Celebrating Scotland's Climate Week - College Development Network

Scotland’s Climate Week (14-20 September) promotes the message that, by working together, we can end Scotland’s contribution to climate change.

To celebrate Scotland’s Climate Week, we shine a light on the colleges shortlisted for the ‘Climate Emergency Action’ award at this year’s virtual CDN College Awards.

The ‘Climate Emergency Action’ award recognises a college that has demonstrated leadership in taking action on the Climate Emergency.

Congratulations to the following shortlisted colleges, who have provided the following information to summarize their project:

City of Glasgow College, Climate Change and the Impact from Coronavirus

At City of Glasgow College, we recognise and acknowledge a Climate Emergency. The College is currently redrafting the Sustainability Strategy, not only to align with the Scottish Government target of net-zero emissions by 2045, but also because we, as an institution, want to focus on how we improve rather than negatively impact on the environment.

The College engages with Glasgow Learning Quarter, including other institutions and local communities, to establish solutions in reducing our reliance on fossil fuels for heat and power.

The College make an annual return to the Public Bodies Climate Change Duties Reporting in November from which it is evident that our carbon footprint is reducing.

In April 2017, The Environmental Sustainability Working Group (ESWG) was formed with membership from all Faculties and Sections within the College including Student Representatives. It is a great forum to share ideas and to go above and beyond in achieving our goals of reducing our impact on the environment.

The current pandemic has taught us new ways of working but inevitably has introduced other challenges. We believe that working in partnership with others within and outwith our environment is key to delivering change and we have found huge benefits in doing so.

Dumfries and Galloway College, The Collaborative Climate Change Challenge

Dumfries and Galloway College has taken climate change seriously through corporate leadership and direct actions to reduce our carbon emissions and arm students with the knowledge to help them do their bit in everyday life.

The College has run initiatives through its ‘Climate Change Action Plan’, but this took a bigger step with the declaration of a ‘climate emergency’ in 2020.

Through its declaration, the College has chosen not only to focus on local activities but to work collaboratively, bringing in the wider community to create a partnership approach to help D&G as a region achieve net zero.

The College has incorporated climate change in new projects, none more so than our new green energy centre which utilises renewable technologies to operate the building, whilst allowing students and groups to learn on live technology.

The college has been innovative in looking at our teaching methods, utilising digital technology to enable remote learning for our students.

Outside the College our work with local business partners and our local council has increased significantly with the College taking the lead on projects such as the data behind climate change and regional climate emergency groups.

Edinburgh College, Edinburgh College Tackles the Climate Emergency

Edinburgh College reaffirmed its commitment to Environmental Sustainability during term 2019/20, with the publication of its ambitious Environmental Sustainability Strategy 2019-24.

This new action plan to tackle the climate emergency will ensure a collective approach is taken to meeting the College’s target of becoming carbon neutral by 2030.

The plan builds on significant levels of work carried out in recent years in an attempt to cut the College’s carbon footprint.

To deliver the new plan, Sustainability Champions have been recruited across the organisation. These Champions will form sub-groups to cover key Sustainability themes, undergo EAUC training and promote sustainability across the College.

In addition, a revamped Sustainability in Education Group is building on previous work to further embed sustainability in the curriculum and develop new online learning and teaching resources.

Edinburgh College is one of Scotland’s largest, serving the nation’s capital and surrounding areas – therefore it has a responsibility to be a Climate Emergency Action leader. This new action plan will ensure the organisation and its people will strive to achieve its sustainability goals.