Greening every school

Greening schools

What is a green school?

A “green school” is defined as a learning institution that takes a whole-of-institution approach to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), in particular by addressing climate change through its teaching, facilities and operations, school governance and community partnerships. Green schools aim to promote knowledge and skills for the social, economic, cultural, and environmental aspects of sustainable development.­­

What is the whole-institution approach?

The whole-institution approach lies at the center of the ESD roadmap and is meant to lead the transformation of learning institutions to ensure that all learners are empowered with the necessary tools to make a ‘green’ transformation. Efforts should be made to move the culture of the learning institution towards collaboration, solidarity, sustainable practices and inclusion of all genders and backgrounds so that students can learn what they live and live what they learn.

As the UN lead agency on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), UNESCO is leading the global efforts together with governments, organizations, and individuals to promote transformative education and help tackle the planetary crisis. Through the new global framework entitled “Education for Sustainable Development: towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals” (ESD for 2030), UNESCO aims to equip learners of all ages so that they are climate-ready.

As part of UNESCO’s contribution to the  Greening Education Partnership , workstreams have been undertaken through the  Greening Schools  pillar in order to develop the Quality Standard on Green Schools for a whole-school approach to climate change education. This work will consist in providing a concrete translation of key principles at the school level and be used as the basis of measuring global progress on the number of green schools, thus encouraging member states to integrate these guidelines into their own practices and efforts, ultimately ensuring that all schools are climate-ready by 2030.­

The Quality Standard on Green Schools aims to achieve the following objectives:

  • Encourage schools to holistically integrate a whole-school approach to Education for Sustainable development within their systems by collecting good practices from existing green school accreditation schemes
  • Define a quality minimum standard on what a green school looks like through a collaborative process
  • Include a progressive approach allowing relevance for a diversity of contexts

Provide Member States with a green school standard, along with the list of school accreditation schemes globally, to accelerate the integration of a whole institution approach to ESD within education systems.

  • Encourage schools to integrate a whole-of-institution approach to education for sustainable development and transform teaching and learning; school facilities and operation; school governance; and community engagement -with particular emphasis on school’s climate readiness.
  • Support Member States to integrate green school schemes standards within their educational systems so that x% ( the target number is to be defined based on an initial baseline mapping study of green school certification schemes)  of schools (pre-university level) across the world are “greened” by 2030.

Scope of the project

essay on green school environment

194 UNESCO Member States

essay on green school environment

Education for sustainable development with particular emphasis on climate-readiness

essay on green school environment

Pre-primary, primary, secondary, tertiary, TVET

  • July-August-September 2023 1 st Consultation with members + pilot phase 1 with selected schools and countries
  • November-December 2023 2 nd Consultation review of draft with key stakeholders at COP28
  • January-March 2024 Final consultation with members + pilot phase 2 with selected schools countries
  • June 2024 Release of publication

Greening schools

More on the Greening Education Partnership

Related items.

  • Education for sustainable development

BPS Healthy & Sustainable Schools

What is a Green School?

A green school is a school that creates a healthy environment conducive to learning, while saving energy, environmental resources, and money..

A green school 1. reduces environmental impacts and costs 2. improves occupants’ health and performance 3. increases environmental and sustainability literacy

Center for Green Schools

Bottle Refill Station at BLS

Characteristics of a Green School

Green, healthy, and high-performance schools provide many benefits for students, teachers, parents and the community, including:

Protect Health Asthma is the primary cause of poor school attendance, and schools with poor indoor air quality usually have numerous asthma precursors. Schools built with more daylighting, better ventilation, and healthy green building materials, like non-VOC carpets and paints, are healthier for students and staff, and result in fewer sick days.

Increase Student Performance A lack of fresh air can reduce student attentiveness. Studies have shown that student test scores can improve up to 20% when kids learn in green classrooms that have more daylighting, improved classroom acoustics, and healthier paints and carpets that don’t release toxic chemicals into the air.

Check out the Center for Green School’s: green school programs  or the  Every School Can Be A Green School: Getting Started Checklist .

Visit the Center’s  resources page for a full list of research papers, case studies, and green school reports.

WHOLE SCHOOL SUSTAINABILITY FRAMEWORK

The Whole-School Sustainability Framework is founded on the imperative that in order to be successful, sustainability requires a whole-system approach.

A Whole-School Sustainability approach requires individuals from across an organization to work together—it cannot be accomplished in a silo. This system framework is organized into the three components of schools: organizational culture, physical place, and educational program . Within these three components, total of nine principles have been identified.

Whole School Sustainability Cover

TAKE ACTION

Visit our Green Your School page for BPS-specific and recommended policies, actions, and resources. Our focus areas are:

  • Climate & Energy
  • Environmental Justice
  • Healthy School Environment
  • Outdoor Teaching & Learning
  • Transportation

BPS schools are encouraged to register with   THE GREEN TEAM , sponsored by MassDEP. THE GREEN TEAM is an interactive educational program that empowers students and teachers to help the environment through waste reduction, recycling, composting, energy conservation, and pollution prevention. Participating classes receive certificates of recognition and are eligible to win awards.

Join the Green Schools Alliance community by creating a profile and exploring GSA resources , which includes curriculum and lesson plans, apps, best practices guides, and recommended green partners.

Additional Green School Resources: 

  • Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)
  • BLS Youth Climate Action Network (YouthCAN)
  • Green Schools National Network
  • Project Green Schools: 13 Pathways to Greening Your School and K-12 Green School Interactive Map
  • U.S. Department of Education’s Green Strides: Tools to Green Your School

Center for Green Schools

U.S. Green Building Council selected Boston Public Schools as a recipient of the 2019-2020 School District Scholarship , a program run by the Center for Green Schools. BPS was one of five districts selected nationally. The Green Schools Scholarship was valued at $20,000 and included fully paid professional development opportunities at the Greenbuild Conference and Expo , the Green Schools Conference and Expo, and the School Sustainability Leaders’ Summit for BPS Sustainability and Environmental Resources Manager Katherine Walsh. Scholars also benefited from ongoing coaching from experts in the field, their peers, and a broader group of sustainability professionals who participate in the School Sustainability Leaders Network . Throughout the year, the Scholars (and through them, the district) took advantage of complimentary access to curriculum and training resources such as Learning Lab , the Green Classroom Professional Certificate , and a LEED coac h. 

Facilities Management 1216 Dorchester Ave. Boston, MA 02125 617-635-9576

essay on green school environment

Sustainability in schools: the importance of educating for a greener future

essay on green school environment

The benefits of sustainability in schools

Environmental education can have a profound impact on students' attitudes, values, and behaviours. Studies have shown that students who learn about sustainability are more likely to adopt environmentally friendly practices and become advocates for the environment.

A 2020 study found that being part of a sustainable school had a positive impact on students' wellbeing and the wellbeing of the wider community. Students reported feeling happy, proud, safe, and motivated to care for the environment beyond school. They also felt engaged and connected to nature by spending more time outdoors. The study also found a positive correlation between students' perception of their school's environmental commitment and their wellbeing. Schools that embraced sustainability and cared about the environment were more likely to have students who exhibited higher levels of wellbeing, including happiness, optimism, perseverance, engagement in learning, and connection to and pride in school.

Creating sustainable schools

Creating sustainable schools goes beyond just teaching students about environmental issues. It involves transforming the school culture to embrace sustainability and making changes to the school's operations and infrastructure to reduce its environmental impact.

Some of the ways schools can become more sustainable include:

Utilising carbon footprint data: While it's true that many schools already measure their carbon footprint, often this data is not fully utilised. Schools may collect the data for compliance purposes but fail to share it with students and parents in a meaningful way. By utilising this data and sharing it with the school community, students and parents can gain a better understanding of where emissions come from and how they can help reduce them. This can also help schools identify areas where they can make improvements and set measurable goals for reduction. This can be a powerful tool for engaging students in sustainability efforts and inspiring them to take action to reduce their own carbon footprints.

Set public targets for reduction: Setting public targets for reducing a school's environmental impact can be a powerful way to engage the school community in sustainability efforts. By sharing goals with students, staff, and parents, schools can create a sense of collective responsibility and motivate everyone to take action towards a common goal. It can also help to build a sense of pride when goals are reached, and encourage ongoing efforts towards sustainability. Schools can set targets for reducing energy and water consumption, waste production, and greenhouse gas emissions, among other areas. By tracking progress towards these goals, schools can also identify areas where additional efforts are needed, and celebrate successes along the way.

Promoting sustainable transportation: Encouraging students to walk, bike, or use public transportation to get to school can have a significant impact on reducing the school's carbon footprint. Providing safe bike racks and walking paths can help to make walking and biking to school a more feasible and attractive option for students. Schools can also work with local transportation authorities to create bus or shuttle services that run on clean energy. By encouraging sustainable transportation options, schools can reduce traffic congestion around the school and improve air quality, creating a healthier environment for students and the wider community.

Creating green spaces: Green spaces such as gardens and trees can be incorporated into school design to improve air quality and provide opportunities for outdoor learning. Schools can create vegetable gardens, fruit orchards, or native plant gardens, providing students with opportunities to learn about food production, biodiversity, and ecosystems. Green spaces can also provide students with opportunities for physical activity and social interaction. In addition to providing educational and social benefits, green spaces can help to mitigate the urban heat island effect, reduce noise pollution, and improve the aesthetic quality of the school environment. Schools can work with local organisations to source native plants and plan sustainable landscapes that require less water and maintenance.

Teaching for a greener future

Sustainability education should not be limited to the classroom. It should be integrated into all aspects of school life, including extracurricular activities, school events, and community service projects.

By teaching students about sustainability and encouraging them to take action, schools can help create a generation of environmentally conscious citizens who are equipped to tackle the challenges of a rapidly changing world. This can have a profound impact on students' well-being, as well as the well-being of their communities and the planet as a whole.

In addition to the benefits for students and the environment, sustainable schools can also save money and reduce operating costs. Energy-efficient lighting and heating systems, for example, can significantly reduce energy bills, while recycling and composting programs can reduce waste disposal costs.

As we look towards a greener future, it's essential that schools play their part in creating a sustainable society. By teaching students about sustainability, promoting sustainable practices, and creating sustainable schools, we can inspire the next generation to take action towards a greener, more sustainable future.

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

2023: Hottest Year on Record

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

Reflecting on COP28's Mixed Outcomes

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

What is COP28 and Why is It Important?

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

Our Planet's Cry for Help: The Latest Report on Earth's 'Vital Signs' Cannot Be Ignored

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

10 Quick Wins for Boosting Your Organisation's Sustainability

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

What is Beyond Value Chain Mitigation (BVCM)?

