environmental-sustainability-plan-template (1)
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School
Western Sydney University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
617
Subject
Information Systems
Date
Dec 6, 2023
Type
docx
Pages
9
Uploaded by KidTankWombat26
[insert school name] Environmental
Sustainability Plan
Please ensure that you insert information relevant to your school where prompted in yellow, and
amend references to “Example School” so that they are replaced with your school name. For this
policy to be effective, it must be localised and relevant to the needs of your school community and
student population. Therefore, you must edit the text in yellow to reflect the individual
circumstances of your school. You are encouraged to change the font and text styles used in this
template to reflect your school colours and include your school logo where possible.
All information highlighted in green is for instructional purposes only and should be
removed from the final document.
Schools are not obligated to create an Environmental Sustainability Plan or use this template.
Schools may use this template at their discretion, to the extent that it suits their individual
circumstances and local environment. For example, when planting trees or planning gardens,
schools will need to consider bushfire risk, and local climatic conditions (such as temperature,
humidity, wind, alpine conditions). It is important to work with staff, students, school council and
parents (e.g. via school council committees or other consultation method) when developing or
updating this plan, to ensure the content reflects the circumstances of your school community.
The
Building Quality Standards Handbook
includes minimum quality criteria for all capital projects.
Some schools may have more capacity to prioritise environmental sustainability than others – this
template includes a range of examples suitable for different schools. See
ResourceSmart School
awards winners
for inspiration about what your school can achieve.
Schools can most comprehensively improve environmental sustainability and address climate
change by adopting a whole school approach to environmental sustainability. For more information
about the whole school approach, see the department’s
Environmental Sustainability in Schools
Policy
.
Schools must ensure that classroom programs are clearly and comprehensively aligned to the
Victorian Curriculum Foundation – 10 and cover all applicable content descriptions addressing the
Sustainability Cross-curriculum priority
. Understanding sustainability gives students an opportunity
to explore possibilities, interrogate points of view, become socially aware and apply ethical
principles to contribute to creating a more sustainable future in line with the Victorian Curriculum.
Purpose
To support the development of your school’s Environmental Sustainability Plan, please refer to the
department’s
Environmental Sustainability in Schools Policy
and guidance to understand how your
school can reduce its environmental impact through a whole-school approach. Your completed
plan can be used to guide action on climate change in your school.
The purpose of this plan is to outline the actions our school will undertake to improve
environmental sustainability and address climate change.
Environmental sustainability vision, rationale and governance
Vision
This section describes what the school wants to achieve in the long term in relation to
environmental sustainability. A school’s environmental sustainability vision should align with the
school’s overall mission, vision and strategic plan. The vision does not need to be time-bound. It is
an aspirational statement that helps to unite your school community behind a shared vision for the
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future. You should consider Koorie perspectives when developing your school’s vision. Schools
may contact their
Koorie education coordinator
for assistance if required. For guidance on how to
incorporate Koorie perspectives see the
Environmental Sustainability in Schools Policy
.
The below examples are examples of four different visions – but schools are encouraged to write
their own in collaboration with the school community. Content can be action based (e.g. joining the
ResourceSmart School program
) or more visionary (e.g. fostering students as future leaders).
Our school takes care of its environment and the environment of the local community. We do this
by educating students about environmental sustainability, and taking actions including reducing
litter, planting native gardens, and reducing our carbon emissions. We believe that every
opportunity to take care of our environment is a learning opportunity.
Our school will join
Sustainability
Victoria’s ResourceSmart School program
to get assistance in
reducing the environmental impact of our school operations and inspiring our school community
.
We will provide students with opportunities to garden at school and learn about plants and
animals while they do it.
We teach our students about the local environment, natural hazards, and how plants can help to
mitigate those hazards.
Our vision is to foster students as future leaders of our community to become ethical decision
makers who understand how they can impact the environment around them.
Rationale
In this section you will need to identify 3 or 4 reasons why environmental sustainability matters to
your school community.
Consider your school’s context, location and values. Your school has likely already identified some
hazards within your school emergency management plan.
