This month, Milton Keynes College Group launched its Climate Action Plan (CAP) for 2024-2030, delivered by our Sustainability Lead Lauren Gallyot in collaboration with colleagues and learners across the College Group. 

The CAP is a roadmap for driving positive environmental change across the College Group in the face of the climate emergency. It responds to the Department for Education’s call for all educational settings to have an action plan that prepares our estates and learners for a more sustainable future. It also draws on the Department for Education’s Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy, the Association for Colleges and EAUC’s Climate Action Roadmap for Further Education, and the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  

A collective effort, the Plan affects everyone, and to be successful its key points must be supported by both colleagues and learners across the Group. The CAP’s aims are set for 2030, with annual reviews to address any statutory changes and major updates. 

Jason Mansell, MK College Group’s Executive Leadership Team’s Strategic Lead for Sustainability, said: “At Milton Keynes College Group, we are committed to develop a roadmap to be carbon neutral by 2030. Our Climate Action Plan provides a clear roadmap with five ambitions and ten measurable aims to take us along that journey, and I now look forward to working with Lauren and colleagues to realise these and have a positive impact on our planet.” 

The five ambitions are as follows. 

1. We Will All Lead The Way 

The CAP will be owned by the entire Milton Keynes College Group as a community effort. Learners will be encouraged to lead on sustainability initiatives and will be supported by the overall Sustainability Committee. There will also be open regular communications with campus and prison colleagues to encourage participation in sustainability initiatives. 

We will also improve resilience to climate change by adopting strategies that ensure our estates, staff members and learners are prepared for future climate-related hazards. This knowledge will be shared through curriculum and communications. 

2. We will Promote Green Skills and Climate Awareness 

Our goals across the campuses and prisons are to embed sustainability and green skills across our curricula and provide a comprehensive Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme to support colleagues in promoting sustainable behaviours. Driven by our Green Skills Centre, we will explore, offer and promote new apprenticeships, T Levels, and courses related to green careers. 

We will raise climate awareness by forming effective partnerships, participating in local climate networks and delivering informative communications to encourage collaborative solutions. This will help us to respond to local green skills needs and increase participation in sustainability activities and initiatives across the Group. 

3. We Will Work Towards Carbon Neutrality 

We aim to be carbon neutral in operations by 2030. The aim is to reduce emissions related to our estates, business travel, commuting and curriculum trips by promoting greener transport options, including promoting greener modes of transport, reducing single-occupancy commuting by maintaining a hybrid way of working. 

4. We Will Transition Towards a Circular Economy 

We aim to create a clearer picture of our waste generation and set targets for waste minimisation, including reusing and recycling. Working with local partners, we hope to bring new life to discarded materials while adding value to our communities. 

At the same time, we will adopt responsible purchasing practices and embed these into our new and existing policies. This includes exploring low-carbon catering and local sourcing. 

5. We Will Improve Our Offer to Nature 

The final aim is focused on increasing the biological diversity on our campuses and supporting wildlife networks across Milton Keynes. Our staff members and students will deliver initiatives to conserve and increase the number of habitats and species observed on our estates. As part of this, we will develop guidelines for best practice that encourage wildlife and preserve natural resources – including water. Working with local community groups and partners, we aim to develop new wildlife networks in line with the Department for Education’s initiative to create a National Education Nature Park. 

The CAP was created in consultation with students, staff members from both our campuses and prison services, and business partners through a series of surveys and workshops. We also hosted a meeting of our Friends and Allies Network (FAN) to present the CAP to a range of community partners and gain valuable insights. 

The College Group’s Sustainability Committee is responsible for driving progress of the CAP and is organised into five working groups: Leadership and Governance; Teaching and Learning; Partnerships and Engagements; Estates and Operations; Data Collection. A newly appointed Student Sustainability Officer will work alongside Lauren Gallyot to amplify the student voice within these discussions. Across our prison services, we will be exploring ways to integrate sustainability awareness into our educational provision. At HMP Fosse Way, steps have already been taken to create a new Green Skills Tutor role to deliver sustainability-focused courses. 

Lauren Gallyot, Sustainability Lead at MK College Group, said: “We are thrilled to be publishing our Climate Action Plan. It builds on our commitment to our Fairer Futures strategy by extending our duty of care to the planet. We recognise that climate change is a factor that will affect our communities now and into the future. Therefore, the action plan is a critical tool for enabling us to better identify our environmental impacts and define the steps we must take to mitigate and reduce them. 

“Developing the plan was a collaborative effort and I am looking forward to continue working with our college communities to create a resilient and thriving environment through education and action.” 

You can download MK College Groups’ Climate Action Plan here: Milton Keynes College Group Climate Action Plan