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

How UK Businesses Can Switch to Low-Carbon Energy Suppliers

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

What is an Energy Audit and Why Should You Conduct One?

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

Navigating Sustainability Reporting: TCFD, IFRS, ISSB, ESRS, GRI, SASB, and SFDR

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

Will Sustainability Reporting Become Mandatory in the UK?

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

Understanding the Sustainable Development Goals for Business

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

What is TCFD Reporting?

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

How are Businesses Responding to Climate Change?: PwC’s Global CEO Survey Insights

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

What Sunak's Decision Means for the UK

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

The Sustainable Future Won’t Wait for You to Catch Up

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

New 2023 Greenhouse Gas Conversion Factors: Impacts and Insights

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

Reflecting on a Year of Sustainable Innovations

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

We’re ISO 27001 Certified!

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

Exciting Announcement: FutureTracker's Upcoming TCFD Reporting Tool

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

Exciting Module Two Update: Revolutionising Sustainable Commitments

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

HIGHVERN is a FutureTracker!

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

Lancaster Guernsey is a FutureTracker!

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

Arnold Laver, part of National Timber Group, implements FutureTracker to enhance sustainability efforts

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

BDO Guernsey is a FutureTracker!

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

Location-Based versus Market-Based Emissions: Understanding the Difference

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

How to Calculate the Carbon Footprint of a Company

Sustainability terms defined.

Blog This week in sustainability COP15

Is Sustainability Good for Business?

Let's get started..

Environment Friendly Schools: How to Make Your School Green

Image Source / Getty Images

  • For Parents & Educators
  • Choosing a Private School
  • Homework Help
  • College Admissions
  • College Life
  • Graduate School
  • Business School
  • Distance Learning
  • Psy.D., Organizational Psychology, Rutgers University - New Brunswick
  • B.A., History and Literature, Harvard University

Green schools are not only environmentally friendly but also generate cost savings in the form of reduced water and energy use. The standard for environmentally friendly schools is Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a framework for building schools that meet certain benchmarks for sustainability, and a certification that more schools are seeking to achieve as they upgrade existing facilities and expand their campuses.

Green Schools Alliance

Many schools are taking the pledge of the Green Schools Alliance to make their campuses more sustainable and to reduce their carbon footprints by 30 percent over five years. The goal is to achieve carbon neutrality. The GSA program involves 5 million students at more than 8,000 schools, districts, and organizations from 48 U.S. states and 91 countries.

All this work by schools around the world has helped the Green Cup Challenge to yield a savings of more than 9.7 million kW hours. Anyone can join the Green Schools Alliance, but you don't need to be a part of a formal program to implement environment-friendly practices in your school.

There are steps that parents and students can take separately from their school to reduce energy use and waste, and students and parents can also work with their schools to determine the school's energy use and how to reduce it over time.

Steps Parents and Students Can Take

Parents and students can also contribute to making their schools greener and take steps such as the following:

  • Encourage parents and kids to use public transportation or to walk or bike to school.
  • Use carpools to bring many students to school together.
  • Reduce idling outside school; instead, turn off car and bus engines.
  • Encourage the school to use buses with cleaner fuels, such as biodiesel or to start investing in hybrid buses.
  • During community service days, have students replace existing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents.
  • Ask the school to use environmentally friendly cleaning fluids and nontoxic pesticides.
  • Encourage the lunchroom to avoid using plastics.
  • Spearhead the use of "trayless" eating. Students and teachers can carry their food instead of using trays, and the lunchroom staff won't have to wash trays, thereby reducing water use.
  • Work with maintenance staff to put stickers on the paper towel and napkin dispensers reminding students and teachers to use paper products sparingly.
  • Encourage the school to sign the Green Schools Initiative.

How Schools Can Reduce Energy Usage

In addition, students can work with the administration and maintenance staff at their schools to reduce the energy use. First, students can conduct an audit of their school's light and energy use and then monitor the school's energy use on a monthly basis.

The Green Schools Alliance provides students with a step-by-step plan to create a task force and reduce carbon emissions over a suggested two-year timetable. Their helpful tool kit provides actions schools can take such as using daylight instead of overhead lighting, weatherizing windows and doors, and installing Energy Star appliances.

Educating the Community

Creating a greener school requires educating the community about the importance of reducing carbon emissions and living more environmentally sustainable lives. First, inform yourself about what other schools are doing to become greener. For example, Riverdale Country Day School in New York City has installed a synthetic playing field composed of cork and coconut fiber that saves millions of gallons of water per year.

Other schools offer classes in living environmentally conscious lives, and their lunchrooms offer local produce that is shipped shorter distances, thereby reducing energy use. Students may be more motivated to make their school greener when they are aware of what similar schools are doing.

Find a way to communicate regularly to your school about what you are doing to reduce energy use through newsletters or a page on your school's website. Get people involved in taking and meeting the goals of the Green Schools Alliance to reduce carbon emissions over five years.

  • How to Start a Private School
  • 8 Strategies to Tackle Chronic Absenteeism
  • Top 10 Characteristics of a Quality School
  • 6th Grade Science Fair Projects
  • A School's Website Makes an Important First Impression
  • Why Teaching is Fun
  • A Teacher's Basic Guide to Making a Referral
  • Why Daily School Attendance Matters
  • 7 Ways to Take Control of Your Classroom to Reduce Student Misbehavior
  • Guidelines for Establishing Effective School Discipline for Principals
  • 30 Writing Topics: Persuasion
  • 12 New Teacher Start-of-School Strategies
  • 10 Facts to Know About Private Schools
  • Fostering Cultural Diversity in Your School
  • A Comprehensive Breakdown of the Roles of School Personnel
  • A Primer on Green Architecture and Green Design
  • Grades 6-12
  • School Leaders

FREE Poetry Worksheet Bundle! Perfect for National Poetry Month.

Every product is independently selected by (obsessive) editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.

41 Ways To Make Your School and Classroom More Green

Ramp up sustainability with these green ideas

two examples of green school ideas students who won a grant and a tree made of paper leaves with green school pledges

Considering how much time we spend in school, it should be a place that’s healthy for us and the planet. That’s where green schools come in. Going green is about more than a pledge (though that’s a great place to start), it’s about how we approach decisions and how we use the space, time, and resources at school.

What is a green school?

Being a green school means creating the most green, healthy environment possible. Some green schools are built to be environmentally friendly from the start, but all schools can go green, and become healthier for the community and environment.

Making a school green involves thinking about what changes can be made to improve health, from boosting air quality to increasing the time students spend outdoors to planting a school garden. It also means thinking about how the school contributes to the local environment. Leading a recycling campaign or rethinking how students use plastic water bottles can have an impact on the local environment. And, involving students at every step in the process is important so that students know what and how their efforts are creating a better, greener school and planet.

Start with these 41 ideas to turn your school green.

How to Make Your School More Green

1. start a green club.

Find students who are interested in making their school more eco-friendly. Help them set a small goal to get started and then encourage them to think of more big picture ideas.

Learn more: Use these tips to start and run your own successful eco-club.

2. Hold a recycling bin decorating contest

green paper recycling bin decorated with earth eyes and teeth. reads feed me on the side

Get the whole school involved in sprucing up the recycling bins. Task each class with decorating their containers or making their own from scratch, like this adorable recycling bin named Doloris! Put them on display, have students and parents come in and vote for their favorite.

3. Apply for grants

students and teachers in a group holding a gardening grant award for an idea to make a school greener

Find and apply for grants that offer financial support for green-school initiatives. Here are some garden grants to get you started, but there are lots of other opportunities out there.

4. Make a recycle monster

Go beyond the basic blue bucket and make your receptacle stand out. Try this hungry recycle monster .

5. Create a recycling station

recycle station with bins and posters for a green school idea

Another way to promote recycling, start a recycling station, complete with colorful bins clearly labeled for paper, plastic bottles, cans, and cardboard. The easier and more fun recycling is, the more students (and staff) will want to join in.

6. Teach and reinforce trash sorting

child sorting pictures into paper plastic and other materials

Whether it’s sorting organic and non-organic material in the cafeteria or sorting recycle into paper, plastic, and more, teach and reinforce good habits from the classroom to the hallways and outside.

Learn more: preschool recycle sorting activity at Happy Tot Shelf.

7. Schedule a trash pickup day

Get outside to see how much trash is on the ground and use trash bags and gloves to pick it up. This makes students more aware of just how much litter ends up on school grounds. Make it a regular event and see if you can reduce the amount of trash picked up each time.

8. Add indoor plants

four examples of indoor plants for classrooms for green school ideas

Studies show that indoor plants naturally purify the air and provide health benefits , like fewer cold symptoms and improved behavior. Start with easy-to-grow plants, like a spider plant, snake plant, jade, English ivy, or golden pothos. Get kids involved in the plant care and nurture mini gardeners.

9. Rally for solar panels

solar panels outside a school. text reads solar options for schools

Yes, this is a pricey way to become a green school, but it’s one that pays off. According to EnergySage , solar is the cheapest energy source and saves a ton of money. Plus schools typically have flat roofs, which are a natural fit for solar panels. Start by doing your research, and then engage the community!

10. Get dirty and do a waste audit

girl sifting through trash in a classroom for a green class idea

Hand out some rubber gloves and let students dig in! Dump trash cans onto a tarp to see just how many recyclables were doomed for the landfill. Tally up all of the misplaced items and communicate the total to the entire school.

Learn more: waste audit checklist from Hamilton County Environmental Services

11. Clean with natural, environmentally friendly products

paper towels and cleaning bottles on a table

Start by researching or making, and cleaning with green products in your classroom. Read labels and be aware of any of them that have big cautions or warnings. This is a sign that they might have harmful ingredients. Rally other teachers and administration to take a close look at the products they’re using school-wide, from how they clean the cafeteria tables to the gym floors.

12. Replace water fountains

students standing around a water bottle filling station for a green school idea

Schools are switching out water fountains for water bottle filling stations. Many models calculate how many plastic bottles have been saved by using the refilling station instead of purchasing bottled water so you can track the impact of your efforts. You can replace all the water fountains at once, or lead an effort to replace one at a time.

12. Rally for the use of reusable containers for lunches

Between sandwiches, snacks, and leftovers, that’s a lot of plastic at lunchtime. Glass or stainless steel containers come in all sizes and are perfect for school meals. Challenge students to start using them.

