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OWLS Academy Trust — Climate & Sustainability Action Plan 

Purpose

• Equip every pupil with knowledge and practical skills for a changing world, reduce the Trust’s environmental impact, and improve site biodiversity while protecting core education outcomes.

Top 3 priorities (ranked)

1. Reduce estate emissions and energy costs — biggest immediate carbon and financial wins.
2. Embed climate and nature learning across the curriculum and pupil leadership structures.
3. Improve on-site biodiversity and pupil access to nature to support wellbeing and learning.

Strategic aims (short summary), measurable objective and core actions

1. Resilience to climate change
   Objective: Produce a site-level adaptation plan for every school and deliver priority resilience works at each site.
   Core actions:

   • Commission condition and climate‑risk reviews for each site (flooding, overheating, drainage, trees).
   • Produce a prioritised maintenance and adaptation plan linked to safety and curriculum use.
   • Deliver agreed resilience improvements across sites.

2. Net zero (Scope 1, 2, priority Scope 3)
   Objective: Establish an emissions baseline and set year-on-year reduction targets for Trust-controlled emissions.
   Core actions:

   • Measure emissions across energy, travel, catering and waste; publish a Trust baseline.
   • Deliver quick-win energy efficiency measures (lighting, controls, building-management optimisation).
   • Embed sustainability criteria in procurement and extend product/service lifecycles (ICT, furniture).
   • Promote low-carbon staff travel (car-share, EVs, cycling) and align catering with sustainable menus.

3. Education & careers (curriculum and pupil agency)
   Objective: Ensure every school has a curriculum plan for climate/nature learning and an active pupil Eco-committee.
   Core actions:

   • Publish Trust guidance for age-appropriate, knowledge-rich climate and nature sequences and model lessons.
   • Establish Eco-committees in each school with termly action logs and pupil-led projects.
   • Map local green careers into careers/PSHE activity and run Trust-wide green careers engagement.

4. A better environment for future generations (biodiversity & wellbeing)
   Objective: Produce a Trust Biodiversity Plan and deliver at least one major nature project per school.
   Core actions:

   • Undertake biodiversity baselines for each site.
   • Create a prioritised investment plan for low-cost, high-impact habitat projects (meadows, ponds, orchards).
   • Use pupil monitoring and curriculum links to record biodiversity outcomes.

5. Influence system change and stakeholder engagement
   Objective: Build external partnerships and share Trust learning with stakeholders and the local community.
   Core actions:

   • Produce an internal and external communications plan highlighting pupil leadership and impact.
   • Establish partnerships with local nature, FE/HE or sector organisations.
   • Run community-facing sustainability events and publish an annual Trust impact summary.

Governance & roles (brief)

• Trust Board / Trustees: strategic oversight and challenge; receive regular assurance reports.
• Chief Finance Officer (CFO): executive sponsor, emissions baseline, procurement standards
• OWLS Sustainability EAB & Taskforce: cross-functional group, estates, curriculum, headteachers, governor, pupil reps) to set targets, review progress and escalate.
• Headteachers & School Leadership Teams: own local delivery, curriculum implementation and termly reporting.
• Link Governors: review school-level delivery and provide assurance to Trustees.

Monitoring & accountability (simple)

• Baselines: emissions and biodiversity baselines for each site.
• Termly school returns to the Taskforce using a standard template (actions, spend, pupil engagement, measurable outcomes).
• Annual Trust sustainability summary reporting KPIs, case studies and next priorities.
• Use pupil evidence (Eco-committee minutes, curriculum outcomes, wellbeing data) to show impact.

Key performance indicators (minimum set)

• Emissions: tCO2e (Scope 1 & 2) baseline and % reduction.
• Energy: kWh per pupil and cost per site.
• Biodiversity: number of projects completed; simple species/habitat indicators.
• Curriculum: % of pupils receiving planned climate/nature learning; schools with active Eco-committees.
• Waste & catering: food waste reduction; % of catering suppliers with sustainability commitments.
• Engagement: number of external partnerships and community events delivered.

Risk themes & mitigations (short)

• Limited capital: prioritise low-cost, high-impact measures; seek grants; phase works; reinvest energy savings.
• Variable school implementation: Taskforce monitoring, headteacher accountability, governor scrutiny, share model resources.
• Scope 3 measurement gaps: focus on highest-impact categories first and build supplier engagement.

Practical next steps (operational)

• Establish the OWLS Sustainability Taskforce via EAB with named leads and pupil representation.
• Commission emissions and biodiversity baselines.
• Issue a simple termly return template to headteachers and publish a one-page parent summary once baselines are complete