Context
Where students may not have knowledge of healthy food
Environmental sustainability matters to our school because it gives us an opportunity to
create gardens and grow fruits and vegetables. Our community garden provides an
opportunity to connect with parents and teach students about healthy and sustainable
food sources.
Where a school is subject to high temperatures
Environmental sustainability is important to our school as we are impacted by high
temperatures. We plant native trees and gardens which create shade and are drought
resistant to conserve water. As we care for our garden, we teach students about the
natural environment.
Where there is significant student demand for climate action
We know that students at our school want to take action on climate change. Our school
will demonstrate we are responsive to their needs by reducing the environmental impact
of school operations through changes to operations and infrastructure. We will empower
them by creating opportunities to listen to their ideas and take further climate action.
Location
Where a school is in an urban location
Local pollution from traffic is a key concern of our school community. We will take action
to do what we can to mitigate traffic pollution by planting native trees and shrubs around
our school to help improve air quality. Planting trees and caring for gardens provides
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additional opportunities to learn about the environment.
Where a school is in a regional location
Our school is located near bushland – students know that the local environment offers
risks as well as opportunities. Learning about fire, floods, climate change and the
environment as a whole in a safe way will improve student wellbeing and safety.
Values
Schools should explain how environmental sustainability and climate action align with its
school values.
Respect – we will respect our environment by taking personal responsibility to reduce
our carbon emissions, waste and ensure we don’t litter.
Community – we will improve our school in a way that makes our community a better
place to live work and play.
Reconciliation – we will improve our understanding of Aboriginal culture by learning from
Traditional Owners about how we can better care for the land we are on.
Wellbeing – we will support student wellbeing by showing them that they can make an
impact on their local environment and reduce the impact of school operations.
Safety – we will improve student safety by creating a natural environment which supports
clean air and gives them shaded places to play outside.
School Leadership and Governance (planning committee and student-led groups)
Your school may choose to have an environmental sustainability planning and oversight
committee, as well as a student-led group. Implementation of this plan should be led by the
committee. The committee should be representative of the school community, including staff,
students and ideally, family and community representatives. The committee should report regularly
to school council. For further guidance and resources, see School leadership and Student-led
action in the Environmental Sustainability in Schools Policy.
A student-led group should be actively supported by the committee and does not replace the need
for student representation on the Environmental Sustainability Plan committee.
The following lists the names and roles of our committee, and
if relevant,
[insert name of group]
student-led group members.
Environmental Sustainability Plan Committee members
[insert name of group] Student-led group members
Related policies and resources
Department of Education policies and resources:
Environmental Sustainability in Schools
Single Use Plastic Ban
Sustainable Facilities
Koorie Teaching
Resources
Marrung
Aboriginal Education Plan
Add the name of plans, key documents and policies that support and/or are aligned to your
school’s Environmental Sustainability Plan.
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[Example school] policies and resources:
Statement of school values and school philosophy
Inclusion and diversity policy
Student wellbeing and engagement policy
Annual Implementation plan
Emergency Management Plan
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Current status
Make a note of key actions your school is already taking, under the relevant areas below. This provides a baseline for your
Environmental Sustainability Plan, to help you to monitor progress over time.
For more information about the 6 different priority areas, see the
department’s
Environmental Sustainability in Schools Policy
. This table provides a snapshot of things we are already doing or plan to do, in
some key priority areas relating to environmental sustainability in our school.
Priority area
Current Status (and opportunities)
1.0 School leadership
School council has in-principle approved using 100% renewable energy (and we are investigating how
to change our electricity plan)
2.0 Facilities and operations
We currently have recycling bins (and are teaching students how to use them correctly)
3.0 Teaching and learning
Students are taught about climate change in science
4.0 Community partnerships
Some students plant trees with Landcare (and we are developing a project with Landcare to increase
participation
)
5.0 Koorie knowledge
First-Nations’ history and sustainability concepts are taught (and we are reaching out to our regional
Koorie education coordinator before establishing a relationship with Traditional Owners)
6.0 Student-led action
A group of students collect litter (and we are thinking about what support the school and community
can provide to them)
Goals and action plans
In the table below, write your four-year strategic goals for environmental sustainability, the current status of your school in relation to the goals,
and what you plan to do and aim to achieve over the next four years. Try to include at least one goal per priority area. The goals should align
with the vision and rationale set out in this plan and be informed by an assessment of the current status of your school. Goals should be
SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound).