13. Make yours a zero-waste classroom

five ways to go zero waste bulletin board refuse reduce reuse recycle rot

If this seems a little extreme, start slow. Maybe try for a zero-waste day or week just to test the waters. If you make it a fun challenge with a little reward, the kids will totally get on board.

14. Grow a garden

students sitting by an outside garden for a green school idea

Find a small space on school grounds for a garden. Get students involved from the very start—let them choose the plot. Turn it into a teaching moment and have them determine the best spot based on light needs and soil type. Grow veggies and let kids experience how easy it is to grow their own food.

Learn more: How one teacher used her classroom garden to grow food for school lunches

15. Get energy savvy

Ask students to brainstorm easy ways to cut back, such as turning off computers every night, turning down the thermostat (or up in summer), and using window shades strategically.

16. Encourage walking or biking to school

child biking in a school parking lot

Designate a day to encourage students to find green ways to get to school, whether it’s walking, biking, or riding a scooter. Bike to School Day is in early May , or choose any day that’s guaranteed to be nice weather in your area for students to take to the sidewalks.

17. Start composting

essay on green school environment

Eliminate food waste by adding a compost bin to your classroom or cafeteria. Food scraps don’t require anything fancy—a five-gallon bucket, small pail, or a wooden crate work just fine. Create a compost team that is responsible for transporting the scraps to a bigger bin outdoors every day.

18. Plant a rain garden

rain garden with tiger statue in front of a school

A garden filled with native perennials designed to capture runoff rainwater and recycle it back into the ground is super beneficial to the environment. It also reduces pollution and preserves the sewer systems. Use these lesson plans to get students involved.

19. Install rain barrels

painted rain barrel and colorful tires outside an elementary school

Catch rainwater to feed your school garden. Reusing the water reduces the amount of water that ends up in the sewer system, plus the fresh water is better for the plants. You can also add the water you collect to your compost pile.

20. Create a sustainable front yard

students sitting on tree stumps in a forest

Rather than having perfectly manicured lawns, let your schoolyards return to their natural state with local flowers and grasses. You’re helping the environment, showing students what their natural environment looks like, and reducing watering and maintenance costs.

21. Use supplies year after year

Reuse last year’s supplies. Set out a box on clean-out day and ask students and parents to throw unwanted items like half-used crayons, colored pencils, and notebooks in it. Either save them for the next school year or donate them.

22. Visit a recycling center or landfill

students looking at cans at the recycling center

Go on a field trip to a recycling center or landfill. The landfill visit helps students see how much trash is collected. And a recycling center trip shows how their efforts pay off.

23. Use eco-friendly craft supplies

paint brushes scissors and paper for examples of eco friendly craft supplies

From recycled dry-erase markers to construction paper, the possibilities for earth-friendly school supplies are endless. Use this roundup to see what’s out there.

24. Educate students, parents, and administrators about sustainability

Pull together stats and information to help everyone realize how beneficial a green school can be. Let everyone know the impact an entire school can make on the environment. Use school social media accounts to educate your school community about what you’re doing and why.

25. Go green in the lunch line

stack of lunch trays made of wheat straw for a green school idea

Switch to lunch trays that are made with sustainable materials, like these trays made from wheat straw material.

Learn more: best lunch trays for schools and where to buy them

26. Add more recycling bins

It sounds obvious, but it’s often overlooked. Simply add more bins, especially near every trash can, and clearly label them. Make it really easy for students to toss the right stuff into the right bin.

27. Learn more about green schools

Check out sustainable schools, for their ideas and philosophies, using videos like this one.

28. Make your own glue

All you need is a few kitchen ingredients, such as vinegar, powdered dry milk, and baking soda, to whip up a batch of non-toxic glue.

28. Use recyclables for art projects

tin cans painted and made into flower pots for green school idea

Put a recycling bin of reusable materials aside and see what students can make from them. Their creativity will be put to use, and you’ll save on art supplies.

29. Add green-focused books to the reading list

cover of tidy picture book

Books are always a great way to start or continue the conversation about sustainability and green schools. Add books about sustainability, like Tidy by Emily Gravett or Maybe You Might by Imogen Foxell to your library and use them in lessons about how our actions can have a much bigger impact.

Buy it: Tidy and Maybe You Might at Amazon

Learn more: Earth Day books for kids who care about the planet.

30. Rely on natural light

Keep blinds and shades open to let the vitamin D in. Natural light leads to higher productivity and improves overall mood—for students and teachers! Plus the light offers a little extra heat on those chilly days.

31. Aim for an official honor

cleaning bottles with green seal certified written on them

Everything from floor cleaner to hand soap can be switched out for earth-friendly products. Analyze what your school currently uses and help make changes. Eventually, get your school Green Seal certified ! Project Green Schools is another good one to look into.

32. Write an environmental vision statement

tree decoration made with small paper leaves for green school ideas

Include the hows and whys and then share it with students, parents, and even the school board. The more support you can drum up, the better the outcome. Have students write their commitment to sustainability and create a pledge tree like this display.

33. Reuse in creative ways

plastic bottles cut open and turned upside down to turn into planters for a green school idea

Kids are creative thinkers when it comes to reusing materials. For example, collect plastic bottles and have kids turn them into plant containers to hang around the classroom. You’re giving old bottles a new life and adding all of the health benefits of plants. Ask your students what else they can come up with, too.

34. Host a solar cookout

students cooking using a pizza box and mirror for a solar cookout

Have students build their own sun ovens and try to cook some food using the sun! This is a fun, hands-on science lesson that students will remember for years to come. Here’s how to build a sun oven.

36. Team up with local green companies

Find organizations or businesses in your community that have the same green goals. They can help educate you and the students, offering up new ideas and assisting you with execution.

37. Create an eco-friendly playground

slide and stairs on a hill with grass for a natural playground

Rework some playground space to be green. Have students research and design a space that reflects your environment, and is created using materials that you already have. You’ll create a space that is sustainable and meaningful.

38. Replace light bulbs

Old schools may have old light fixtures, so rally to get them updated. New lighting or better bulbs save energy. Bonus: Remember to turn the lights off when you’re not in the room.

39. Set classroom standards for water bottles

shoe carrier holding water bottles in a classroom for a green school idea

Agree as a class or school about the type of bottles that students can bring in to encourage either recyclable water bottles, or reusable ones. Think about how you can tackle the problems of students losing water bottles, refilling them mid-day, and what happens if a student forgets theirs.

40. Switch paper towels for cloth

scraps of fabric in a pile

The paper towels that are in school bathrooms are a joke–rough and unabsorbent. Switch out fabric scraps for paper towels in part of your classroom to save paper.

Check out: More ways to reduce your class’s carbon footprint .

41. Celebrate your progress (in an eco-friendly way, of course)

Once you’ve met your recycling and sustainability goals for the year, find a creative way to celebrate the achievement and reward students for their efforts. Give these recycled-bottle trophies to kids who made the most impact.

If you liked this roundup of green school ideas and want more resources like this, be sure to  subscribe to our newsletters.

Check it out: even more ways to bring gardening into the classroom., you might also like.

17 Organization Tips for Your Teacher Desk to Calm the Clutter

16 Hacks for Keeping Your Teacher Desk Organized (Yes, Really!)

Sticky notes, paperclips, and pens, oh my! Continue Reading

Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved. 5335 Gate Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32256

Discovery Elementary School, VMDO Architects

Discovery Elementary School, Arlington, VA. Photo credit: Alan Karchmer

Schools can transform communities

We believe that our schools should be models of sustainability. They should show first-hand the solutions that are going to bring us forward into a healthy, sustainable future and inspire them to invent things we can’t even imagine.

What’s more, we believe that schools inspire not only their students and teachers but also their entire community. As centers of community, schools impact how people perceive their neighbors, institutions, and their shared future. If a sustainable future relies on increased collective action to regenerate natural resources and protect the well-being of all people—and we believe that it does—then schools are a key driver to change how we treat each other and the world around us.

School facilities directly impact student learning, student and staff health, and school finances on a huge scale. Globally, 1 in 8 individuals set foot in a school every day. Today, there are nearly 100,000 public schools in the United States. In fact, state and local governments invest more capital in K–12 public school facilities than in any other infrastructure sector outside of transportation. However, with an estimated 7.5 billion square feet in the U.S. to modernize and maintain, schools are falling behind. School building conditions decline over time, and funding is inequitably distributed across communities with vastly differing wealth and resources.

What is a green school?

A green school is about more than curriculum and more than bricks and mortar. It’s a school where the community works together to support global sustainability and climate action. A green school prepares students to lead the world toward a healthier, cleaner, more sustainable future.

Green schools are better

Successful green schools are better for students, teachers, and communities, as demonstrated through research and on-the-ground experience. Learn more about the benefits of green schools for your students and community.

essay on green school environment

Green school buildings are better for teachers and students

essay on green school environment

Green school buildings are better for budgets

essay on green school environment

Green school buildings are better for communities

essay on green school environment

Green school buildings are better for the planet

Three pillars of a green school

The Whole School Sustainability framework explains that, in green schools, the educational program, physical place and organizational culture all support sustainability, and that each aspect of the school plays an important part in making the whole picture work.

While the Whole School Sustainability framework describes what a green school looks like, the three pillars of a green school explain how to measure progress. The three pillars were first introduced in 2011 when the U.S. Department of Education launched the ED-Green Ribbon Schools award program. Since then, organizations all over the world have adopted the measurement framework that they present.

Reduce environmental impacts and costs . Green schools reduce their environmental impact and fight climate change by reducing energy and water use, cutting back on fossil fuel used in transportation, reducing waste headed to landfill, and protecting natural habitats.

  • We know that cutting energy usage in buildings reduces energy load on power plants, reducing carbon emissions and other environmental impacts of power generation.
  • We know that cutting water usage in buildings reduces aquifer depletion , protects freshwater habitats and reduces the energy used to treat and transport water.
  • We know that reducing waste going to landfill saves open land for habitat and other purposes and reduces water and soil contamination. We also know that stating the goal to reduce landfill waste encourages direct reuse and puts more material in the recycling stream .
  • We know that reducing car trips made by a single rider cuts back on carbon emissions from transportation .

Improve occupants' health and performance . Green schools protect student and teacher health by ensuring a clean and healthy indoor environment in the school, as well as providing programs and services for good nutrition and physical activity.

