SCHOOL OF THOUGHT

IT was like waiting for puffs of white smoke to appear announcing a new Pope. But this time, the nail-biting wait was for the unveiling of the overarching COP26 agreement.

Which crucial phrases had been crossed out or watered down? Could we really trust big polluting nations to save countries at risk of either disappearing under sea level or suffering from extreme droughts?

We’ve certainly had some headline-grabbing announcements in recent weeks on issues such as deforestation, methane and phasing out coal.

But as the UN’S COP26 set in Glasgow is dismantled and everyone goes home, do we have a realistic chance of limiting global warming to 1.5C?

What’s clear is younger generations have been among the most passionate advocates for tackling climate change. They have a no-nonsense figurehead in Greta Thunberg.

Now the Department for Education hopes to capitalise on this enthusiasm by launching a sustainability and climate strategy for schools.

It was published in draft form during the conference and will be firmed up over the coming months. Flicking through the document, there are some decent ideas, albeit nothing earth shattering (forgive the pun).

It covers everything from flood risk plans and more electric vehicle charging points to reducing food waste and promoting more meat-free options on school lunch menus.

One of the eye-catching brainwaves is a new Duke of Edinburgh-style scheme called the Climate Leaders Award. Young people will be able to work towards bronze, silver and gold levels.

It will involve undertaking environmental projects in their communities, such as increasing the biodiversity of a piece of land or running sessions to help younger children explore nature.

Whether it will also include some sort of carbon-neutral expedition remains to be seen. But I can imagine plenty of teenagers wanting to sign up to burnish their green credentials.

The strategy also features a new ‘model science curriculum’. Primary schools, for instance, will be expected to focus on nature and the recognition of species, including those native to the UK. The aim is to ensure all children ‘understand the world around them’.

Other steps include appointing climate change champions in schools.

And to encourage children to become data scientists, there will be a ‘national education nature park’ – a virtual platform where they can upload results from their own environmental investigations. They can compare their activities with other schools in the park.

Universities will be expected to play their part too, through sharing climate expertise with schools.

It’s tempting to see all this stuff as simply scratching the surface of the issue.

To be a game changer, there will need to be some significant Government investment in transforming school buildings as well.

What’s clear is younger generations have been among the most passionate advocates for tackling climate change

Schools and universities represent 39 per cent of UK public sector building emissions. Education sector buildings alone account for one per cent of all energy consumption in this country.

There are still plenty of schools with leaky roofs, bad insulation and soaring heating bills that rely on gasguzzling boilers.

The DFE strategy does contain a target for all brand new school buildings to be net zero by 2023. But will it be enough?

There will also be some whizzy innovations, such as testing out ‘energy pods’ in schools. They will offer ‘plug and play’ solutions that provide heating and hot water via solar panels and other sustainable technology.

My favourite is the plans for research into ‘biophilic’ schools – those that feature a direct connection with nature. Think of green walls or classrooms that open out onto landscaped spaces to aid pupil wellbeing.

Schools are already doing plenty of things to become more sustainable. But the message is we can all do more to help tackle these challenges.

While COP26 focused on speeches by world leaders and brokering side deals on the margins of the conference, the ordinary public can make a tangible difference closer to home.

And that has to start with letting young people have a voice in the planet’s future.