Dec 6th 2019
The first school in New Zealand to go Zero Carbon is calling on others to do the same with the use of an educational tool it helped develop.
Palmerston North’s Ross Intermediate worked with carbon measurement and offsetting specialists Ekos to go zero carbon last year and since then has been working with the non-profit social enterprise on its free School Calculator that is being launched today (December 5).
Teacher Liam Rutherford says that by involving the students in the process they learnt
where emissions come from and where reductions can be made.
He says the calculator makes learning about climate change and measuring a school’s footprint easy and fun at a time when increasing numbers of people are suffering anxiety over climate change.
“Measuring your carbon impact is so much easier than you would think and it can make a real difference to the way students view the climate crisis. Actually doing something and, in the process, learning how we can reduce our impact on the planet is empowering,” said Liam.
Since completing their first measurement, the students at Ross Intermediate have been focusing on reducing their waste-related carbon emissions by recycling more and reducing waste sent to landfill.
Liam says that the process of measuring and offsetting has been invaluable for getting the school’s carbon impact discussed at the Board of Trustees level.
“Going the extra step of offsetting our emissions complements the work we have been doing with the curriculum and means that our school is walking the talk,” he said.
“We want other schools to realise how easy and straightforward it is to measure their footprints. Schools have a real opportunity to take a lead in the climate change space.”
Ekos community partnerships coordinator Claire Keeling says it would be inspiring to see all of Aotearoa’s schools working together and sharing knowledge about how to reduce their emissions.
“We also want to educate people about offsetting and the role it will play in mitigating climate change. Investing in permanent restorative forests by offsetting is an important mitigation and resilience strategy that when done well draws down carbon, helps landowners transition to sustainable land practices and safeguards water quality, soils and biodiversity,” she said.
Claire says the Ekos School Calculator is Version 1 of many to come.
“We plan on continuously improving the educational components of the calculator to help kids understand where action for emission reductions can be taken. Our long-term goal is to have a platform where kids and schools are teaching each other how to make meaningful reductions”, she said.
To receive a free ‘Ekos School Carbon Calculator’ visit ekos.org.nz, click ‘school calculator’ and register. You will receive the calculator in 24 hours and will be notified of future updates.
Contact:
Claire Keeling, Ekos community partnerships co-ordinator, 022 403 0257