Last week, a group of students attended a virtual eco-conference to discuss how to continue to make our college more eco-friendly. They were joined online by schools from across Cornwall, as well as a school in Sweden, to talk about the efforts being made so far and the next steps for us to take as part of the Green Charter.
What is the Green Charter?
The Green Charter is an agreement we signed up to in 2019, along with other schools in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. This means that we have declared a climate emergency and are actively working towards making our schools more environmentally friendly. The main points covered in the charter are as follows:
Declare a climate emergency in September 2019
Attend the annual Eco-Conference
Gain Eco-School status within two years
Reduce the use of single-use plastic
Create green spaces
Promote the benefits of sustainable food and eating less meat
Get the community involved in being sustainable at home
Work with other schools locally and around the world
Decrease energy consumption and use renewables
Reduce the impact of vehicle pollution
The team also had the chance to interview a panel of experts in economics, sustainable energy, activism, politics and conservation about the climate emergency and their advice for becoming more sustainable. Here were some of the questions they asked:
To Victor Rosansky:
Can business growth and protecting the environment coexist?
To Jo Ruxton:
Should a climate change documentary shock or reassure?
To Emily Stevenson?
What challenges did/do you face as a young, female changemaker?
To Hugo Tagholm:
How do you turn a protest into a piece of actionable legislation?
Here are the full conference details and more about who the team worked with:
Want to get involved in making the school more eco-friendly?
Speak to Mrs Ross-Macdonald in EN8 or email mrossmacdonald@helston.cornwall.sch.uk
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