CAGNE offers schools free support to cut carbon emissions from trips
Campaign and environment group Communities Against Gatwick Noise Emissions (CAGNE) is inviting schools to take advantage of a free initiative designed to help reduce the carbon footprint of educational trips by exploring alternatives to air travel.
The organisation is promoting the Flight Free Schools programme, which provides practical support to schools looking to make more sustainable travel choices while potentially reducing costs and making trips more accessible to pupils and families.
To introduce the scheme, CAGNE is hosting a free online talk on Tuesday, November 17, at 7pm, as part of its Time is Ticking series of environmental talks, timed to coincide with COP31.
Schools can sign up at bronze, silver or gold level, depending on what is realistic for their community. This could mean replacing just one trip by air or working towards becoming completely flight-free.
Participating schools receive free practical assistance, including carbon calculations for existing trips, suggestions for alternative destinations, route-planning advice and help explaining the benefits of changes to pupils, parents and the wider school community.
The programme encourages schools to consider destinations closer to home or journeys by train, coach and ferry, offering opportunities for memorable and affordable educational experiences.
CAGNE is particularly keen to hear from teachers, headteachers, school leadership teams, governors and sustainability leads who would like to find out how the initiative could work for their school.
Further information about the online talk is available at www.cagne.org and through CAGNE's Eventbrite page.
Schools can also find out more about the programme, including a case study of gold-level participant Hills Road Sixth Form College in Cambridge, at flightfree.co.uk/flight_free_schools/.