Global Action Plan

Last month, the UK government announced its intention to extend billpayer-funded subsidies for Drax – the largest biomass burning power station in the world and the single biggest source of carbon emissions in the UK.    Biomass power stations burn trees to generate electricity, making climate change worse by producing carbon emissions, as well as destroying forests, damaging ecosystems, and causing biodiversity loss.     Biomass power stations like Drax rely on subsidies to operate, and these subsidies mean higher energy bills, more carbon emissions and more trees cut down to be burned.  This International Day of Forests, write to your MP to tell them that the burning of trees has no place in a cleaner, greener future for the UK ⬇️   https://lnkd.in/eWn9euaV #InternationalDayOfForests

Wood burning for energy is a significant source of carbon emissions in the UK, contributing to climate change, but it is not currently included in our national emissions figures.    In 2019, approximately 13-16 million tonnes of CO2 were emitted from the burning of US-sourced biomass alone in the UK – this is equivalent to the emissions from around 6-7 million passenger vehicles!    It is estimated that the UK’s electricity generation emissions would increase by up to 27% if emissions from industrial wood burning were included. We cannot pick and choose which sources of carbon we count if we want to tackle climate change and build a cleaner, greener future for everyone.     Find out more and take action this #InternationalDayOfForests ⬇️   https://lnkd.in/emRdwXNn   

Thank you, Professor Becky Francis, this is encouraging. For a Curriculum and Assessment review team to recognise that: “global social and environmental challenges require attention to scientific and cultural knowledge and skills that can equip young people to meet the challenges of the future” is a huge step forward for climate change and sustainability education.    It is worth highlighting the use of the word ‘cultural’ here, it is of potentially huge significance. Its inclusion was likely agonised over; we are so glad it made it in. It is an acknowledgement that while scientific knowledge and skills are vital, they are not sufficient on their own; science and technology will only get society so far. If we are going to ‘meet the challenges of the future’, cultural shifts are required.    A National Curriculum that gives attention to ‘cultural knowledge and skills’ in the context of the ’global and environmental challenges’ we face, is a National Curriculum that Global Action Plan can get behind.     And so to the next steps. We are delighted to see that fourth on the Review team’s list is a commitment to continue to “consider how best to equip children and young people with the essential knowledge and skills which will enable them to adapt to thrive in a rapidly changing and AI-enabled world.” Global Action Plan will continue to urge the Review team to seek support on this. An expert sub-group on sustainability and climate change education needs to be appointed ASAP.    There is so much expertise available to Francis et. al, the UK is home to many practitioners and academics who have the wealth of knowledge and experience that is needed. They are educationalists and know how to equip students with climate and sustainability literacy and the critical thinking, systems thinking, and practical skills needed to thrive in a time of climate and ecological crisis. Failing to draw on this expertise would be a huge missed opportunity.     Finally, thank you to everyone who has written to Francis and team, shown up to roadshow events, responded to the call for evidence, and generally made their feelings about the climate and nature crisis known. We are being listened to, but there is still work to do.    If you haven’t already, please sign and share our open letter (link in comments below). Together, we are showing how much support there is for climate change and sustainability education, we need to continue to do so.     More to follow from us on how to continue to keep the climate and nature crisis front of mind for the Review panel.

"A Chair’s ability to create a culture where everyone feels comfortable to share their thoughts and for these to be valued, is critical." Sonja Graham, Global Action Plan CEO reflects on the tenure of our outgoing Chair of Trustees, Jeremy Oppenheim, and considers what attributes Charities need in a Chair. Read more from Sonja, and access our Chair of the Board of Trustees recruitment pack: ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e2cs8Xry Applications close on Friday 28 March at 9am.

The Department for Education-commissioned independent review of curriculum and assessment will publish its interim report this week. After months of campaigning by Global Action Plan and many others, we will find out what recommendations Professor Becky Francis and team make in regard to sustainability and climate change. We remain hopeful that we have had an influence. Last month, in collaboration with our colleagues at the UCL Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education, we published an open letter to Secretary of State, Bridget Phillipson MP. The letter has attracted 720 signatures so far and there are some very interesting names amongst them. In this article, our newest team member, Camilla Sheaves, takes a look at some of the ‘(un)usual suspects’ who have signed. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ep86zsXT

A reminder that applications are still open for our Chair of the Board of Trustees vacancy. We welcome applications from all backgrounds – especially those underrepresented in the environmental or charity sector at large. We are particularly interested in applications from individuals who have been personally affected – or have had family and friends affected by the issues we work on, including air pollution; harms through social media; climate change or climate justice related issues. Read our Candidate pack and apply by 9am Friday 28 March: https://lnkd.in/ePUgnHDV

Watch Honor Hayes, our Transform Our World Youth Engagement Practitioner for Essex explain about the free values training we're offering to educators in Essex, which covers how teachers can encourage compassionate values in the classroom and turn that into social action projects. If you know a school in Essex, please share this opportunity with them, or tag them in the comments below. They can book their free session with Honor by emailing schools@globalactionplan.org.uk 📩 Honor's work for the Transform Our World programme is funded by The #iWill Movement #iWillFund and The National Lottery Community Fund #teachertraining #Essex #Essexschools ➡️ https://lnkd.in/e7bsKwFd

The recently published Air Quality Information System (AQIS) review – which Global Action Plan gave evidence to – highlighted a range of issues that are currently preventing the public from accessing and understanding air quality information in the UK. Larissa Lockwood, Director of Policy and Campaigns said: "It’s great to see the government commit to improving public awareness of air pollution – especially through developing its own public awareness campaign and including air pollution in medical school curriculums – and we look forward to working with the government to ensure these recommendations are implemented urgently." Read more about it: https://lnkd.in/egknMYWX

Almost half of the Integrated Care Systems in the UK have now signed up to our Clean Air Framework Online Tool. We want to share it with all Integrated Care Systems, the NHS and local authorities, and invite them to watch our webinar, where we introduce the tool and show how it can be used to improve air quality, support better health outcomes, and tackle health inequalities regionally. Our thanks go to Boehringer Ingelheim UK and Ireland for their support in developing the tool with us. Read more and explore: https://lnkd.in/eebsHeSy

Compassionate values in action - Year 5 and 6 students from Little Parndon Primary School in Essex decided to lead a project to protect local wildlife 🦔 The students built hedgehog homes and squirrel feeders to place in their school’s forest area and donated a range of much-needed supplies to HEART Rescue (Harlow Essex Animal Rescue Team), a local organisation dedicated to supporting wildlife in Harlow and neighbouring areas. The students were supported by Honor Hayes, our Transform Our World Youth Engagement Practitioner for Essex, funded by #iwill Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund. If you are connected to an Essex school and would like Honor to deliver a free youth social action programme in your setting this Summer Term, please get in touch at schools@globalactionplan.org.uk. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/eSQm34WB