Low Carbon Schools Pilot Program
An information pack providing details of the Low Carbon Schools Pilot Program.
For further information, please contact: Phill Raso
Sustainability Transition Coordinator SimplyCarbon
Ph: 0409 703 683
*Please be aware that as this is
a pilot program, elements of this information pack may be
subject to change.
“Making Carbon Management Simple”
www.simplycarbon.com.au
The
Low Carbon Schools Pilot Program
is a new voluntary two year program
developed in WA to assist schools to improve their sustainability and operating
efficiency whilst reducing their carbon footprint. All schools - primary and
secondary, public, independent and Catholic schools, will be eligible to
participate in the program.
The program will largely focus on those involved in operating school buildings
and infrastructure, as well as those responsible for managing school budgets. A
range of technical solutions will be explored along with behaviour change
initiatives to reduce the carbon emissions that individual schools produce.
By participating in this program, school staff, teachers, students and members
of the school community will have the opportunity to improve their
understanding of sustainability and resource management as well as identify
innovative procurement and financing options to reduce resource
consumption, carbon emissions and utility costs in their schools and
communities. There will be a variety of opportunities for teachers to embed low
carbon initiatives into the curriculum.
Reduce your school’s carbon emissions from electricity and gas by 20%
Address emissions from the commute to school by staff and students
Enhance your connection with the AuSSI WA network
Identify ways to embed low carbon initiatives into the curriculum
Create relationships with local sustainability businesses to build a local low carbon economy Create a low carbon school community
Overview
Objective
s
Pr
ogra
m B
enefits
Measure and reduce your school’s water consumption and waste production
Reduce the annual cost of operating your school
Access expertise from experienced and qualified specialists
Receive assistance to calculate your school’s emissions and create emissions reduction strategies
Access peer support through regular contact with other schools and the LCS Pilot Program facilitators
Connect to local suppliers and receive help to sources discounts
Create your own unique carbon management plan Carbon Schools program facilitators
1.
Policy &
Governance
2.
Energy
3
.
Food, Waste
& Wellbeing
4.
Water &
Transport
5.
Implementation
Workshop
s
Establishing a committee Setting targets Measuring progress Psychology behind behaviour change Toolkit folder for bills Sustainable procurement Sustainability policies Sustainability criteria for tenders Revolving energy fund Checking, negotiating and contesting your tariff Metering and sub-metering Energy audit results Renewable energy options at your school Community renewables GreenPower Preparing a business case, cost benefit analysis and payback periodsHealthy eating Locally grown food Starting a
permaculture garden Food miles
Wastewise schools How to measure and reduce waste Indoor Environment Quality
Green cleaning and low VOC alternatives Benefits of greenery
Water audit results Measuring water use on site
Strategies for reducing water consumption Measuring emissions from the commute to school Strategies for reducing travel emissions Cycling to school funding options Selecting relevant initiatives from the program to apply to your school
Creating an action plan based on energy and water audit results Requesting quotes from suppliers How to fund initiatives Applying the business case
The third and final phase will be
evaluating the program. This
includes identifying the carbon
and cost savings, and collecting
feedback from each school on
their overall achievements,
obstacles and lessons learnt.
Pr
ogra
m Schedule
During the first phase, five
workshops will be held. These
workshops will be run during the
period of February to June 2016.
The workshop topics are outlined
below.
The second phase, which runs
over the remaining eighteen
months, will focus on support for
the implementation of initiatives.
Participating schools will meet
monthly to share progress,
challenges and build a network.
2016 2017 2016 2017 2016 2017
1. Workshops
2. Meet-ups
3. Evaluation
Five workshops will impart valuable and practical knowledge around emissions management and the
implementation and monitoring of initiatives. Guest speakers at the workshops will provide specific
expertise and connect you to partner programs that can assist your school.
.
The program is split into three phases:
Eli
gib
ility Criteria
Obtain a letter from the school principal indicating their support for the school’s participation; a commitment to participate for the entirety of the two year program; and a commitment to pursue retrofit opportunities and measures that have a realistic payback period.
Establish a school sustainability committee consisting of at least three people - principal, deputy principal or registrar/business manager, a teacher and a P&C member. Secondary schools are also encouraged to include one or more student representatives.
