Schools are major energy consumers in municipalities, causing high CO₂ emissions. As places where future generations learn, schools play a special role. This is where the Visions2045 project starts. The aim of the project is to accompany and support schools on their way to climate neutrality. Raising awareness and implementing concrete measures are the top priorities. From the youngest to the oldest, all stakeholders of a school are involved (school management, teachers, pupils, technical staff, administration, parents and representatives of the infrastructure involved, such as public transport, energy and waste management or the food sector). This facilitates the implementation of the goal of a climate-neutral school and the sustainable use of resources. Through the holistic approach, schools become drivers and role models in reducing carbon emissions and lead the way towards a climate-neutral city. Cooperation with local authorities also plays an important role.

What makes this project special is that schools from 6 municipalities and 3 countries are working together: Bulgaria, Poland and Slovenia. UfU is involved as a coordinating institution and builds on experiences from the KlimaVisionen project from Berlin.

PROJECT ACTIVITIES:

• Climate checks and calculation of CO₂ emission at pilot schools.
• Workshops for teachers (on-site training and study visits)
• Vision workshops for teachers and students as a starting point for roadmaps towards climate neutrality and for pilot climate-action in schools.
• Development of methodological material for schools and local governments to facilitate the implementation of climate protection measures on a broader scale
• Networking events and exchange of experience (national and international)

Manuals for Schools and Municipalities:

How can we work together to achieve climate-neutral schools? How can local authorities and others get involved? Tailored to the respective target group (schools or municipalities), the following manuals offer recommendations for action. They are available in German, English, Bulgarian, Polish and Slovenian.

Toolbox for Vision Workshops:

The toolbox offers interactive methods for designing workshops on climate neutrality and is available in Bulgarian, German, English, Greek, Polish, Romanian and Slovenian.

An extension of the toolbox is also available with the “IMPLEMENT” module. This allows climate actions to be planned and implemented directly after the collection of ideas.

Project poster:

The project poster is available in German, Polish, Slovenian, Bulgarian and English. Print and print versions can be downloaded.

Climate Check Questionnaire:

The questionnaire supports the collection of data to determine the school’s greenhouse gas footprint. It is based on the “Schools for Earth” online calculator from Greenpeace e.V. and the ifeu Institute and is available in German and English. However, the online calculator can only be used in German so far.

Climate action plan:

Do you need support in planning and implementing climate action? Steps 1 and 2, which are presented in the manual, will help you. Both templates are available in German and English.

Reflecting climate action:

To evaluate your climate actions and find potential for improvement, please use this template. It is available in German and English.

Illustrations:

You can use these graphics from the project to make your vision workshop or the resulting roadmap to your climate-neutral school more appealing. All graphics were created by Annika Huskamp.