International schools’ climate change long-haul

I was talking recently with someone about some quality assurance compliance I’d agreed to do for them. We were talking about travel, and I said, “I’m happy to fly anywhere in the world.”

I love flying – the whole experience of checking in, spending time in duty-free, wandering around, soaking up the vibe as I people-watch. To me, it’s all part of the adventure, wherever you’re heading to.

Living overseas for so long, flying had become an everyday necessity.

But on this occasion, I was caught off guard by the response: “Oh no, you can only fly short haul.” Naturally, I assumed this was because of the cost. However, they were talking about the carbon footprint. I was rather taken aback. I mean, I know all about carbon footprints and the need to reduce them, but until that moment, it had been a distant concept – something that didn’t directly affect me.

Living overseas for so long, flying had become an everyday necessity, not something exotic. In a single year, I’ve probably gone to the airport more times than I’d been to a train station. Last academic year I took more than eighteen flights, the majority of those long-haul, including a 24 hour work-related trip to the UK.

When holiday time rolls around, school staff make a beeline for the airport, encouraged by me and other leaders who, with less holiday time themselves, urge everyone to make the most of their break and enjoy themselves. When we can we all fly to far-flung places, unwittingly contributing to waste and pollution – such as in Nepal, where trekking trails are littered with rubbish. How often do any of us stop and think about sustainability and the impact on the natural environment?

In a single year, I’ve probably gone to the airport more times than I’d been to a train station.

Once, while in Thailand, I refused to go on an elephant tour that involved those awful metal cages strapped to the animals’ backs. I’d previously ridden an elephant bareback in India, and it felt like the humane thing to do. The experience opened my eyes to how much tourism can exploit animals and nature.

When we moved into our first apartment in Abu Dhabi back in 2013, we were thrilled to discover there was a chute just for recycling paper, plastic and cans. How progressive! Unfortunately, our excitement was short-lived. On closer inspection, we realised the recyclables were simply being taken away with the regular rubbish. Not very sustainable after all.

Thankfully, the Emirates has since made great strides in recycling. As a headteacher, I’ve always been proud of my staff for teaching children the importance of recycling. All of us walking around with our reusable water bottles, often made of thick plastic or metal.

I wonder how long they’ll take to decompose. I did have a glass water bottle (a birthday gift) which I felt was very environmentally friendly. It was wonderful until the strap on my bag broke and as the bottle hit the ground it smashed into pieces soaking the contents of my bag.

We realised the recyclables were simply being taken away with the regular rubbish.

Across the globe, schools are becoming more sustainable. There are awards now for “sustainable schools.” But what does that really mean? The TES Award for Sustainability encourages schools to reduce waste, and many are taking this seriously by tackling food waste. I’m a big supporter of this. You only have to open my freezer to see how much I dislike food waste. Inside, you’ll find all sorts of random food items: a lone roast potato, half a pot of cream, a frozen wrap (given away at a running race) and a nearly empty milk carton. But be warned – if you come around for a “frozen dinner”, you might be in for a surprise.

Schools are working hard to reduce their consumption of power.

Then, of course, there are the wonderful children we train up to be our sustainability champions in school. There’s the child responsible for turning off the lights, and the one who keeps track of the paper recycling. These small actions help shape their understanding of sustainability and the importance of protecting the planet.

Schools are working hard to reduce their consumption of power and in the UK most people have a smart metre to check their energy consumption. In the winter I always turned off the aircon. However, during the summer at home the aircon is on and in school it is on all the time. Classrooms can be so cold that teachers will open the external doors to warm them up.

We cross our fingers for an upgrade to business class and suddenly forget all about the carbon footprint.

Many schools are spending money on more significant sustainability initiatives, like installing solar panels and creating eco-friendly gardens. Staff champion these causes with enthusiasm and dedication. 

That is, until the end of term and it’s time for a holiday…Then we all zip off to the airport, travelling to those far-flung places we’ve been dreaming of. We cross our fingers for an upgrade to business class and suddenly forget – however wrongly – all about the carbon footprint.

I mean, really, the plane is going anyway – so what does it matter, right?