Millions of young people are being asked to come together to celebrate and accelerate their incredible work addressing climate change.
The Let’s Go Zero Coalition, one of the UK’s biggest school climate campaigns, is inviting school students across the country to join the Climate Action Countdown – a month of activities taking place this summer.
From June 7 to July 5 the Climate Action Countdown will see teachers and pupils up and down the country embark on fun and quirky challenges to reduce their carbon emissions.
The month-long event will draw attention to the huge efforts schools are making to reach zero carbon emissions by 2030, and how they are helping communities create a more sustainable future.
No action is too small, with whole schools, classes, pupils, caretakers, and dinner ladies asked to take up the challenges. Colleges and nurseries are invited to take part too. The countdown’s message is no-one is too tiny to make a big difference.
Teachers, pupils, parents and community and school supporters can all register for the Climate Action Countdown now. They will be emailed a pack of everything needed to get involved, including a calendar of fun and easy-to-do challenges each day, from holding a uniform swap shop to planting a butterfly bush, going meat-free for one Monday or taking part in our Great Big Climate Quiz. The pack also includes musical downloads of the Climate Action Countdown song, sung by SOS from the Kids – the well-known eco choir who were semi-finalists on the X-Factor.
The event encompasses a whole season of national climate events including Great Big Green Week (June 8th – 16th); Show Your Stripes Day (June 21st), Clean Air Day (June 20th); and London Climate Action Week (22nd – 30th June).
Schools will be sharing climate challenge stories and photos on social media during the month with the hashtag #ClimateActionCountdown, for the chance to win exciting daily eco-prizes.
Head of the Let’s Go Zero Coalition, Alex Green, said: “The Climate Action Countdown is a fantastic opportunity for schools to show how they are leading the country in sustainable best practice, through curriculum, campus and culture.
“With school-aged or younger children in 42% of all UK households, our classrooms can inspire progress right across communities. And this is a great time, with a general election on the cards, to show leaders how we need to listen to schools, who really want to be zero carbon. By joining the Climate Action Countdown, schools can help persuade the government to make that happen.”
Lee Hughes, Chief Operating Officer from Peterborough Diocese Education Trust, said:
“The Climate Action Countdown is an outstanding opportunity for our school communities to come together and show leadership in the fight to reduce carbon emissions and act positively on the government’s climate change strategy for education.
“As a Multi Academy Trust of 33 Church of England primary schools, we aspire to act now, engaging our staff, children and communities to make sustainable changes. No action is too small, and we want to encourage our schools to embrace the climate challenge and show that positive steps can be taken, even with really old estates! We will be asking our schools to join together this summer and working with our partners, the Let’s Go Zero coalition, to engage with the Climate Action Countdown.”
Rowan Ryrie, Co-founder and Co-director of Parents for Future, said: “Schools are at the heart of our communities and are a space where all generations can come together. We’re looking forward to seeing children, parents, teachers and the wider community having some fun and making an impact and will be supporting parents to be part of the Climate Action Countdown with a week-long courageous climate conversations challenge.”
The Climate Action Countdown brings together a powerful network of organisations supporting schools and young people to take action to cut their carbon emissions. These form the Let’s Go Zero Coalition and include WWF, Eco-Schools, Global Action Plan, Sustrans, Soil Association, Carbon Trust, Fairtrade, The Tree Council, Energy Sparks, WRAP, Young Peoples Trust for the Environment, The Green Schools Project, Ministry of Eco-Education, Ashden and Surfers Against Sewage. They have also been joined by the National Education Nature Park partnership, Running Out of Time, University of Reading, Earth Cubs and Great Big Green Week.
Laura Jacklin of the National Education Nature Park, one of the Climate Action Countdown partners, said: “We’re thrilled to have the Hidden Nature Challenge as part of the LGZ Climate Action Countdown events! Nature can be found in unexpected places, and understanding what you do and don’t have living and growing in your spaces is the first step in improving them for both people and nature. We hope through the Hidden Nature Challenge along with the other Climate Action Countdown activities, schools across the country are inspired to take action.”
For more details on the Climate Action Countdown and to sign up, visit https://letsgozero.org/climate-action-countdown/
