The Leading for Sustainability Toolkit, designed for busy leaders and managers, hosts voices from the sector in the form of video-case studies, top tips, quick learns and further resources to share current practice, thinking and materials. Our ambition is that the toolkit helps you to contribute to sustainability education for learners by enabling ‘… every human being to acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values necessary to shape a sustainable future.’ UNESCO, 2014.
Watch the six videos in the playlist and listen to Charlotte Bonner, CEO of (The Alliance for Sustainability º£½ÇÉçÇø in º£½ÇÉçÇø), discuss how ideas and practice around sustainability in the sector have changed in the last few years, what the sector is doing well and where it can have the most influence.
After watching the videos, you may wish to ask yourself:
Leaders from across the FE and Skills sector discuss how they lead for sustainability in their settings through these four video-case studies.
CEO, EAUC.
Talk about it! You don’t need to be an expert.
Think about how sustainability relates to your job and your sphere of influence and make it part of your practice.
Share your story inside and outside your setting – what worked well and less well.
Deputy Principal and Sustainability Lead, Plumpton College
You don’t lead on your own. Find and empower your advocates and champions.
It takes resourcing and time. This needs to be a continuous part of someone’s role with long-term support.
Shout about it and share regularly.
Sustainability º£½ÇÉçÇø and Engagement Officer, Change Agents UK
Access training, become Carbon Literate – there are a lot of resources out there and you are not starting from a blank sheet of paper. Upskill your teams on green skills and careers.
Use your networks and speak to people.
Sustainability is a way to solve a lot of problems.
Associate Principal and Assistant Principal, Oldham Sixth Form College
Make it visible and measurable.
Make it imaginative.
Follow the roadmap!
Principal, New Directions College; Adult Learning and Skills Manager, Reading Borough Council; HOLEX Policy Lead for ESD, green skills and LSIPs outside London
Do your homework and improve your knowledge of both the science and the ethics around sustainability.
Connect and network to develop your confidence and share your practice.
Adopt a place-based and local approach to give focus and context to your strategy. This makes sustainability relevant and less overwhelming.
Sustainability in Curriculum Coordinator, NCG
Sustainability measures can save you money.
Being a sustainable institution enhances your reputation.
Listen and find your champions in your staff and students.
What progress are you making in developing a shared vision of sustainability across the organisation for employers, staff and learners? How is your organisation leading on green jobs and skills?
We have produced four short video-presentations and accompanying slides on a range of leading for sustainability topics, plus a video from Eleanor Willis, Change Agents UK. These are designed for multiple uses e.g. online or face-to-face CPD, stimulating discussion in team meetings or 1:1s or for a deep dive into a specific topic. Click on the following five headings to watch the video-presentations and download presentations.
Eleanor Willis, Change Agents UK
Please note, editable versions of the presentations are available on request. Please contact digitalcommsteam@etfoundation.co.uk for more information.
Resources are housed under seven sections and mapped to seven categories (please note, the resources will open in new tabs):
Published in April 2022 following COP26 in Glasgow the previous November, the strategy outlined plans for The National º£½ÇÉçÇø Nature Park, Climate Leaders Award and Climate Action Plans.
Published in May 2023, this document outlined further detail on the leadership and strategic requirements of the Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy – taking a whole-institution approach, having a sustainability lead and climate action plan in place by 2025.
Updated June 2023. Guidance for using data to measure the performance of the estate, encourage sustainability and manage energy and water use.
News article about the vital role the Further º£½ÇÉçÇø (FE) and Training sector, and the education system more broadly, has in contributing to the achievement of sustainability goals. See also FE News articles on and be developed and how the .
Updated April 2022, this strategy builds on the Government’s Nov 2020 strategy, 2030 carbon budget and 2050 net zero targets. º£½ÇÉçÇø mentioned in relation to Green Jobs, Skills and Apprenticeships and plans for a sustainability and climate change strategy for education and children’s services, which will include a focus on equipping children and young people with the knowledge and skills they need to contribute to the green economy.
Updated January 2023, non-statutory guidance for colleges based on HM Government Environmental Reporting Guidelines. Whilst not a requirement, ESFA has encouraged colleges to disclose energy and carbon reporting on their websites/annual reports.
Member-only tool to assist colleges in making their Streamlined Energy and Carbon Reporting statement.
Free to access range of tools to support those starting to plan their decarbonisation journey.
Introduced air source heat pumps and upgraded energy management system.
Harnessing the power of the River Ouse to decarbonise heating systems.
Introduced low carbon heating systems and sustainability studies.
Published in September 2023, this report reviewed existing research about the effectiveness of different interventions to promote low-carbon behaviours in eight key areas including diet, transport, consumption and skills.
Briefing published in October 2022 in advance of the Lords’ debate on what steps the government could take to support behaviour change as part of the pathway to net zero.
Published in June 2023 in response to the government’s progress on net zero plans and towards the recommendations made by the CCC in 2022.
