Addressing biodiversity loss through education

This article is written by Juanita Shepherd, Policy Lead, Department for Education, United Kingdom.

The problem: Biodiversity loss in the UK.
Why it matters: A reduction in species and disappearing ecosystems, exacerbate climate change and create problems for people.
The solution: Use the education estate to improve biodiversity.

The United Kingdom is one of the most nature-depleted countries in Europe. Biodiversity loss is a major risk. With around 24,000 premises and 16 million children, young people and adults in education, the education sector has a unique role to play in changing this situation for the better.

In 2021 a group of passionate people within the Department for Education (DfE) began to scope out a strategy. By bringing together existing work from within the department and talking to young people and key stakeholders, the new team was able to set out a holistic strategy that recognised the key role of education in the climate crisis.

Creating an environment from an early age where we are able to connect to nature is essential for self-enforcement in protecting and valuing nature.

Amongst the policies that were developed was the National Education Nature Park and Climate Action Award scheme. This programme was inspired by the Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review – an independent, global review led by Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta which highlighted the economic value of nature. This report showed that connection to nature is not developed simply through contact with the natural world, but through developing feelings, and gaining knowledge and insights, which then lead to pro-environmental behaviours.

The review also stated that “connection with nature” declines in childhood to an overall low in the mid-teens. Creating an environment from an early age where we are able to connect to nature is essential for self-enforcement in protecting and valuing nature. Furthermore, the cross-government 25 Year Environment Plan commits to encouraging children to be close to nature both in and out of school and the Environment Act 2021 commits to supporting nature’s recovery. Harnessing the combined area of the whole education estate and giving children and young people agency has huge potential for positive environmental change.

climate education goals

With our delivery partner, the Natural History Museum, the National Education Nature Park will bring together all the land from across education settings into a vast virtual nature park. It will enable children and young people to get involved in taking practical action to improve the biodiversity of their setting and see over time how the virtual park changes. Using geospatial tools from Esri, another delivery partner, children and young people will be able to map the biodiversity of their education setting and see how it changes over time.

The Climate Action Award scheme will build on existing awards and will formally recognise and celebrate the achievements of children and young people in working to improve their local environment and developing their skills in citizen science, sustainability, digital and analytical skills.

We see the Park and Award scheme as the starting point to use the enthusiasm of young people to drive the change needed to tackle the climate crisis and increase biodiversity. It can have a role in:

Improving young people's access to nature (with all the associated benefits in mental health, wellbeing and physical health).
Teaching skills in bioscience, numeracy, data analysis, and digital that will be needed for the transition to net zero and wider environmental goals.
Inspiring young people to choose career paths that support the transition to net zero, the restoration of biodiversity and a sustainable future.
Improving the resilience of the school estate to temperature rise, flood and drought.

school with flooded car park

Piloting of the programme has begun, and the national rollout will follow in autumn 2023.

Through this programme, the DfE will act as a conduit and catalyst to signpost schools to the right services, funds and tools to improve the biodiversity and climate resilience of their grounds and their local community.

This programme gives DfE the opportunity to use a long-term study into young people's access to nature and the biodiversity of the school estate, to identify where more support might be required. It will also create future climate and nature leaders through the award scheme and has great potential to be the umbrella for lots of future initiatives.

Internationally we also have lots to share and learn. We are in a position to participate in discussions and action and increase the role of young people in climate discussions and we welcome all opportunities to do this.

Children potting plants at school