 Alongside the cash saving, the Carbon Trust’s new campaign is set to cut the carbon footprint of these schools and FE colleges in England by up to 200,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions every year – equivalent to the entire annual emissions of the City of Durham.
The Carbon Trust is calling on schools and FE colleges to save up to 20 per cent on their energy bill by adopting its easy, no and low cost energy-saving steps. For organisations with an annual energy bill of more than £50,000, the Carbon Trust is also offering a free site survey with tailored advice on how to cut energy use.
Dr Garry Felgate, Director of Delivery and External Relations at the Carbon Trust, commented: “Cutting carbon emissions as part of the fight against climate change should be a concern for any school. Through my previous experience as a school governor, I believe it’s vital that we act now to secure our students’ future. The Carbon Trust is offering students and staff an exciting opportunity to do this whilst saving up to 20 per cent on their school’s energy bill - money that can be better spent on resources for students. It’s easy to cut energy use and we offer schools a whole range of no and low cost ways to do so, from advice and support through to our free site surveys for schools spending more than £50,000 on energy each year. We’re hugely excited about today’s launch and look forward to hearing from schools that want to take up the challenge to drive down carbon emissions.” Speaking in support of the campaign, Parmjit Dhanda MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Children, Young People and Families added: “Climate change is an issue we cannot afford to ignore, not least in its impact on the next generation. The Carbon Trust’s new scheme will save schools and colleges money on their energy bills and will help to protect our environment. Following recent consultation, we are working with both teachers and pupils through our Year of Action on Sustainable Schools. We will also need the help of third parties such as the Carbon Trust to make the changes which are vital for a sustainable future.”
 Schools and FE colleges that want to take action can benefit from free advice and support from the Carbon Trust via its advice line (0800 917 3030) and website (www.carbontrust.co.uk/schools). Advice ranges from simple changes such as turning off lighting and heating and introducing student awareness projects, through to installing energy-saving equipment, including timers and insulation. The Carbon Trust will also provide free and practical design advice to schools as part of the government’s ‘Building Schools for the Future’ programme. Organisations planning large scale refurbishment or re-build projects can benefit from opportunities to become more energy-efficient. One school that has already benefited from working with the Carbon Trust is Copthall School in North London. With an annual energy bill of over £55,000 and annual emissions of more than 450 tonnes of carbon, the school approached the Carbon Trust for a free site survey to see where they could make energy-saving changes. The survey revealed that Copthall School could reduce its carbon emissions by over 90 tonnes and save £36,000 in energy costs over three years by following a series of straightforward steps. The energy-saving recommendations include developing an energy policy for the first time in the secondary school’s history, which enables staff and students to be involved in monitoring energy use. The school has also appointed student energy monitors from within its school council to be responsible for ensuring that lighting and classroom equipment is turned off when not in use. Jane Beaumont, Headteacher of Copthall School, North London, said: “Our students’ and community’s commitment to reducing the school’s impact on the environment, coupled with rising energy prices, encouraged us to take a closer look at how much energy we were using last year – and where we could make cuts. The Carbon Trust gave us free practical advice and support on how we could make simple changes to drive down our energy use and reduce our carbon footprint. It’s been a really good way to involve the students in thinking about how to reduce their impact on the environment.”
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