Updated July 2023. Pair this resource with – updated in 2022, the Professional Standards for teachers now include a requirement to promote and embed education for sustainable development (ESD) across learning and work practices. Download the Professional Standards º£½ÇÉçÇø poster.
Published in 2020 in advance of COP26 in Glasgow. A key output from the Climate Commission in partnership with Association of Colleges and NOUS Group, the Climate Action Roadmap provides a clear pathway, actions and guidance on how colleges can respond to the climate emergency as a whole-institution endeavour.
Published in July 2023 by Toolkits for engaging Professional Services and Support Departments with sustainability including HR, Catering, Finance, IT and Marketing.
Published in January 2023, The Royal Anniversary Trust published Accelerating Towards Net Zero, an ambitious roadmap for carbon reduction in the tertiary education sector. It offered a profile of the sector’s carbon footprint, proposed a Standardised Carbon Emissions Framework to measure, report and manage carbon emissions, as well as making 14 recommendations to Government.
Published in July 2023 by EAUC, AUDE and BUFDG, following the Accelerating Towards Net Zero Report. As a counterbalance to commitments and strategies to countering the effects of climate change, The Cost of Net Zero Report and Calculator Tool enables colleges to explore the cost of achieving net zero through a standard protocol and helps us to understand the context, scale and nature of the task.
Published in November 2022 to accompany COP27, this page links to a variety of resources including ESFA Guidance on Energy and Carbon Reporting and a range of Sustainability Exchange resources.
Since 2021, AOC have run their annual conference as a carbon neutral event, collecting data on the carbon footprint of the event across travel, accommodation, catering, event space and promotional material.
AOC is working in partnership with energy consultants Inenco to cut college energy bills with support on energy management and tailored sustainability solutions.
A4 factsheet on approaches, ideas and inspiration covering the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Metaskills, sustainability in action, circular economy and linking to curriculum.
To commemorate the King’s Coronation in May 2023, DfE announced that six Green Apprenticeships between Levels 2 – 7 have been selected by industry experts on IfATE’s Green Skills Panel for endorsement in recognition of their sustainability credentials.
Outlining the role of apprenticeships and technical education in securing a fundamental shift in the skills of the UK workforce, looking at work so far and plans for the future.
A variety of information including an animation explaining green apprenticeships and links to IfATE’s sustainability work.
Providing both general and route-specific guidance on green skills including information on how IfATE classifies green jobs.
Hub for ETF’s ESD resources including background information on ESD, training courses, resources and research.
Interactive audit tool for colleges and training providers to collect and analyses their own data, identify where they are currently, including sustainability topics and skills development in their provision, where there might be gaps and where they might improve.
Comprehensive training programme for college Governors comprising a variety of modules including a Climate Action Governance Toolkit. Create a free account to access the modules.
A review into ESD approaches and curriculum content in post-16 qualifications in England, commissioned by DfE.
Free , support and guidance helps EYFS to KS5 embed nature across teaching and learning with a range of activities and tools including writing a Vision Statement, mapping your site and collecting data to contribute to a national picture of biodiversity across the country’s education estate.
Delivered by The Royal Society, the Climate Action Award is an institution-level award to recognise colleges, schools and nurseries that have brought strategic, whole-institution change in supporting their students to develop green skills, champion nature and work towards a sustainable future.
Development of the NENP led by University of Reading.
A selection of funding partners and schemes.
Whilst most IEMA resources are membership-only, there are a range of freely available articles and resources that cover green jobs and skills, leadership and policy developments.
Developed by IEMA as a freely accessible resource and information source on green skills, jobs and careers across all sectors as we can all play a role in greening the economy.
is a vast library aiming to be the world’s leading resource of sustainability information in post-16 education. Resources cover an enormous range of topics and formats, including:
Published in 2020 in advance of COP26 in Glasgow. A key output from the Climate Commission in partnership with Association of Colleges and NOUS Group, the Climate Action Roadmap provides a clear pathway, actions and guidance on how colleges can respond to the climate emergency as a whole-institution endeavour.
For EAUC or AUDE members. A tool to measure the sustainability performance within HE And FE institutions and provide a framework for progression and improvement.
Some simple suggestions for taking action to achieve the global goals.
Goal 4 aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all and promotes lifelong learning opportunities.
Annual campaign run by SOS (UK) during March to put the SDGs and sustainability at the heart of all stages of education and across all disciplines. In 2023, FE colleges led the way in terms of numbers of educators pledging to include the SDGs in their teaching.
Managed by EAUC, the Accord is the university and college sector’s collective response to the Global Goals, to inspire, celebrate and advance the critical role that education has in delivering the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
framework consists of five dimensions organising 23 skills and qualities of human inner growth and development. The framework has been developed by a team of international researchers after an extensive outreach consultation involving more than 1,000 people. The five dimensions comprise of:
Published in May 2023, this document outlined further detail on the leadership and strategic requirements of the Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy – taking a whole-institution approach, having a sustainability lead and climate action plan in place by 2025.