Commit to at least one person from the committee in attendance at each workshop
Commit to actively participate in the program and share learnings with other participants Provide SimplyCarbon with access to relevant records and utility bills
Complete of a survey to determine past and current sustainability initiatives in place at your school and participate in an evaluation of the program at the conclusion of the two year program
Pr
ogra
m Fee
The full fee to participate in the Low
Carbon Schools Pilot Program is $12,500.
As this is a pilot program, schools can
become a Founding Member and pay a
discounted fee of $6,500 if they enroll in
the program
before October 31
st, 2015
.
A discounted fee of $9,900 is available if
schools join the program between
November 1
stand December 31
st, 2015.
After this time, the full fee of $12,500
applies.
It is expected that schools will be able to
recoup the participation fee before the
end of the two year program through the
reductions in costs they achieve in
energy, water and waste.
Founding Member
$6,500
Enrol before Oct 31, 2015Standard Member
$12,500
Jan 1, 2015 to Feb 15, 2016Standard Member
$9,900
Nov 1 to Dec 31, 2015To be eligible to join the program, schools will need to:
To register your interest, click on the link below to go to
the SimplyCarbon website.
About
SimplyCa
rbon
Dr Vanessa Rauland
BA (Nature Tourism), MSc (Environment and Resource Management – energy & carbon management), PhD
Vanessa is a Co-Founder and Director of SimplyCarbon and Research Manager and Lecturer at Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute (CUSP). Her research includes Decarbonising Cities, Low Carbon Schools and Innovative Financing and Governance for Green Infrastructure at the Precinct Level. She coordinates and lectures in two Master Units at CUSP: Climate Policy and Decarbonising Cities and Regions.
Using a grant from the CRC in Low Carbon Living, Vanessa conducted a scoping study on Low Carbon, High Performance Schools in Australia. She has presented at numerous conferences and events on the topic of Low Carbon Schools.
Dr Samantha Hall
B.Comm, M.Sc (Sustainability Management), PGDip. Project Management, PhD
Samantha is a Co-Founder and Director of SimplyCarbon. Sam completed her PhD at Curtin University where she led a project for the Sustainable Built Environment National Research Centre ‘Performance Assessment of Commercial Buildings’ project. Her areas of expertise include green building (with a particular focus on health and productivity in the workplace) and construction and occupancy assessments of buildings to improve holistic performance. Sam is trained and experienced in the National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS), National Australian Built Environment Rating Scheme (NABERS), Green Star certification and carbon accounting.
Portia Odell
BA (Environmental Science & Policy), PhD Candidate
Portia is a Project Manager at SimplyCarbon, coordinating the Low Carbon Schools Program. She is a Research Associate at Curtin University Sustainability Policy Institute (CUSP) and was the key researcher on the CRC funded Low Carbon, High Performance Schools Research Report at CUSP in 2014. Portia is currently undertaking a PhD at CUSP on the topic of mainstreaming low carbon, high performance schools.
Portia is also the Communications Manager at eTool, which has developed unique Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) software to optimise sustainable design of the built environment. She is trained in eTool’s software and is undertaking a carbon management course.
Phill Raso
BA (Outdoor Ed), GDip (Education), PGCert & PGDip (Sustainable Urban & Regional Planning), MA (Ecologically Sustainable Development)
Phill Raso is SimplyCarbon’s Sustainability Transition Coordinator. Phill is a qualified teacher and sustainability professional and has over fifteen years of experience working in
environmentally focused professions. Using expertise in organisational psychology and sustainable development, he wrote his Masters thesis on strategies to achieve sustainability across public schools in Western Australia.
More recently, he has worked as a Sustainability Officer and a Geography teacher in a large Catholic school in Canberra where he set best practice in waste management. As well as working for SimplyCarbon, Phill is on the teaching staff at Murdoch University.
Graphics Credits: The Noun Project’s Nicolo Bertoncin, Ian Kirkland, Wilson Joseph, Juan Pablo Bravo, Ricardo Moreira, Yazmin Alanis, Matthew Hawdon, Jessica Lock, Lance Hancock, Kenneth Von Alt, Vicons Designs
The Low Carbon Schools Pilot Program is proudly supported by our founding partner
