Here is NAEE’s latest round-up of news…
The Plough Moon
Don’ forget to visit Environmental Lunacy https://naee.org.uk/a-year-of-environmental-lunacy/ as the new Moon, the Plough Moon on the 28th February will be the start of another lunar cycle. There will be a new Blog to celebrate this by Nina Hatch, the Teacher/Centre Manager at Mount Pleasant School Farm who is also NAEE Director.
News, in the papers and new resources
In a worrying shift in big energy company focus, the BBC reports:
‘BP shuns renewables in return to oil and gas’
BP has announced it will cut its renewable energy investments and instead focus on increasing oil and gas production.
The energy giant revealed the shift in strategy on Wednesday following pressure from some investors unhappy its profits and share price have been lower than its rivals.
BP said it would increase its investments in oil and gas by about 20% to $10bn (£7.9bn) a year, while decreasing previously planned funding for renewables by more than $5bn (£3.9bn).’
You can read the rest of the story here.
The Climate Change Committee, an advisory body to the UK government, has just released The Seventh Carbon Budget. They have identified 5 routes for Net Zero in the UK: electricity, low-carbon fuels, carbon capture and storage (CCS), nature, engineered removals, and demand. It recommends a reduction of our emissions by 87% by 2040 (compared to 1990 levels).
Tourism’s carbon footprint – a new post from Neil Kitching’s Carbon Choices blog. Kitching explores if tourism can be green, using the example of Exodus Adventure travels. To find out more look at the blog here.
How Trump’s pledge to ‘drill, baby, drill’, is impacting other countries. An article from the BBC explores the implications of Trump’s stance on fossil fuels, with a fear that we may be losing momentum globally. Argentina withdrew from COP29 days after Trump gained presidency, and Indonesia has hinted it may follow suit. Further, Trump plans to export ‘American energy’, with foreign buyers already lining up, threatening the attempted global energy transition. Read more about it here.
The latest COP on the UN Convention on Biodiversity finished this week in Rome. On the 28th February, Governments agreed on the strategy to raise the funds needed to protect biodiversity and achieve the action targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF),which is aimed to be 200 billion dollars a year by 2030. The CBD is an international treaty for the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of the components of biodiversity, and the equitable sharing of the benefits derived from the use of genetic resources. To find out more read their press release here.
News about Schools, Further Education, Higher Education and Initial/Teacher Education
British Science Week and teaching STEM outdoors
British Science Week is taking place on the 7-16th March. Ahead of this Emma Brown, from Learning through Landscapes, explains the benefits of teaching STEM outdoors, including developing critical thinking and building environmental awareness. read more from the blog here.
University of Sussex to launch the UK’s first undergraduate climate justice degree
The Guardian reports that the university is to launch a BA course, called “climate justice, sustainability and development”, which will begin in 2026. It comes after a Future Forum survey found that 72% of 14- 18-year-olds want more relevant and rigorous climate change education, with a demand for more humanities and social sciences-based climate education. The course will also use different modes of assessment, including a podcast. Read more about it here.
Restoring Childhood – The Future of School Grounds in Scotland
An event on the 21st March supported and hosted by Queen Margaret University, Landscape Institute, Learning through Landscapes. It envisions transforming over 4000 hectares of Scottish school grounds into sustainable, safe havens that foster social connection, play and engagement with nature, alongside academic growth. The driver for this change is the needs of our children and young people in a rapidly changing world.
Why the new government needs to take climate change and sustainability education seriously
In this blog from UCL’s Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education (CCCSE), Prof Nicola Walshe and Dr Alison Kitson explore how reforming the education system could provide an opportunity to tackle the climate crisis while ensuring children receive a meaningful education about sustainability and climate change.
You can read the blog here
From Teach the Future: Shadow Curriculum and Assessment Review Interim Report and announcements of upcoming Road Trips
‘Last year the government launched a Curriculum and Assessment Review. However, feeling that young people were not given enough opportunities to engage with the review meaningfully, we helped form the Shadow review to ensure that young people’s voices on education are heard.