  • We know that specific aspects of indoor air quality (IAQ)—such as the amount of CO2, VOCs, particulates and humidity in the air—have demonstrable impacts on student learning and human health more generally .
  • We know that access to clean and safe drinking water can increase water intake, which benefits overall health . We also know that water that is not clean and safe—particularly water that is contaminated with lead—has demonstrable impacts on cognitive development, attention and behavior, as well as a variety of impacts on physical health.
  • We know that exposure to daylight affects the production of important hormones that impact alertness and sleep/wake cycles .
  • We know that increasing the number of servings of whole grains, fruit, and vegetables that students eat has positive impacts on their health, well-being and ability to learn .
  • We know that increasing the amount of physically active time that each student experiences during the school day can cut obesity rates and encourage positive lifetime habits.

Effective sustainability education . Green schools teach students about sustainability and the environment, providing tools to solve global challenges and using the school as a teaching tool. Green schools support sustainability literacy through curriculum and instructional practices.

  • We know that increasing students’ environmental knowledge while also employing instructional practices that focus on interdisciplinary and place-based problem solving can influence behavior change toward sustainability .
  • We know that students for whom the environment is a context for learning perform better on measures of general academic performance.
  • Our Mission

5 Steps to a Greener School

essay on green school environment

Ahhh, August -- the dog days of summer. Before the back-to-school frenzy. I hope that you, your family and students everywhere have enjoyed some unstructured time, some time outdoors, and some time getting your hands and feet dirty at the beach, the park, your backyard, or your front stoop or sidewalk. While you are -- hopefully -- in this relaxed state of mind, I want to plant a few ideas to change your perspective and practices as you head back to school this year. These are ideas for bringing the outdoors, healthy living and stewardship into your school and community.

Environmental Impact

When you start thinking about heading back to school, what comes to your mind (or your kids' minds) first? I bet they are thoughts like, "What shall I wear on the first day? What kinds of notebooks and supplies do I need to get? Who will my teacher (or students) be?" And then, "What will we do and learn this year?"

You are probably not thinking about how your answers to these questions have tremendous impacts on our environment, our health and our learning. Did you know, for example, that K-12 schools' paper use consumes about six million trees? What about pencils? There are 14 billion produced every year, many made with wood from ancient forests. And what about school lunch? It's estimated that the average school-age child using a disposable lunch generates 67 pounds of waste per school year. That's about 18,760 pounds of lunch waste for just one average-size elementary school!

Now imagine your dream school. This school has a garden where students learn science by getting their hands dirty growing food they cook and eat. The classrooms are flooded with natural light, and the air is fresh because the cleaning products the school uses are free from asthma-causing chemicals, and that increases attendance. With the participation of the whole school community, the district has cut its garbage bill in half and is composting and recycling more than 50% of its garbage. The students track daily energy production from the school's solar panels, using their math skills. They share their knowledge about sustainability with the surrounding community through a video they made and recently presented at a city council meeting.

At Green Schools Initiative, we believe that dream green schools like this are fundamental to a high-quality, 21st century education, and we have seven simple steps you can take to transform your school environment, curriculum and school-home connection. The three pillars of an exemplary green school are:

  • Green buildings and facilities
  • Healthy operations
  • Programs for environmental literacy

Visit our Green Schools Profiles page to get inspired by the stories of green schools or share your own school's story of going green.

So, as you start thinking about heading back to school, think about how to go green. You can:

  • Use our Green Back-to-School Tips to shop for used clothing, reuse some of last year's supplies, and find recycled paper notebooks, less-toxic lunchboxes, and more.
  • Plan to pack a waste-free lunch and check out our Six Resources for Becoming a Zero Waste School .
  • Take our "How Green Is Your School?" Quiz and find out how your school is doing.
  • Form a Green Team with students, parents, teachers and custodians to jump-start your greening projects.
  • Use our Green Schools Parent Toolkit , complete with a three-minute video to get inspired, and share with your PTA, principal and teachers.

I hope that greening your back-to-school will save you some green in your pocket as you shop at used-clothing stores and reuse some of last year's pencils, binders or backpacks. And when you think of back-to-school, you can know that you helped lighten the impact our schools have on the planet and engaged your children in practicing stewardship.

Home

ecoliteracy.org

Green School Design: Better for Health and Education...and More Cost-effective

A look at a new trend in school design that focuses on green school design to provide a healthier (and more cost-effective!) environment for students.

Green School Design: Better for Health and Education...and More Cost-effective

Some 55 million students spend their days in schools that are too often unhealthy, restrict their ability to learn, require unsustainable amounts of resources to construct and maintain, and contribute substantially to environmental problems such as pollution and climate change.

A recent and rapidly growing trend is designing schools with the specific intent of providing healthy, comfortable, and productive learning environments. However, these green, high-performance schools generally cost more to build — a major obstacle at a time of limited school budgets and an expanding student population.

We were commissioned to conduct a study that asked how much more does green school design cost, and is greening schools cost-effective? Our conclusion: the data provide a clear and compelling case that greening schools today is extremely cost-effective, and represents a fiscally far better design choice. Building green schools is more fiscally prudent and lower risk than continuing to build unhealthy, inefficient schools.

The study, titled "Greening America's Schools: Costs and Benefits," was sponsored by the American Federation of Teachers, the American Institute of Architects, the American Lung Association, the Federation of American Scientists, and the US Green Building Council. It entailed a detailed analysis, using conservative and prudent financial assumptions, of 30 green schools built in 10 states between 2001 and 2006. Its complete text can be found at https://www.usgbc.org/resources/greening-america039s-schools-costs-and-benefits .

("Green school" designs are to a substantial extent based on the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design — LEED — which is the national consensus green building standard. LEED rates projects according to their impact on their sites, materials used and how they are sourced, and the design, construction, and efficiency of a variety of systems including water, energy, air quality, lighting, acoustics, waste, and transportation. A rating system specifically designed for K–12 schools is currently being drafted, including a proposal for LEED credit for integrating sustainable facility features with the curriculum.)

A few highlights from the study:

  • Green school construction costs less than 2 percent more than construction of conventional schools, about $3 per square foot.
  • The direct and indirect financial savings to the school and the community are about $70 per square foot, 20 times as high as the cost of going green. Lower energy and water costs, improved teacher retention, and lower health costs directly save green schools about $12 per square foot, four times the additional cost of going green. Financial savings to the broader community are significantly larger, and include the reduced cost of public infrastructures, lower air and water pollution, and a better educated and compensated workforce.
  • On average, green schools use 33 percent less energy than conventionally designed schools. Typical energy performance enhancements include more efficient lighting, greater use of daylighting and sensors, and more efficient heating and cooling systems. The total direct and indirect energy cost saving for a new green school compared with a conventional school is about $9 per square foot. The savings for a green upgrade of an existing school would be about $7 a square foot. If all new school construction and school renovations went green starting today, energy savings alone would total $20 billion over the next 10 years.
  • As a rough estimate, a green school could realize the following annual emission reductions: 1,200 pounds of nitrogen oxides (NOx), a principal component of smog; 1,300 pounds of sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), a principal cause of acid rain; 585,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (C0 2 ), the principal greenhouse gas; and 150 pounds of coarse particulate matter (PM10), a principal cause of respiratory illness and an important contributor to smog.
  • The 30 green schools evaluated achieved an average water use reduction of 32 percent. This reduction has direct savings for the building as well as substantial societal benefits from lower pollution and reduced infrastructure costs to deliver water and to transport and treat wastewater. For example, in Dedham, MA the school design team provided rainwater storage capacity on-site, saving the town the cost of enlarging an off-site stormwater detention facility. The city valued this improvement at $400,000.
  • Highly reflective roofs commonly last longer than conventional roofs. Green roofs (with plants in soil on an impermeable membrane) are expected to last 30 to 50 years or longer. Lowered ambient air temperature cuts smog formation, improves comfort and health, and cuts the cost of air conditioning.
  • About 25 percent of the solid waste discarded in the US is construction and demolition (C&D) waste. C&D diversion rates are typically at least 50–75 percent in green buildings and have reached as high as 99 percent on some projects.
  • Conventional schools are typically designed just to meet building codes. Design of schools to meet minimum code performance tends to minimize initial capital costs but delivers schools that are not designed specifically to provide comfortable, productive, and healthy work environments for students and faculty. Few states regulate indoor air quality in schools or provide for minimum ventilation standards. Not surprisingly, a large number of studies have found that schools across the country are unhealthy — increasing illness and absenteeism and bringing down test scores.
  • The American Lung Association has found that American school children miss more than 14 million school days a year because of asthma exacerbated by poor indoor air quality. It costs nearly three times more to provide health care for a child with asthma than a child without asthma. In 2006 dollars this amount equals $1,650 per child — costs borne not by the schools but by the students and their families. A recent Carnegie Mellon review of five separate studies found an average reduction of 38.5 percent in asthma in buildings with improved air quality.
  • Lower-income and minority children disproportionately suffer from poor indoor air quality and related problems in conventional schools. Children in low-income families are 30 percent to 50 percent more likely to have respiratory problems that lead to increased absenteeism and diminished learning and test scores. Greening public schools creates an opportunity to improve the health and educational settings for all students, regardless of income or background, a process with clear moral benefits. The financial benefits of a more equitable educational system are difficult to calculate, but could be substantial in terms of increased diversity in the work force, community development, increased productivity, etc.
  • Based on actual improvements in design in green schools and on very substantial data on productivity and test performance, a 3–5 percent improvement in learning ability and test scores in green schools appears reasonable and conservative. It makes sense that a school specifically designed to be healthy, and characterized by more daylighting, less toxic materials, improved ventilation and acoustics, better light quality, and improved air quality would provide a better study and learning environment.
  • High performance schools provide educational opportunities that conventional schools do not. For example, on-site renewable energy generation, water conservation features, and other green technologies create very valuable opportunities for hands-on learning.

Such benefits of greening schools as reduced teacher sick days, lower operations and maintenance costs, improved electricity quality and reliability, reduced insurance and risk-related costs, and improved educational quality are not quantified in this study. These additional benefits, if calculated, would greatly increase the recognized financial benefits of greening schools and further strengthen the case that building conventional and relatively inefficient and unhealthy school buildings today is financially imprudent and even morally and educationally irresponsible.

SUPPORT EDUCATION FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF PEOPLE AND THE PLANET

More like this.

Has Your Child’s School Adopted the Precautionary Principle?

Has Your Child’s School Adopted the Precautionary Principle?

Schools across the country are adopting the "precautionary principle," which means acting to avoid potential harm even before harmfulness has been proven.

What is a Green School?

What Is a Green School?

This succinct summary is based on twenty years' experience.

The Building Itself May Be the Best Teacher of All

The Building Itself May Be the Best Teacher of All

Incorporating the campus into the curriculum is a great way for students to learn about sustainability and their connection to the natural world.

Ecoliteracy in your Inbox!

