English UK publishes ambitious environmental action plan
6 January 2022


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English UK publishes ambitious environmental action plan

Our first major project of 2022 is our environmental action plan, building on the momentum created around COP26.

We invite everyone in UK ELT to join us in taking urgent and impactful action to help address the climate and ecological crises. Together we can create and celebrate a green UK ELT sector.

In the coming months we will release an industry-wide survey to better understand the action our sector is already taking, how we can support further changes, and hear the ideas and feedback on our plan. We will also form an environmental action group to work with the English UK team to drive through real, lasting change.

Our chief executive Jodie Gray said: "We are proud to publish the first environmental and climate action plan for UK ELT. COP26 finished just over two months ago, millions of young people protest around the world each Friday, there is a growing green ELT movement in our sector and last November the English UK board decided sustainability should be a priority for our association. We are ready to take real, ambitious and thoughtful action to champion and advance a greener UK ELT industry."

What does English UK's environmental action plan cover?

We want to build a green culture at English UK and facilitate a green transformation in our sector.

Our environmental action plan, approved by the Board of Trustees, looks both at the direct action we can take - such as reducing English UK's emissions - and how we can use our platform to encourage and support environmental action across UK ELT.

Our environmental action plan commits English UK to:

  • prioritising and resourcing environmental action
  • reducing our emissions and negative impact from energy, water, transport, consumption, and events
  • communicating our plans and actions, and leading by example
  • encouraging, helping and promoting member action
  • measuring and reporting the carbon footprint of our association
  • supporting, amplifying and promoting green UK ELT
  • lobbying for environmental action that supports our industry.

Read the full action plan > Turning green: an environmental action plan for the UK ELT sector.

Join our environmental action group

If you are committed to the goal of greening English UK and UK ELT, please consider joining our environmental action group. This advisory group is open to anyone in English UK membership. We are looking for a diverse group of volunteers representing different types of people, organisation and role. If you are interested in joining, register your interest with Eleanor Thomas.

The second strand of our corporate social responsibility

This plan comes six months after publishing our antiracism action plan - the first plan to address racism and prejudice in our sector - and forms a second strand of our corporate social responsibility commitment.

English UK's mission is to champion and advance UK English language teaching. Together with our members, we want to create a sector that transforms lives through learning. And this can only be achieved if our industry is free from racism and discrimination, and if we live and work in balance with our environment, protecting our future and our students' future.

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