This table records our goals and actions, to align to the vision and rationale of our environmental sustainability goals.
Goal
Priority areas
targeted
Actions
Timeframes
Targets
Lead responsibility
1.0 School
leadership goal
Agree vision,
rationale and
governance
Agree student and
teacher leaders to
support process
End of term 2
Agree and
communicate vision,
rationale and
governance
2.0 Facilities and
operations goal
Understand if we can
install solar
Review ESiS Policy
End of term 1
Report to principal
what opportunities
are available
3.0 Teaching and
learning goal
Identify how solar
panels can be used
in maths and science
Reach out to
ResourceSmart
Schools
End of term 2
Maths / science
teachers to meet and
agree on
opportunities
4.0 Community
partnerships goal
Develop relationship
with land care
Reach out to land
care
Three weeks
Identify tree-planting
opportunities
5.0 Koorie
knowledge goal
Develop relationship
with Traditional
Owners group(s)
Identify appropriate
group – seek help
from the department
if needed
6 months
Identify possible
incursions/excursion
s or other activities
6.0 Student-led
action goal
Create green group
Speal to student
leaders for guidance
End of term 1
Create a green
group by term 2
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Facilities and operations benchmarks and targets
Sustainability Victoria
has set benchmark targets for waste, energy, water and biodiversity for primary and secondary schools and provides
tools to measure your schools Habitat Quality Assessment Score. These benchmarks are also recommended in the department’s
Sustainable
Facilities
. Where possible, it is recommended that schools establish the baseline and set annual targets for working towards achieving these
benchmarks.
The table below provides the benchmarks for primary schools and secondary schools, and space for you to enter your schools baseline and set
yearly targets. If your school does not already have systems in place to monitor these, this could be included as one of your goals in your
Environmental Sustainability Plan to achieve over the coming year(s). ResourceSmart Schools can calculate this information automatically
through their online accounts.
For more information about the targets and examples, see the
ResourceSmart Schools website
and Facilities and
operations section in the
Environmental Sustainability in Schools Policy
.
This table is a space for us to record our baseline and set targets.
Sustainability Victoria school benchmarks
Waste
m3 per student / per
year
Electricity
kWh per student /
per year
Gas
GJ per student / per
year
Water
KL per student / per
year
Biodiversity
Habitat Quality
Assessment Score
Primary School
0.3
250
0.9
4
>75
Secondary School
0.3
400
1.4
4
>75
Your school targets
Waste
m3 per student / per
year
Electricity
kWh per student /
per year
Gas
GJ per student / per
year
Water
KL per student / per
year
Biodiversity
Habitat Quality
Assessment Score
2023 baseline
2024 target
2025 target
2026 target
2027 target
Monitoring progress
This table records our school’s progress against the goals and actions stated above,
recorded on a 6-monthly basis
, and any further action or
changes to our plan that may be required.
Sustainability Victoria’s
ResourceSmart School’s website
provides an online tool for schools to track progress against specific goals, including
dollar and CO2 savings.
Goal
Actions
Progress achieved against
targets
Further actions required
1.0 School leadership goal
Agree vision, rationale and
governance
Vision, rationale and governance
agreed
Communicate in newsletter
2.0 Facilities and operations goal
Understand if we can install solar
Policies read – discussion with
VSBA booked in
Discuss outcomes of VSBA
meeting with Council
3.0 Teaching and learning goal
Identify how solar panels can be
used in maths and science
Meeting postponed due to
competing priorities
Maths and science teachers to
meet to discuss opportunities
4.0 Community partnerships goal
Develop relationship with land
care
Land care has suggested with
participate in tree planting day
Student cohorts to be agreed
5.0 Koorie knowledge goal
Develop relationship with
Traditional Owners group(s)
Reached out to Koorie education
coordinator
Educate ourselves on
appropriate protocols
6.0 Student-led action goal
Create green group
Green team created
Identify first project
Endorsement
Name
Title
Date
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