Some students combine individual projects and Eco Committee . Max Yakubovskiy and I are involved in a research project into the potential for the school to install a biodigester . Tess Hunter has worked on creating links between Terracycle and Sevenoaks School in order to promote further recycling . We completed a schools audit for sustainability , ran the school ’ s Green Week , and organised an end-of-year collection of folders and exercise books to ensure that they were recycled . In Green Week we invited an interesting range of speakers , from local politicians to parents advising on green careers to a charity offering insights into carbon offsetting . In addition to this , many members of staff ran workshops and activities to promote sustainable changes .
Students from Eco Committee have been delighted to be welcomed onto the staff sustainability committee , which discusses the school ’ s sustainable future and approaches to the net zero plan . It was a valuable experience to attend and make suggestions in these meetings , as well as take part in a talk given by the Head of Sustainability at LSE on their recent net zero accomplishment . One of the largest segments of the school ’ s carbon footprint is catering , and you can read about some of the changes in the next article by Solomon Anderson and Ferdinand Beier . We then involved the Catering department in Green Week with part of our campaign against food waste .
The town and the school ’ s sustainability are intertwined , and the school ’ s drive for net zero must be made in conjunction with the wider town . Many people in the school are involved with Sevenoaks Climate Action Network , which links individual action groups across Sevenoaks . Six Sevenoaks students sit on Sevenoaks Town Youth Council ( Mahedy Basher , Emilia Britain , Phoebe Critchlow , Maya Goodrich , Mia Stack , Anna Tarasheva , Katie Willis ), and through working with the Mayor we are campaigning for a Greener Sevenoaks , critically with the introduction of cycle lanes which could enable the school to cut its transport emissions , as well as providing the opportunity to commute to school by bike in a safer way . Lower Sixth students ( Oliver Campbell , Alexandre Ellis , Sophia Gillett , Lakshmi Kandasamy , Antonia Norris , Katie Willis ) made a presentation to Sevenoaks Town Council about the future of Sevenoaks , looking towards a time when a sustainable town and school coexist .
The school is determined to meet its net zero targets in the coming decade , and in this academic year crucial links have been made between the student body , senior staff and the wider Sevenoaks community . As the world faces the climate emergency , these links are essential for progress , and I am delighted to have been a part of the move towards a more connected approach to sustainability .
Katie Willis , Lower Sixth
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