Climate Ambassadors
Climate Ambassadors is a programme which trains volunteers from across the private, public, charity and university sectors to provide nurseries, schools and colleges in England with free, tailored guidance to progress impactful climate action plans.
The project is funded by the UK Government’s Department for Education (DfE) as part of its first Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy which states that all education settings should have a sustainability lead and a climate action plan in place by the end of 2025.
It is led by EAUC and the University of Reading as part of a consortium of organisations that also includes STEM Learning and Change Agents UK.
Access support
If you are a nursery, school or college seeking support with your climate action plan, you can request an Ambassador through the Stem Learning platform.
Become a climate ambassador
Education settings need a wide variety of skills, including project and change management, communications and technical sustainability and climate expertise, to help them develop and deliver meaningful climate action plans.
Therefore you don't need a STEM background to become an Ambassador. Skills in project management, change delivery and from professional services backgrounds are invaluable.
Training is provided and volunteers are able to work on areas that they feel comfortable in and that meet a setting’s needs. We just ask that volunteers contribute one day (or more!) a year.
If you are interested in becoming a Climate Ambassador, please contact your Regional Hub using the contact details below. Existing STEM Ambassadors can easily add Climate Ambassadors as a ‘scheme’ in their profile – please also agree to share your information with a third party (us!) so that we can find you in the STEM Learning platform.
Support your staff to become Climate Ambassadors
The Climate Ambassadors programme is also a great opportunity for employees and students to access a structured meaningful volunteer opportunity, while supporting their institution’s community engagement goals.
Please contact Jane Dickson, Climate Ambassadors Partnerships Manager at EAUC, to find out more.
Regional hubs
Regional hubs support and connect volunteer Climate Ambassadors and education settings. Use the details below to start your journey today.
North East
Newcastle University
Email: climateambassadors.ne@newcastle.ac.uk
North West
Manchester Metropolitan
Email: climateambassadors_nw@mmu.ac.uk
Yorkshire and Humber
University of Leeds
Email: climateambassadors_yh@leeds.ac.uk
East Midlands
Universities for Nottingham
Email: ca-eastmids@nottingham.ac.uk
West Midlands
Keele University
Email: climate-ambassadors.wm@keele.ac.uk
East of England
University of East Anglia
Email: climateambassadors_ea@uea.ac.uk
London
UCL
Email: climateambassadors_london@ucl.ac.uk
South East
University of Reading
Email: climateambassadors_se@reading.ac.uk
South West
The Met Office
Email: climateambassadors_sw@metoffice.gov.uk
Part of a national strategy
The scheme links with other parts of the Department for Education’s Climate Change and Sustainability Strategy and its funded initiatives.
This includes the National Education Nature Park and the Sustainability Support for Education platform. Climate Ambassadors work in partnership with the team of Let’s Go Zero Climate Action Advisors, who also provide free tailored support to schools looking to become zero carbon.
Watch as Stephen Morgan MP, Minister for Early Years, explains more.
History
The Climate Ambassador Scheme was originally launched in April 2022 by the University of Reading and STEM Learning with support from UKRI. In December 2023, the Department for Education partnered with the University of Reading and EAUC to expand the scheme to all 30,000 education settings across England.
Get in touch
If you have questions or would like to explore ways to get involved in Climate Ambassadors, please get in touch with Jane Dickson, EAUC's Climate Ambassadors Partnerships Manager.
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