Edge is supporting Teach the Future

writes Robin Nicholson, Convener of the Edge

The multi-disciplinary thinktank the Edge is delighted to support the Teach the Future initiative, because as built environment professionals (architects, engineers, planners etc) we agree with their headline “Our learning needs to reflect the severity of the climate crisis. We demand reform of the education system”; and not surprisingly we support their fifth call for zero carbon buildings. 

What is so important about this Programme is not only that today’s school students are tomorrow’s clients, professionals and users of the built and natural environment but they can also teach their families the zero-carbon way, now. 

Ten years ago, I visited Ashley Primary School in Walton-on-Thames where the Head had put the pupils in charge of the energy the school used and rewarded their efforts if they achieved set target reductions. Not only did they achieve 51% reduction in electricity use in the first year, after three years it was down by 91%. While this was seriously impressive by any standard, just as importantly the pupils took the electricity reduction challenge home and the parents started to compare and compete on their electricity. 

The biggest barrier is that our teachers naturally teach what they know but the climate emergency is different and needs urgent action in schools and teacher training. We argue that the construction industry has 60 months to retrain everyone to understand climate science and how to apply it in everything they do, so we need to radically reform College and University teaching too.