A first for Manchester this week as staff from schools and colleges across the city came together to learn about the issues and solutions associated with climate change in education settings.

The Bee Green Education Summit – hosted by Connell Co-op College and organised in partnership with Manchester City Council – provided advice, resources and tools to support education settings to reach net zero by 2038.

Education settings – early-years, schools and colleges – are currently responsible for 50% of carbon emissions from Manchester’s public buildings. 

The summit’s aims were to support and motivate education settings on their journey to creating carbon neutral and sustainable learning environments.

Emma Soper, Head of College at Connell Co-op College, said: “We’re really proud to have helped organise and host the Bee Green Education Summit. We put on a packed agenda, practical workshops, a marketplace and lots more to help support fellow education settings across Manchester to make changes to reach net zero by 2038.”

Attendees went away with a clearer understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the sector, armed with practical ideas, resources and expert advice to make changes to become more sustainable and to support decarbonisation.