The ClimACT project team were in Madrid last week for a meeting with partner institutions from Portugal, France and Spain. This EU-funded project is underpinned by a research partnership between the HMGoG Department of Education and HMGoG Department of the Environment, Heritage and Climate Change.

The initiative aims to support the transition to a low carbon economy in schools.   

The ClimACT project, which has been running since July 2016, is coordinated by the University and works closely with teachers and environmental experts to investigate ways of embedding sustainable education as a whole-school approach.

During the two-day visit, Gibraltar delegates presented and shared information on their progress, and discussed their experiences of engaging with school communities. Delegates then visited two participating schools in Alcala de Henares to learn how they had integrated sustainability throughout their curricula.

Catherine Walsh, Energy Officer at DEHCC, attended the trip and said “The ClimACT meetings were extremely useful in crystallising the aims of the project and identifying ways in which education for sustainability can be fostered in schools. Visiting participating ClimACT schools and seeing the positive results of their efforts was very encouraging and served to demonstrate how numerous small initiatives can add up to make real changes.”

Amaia Fernandez, European and International Funding Officer at the University, who led the visiting team, said “The results from the audits, could inform the design and building of new schools and promote sustainable approaches within teaching and learning. The project is gathering momentum and with developments in Key Stages and curriculum, Gibraltar is well-placed to lead by example and become a centre of Education for Sustainable Development.”

The next progress meeting of the ClimACT project will be hosted by the University of Gibraltar in September 2018.