, the Department for Education published their inaugural Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy. As part of implementing this strategy, they’ve commissioned the University of Reading, working alongside the EAUC, to lead a consortium of partners in delivering Climate Ambassadors.
The scheme works is to support educational settings across England—from nurseries through to further education colleges—in developing and implementing meaningful climate action plans (CAPs). These plans focus on four key areas:
- Decarbonisation
- Adaptation and resilience
- Nature and biodiversity
- Climate Education and Green Skills.
What this involves
Support is provided by harnessing the expertise of sustainability professionals, connecting them with education settings to inspire and guide meaningful climate action. As such, it presents a unique opportunity for sustainability professionals to extend their impact beyond their immediate work and into their local communities.
Climate Ambassadors take many guises and have diverse skillsets. Some inspire leadership teams, others help sustainability leads navigate the support available, and others provide specific technical advice on one element of a climate action plan. Depending on their task, they work with different parts of an education setting’s community: educators, learners, senior managers, or professional support staff. As such, anyone with knowledge and skills related to (one of) the four CAP areas who is passionate and motivated to offer support to education settings can be a Climate Ambassador.
Reflecting the varied and wide-ranging nature of the SocEnv network, the scheme takes a cross-disciplinary approach and aims to connect volunteers of all backgrounds. Full DBS checks and training are part of the sign-up process, helping ensure that volunteers are well-versed in the expectations of the scheme, the context of the programme, and how to best work with education settings.
Why Get Involved?
For those working in sustainability, the Climate Ambassadors programme offers a unique avenue to:
- Make your knowledge and skills count in tackling real-world sustainability and climate challenges.
- Make a genuine difference to your community by supporting education settings that need and value your contribution.
- Develop sustainability and climate leadership skills—for yourself and those you work with—with training on climate essentials, systems change, and working with education settings.
- Experience personal fulfilment, gaining a sense of achievement as you see your advice and ideas put into practice.
As well as working with individual volunteers, the scheme seeks partnerships with professional bodies and both public and private sector organisations who can contribute to the programme to demonstrate their social value.
Take Action Today
To get started as a volunteer, register as a STEM Ambassador and select “Climate Ambassadors” as your scheme of choice.
To signal your interest in developing an organisational partnership with the Climate Ambassadors scheme, get in touch via the form on the Climate Ambassadors website.
Whether you’re an individual looking to volunteer or represent an organisation interested in partnering with us, your involvement can make a lasting impact.
Find out more about the Climate Ambassadors scheme via the link below:
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