#Classrooms4Climate is a national campaign for schools across the UK to declare climate emergencies. By doing this, you are not only announcing that you, as a school, will change everything in your power in an environmental context but also demand the government to do the same. We need you to declare a climate emergency in your school! Check out all our resources and learn more about #Classrooms4Climate by looking at our resource packs for both students and teachers.
We believe that part of the issue surrounding climate change is fear – people are often hesitant to believe or acknowledge things that are scary. We are often unwilling to accept the truth when it comes to climate change because we don’t want to think about the consequences – it’s much easier to just pretend that it won’t happen, or that it doesn’t exist.
But we know better than this. We have done a lot of research regarding the impacts of climate change and what could happen to us in the future if we don’t act now. We believe that the first step towards action is acknowledgement, and by recognising the severity of the climate crisis within schools, we can pave the way for others to start talking about the climate crisis too.
1) Plan with your UKSCN group at school! Why would you like to declare a climate emergency in your school? What would it help you achieve? What would it look like once implemented? How could you make this happen?
2) We recommend you email your head-teacher and ask to have a meeting with them. We’ve written a template letter in our resource folder but feel free to adapt it or write your own!
3) Talk to your head-teacher in person! Hold a meeting with the head-teacher, your UKSCN group and any other supportive teachers you can persuade to join you. Talk about what you discussed in step 1 and make sure to showcase your passion and enthusiasm! It’s key that you discuss exactly what you want ‘declaring a climate emergency’ to mean.
4) It’s petition time! You may choose to take a petition to the meeting before-hand or you could use it as a back-up tactic if, at first, your head-teacher is reluctant. Make a petition and get as many people as you can to sign it. Your case will be stronger if you have the will of the people on your side!
The declaration of a climate emergency would look different for different schools, and it’s really up to you! By signing up on the website you are saying that you have declared a climate emergency in your school, you are taking some sort of action to prevent the climate crisis and that you want the Government to do the same! We recommend that students and teachers get together in your school to discuss what the declaration would look like and what the school can do in terms of climate action.