Published in February 2023. Led by Morley College and New City College, supported by EAUC and ETF with funding from DfE as one of the Strategic Development Fund projects. This project was developed for education professionals to better understand their current ESD practice, as well as the opportunities to further promote and embed ESD in teaching and work. Fusion Skills is a concept developed by The City of London Corporation who wanted to collectively define the skills needed for the future and enhance these skills within an ethical context of social mobility and sustainability.
An awareness of the carbon dioxide costs and impacts of everyday activities and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions on an individual, community and organisational basis. An increasing number of colleges and training providers are using the bespoke FE and HE Toolkit to deliver a day’s-worth of Carbon Literacy training to staff and students.
A with a trained facilitator using a collaborative, discussion-based approach to teach the fundamental science behind climate change and inspire participants to take action.
Change Agents works with FE, HE, corporate clients and individuals to deliver education and development programmes on sustainability careers, employability and essential professional skills in sustainability. Programmes include development for and , as well as a very short course on . is a course for students as they transit from education into future-focussed work and is a workshop-based training course for careers teams and those who guide and support students.
is a free careers programme for UK colleges and secondary schools with resources and training.
is a course that comprises of six live online sessions. This course is for those in the FE and skills sector seeking to embed sustainability into their professional practice and incorporates current thinking and research into the sessions.
is a short course (14 hours) developed by University of Reading and available on FutureLearn.
As well as support for , The Carbon Trust also has a range of useful resources, including on with an .
Student-Led Sustainability Curriculum Mapping is a programme to support and train students to audit and map formal curricula against the UN Sustainable Development Goals and wider sustainability learning.
This report aims to address race diversity within the environmental, climate and sustainability charitable sector and to hold organisations accountable for their initiatives towards a safe and diverse workplace. This collaborative initiative is a partnership between SOS UK, Hindu Climate Action, Nature Youth Connection º£½ÇÉçÇø and South Asians for Sustainability.
SOS UK survey a large number of students in FE and HE institutions every April, asking about their feelings on climate change.
Every year, SOS UK survey students to ask about their attitudes towards learning for sustainable development. A majority have consistently said that they want their institutions to be doing more and that they want to learn more about it.
is a whole-institution supported change programme and accreditation mark (audited by students) to embed sustainability across all aspects of student learning.
is part of a global initiative to empower students with the skills and knowledge to talk about climate and advocate for themselves. There are also with links to a range of organisations.
Published in October 2023, the briefing covers workforce readiness, opportunities and barriers and staff engagement and behaviour change.
Published in November 2022, revealing how during 2022, although public worries about climate change remained at a consistent level, worries about Covid had been replaced by worries about the cost of living.
Published in January 2023, this report looks at some examples of organisations making the transition to a greener future, with a key finding being that single sustainability interventions have limited effect, whereas a coherent, strategic values-led approach was most effective.
Published in July 2022, this guide assembles advice and good practice from across the FE sector in Wales to help improve financial sustainability and for planning to meet net zero targets.
Published in June 2022, this report looks at the hidden environmental costs of the digital revolution and the steps that colleges and universities can take to address these.
Whilst the focus of this website is on business and the built environment sector, the vast covering three core pillars of sustainability – environmental, social and economic are relevant to colleges.
Potential Energy Coalition published in 2023, an extensive message-testing research project and recommendations on how to better communicate the threat of climate change, encourage people to demand action and inspire them by the progress that we’re already making.
Futerra’s 2011 Report for the UK Government, , is a landmark in climate messaging.
The is a grassroots network comprising practitioners across FE. It holds termly online meetings, shares practice and joins up FE practitioners passionate about sustainability.
are networking forums for EAUC members to exchange ideas, skills and experience and cover various topics and regions.
lists some of the best UK-based black, brown, Asian, people of colour indigenous peoples from the Global South, who are climate and environmental experts, campaigners and advocates living and working in the UK.
Research and education to develop practical solutions to global sustainability challenges.
Interdisciplinary modules that complement degree courses and develop skills that employers want – collaboration, problem-solving and thinking critically, creatively and flexibly. Each module presents a question about our changing environment framed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Research, training and innovation towards effective action on climate change and the environment. As well as cutting-edge research, the institute also produces practical, approachable guides and advocacy resources on taking action, such as and , as well as other resources and research on mental health and a fair transition.
An example of clear communication on for sustainability across campus, curriculum, culture and community with particular emphasis on student and staff support, development and empowerment.
A strong understanding of sustainable development is a key part of the experience at University of Reading, from research to embedding ESD across curricula and empowering students with the knowledge, skills and attributes to contribute solutions to global challenges in an equitable and just way.
Increasingly recognised as one of the most powerful representations of the climate crisis, the Warming Stripes were created by Professor Ed Hawkins at the and University of Reading. The Warming Stripes are visual representations of the change in temperature as measured in each country, region or city over the past 100+ years.
recognise the exceptional sustainability initiatives being undertaken by colleges and universities across the world in 16 categories. Each winner and finalist shares their sustainability journey including ley learning.