Plans for Scottish schools to be sustainable by 2030

The Scottish Government has launched an education action plan, placing sustainability at its core, with the commitment to ensure that every school and early learning setting will be sustainable by 2030.

Learning for Sustainability (LfS) features 25 actions, and follows nine months of collaboration with children, young people and their educators.

Actions in the report include developing new LfS related qualifications with programme owners so that achievements and learning on LfS are fully recognised.

It also includes creating a new portal which will act as a one stop shop for learners and educators to share examples of LfS in action and to signpost to relevant resources and professional learning opportunities.

Another action is to establish a LfS Mentor Network for educators to encourage collaborative leadership, provide peer support and share approaches on embedding LfS in the curriculum.

There's also a plan to set up a children and young people LfS Leadership Group to ensure meaningful collaboration with learners throughout the implementation of this refreshed action plan.

Launching the strategy at Grove Academy in Dundee, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said: “Perhaps more than any other group, our children and young people recognise the importance of climate and social justice.  I have heard from many of them that they are looking for bold initiatives to transform their learning environment – Learning for Sustainability is designed to achieve just this.

“The new Target 2030 ambition within the strategy is about placing sustainability at the heart of the education system, revolutionising what and how students learn, how the setting manages its physical environment and resources, how staff and learners relate to each other, how they work with their local community and how they reach out and connect to the wider world.

“This strategy is about building a powerful movement for change and the 25 actions within the plan have been carefully selected following extensive collaboration with children and young people. I look forward to seeing how children, young people, learners and educators embrace this new strategy and how the Scottish education system changes to meet the challenges of tomorrow as a result of this inspirational work.”