Get ideas, inspiration, and knowledge to help you teach and model sustainable practices in your school community.

We never sell or share your private information.

  • Lavinia Group
  • Insight Education Group
  • Course & Account Access
  • Video Platform Account Access
  • Graduate-Level Courses
  • Fast Track Courses
  • Course Bundles
  • Certificates
  • Flex Credit Courses
  • Hybrid Learning Courses
  • Hours-Only PD Courses
  • Advanced Degrees
  • Course Topics
  • Course Formats
  • Term Calendar
  • University Partners & Transcripts
  • Course Pricing
  • Pay as You Learn
  • Group Registrations
  • Group Savings
  • Bundle Savings
  • New Customer Discounts
  • Refer & Earn
  • Connecticut
  • District of Columbia
  • Massachusetts
  • Mississippi
  • New Hampshire
  • New York City
  • North Carolina
  • North Dakota
  • Pennsylvania
  • Rhode Island
  • South Carolina
  • South Dakota
  • West Virginia
  • How it Works
  • Become a Group Leader
  • Join a Group
  • Teacher Exemplar Video Library
  • Video Coaching & Learning Platform
  • PD for Admin & Faculty
  • New Teacher Course
  • Substitute Teacher Course
  • Build Your Program
  • Video for Pre-service & Faculty
  • Book a Demo
  • Chat With Us
  • In the Press
  • Downloadables
  • Lesson Plans
  • Presentations
  • Video Blogs

How To Create The Green School

January 4, 2022

How to Create a Green School

We live in a world where it has become more and more important to live “green” as environmental concerns rise. It is no longer enough to simply recycle or buy reusable items for the home. For this reason, many citizens are also attempting to go green in their workplace. When incorporated into schools in particular, this practice not only offers the opportunity to reduce our current environmental impact but also instills students with good, green habits that they can carry into adulthood.

But what exactly does it mean to have a green school?

The Green School Defined

It’s true that you can and should take strides to be more eco-friendly in all aspects of your life. However, a green school might look different from a green home. A school will use more resources per day than a home, for instance, due to the volume of people. Furthermore, it’s both a workplace and a place of learning. A green school should take both functions into consideration when making environmental improvements.

The National Association of Independent Schools defines a green school as having the following hallmarks:

  • Efficient use of resources — Green schools cut down on waste and opt to use sustainable resources whenever possible.
  • A healthy environment — Students are encouraged to exercise through physical education, and staff are encouraged to stay healthy through work programs and incentives.
  • An ecological curriculum — Beyond putting green habits into practice, green schools also have a responsibility to teach students the importance of protecting the environment.
  • Nutritious food — Green schools encourage students to eat nutritious and even locally sourced food by making this type of food available in the school cafeteria.
  • Sustainable community practices — Get involved! Green schools participate in bettering the community through sustainable practices. Consider taking students on a field trip where they can help clean up a park or learn about sustainable practices.

Understanding the Eco-School Program

The trend toward green schools is taking hold, not just in the United States but throughout the world. Some of this has been helped by programs such as Eco-Schools . “Eco-Schools is a growing phenomenon [that] encourages young people to engage in their environment by allowing them the opportunity to actively protect it,” the Eco-Schools program explains on its website. “It starts in the classroom; it expands to the school and eventually fosters change in the community at large.”

Eco-Schools aims to give students a voice regarding the green practices of their school and community at large. They can make suggestions and even help enforce relevant eco-friendly policies. Once the school meets certain criteria, it is awarded a Green Flag and receives certification as a green school. “The Eco-Schools [program] is an ideal way for schools to embark on a meaningful path [toward] improving the environment in both the school and the local community while…having a lifelong positive impact on the lives of young people, their families, school staff, and local authorities.”

7 Steps to Creating a Green School

A green school offers tremendous benefits to its students, staff, administration, and ultimately the community. But how does one go about creating a green school? The Green Schools Initiative offered these seven tips for creating a green school environment :

  • Establish a “green team” or eco-committee. The process begins by organizing. Find people who are passionate about creating a green school. Teachers, administrators, stakeholders, parents, and students can all make up part of the green team. This group will produce initiatives to make the school more eco-friendly and start putting them into practice.
  • Adopt an environmental vision statement or “planet pledge.” What are your goals in creating a green school? What about your mission statement? Write this out so that you have something you can aim toward in trying to create a greener environment.
  • Conduct a school environmental survey or audit. Assess where your school is right now. How much energy do you use? How much waste do you produce every day, and where can that be cut down? You’ll need everyone to be honest with themselves about this and to remember that this is just the starting point.
  • Create a green school action plan. Look back at that vision statement, and turn it into actionable steps to take toward that goal. Maybe this could be reducing waste, finding energy-efficient lighting options, or changing the food in the cafeteria. Devise steps, and start to make them happen.
  • Monitor and evaluate progress. Progress is not always linear. You’ll need to keep an eye on how the green school action plan is going. You may find it necessary to reassess your plan once you start its implementation.
  • Integrate “greening” into the curriculum. A school is a place of learning, so make sure to educate students about green communities and why the school is going green. Find lesson plans and curricula that cover the environmental crisis and how to take better care of the planet. In this way, students will become both informed and passionate about going green in the future.
  • Inform, involve, and celebrate! Don’t limit the green school initiatives to the green team; involve the whole school! Let people know what you’re doing and why. Have assemblies where you discuss the need for a green school. However, these don’t have to be dour occasions. It’s also important to celebrate your improvements and victories. Set up rewards to work toward so that when it’s time to celebrate, everyone can.

The Benefits of Green School Initiatives

Protecting the planet is essential to our continued lives, so some of the benefits of enacting green school initiatives are obvious. However, there may be benefits that you haven’t even considered.

Research shows that schools that meet the criteria of the U.S. Green Building Council tend to have healthier and more productive learning environments , which can lead to better academic performance. Students perform better when they eat healthier and their environment is cleaner. Improving everything from the natural lighting to the acoustics and indoor air quality can be a boon in a building full of children where infectious viruses quickly spread.

Perhaps the best benefit, however, is the impact on students and on the community. By setting an example and educating students about the importance of going green, schools can encourage today’s youth to be more environmentally conscious. Hopefully, they will take this practice with them when they leave school, bring it into their community, and also one day teach their own children about taking care of the planet.

Related Topics in Science/STEM

Related content.

essay on green school environment

Dr. Chara Willaford

Calendarizing: The New Principal’s Superpower – 5 Reasons to Calendarize

essay on green school environment

Betsy Butler

Five Important Facts About Autism

Search the k12 hub, more from teaching channel.

essay on green school environment

As a new principal, stepping into the leadership role of a school can feel like embarking on a journey with countless twists and turns. With

essay on green school environment

Individuals with autism have a variety of superpowers all their own! Individuals with autism have a variety of superpowers all their own, and this is

essay on green school environment

Play for All Ages: Share How YOU Play!

The graphic below illustrates how the development of a child’s kinetic scope leads to growth in their senses, control, coordination, balance, intuition, and power. Foundational

Recommended Courses

Cultivating equity in stem, science/stem.

Flex Credit

Empowering Action with Environmental Science

Full steam ahead with arts in stem education.

Career Advancement Accelerated with American College of Education (ACE)

Want to partner with us?

We’re always looking for new authors! If you’re interested in writing an article, please get in touch with us.

Subscribe to our Newsletter!

Get notified of new content added to K12 Hub.

  • I am a Teacher or Teacher leader
  • I am a District or School Administrator or Leader

Logo

Keeping The School Clean And Green Essay Example

  • Views 15129
  • Author Writer

School is the place where children spend a long span of time every day. It is the place where basic knowledge, manners, and etiquette are learned by a child. The surroundings of a school are very important because it affects the students and their progress to a great extent. The children in the school today will become responsible citizens of the nation in the future. Keeping a healthy environment is necessary for schools to accelerate the growth of children.

Two main components of a healthy environment are cleanliness and greenery. Keeping the school clean should be as important as studying in school because a dirty environment can create a very bad impact on students and teachers too. Cleanliness can be maintained by setting up some simple rules such as:

  • Throw waste in the dustbins.
  • Clean the lunch tables before leaving.
  • Do not damage any displays.
  • Organize a cleanliness drive every month.
  • Prohibit writing on any school property.
  • Wipe feet on the mat before entering the classroom.

Teachers have to make students understand the importance of cleanliness. It will help the students to follow the rules not only because they are meant to be followed but because they will understand the value of cleanliness. The above-mentioned rules should be followed by the students, teachers, and staff carefully but there are some responsibilities on the part of the school authorities too. Cleaning staff should be there in school, awareness should be created, environment-friendly disinfectants should be used regularly, recycle bins should be put all around the school.

Greenery is good for the environment and it enhances beauty too. Today when the whole world is facing a worldwide environmental crisis it is very important to make the pupils understand that trees are our saviors. Schools should provide sustainable education to develop environmental consciousness among the children. Proper actions should be taken to keep the schools green which will create a positive impact on the environment as well as on the students and all the people working there. In order to maintain greenery, some rules should be maintained by the school authority.

Students should not trample plants. There should be one period for planting new plants and taking care of the plants. Special classes should be taken to create environmental awareness. Special classes should be taken on how to take care of plants.

Some other steps can also be taken to make the students feel that they are on the lap of nature like switching off lights and let the sunlight come into the classrooms, taking one or two classes on the ground under the shade of trees on sunny days, installing solar panels and using solar energy, insisting them to use battery-operated vehicles, etc.

The primary agenda of a school is to provide good quality of education but a school is also the place where a human being learns to socialize for the first time. Schools should have an ideal environment, characterized by cleanliness and eco-friendliness because whatever children learn in school creates an impact on their whole life. A child spends a long portion of the day in school so it must have a perfect environment. A good attitude of students and teachers can be promoted in a clean environment towards each other. Students, teachers, and staff feel happy to work in a clean, green, and beautiful place. In conclusion, it can be said that schools are a second home for children so the importance of the environment of the school is unavoidable. Everyone involved there must work together as a team to make the school clean and green.

The Daily Campus, 2019, what is the importance of cleanliness in school?, accessed on 15th July 2021,

OpenWorks,2021, School Cleanliness: Tips for creating a cleaning plan that suits your school, accessed on 15th July 2021, 

Endless English Tips,2015, ESSAY: HOW TOMAKE YOUR SCHOOL GREEN, accessed on 15th July 2021,

Request Writer

writer

Member Since : 13-07-2021

Orders In Progress

Orders Completed

About WordAddict

Hello I am a law student and have an experience of writing essays and articles. Writing is my hobby.

