MP PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR STUDENT GREEN COUNCIL GOALS

Student representatives on the Green Council at North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC) have received a ringing endorsement for their efforts to tackle environmental issues from local MP, Dr Luke Evans. The MP for Bosworth lent his support to student ambitions to achieve plastic free accredited status for the college as part of an initiative led by Surfers Against Sewage.

Dr Luke Evans had been invited by performing arts student Charlotte Walton to attend the Green Council’s meeting via Zoom as part of its first steps towards becoming accredited which requires schools and colleges to lobby politicians and learn about their commitments to the green agenda. Also in attendance via Zoom were pupils from Heath Lane Academy, one of the Midland Academies Trust schools that are sponsored by NWSLC, as they have the same ambition to become plastic free.

During the meeting, students heard about the latest government initiatives designed to protect the environment, safeguard the security of the UK’s energy supplies, and boost the affordability of alternative power sources including for electric cars.

Dr Evans said, “We need to focus on a number of elements simultaneously if we are going to meet the requirements of Paris Agreement and achieve our goal for the UK to become carbon neutral by 2050. The college is in a prime location in the Midlands where there is a great deal of positive activity and is itself helping to boost electric vehicle skills through its MIRA Technology Institute.

“Of course, we all need to contribute in whatever small way we can to tackling climate change. I am told that a single Instagram post viewed by Cristiano Ronaldo’s 280 million Instagram followers generates enough energy to power ten UK households for one year. Reducing our energy consumption can come from the simplest tasks such as reducing the size of our email inboxes to save storage space in the cloud. We should also be reviewing our travel choices and consider walking, cycling, or using public transport and making sure that we have smart meters installed at home to help the National Grid understand demand and improve its efficiency.”

Impressed with the students plans to stage a mock COP26 later this year to coincide with the UN Climate Change summit due to be held in Glasgow in November 2021, Dr Evans agreed to support students’ plans to set up a recycling initiative within the local community.

Green Council student representative Charlotte Walton also asked the MP to support the college’s bid to achieve plastic free status. Plastic Free Schools is a student-led scheme that equips young people with the tools to understand the problems of single-use plastic, speak to politicians and eliminate unnecessary single-use plastic from schools and colleges.

The student Green Council is just one of the initiatives with the college sustainability strategy that sets out to address its carbon footprint. The college also plans to work with local community organisations to develop environmental volunteering opportunities.

Marion Plant, OBE FCGI, Principal and Chief Executive of NWSLC said, “We were delighted to welcome Dr Luke Evans as our keynote speaker at the recent Green Council meeting and students were reassured to hear about the Government’s commitments to protecting the environment and driving down carbon emissions.

“We all have a responsibility to help the UK meet its target to bring greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. The college has risen to the challenge and has put in place a robust sustainability policy and a rigorous plan that will transform the way we operate at all our campuses. The activities set out in our development plan will help to make a significant contribution to our own green agenda while also simultaneously contribute to wider UK and global goals.”