The youth shadow panel just published their interim report, showing that young people are overwhelmingly calling for a more relevant curriculum with a greater focus on climate and nature.
Teach the Future representative on the youth shadow panel, Liv, has written this blog post to reveal more on the findings related to climate education and has sent a message below about getting involved in the shadow CAR ‘Roadshows’ over the next month….
Climate education recommendations from the youth shadow panel:
🌍 Climate and nature integrated across all subject curricula
⚙️ Solutions-focused education with more focus on climate resilience
🌱 Hands-on experiential learning outdoors in nature
🎓 Training for teachers to deliver sustainability education
📖 Up-to-date textbooks
The more we get the message out there, the sooner we can build a curriculum that truly reflects the needs and wants of young people!’
AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE from Liv Marshall, TTF Rep on the Youth Shadow Panel announcing upcoming Road Trips
‘The Shadow Curriculum and Assessment Review is hitting the road next month, and it’s super important that children and young people participate in their regional roadshow! We need to make sure that climate and nature education is at the forefront of the conversations held at these fun and interactive workshops, and to do this, we need your help. Here’s some information about the roadshow workshops:
- London – 14th of March from 11am-13:30pm, open to those aged 11-18 (under 16s with a parent/guardian present) – sign up here!
- Bristol – 15th of March from 12:30pm-3pm, open to those aged 11-20 (under 16s with a parent/guardian present) – sign up here!
- Online – 31st of March from 6pm-7pm, open to those aged 11-20 (under 13s with a parent/guardian registering on their behalf) – sign up here!
- Online – 5th of April from 11am-12pm, open to those aged 11-20 (under 13s with a parent/guardian registering on their behalf) – sign up here!
The events will be youth-led and welcoming, with a quiet space and a prayer room accessible and free pizza for the in-person roadshow workshops.
Please sign up to a workshop and support young people to attend to ensure we get climate and nature education included in the Shadow Curriculum and Assessment review report!
I’ll be at the London and Bristol events so hope to see you there!
PS. Help promote the roadshow using the Youth Shadow Panel’s comms kit.’
Leading Academics Urge Education Secretary to Revise National Curriculum to Address Climate and Nature Emergency
Over 150 academics co-sign open letter calling for expert sub-group on sustainability education as part of the Francis review London, Feb 27th 2025
Ahead of the imminent publication of the interim report of The Francis Review of Curriculum and Assessment, over 150 leading academics have co-signed an open letter urging Bridget Phillipson MP, the Secretary of State for Education, to ensure that the new National Curriculum adequately prepares young people for the challenges of the climate and nature emergency.
This powerful joint statement adds to the growing calls on Prof. Becky Francis, chair of Curriculum and Assessment review, to establish a formal expert sub-group on sustainability education and to include relevant expertise in any subject-specific sub-groups.
The letter, which will remain open to others who wish to sign it, highlights the urgent need for the National Curriculum to reflect the reality of our rapidly changing world, where climate and environmental crises will directly impact future generations. In the context of these challenges, the letter calls for a curriculum that equips young people not only with the knowledge and skills to understand the crisis but also with the tools to actively engage in building a climate resilient sustainable future. With climate and nature issues now fundamental to the future of society, ensuring that sustainability education is woven throughout the curriculum is essential.
How to talk to children about the climate crisis
A free guide for parents and carers provided by Greenpeace and climate psychologist Caroline Hickman. This guide explores why, how and when to have conversations with your children to support them emotionally and build their resilience in a climate-changed world. To download the resources (you will need to provide your name and email address, follow this link.
SEEd event – Our Shared World Learning Lunch: Ethical Leadership
This event, hosted by SEEd on the 6th March, features Professor Arran Stibbe who explores the question What is Econarrative and how does it connect to ethical leadership? Join OSW members in discussing your views and ideas! You can get your free ticket here.
Free CPD from the Historic Towns Trust – 25th March in Bath
Place Detectives through Geography and History
The Historic Towns Trust is offering free CPD to encourage teachers to take children outdoors. The session will be run at Bath University and focuses on KS2 geography and history.