Recent Posts

  • A Sample Essay on Birds 21-08-2023 0 Comments
  • Is Homeschooling an Ideal Way... 21-08-2023 0 Comments
  • Essay Sample on Man 14-08-2023 0 Comments
  • Academic Writing(23)
  • Admission Essay(172)
  • Book Summaries(165)
  • College Tips(312)
  • Content Writing Services(1)
  • Essay Help(517)
  • Essay Writing Help(76)
  • Essays Blog(0)
  • Example(337)
  • Infographics(2)
  • Letter Writing(1)
  • Outlines(137)
  • Photo Essay Assignment(4)
  • Resume Writing Tips(62)
  • Samples Essays(315)
  • Writing Jobs(2)

essay on green school environment

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

essay on green school environment

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

essay on green school environment

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

essay on green school environment

Essay on Environment: Examples & Tips

' src=

  • Updated on  
  • May 30, 2022

Essay on Environment

In the 21st century, the Environmental crisis is one of the biggest issues. The world has been potentially impacted by the resulting hindrance in the environmental balance, due to the rising in industrialization and urbanization. This led to several natural calamities which creates an everlasting severe impact on the environment for years. To familiarize students with the importance environment, the subject ‘Environmental Studies’ is part of the curriculum in primary, secondary as well as higher school education. To test the knowledge of the students related to Environment, a question related to the topic in the form of essay or article writing is included in the exam. This blog aims to focus on providing details to students on the way, they can draft a well-written essay on Environment.

This Blog Includes:

Overview on environment, tips on writing an effective essay, format (150 words), sample essay on environment, environment essay (100 words), essay on environment (200-250 words), environment essay (300 words), world environment day.

To begin the essay on Environment, students must know what it is all about. Biotic (plants, animals, and microorganisms) and abiotic (non-living physical factors) components in our surroundings fall under the terminology of the environment. Everything that surrounds us is a part of the environment and facilitates our existence on the planet.

Before writing an effective essay on Environment, another thing students need to ensure is to get familiarised with the structure of essay writing. The major tips which students need to keep in mind, while drafting the essay are:

  • Research on the given topic thoroughly : The students must research the topic given in the essay, for example: while drafting an essay on the environment, students must mention the recent events, so to provide the reader with a view into their understanding of this concept.
  • Jot down the important points: When the students research the topic, students must note down the points which need to be included in the essay.
  • Quote down the important examples: Students must quote the important examples in the introductory paragraphs and the subsequent paragraphs as well.
  • Revise the Essay: The student after finishing writing students must revise the content to locate any grammatical errors as well as other mistakes.

Essay on Environment: Format & Samples

Now that you are aware of the key elements of drafting an essay on Environment, take a look at the format of essay writing first:

Introduction

The student must begin the essay by, detailing an overview of the topic in a very simple way in around 30-40 words. In the introduction of the essay on Environment, the student can make it interesting by recent instances or adding questions.

Body of Content

The content after the introduction can be explained in around 80 words, on a given topic in detail. This part must contain maximum detail in this part of the Essay. For the Environment essay, students can describe ways the environment is hampered and different ways to prevent and protect it.

In the essay on Environment, students can focus on summing the essay in 30-40 words, by writing its aim, types, and purposes briefly. This section must swaddle up all the details which are explained in the body of the content.

Below is a sample of an Essay on Environment to give you an idea of the way to write one:

The natural surroundings that enable life to thrive, nurture, and destroy on our planet called earth are referred to as an environment. The natural environment is vital to the survival of life on Earth, allowing humans, animals, and other living things to thrive and evolve naturally. However, our ecosystem is being harmed as a result of certain wicked and selfish human actions. It is the most essential issue, and everyone should understand how to safeguard our environment and maintain the natural balance on this planet for life to continue to exist.

Nature provides an environment that nourishes life on the planet. The environment encompasses everything humans need to live, including water, air, sunshine, land, plants, animals, forests, and other natural resources. Our surroundings play a critical role in enabling the existence of healthy life on the planet. However, due to man-made technical advancements in the current period, our environment is deteriorating day by day. As a result, environmental contamination has risen to the top of our priority list.

Environmental pollution has a detrimental impact on our everyday lives in a variety of ways, including socially, physically, economically, emotionally, and cognitively. Contamination of the environment causes a variety of ailments that can last a person’s entire life. It is not a problem of a neighborhood or a city; it is a global issue that cannot be handled by a single person’s efforts. It has the potential to end life in a day if it is not appropriately handled. Every ordinary citizen should participate in the government’s environmental protection effort.

Between June 5 and June 16, World Environment Day is commemorated to raise awareness about the environment and to educate people about its importance. On this day, awareness initiatives are held in a variety of locations.

The environment is made up of plants, animals, birds, reptiles, insects, water bodies, fish, humans, trees, microbes, and many other things. Furthermore, they all contribute to the ecosystem.

The physical, social, and cultural environments are the three categories of environments. Besides, various scientists have defined different types and numbers of environments.

1. Do not leave rubbish in public areas. 2. Minimize the use of plastic 3. Items should be reduced, reused, and recycled. 4. Prevent water and soil contamination

Hope the blog has given you an idea of how to write an essay on the Environment. If you are planning to study abroad and want help in writing your essays, then let Leverage Edu be your helping hand. Our experts will assist you in writing an excellent SOP for your study abroad consultant application. 

' src=

Sonal is a creative, enthusiastic writer and editor who has worked extensively for the Study Abroad domain. She splits her time between shooting fun insta reels and learning new tools for content marketing. If she is missing from her desk, you can find her with a group of people cracking silly jokes or petting neighbourhood dogs.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contact no. *

browse success stories

Leaving already?

8 Universities with higher ROI than IITs and IIMs

Grab this one-time opportunity to download this ebook

Connect With Us

25,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. take the first step today..

essay on green school environment

Resend OTP in

essay on green school environment

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

September 2024

January 2025

What is your budget to study abroad?

essay on green school environment

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.

Environmental Issues Essay for Students and Children

500+ words essay on environmental issues.

The environment plays a significant role to support life on earth. But there are some issues that are causing damages to life and the ecosystem of the earth. It is related to the not only environment but with everyone that lives on the planet. Besides, its main source is pollution , global warming, greenhouse gas , and many others. The everyday activities of human are constantly degrading the quality of the environment which ultimately results in the loss of survival condition from the earth.

Environmental Issues Essay

Source of Environment Issue

There are hundreds of issue that causing damage to the environment. But in this, we are going to discuss the main causes of environmental issues because they are very dangerous to life and the ecosystem.

Pollution – It is one of the main causes of an environmental issue because it poisons the air , water , soil , and noise. As we know that in the past few decades the numbers of industries have rapidly increased. Moreover, these industries discharge their untreated waste into the water bodies, on soil, and in air. Most of these wastes contain harmful and poisonous materials that spread very easily because of the movement of water bodies and wind.

Greenhouse Gases – These are the gases which are responsible for the increase in the temperature of the earth surface. This gases directly relates to air pollution because of the pollution produced by the vehicle and factories which contains a toxic chemical that harms the life and environment of earth.

Climate Changes – Due to environmental issue the climate is changing rapidly and things like smog, acid rains are getting common. Also, the number of natural calamities is also increasing and almost every year there is flood, famine, drought , landslides, earthquakes, and many more calamities are increasing.

Above all, human being and their greed for more is the ultimate cause of all the environmental issue.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

How to Minimize Environment Issue?

Now we know the major issues which are causing damage to the environment. So, now we can discuss the ways by which we can save our environment. For doing so we have to take some measures that will help us in fighting environmental issues .

Moreover, these issues will not only save the environment but also save the life and ecosystem of the planet. Some of the ways of minimizing environmental threat are discussed below:

Reforestation – It will not only help in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem but also help in restoring the natural cycles that work with it. Also, it will help in recharge of groundwater, maintaining the monsoon cycle , decreasing the number of carbons from the air, and many more.

The 3 R’s principle – For contributing to the environment one should have to use the 3 R’s principle that is Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Moreover, it helps the environment in a lot of ways.

To conclude, we can say that humans are a major source of environmental issues. Likewise, our activities are the major reason that the level of harmful gases and pollutants have increased in the environment. But now the humans have taken this problem seriously and now working to eradicate it. Above all, if all humans contribute equally to the environment then this issue can be fight backed. The natural balance can once again be restored.

FAQs about Environmental Issue

Q.1 Name the major environmental issues. A.1 The major environmental issues are pollution, environmental degradation, resource depletion, and climate change. Besides, there are several other environmental issues that also need attention.

Q.2 What is the cause of environmental change? A.2 Human activities are the main cause of environmental change. Moreover, due to our activities, the amount of greenhouse gases has rapidly increased over the past few decades.

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

tutor

  • Travelling Essay
  • Picnic Essay
  • Our Country Essay
  • My Parents Essay
  • Essay on Favourite Personality
  • Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
  • Essay on Knowledge is Power
  • Essay on Gurpurab
  • Essay on My Favourite Season
  • Essay on Types of Sports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

Google Play

Logo

Essay on School Environment

Students are often asked to write an essay on School Environment in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on School Environment

Importance of school environment.

A school environment plays a crucial role in shaping a student’s life. It is a place where we learn, grow, and develop essential skills.

Physical Environment

The physical environment includes classrooms, libraries, labs, and playgrounds. It should be clean, safe, and conducive to learning.

Social Environment

The social environment involves relationships with teachers and peers. A positive social environment promotes respect, cooperation, and understanding.

Academic Environment

The academic environment focuses on learning and intellectual growth. It encourages curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking.

In conclusion, a good school environment nurtures and inspires students to reach their full potential.

250 Words Essay on School Environment

The importance of a school environment.

A school environment plays an instrumental role in shaping a student’s academic, social, and emotional growth. It is not just a physical space where learning occurs, but a complex ecosystem that encompasses various elements, including teachers, students, curriculum, and infrastructure.

Physical Aspects of School Environment

The physical aspects of a school environment significantly influence students’ engagement and learning outcomes. Well-ventilated classrooms, clean surroundings, and access to facilities such as libraries and laboratories foster an atmosphere conducive to learning. Moreover, the availability of sports and recreational facilities promotes physical well-being, contributing to holistic development.

Social and Emotional Aspects

The social and emotional aspects of a school environment are equally crucial. An environment that encourages respect, inclusivity, and collaboration nurtures a sense of belonging among students. It fosters positive relationships, builds self-esteem, and promotes emotional intelligence.

