Students and teachers take charge as Government pledges to include climate in the curriculum

Last week, 300 students and 42 teachers from across England took part in a series of events, providing students and educators with the knowledge, tools, and support to build their own Climate Action Plans to be implemented at their schools. The events, hosted at UCL, Durham University and the University of Plymouth, put students in the driver’s seat to design and scale their own Climate Action Plans, moving from compliance to meaningful change.

These workshops come as the Government has pledged to uphold the Curriculum and Assessment Review’s recommendation that climate change and sustainability should be integrated into the curriculum. Students are leading the way, and Government is moving to catch up.

Under the Department for Education’s 2022 Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy, all schools in England were required to have a CAP in place by September 2025. SOS UK’s workshops are supporting schools to install their own CAP by empowering schools to act now – including providing them with a free CAPs guide.

The workshops, led by Students Organising for Sustainability UK (SOS UK) and supported by representatives of the National Education Nature Park, Let’s Go Zero, and the Climate Ambassadors scheme, came as the new academic year begins with the CAP requirement in force. The sessions brought together students, educators, and local leaders to explore how schools can take meaningful climate action. The events inspired participants to develop clear commitments, practical next steps, and a shared sense of community across schools nationwide.

As part of SOS UK’s three-year Green Schools Revolution initiative, funded by #iWill, Climate Action Plans help schools map out tangible ways to reduce emissions, protect biodiversity, and integrate sustainability across teaching and operations. With the DfE’s 2025 CAP deadline having passed, these workshops demonstrate how students and educators can turn the plans into action – creating classrooms where climate literacy is the norm.

With schools and universities representing 36% of the total UK public sector building emissions, Climate Action Plans provide students and teachers with a clear framework to reduce their school’s emissions through a number of initiatives, such as energy efficiency measures and nature-based solutions. By equipping teachers with the tools they need and empowering students to lead, SOS UK is helping to build a more climate-conscious, resilient generation ready to take on the challenges of the future.