You can find more information here.
Employment, education and training opportunities
Climate Leaders Conference – 6th March, Sheffield Hallam University.
This one-day conference will support education settings, schools and trust leaders to understand the benefits of a sustainability leadership and climate action plans, support to develop a plan and identify opportunities to support their settings in taking action on climate change, sustainability and biodiversity.
For more information, have a look here and to sign up, follow this link.
Climate and Energy Summit 2025, 18th – 19th March, Chatham House, London.
On the road towards COP30, this annual conference will gather senior leaders and decision-makers from the business community, multilateral organizations, government agencies, academia and NGOs. Two days of high-level panel dialogues, networking sessions and an interactive workshop under the Chatham House Rule will focus on multi-stakeholder collaboration for increased ambition, action and impact. For more information and to sign up, have a look on their website.
5th Annual South Yorkshire Schools’ Climate Conference 2025 – 20th March, AESSEAL Rotherham United Football Stadium, Rotherham.
All schools in South Yorkshire are invited to register an expression of interest for groups of up to 6 primary pupils (Y4-Y6) or up to 5 secondary students (Y7-Y11) with 2 adults. It will be a jam-packed day of interactive workshops and speakers exploring the Green Skills and Careers theme. Attending the conference is also a great way to gain more knowledge to boost your school’s Climate Action Plan. For more information, access their website here and to sign up, use this link.
Together in Nature – Trauma-informed Nature-based Training- 24-30th March, Malvern, Worcestershire and 6-10th May, Aberdeenshire.
For people working with children, young people and adults, those interested in their personal development and are curious about the power of connection with the more than human world. The key elements of the 5 days include – holding space; storying our story with nature-based metaphors and more; attuning and resonance with each other and the natural world; creating coherence from separation. To book your space and find out more information, follow this link.
Lead Teacher in Outdoor Learning – 22nd – 22rd April, Stirling University.
Aimed at teachers who would like to develop the outdoor learning culture in their school. The two-day course aims to equip practitioners with practical skills, knowledge and understanding to embed outdoor learning across their setting or whole school community. Conducted by Learning Through Landscapes.
Step up your game as a campaigner – Online, Shelia McKechnie Foundation.
Explore various specialist workshops designed to provide advice, tools and information to help you succeed in campaigning. They work for those who are new to campaigning or who want to hone their skills in a particular specialist area. They offer a series of three-hour online workshops with a focus on active learning. To find out more information and book, check out the website here.
Some exciting job opportunities available:
Biodiversity Officer – Oxfordshire County Council (Deadline 9th March)
Student Engagement Manager (Cambridge Zero) – University of Cambridge (Deadline 14th March)
Part-Time Climate FORTH Project Assistant – RSBP (Inner forth, Scotland) (Deadline 17th March)
Regional Coordinator – Climate Ed (North West) (Deadline 28th March). Climate Ed is a charity with provides carbon literacy to children across the UK.
Learning through Landscapes – Chief Executive Officer (Deadline 14th March) and Training and Development Officer – South West England (Deadline 17th March)/
For a wide range of further opportunities, do look at:
Kyoto – Saving the Earth is a filthy business…
A new play currently running in London, dramatising the Climate Summit of 1997.
Welcome to the Kyoto Conference Centre, 11 December 1997. The nations of the world are in deadlock and 11 hours have passed since the UN’s landmark climate conference should have ended. Time is running out and agreement feels a world away. The greatest obstacle: American oil lobbyist and master strategist, Don Pearlman…
Find out more about it here and we would love to hear reviews from our readers
And to wrap it up…
Visit Fables of Our Time
Visit the exhibition in the Design Museum, Kensington, London. The free exhibition offers a triptych of stories about environmental urgencies using folktales and a new collection of emoji to examine humanity’s relationship with the natural environment.
Sharing News and Contact Details
Please do share our news round-up with colleagues who might be interested. If someone has shared it with you and you would like to join NAEE to support our work, you can do so here.
National Association for Environmental Education (UK)
Email: info@naee.org.uk Web: http://naee.org.uk