Role of Teachers

Teachers play a pivotal role in creating a positive school environment. Their teaching style, attitude, and interaction with students can either motivate or demotivate learners. Teachers who establish a supportive and responsive classroom environment encourage students to actively participate in the learning process.

In conclusion, a positive school environment is a cornerstone of effective learning. It not only enhances academic performance but also fosters social and emotional development. Therefore, schools should strive to create an environment that is physically comfortable, socially nurturing, and emotionally supportive.

500 Words Essay on School Environment

The essence of a school environment.

Schools are not just brick and mortar structures where academic knowledge is imparted. They are dynamic ecosystems where young minds are nurtured, shaped, and molded into responsible citizens. The environment of a school plays a pivotal role in the holistic development of a student, fostering not just intellectual growth but also social, emotional, and moral development.

The Impact of Physical Environment

The physical environment of a school is the first aspect that influences a student’s learning experience. A well-maintained, clean, and vibrant infrastructure can create a positive ambiance that enhances the learning process. Classrooms, libraries, laboratories, sports facilities, and even the school cafeteria contribute to the overall physical environment. These spaces must be designed and maintained in a manner that encourages curiosity, creativity, and collaboration. The physical environment should also cater to the safety and health of students, ensuring adequate sanitation, ventilation, and emergency preparedness.

The Role of Social Environment

The social environment of a school, shaped by the interactions between students, teachers, and other staff members, is equally crucial. A respectful, inclusive, and positive social environment fosters a sense of belonging among students. It encourages them to participate actively in school activities, express their ideas freely, and develop healthy relationships. The social environment also plays a significant role in shaping a student’s behavior, attitudes, and values. Schools must therefore prioritize building a supportive and respectful social environment that celebrates diversity and promotes mutual respect.

The Importance of Emotional Environment

The emotional environment of a school is often overlooked, but it is a vital aspect of a student’s school experience. A positive emotional environment is one where students feel safe, valued, and understood. It promotes emotional well-being and resilience, enabling students to cope with stress, overcome challenges, and develop emotional intelligence. Schools must therefore create an environment where students’ emotional needs are acknowledged and addressed, and where mental health is given the same importance as physical health and academic achievement.

The Influence of Moral Environment

The moral environment of a school shapes the character and values of its students. Schools have a responsibility to instill in students a strong moral compass, guiding them towards ethical behavior and responsible citizenship. This can be achieved by integrating moral and ethical education into the curriculum, promoting community service, and setting a good example through the behavior of teachers and staff.

In conclusion, the environment of a school is a complex and multifaceted entity that significantly influences a student’s development. It is the collective responsibility of school administrators, teachers, parents, and students themselves to create and maintain a positive and conducive school environment. Such an environment not only enhances academic achievement but also contributes to the development of well-rounded individuals who are equipped to face the challenges of the future.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

  • Essay on Pollution Free Environment
  • Essay on Importance of World Environment Day
  • Essay on Ideal Environment

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

  • Bahasa Indonesia
  • Slovenščina
  • Science & Tech
  • Russian Kitchen

Why Moscow is the greenest city in the world

A house at Nezhinskaya street, Moscow

A house at Nezhinskaya street, Moscow

According to WorldAtlas, 54 percent of Moscow’s territory is covered by public parks and gardens, making it the greenest city in the world .

There are 20 square meters of trees and shrubs per inhabitant in Moscow – many times more than in Tokyo, London or Beijing. This happened because of the combination of two factors: first, Moscow was initially built amongst the forests of the North-Eastern Russia, second, landscaping and greening started in Moscow as early as the 18th century.

Fortress on a forest hill

Apollinaryi Vasnetsov. The Trubnaya Square in Moscow in the 17th century.

Apollinaryi Vasnetsov. The Trubnaya Square in Moscow in the 17th century.

Borovitsky hill, upon which the Moscow Kremlin stands, is named after the word ‘bor’ – ‘forest’ in Russian. And indeed, in the 11th century there was an oak grove here, where the central streets of Moscow are now. Another example is the Church of St. John the Evangelist under the Elm Tree, now on Novaya Square, not far away from the Kremlin. Historian of Moscow Pyotr Sytin believed this church had its name in honor of the dense forest that protected the eastern part of the Kremlin until the 15th century.

Church of St. John the Evangelist under the Elm Tree

Church of St. John the Evangelist under the Elm Tree

In these places, spruce and pine trees predominated, which were actively cut down and used by the city's population for construction. The city was expanding, and the forest was being cut down at its outskirts for building new houses. But these ‘outskirts’ were so close to the Kremlin that it’s now the very center of the city – even in the 17th century, places like Trubnaya Square (a 20 minute walk from the Kremlin) were still largely green, and until the early 19th century, bushes and trees grew right beside the Kremlin wall, in the now obsolete Aloisios’ Ravine, constructed in the 16th century under the supervision of Italian architect Aloisio the New. However, the city’s greenery wasn’t organized in a systematic way.

The Boulevard Ring

Tverskoy Boulevard in Moscow, early 19th century

Tverskoy Boulevard in Moscow, early 19th century

Catherine the Great, who wanted to update the old capital, ordered the construction of the Boulevard Ring. It took the place of the obsolete Belyi Gorod (‘White City’) fortification wall.

“Moscow is encircled by boulevards – they are not only an ornament, but also an important benefit,” Vladimir Odoevsky, a 19th century Russian journalist, wrote. “When foreigners, looking at the plan of Moscow, see this green ring, we are proud to explain to them that in winter and summer, both sick and healthy, and the elderly, and children can walk around the city, walk between the trees and not be afraid of being hit by a carriage.”

The Kremlin ravine, the 1800s

The Kremlin ravine, the 1800s

After the fire of 1812, another green ring appeared – the Sadovoye (‘Garden’) ring, a wide street encircling the fast-growing center and covered in private houses’ gardens.

Greened by the Reds

Sokolniki Park, Moscow

Sokolniki Park, Moscow

Rapid urbanization starting after the 1917 revolution brought swarms of new inhabitants to Moscow, and the old city had to adjust to the needs of the industrial state. Unfortunately, with the 1930s Stalinist plan of Moscow reconstruction, many historical buildings were demolished, and main streets turned into highways.

Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya, Garden Ring, Moscow, 1928

Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya, Garden Ring, Moscow, 1928

In the 1930s, the Garden Ring was paved, trees at many squares and streets were cut down, there even were plans to destroy the Boulevard Ring, but fortunately they were not carried out. Georgy Popov (1906-1968), a Moscow Communist Party official, remembered that after WWII, in 1947, Stalin personally supervised the plans for re-greening the city center: “I remember how quickly we were deployed. We planted greenery on Dzerzhinsky Square (now Lubyanka Square), and in Okhotny Ryad, restored the garden on Sverdlov Square (now – Teatralnaya Square), and planted on Bolotnaya Square. Gorky Street was preplanted from Manezhnaya Square to Belorussky railway station. This was the first step in the greening of the central part of the city,” Popov wrote.

Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya, Garden Ring, Moscow, 1936

Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya, Garden Ring, Moscow, 1936

In 1951, the Moscow government chose from as many as 272 projects for re-greening Moscow. By 1961, forestry workers had planted over 500,000 trees and shrubs in the city. Small-leaved linden, blue spruce, fir, western thuja, irga, golden currant, barberry, and roses.

Gorky Park, Moscow, 1979

Gorky Park, Moscow, 1979

The 1950s-1960s also saw the reconstruction of Moscow’s biggest public parks. Gorky Park, transformed in the 1930s from Neskuchny (‘Merry’’) Garden, a 19th century public leisure space, has seen over 2,000 trees and 25,000 shrubs planted annually. The total space of the park expanded to 2.2 sq km, and the total length of the park’s alleys reached 30 km.

In the 20th century, more big parks were organized in Moscow: Sokolniki (5.16 sq km), Izmailovsky (16 sq km), Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo (2.22 sq km), Bitsevski Park (22 sq km), and, most importantly, Losiny Ostrov National Park (116 sq km), the largest urban park in Europe.

Felling a tree, planting two

Japanese garden in Main Botanical Garden in Moscow

Japanese garden in Main Botanical Garden in Moscow

Currently, Moscow’s green affairs are under strict control from the city’s government. In 2010-2016, 432,000 trees and 3.5 million shrubs were planted, and since 2013, a government initiative called “A Million Trees” has been implemented, meant to plant vegetation inside the inner yards of apartment buildings, with the plants being chosen on a digital app platform by locals.

Cutting down a tree in Moscow (for example, during a house construction) is very difficult, and if you still have to resort to such a measure, then the developer is obliged to compensate for this by planting two trees. However, these rules do not yet apply to other Russian regions, even in close proximity to the city – for example, the Moscow Oblast’. In 2007-2012 in Khimki, a suburb in Moscow Oblast’, a part of forest containing ancient oaks was being cut down for a road construction project. The project was eventually implemented, and a section of toll road was organized, causing air pollution near the highway, and in addition, noise pollution in the forest.

According to Moscow government’s official portal , by the end of the year, over 5,000 trees and 136,000 shrubs will be planted in Moscow, so the city is not going to lose its status as the greenest capital of the world any time soon. However, the indexes of the air pollution in Moscow are still unfortunately high – the city is still Russia’s largest trade and industrial center. The World Air Quality index places Moscow in 27th place in the air pollution ranking.

If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material.

to our newsletter!

Get the week's best stories straight to your inbox

  • 7 more unusual houses of Moscow
  • The most fairy-tale houses of old Moscow (PHOTOS)
  • 7 MOST extravagant houses of 19th century Moscow

essay on green school environment

This website uses cookies. Click here to find out more.

