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Eight Wellington pupils have received a certification in carbon literacy as part of a partnership programme with the Carbon Literacy Trust. The initiative was facilitated by Ana Romero, Head of Sustainability, Wellington College International.
Last academic year, Fifth Form and Lower Sixth pupils who chose the sustainability strand as part of Global Citizenship received training in carbon literacy from Dr Emma Fieldhouse, the Director of Future We Want. The training was based around the concepts in the ground-breaking book, ‘How Bad Are Bananas? The Carbon Footprint of Everything’ by Mike Berners-Lee. The pupils were taught carbon footprint games which they will now deliver to the local community including pupils at partner schools and Eagle House.
In order to receive certification, pupils had to meet rigorous criteria through the submission of an individual project and a group project. The individual projects largely focused on the collective impact of making changes to your everyday habits and behaviours. Each pupil received constructive feedback on the first draft of their action plan and were then encouraged to improve and resubmit it.
“I want to encourage everyone in our school’s community to purchase from brands who support women, especially in low-income countries” – Caterina B
In pupil Scarlett T action plan she pledged to become vegetarian and to eat locally and organically-sourced food, some of which her family would grow in an allotment. With an interest in fashion, Caterina B prepared a presentation on the impact of carbon emissions in the industry and how women are affected by climate injustice. She will deliver her presentation to different houses at school to discourage over-consumption from non-sustainable brands.
“I want to eat less meat at home, whilst encouraging my family to eat less at the same time” – Keira S
For the group project, which promoted teamwork and collaboration, sixth former Keira S had the idea of organising a ‘Mock COP’ linked to COP28 UAE. In collaboration with five other local schools — including Edgbarrow, Holme Grange, Charters School and Furze Platt — and with the involvement of Wellington’s International Baccalaureate politics students and the sustainability programme students, the pupils organised a dynamic and engaging event in the style of a Mock COP UNFCCC model.
Drawing on the outcomes of the Mock COP, pupils have drafted a declaration to present at COP28 UAE to high-level officials, the president of COP and the UK Department for Education. Keira, who is Sustainability and Climate Change Ambassador at Wellington, will deliver the declaration in person in Dubai. She has already given a talk about youth empowerment at Earth Fayre 2023 in Wokingham and has spoken on a panel at the Festival of Education.
Ana Romero said “when awarding the certificates, the Carbon Literary Trust acknowledged the scope and ambition of our pupils’ group project. Their passion demonstrates the commitment of the Wellington community when it comes to sustainability. Collective action is the key to tackling climate change and giving young people a voice is one of the best ways to achieve this”
Find out more about how we are leading climate education through action learning: Sustainabilty in Education at Wellington