Reimagining Design with Nature: ecological urbanism in Moscow

  • Reflective Essay
  • Published: 10 September 2019
  • Volume 1 , pages 233–247, ( 2019 )

Cite this article

  • Brian Mark Evans   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-1420-1682 1  

976 Accesses

2 Citations

Explore all metrics

The twenty-first century is the era when populations of cities will exceed rural communities for the first time in human history. The population growth of cities in many countries, including those in transition from planned to market economies, is putting considerable strain on ecological and natural resources. This paper examines four central issues: (a) the challenges and opportunities presented through working in jurisdictions where there are no official or established methods in place to guide regional, ecological and landscape planning and design; (b) the experience of the author’s practice—Gillespies LLP—in addressing these challenges using techniques and methods inspired by McHarg in Design with Nature in the Russian Federation in the first decade of the twenty-first century; (c) the augmentation of methods derived from Design with Nature in reference to innovations in technology since its publication and the contribution that the art of landscape painters can make to landscape analysis and interpretation; and (d) the application of this experience to the international competition and colloquium for the expansion of Moscow. The text concludes with a comment on how the application of this learning and methodological development to landscape and ecological planning and design was judged to be a central tenant of the winning design. Finally, a concluding section reflects on lessons learned and conclusions drawn.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price includes VAT (Russian Federation)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Rent this article via DeepDyve

Institutional subscriptions

essay on green school environment

Similar content being viewed by others

essay on green school environment

Principles for public space design, planning to do better

Matthew Carmona

essay on green school environment

Planning nature-based solutions: Principles, steps, and insights

Christian Albert, Mario Brillinger, … Barbara Schröter

Acknowledgements

The landscape team from Gillespies Glasgow Studio (Steve Nelson, Graeme Pert, Joanne Walker, Rory Wilson and Chris Swan) led by the author and all our collaborators in the Capital Cities Planning Group.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Mackintosh School of Architecture, The Glasgow School of Art, 167 Renfrew Street, Glasgow, G3 6BY, UK

Brian Mark Evans

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Brian Mark Evans .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Evans, B.M. Reimagining Design with Nature: ecological urbanism in Moscow. Socio Ecol Pract Res 1 , 233–247 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42532-019-00031-5

Download citation

Received : 17 March 2019

Accepted : 13 August 2019

Published : 10 September 2019

Issue Date : October 2019

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s42532-019-00031-5

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

  • Design With Nature
  • Find a journal
  • Publish with us
  • Track your research

Home — Essay Samples — Geography & Travel — Travel and Tourism Industry — The History of Moscow City

test_template

The History of Moscow City

  • Categories: Russia Travel and Tourism Industry

About this sample

close

Words: 614 |

Published: Feb 12, 2019

Words: 614 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Image of Dr. Oliver Johnson

Cite this Essay

Let us write you an essay from scratch

  • 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
  • Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

author

Verified writer

  • Expert in: Geography & Travel

writer

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

6 pages / 2662 words

6 pages / 3010 words

2 pages / 1057 words

4 pages / 2143 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Travel and Tourism Industry

Travelling is a topic that has been debated for centuries, with some arguing that it is a waste of time and money, while others believe that it is an essential part of life. In this essay, I will argue that travelling is not [...]

Travelling has always been an exhilarating experience for me, and my recent trip to Rome was no exception. The ancient city, with its rich history and breathtaking architecture, left a lasting impression on me. It was a journey [...]

Traveling is an enriching experience that allows individuals to explore new cultures, meet people from different backgrounds, and broaden their perspectives. In the summer of 2019, I had the opportunity to embark on an amazing [...]

Traveling has always been a significant part of my life. From a young age, I have been fortunate enough to explore different cultures, experience new traditions, and immerse myself in the beauty of our world. My passion for [...]

When planning a business trip all aspects and decisions rely heavily on the budget set by the company for the trip. Once Sandfords have confirmed the location careful consideration should be used to choose the travel method and [...]

Place is one of the most complicated issues in geographical studies. Place refers to both sides of human and physical geography. There is not clear understand about the place and sometimes refer to local, area, point, region, [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

  • Instructions Followed To The Letter
  • Deadlines Met At Every Stage
  • Unique And Plagiarism Free

essay on green school environment

IMAGES

  1. Green School Initiatives Essay Example

    essay on green school environment

  2. Going Green to save the Environment Free Essay Example

    essay on green school environment

  3. Essay on Save Environment

    essay on green school environment

  4. Save Environment Speech

    essay on green school environment

  5. 😱 Go green to save the environment essay. Short Essay on Go Green, Go

    essay on green school environment

  6. Essay writing on environment in english || Environment essay in english

    essay on green school environment

VIDEO

  1. Green School Song

  2. Green School Read Aloud: Be A Tree!

  3. The Green School Project

  4. Go to Green School…✌🏻#school #myclassmates

  5. The Green School Project

  6. Green School Read Aloud: Earth

COMMENTS

  1. Greening every school

    What is a green school? A "green school" is defined as a learning institution that takes a whole-of-institution approach to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), in particular by addressing climate change through its teaching, facilities and operations, school governance and community partnerships. Green schools aim to promote ...

  2. What is a Green School?

    A Green School is a school that creates a healthy environment conducive to learning, while saving energy, environmental resources, and money. A green school. 1. reduces environmental impacts and costs. 2. improves occupants' health and performance. 3. increases environmental and sustainability literacy.

  3. Sustainability in schools: the importance of educating for a greener future

    To create sustainable schools, it is essential to utilise carbon footprint data, set public reduction targets, promote sustainable transportation, and create green spaces. Integrating sustainability education into all aspects of school life can foster environmentally conscious citizens and contribute to a greener, more sustainable future.

  4. Environment Friendly Schools: How to Make Your School Green

    Steps Parents and Students Can Take. Parents and students can also contribute to making their schools greener and take steps such as the following: Encourage parents and kids to use public transportation or to walk or bike to school. Use carpools to bring many students to school together. Reduce idling outside school; instead, turn off car and ...

  5. 41 Ways To Make Your School and Classroom More Green

    Start with easy-to-grow plants, like a spider plant, snake plant, jade, English ivy, or golden pothos. Get kids involved in the plant care and nurture mini gardeners. 9. Rally for solar panels. Energy Sage. Yes, this is a pricey way to become a green school, but it's one that pays off.

  6. Center for Green Schools

    The three pillars were first introduced in 2011 when the U.S. Department of Education launched the ED-Green Ribbon Schools award program. Since then, organizations all over the world have adopted the measurement framework that they present. Reduce environmental impacts and costs. Green schools reduce their environmental impact and fight climate ...

  7. 5 Steps to a Greener School

    At Green Schools Initiative, we believe that dream green schools like this are fundamental to a high-quality, 21st century education, and we have seven simple steps you can take to transform your school environment, curriculum and school-home connection. The three pillars of an exemplary green school are: Visit our Green Schools Profiles page ...

  8. Green School Design: Better for Health and Education...and More Cost

    The direct and indirect financial savings to the school and the community are about $70 per square foot, 20 times as high as the cost of going green. Lower energy and water costs, improved teacher retention, and lower health costs directly save green schools about $12 per square foot, four times the additional cost of going green.

  9. How to Green Your School

    The U.S. Green Building Council's Center for Green Schools defines a green school as one that creates a healthy environment conducive to learning, while saving energy, environmental resources ...

  10. PDF GREEN SCHOOL PRACTICES: A POTENTIAL TOOL TOWARDS ...

    ISSN ( Online): 2350 -0530 International Journal of Research - GRANTHAALAYAH ISSN (Print): 2394-3629 June 2020, Vol 8(06), 63 -70

  11. How to Create a Green School

    Once the school meets certain criteria, it is awarded a Green Flag and receives certification as a green school. "The Eco-Schools [program] is an ideal way for schools to embark on a meaningful path [toward] improving the environment in both the school and the local community while…having a lifelong positive impact on the lives of young ...

  12. Essay on Clean and Green Environment

    500 Words Essay on Clean and Green Environment The Imperative of a Clean and Green Environment. The environment is an integral part of our existence, offering us resources and sustenance. As we continue to exploit these resources, we must also consider the importance of maintaining a clean and green environment. This essay explores the ...

  13. Keeping The School Clean And Green Essay Example

    A child spends a long portion of the day in school so it must have a perfect environment. A good attitude of students and teachers can be promoted in a clean environment towards each other. Students, teachers, and staff feel happy to work in a clean, green, and beautiful place. In conclusion, it can be said that schools are a second home for ...

  14. Essay on Environment: Examples & Tips

    Essay on Environment (200-250 words) Environment means all the natural things around us such as land, air, water, plants, animals, solid materials, garbage, sun, forest, and other things. These maintain a balance of healthy nature and make the survival of all living things on earth possible.

  15. Essay on Environment for Students and Children

    500+ Words Essay on Environment. Essay on Environment - All living things that live on this earth comes under the environment. Whether they live on land or water they are part of the environment. The environment also includes air, water, sunlight, plants, animals, etc. Moreover, the earth is considered the only planet in the universe that ...

  16. Environmental Issues Essay for Students and Children

    Q.1 Name the major environmental issues. A.1 The major environmental issues are pollution, environmental degradation, resource depletion, and climate change. Besides, there are several other environmental issues that also need attention. Q.2 What is the cause of environmental change? A.2 Human activities are the main cause of environmental change.

  17. Essay on Green Environment

    The concept of a green environment refers to a sustainable living space that respects and supports the natural ecological balance. It emphasizes the reduction of environmental damage and the promotion of biodiversity. A green environment is not just a concept, but a necessity in the contemporary world. It is the key to the sustainability of ...

  18. Human Dimensions of Urban Blue and Green Infrastructure during a ...

    Significant challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted that features of a modern, sustainable and resilient city should not only relate to fulfilling economic and social urban strategies, but also to functional urban design, in particular, related to urban blue and green infrastructure (BGI). Using results from a web-based questionnaire survey conducted May-July 2020 in Moscow (Russia ...

  19. Essay On Green Environment

    Essay On Green Environment. 1084 Words5 Pages. Environmentally, the government has many duties to attain as the majority of the human race is ignorant to what has been happening within the earth's atmosphere. Since the United States government, in general, has a major role in creating regulations and restrictions, I believe that the government ...

  20. Essay on School Environment

    250 Words Essay on School Environment The Importance of a School Environment. A school environment plays an instrumental role in shaping a student's academic, social, and emotional growth. It is not just a physical space where learning occurs, but a complex ecosystem that encompasses various elements, including teachers, students, curriculum ...

  21. Why Moscow is the greenest city in the world

    Currently, Moscow's green affairs are under strict control from the city's government. In 2010-2016, 432,000 trees and 3.5 million shrubs were planted, and since 2013, a government initiative ...

  22. Reimagining Design with Nature: ecological urbanism in Moscow

    In 2003, a UK landscape studio was offered the opportunity to become involved in the design of a new settlement in the Moscow Region to carry out landscape planning and design (Figs. 1, 2a, b—Moscow in context). Gillespies LLP is a long-established practice of landscape architects, urban designers and environmental planners established in Glasgow, UK, in 1962 (Gillespies web link 2019).

  23. The History of Moscow City: [Essay Example], 614 words

    The History of Moscow City. Moscow is the capital and largest city of Russia as well as the. It is also the 4th largest city in the world, and is the first in size among all European cities. Moscow was founded in 1147 by Yuri Dolgoruki, a prince of the region. The town lay on important land and water trade routes, and it grew and prospered.