This project builds on previous CRCLCL research (RP3010) and aims to facilitate broader uptake and mainstreaming of the prototype Low Carbon Schools program piloted in Western Australia in 2016/17. Funding will be used to identify and recruit a minimum of 100 schools for a national launch of the program in 2018.
The 2018 program is being refined and optimised based on the current pilot to create an online, scalable, standardised and systematic approach to enable schools nationwide to measure, monitor and reduce their emissions, with the aim to achieve carbon neutrality. It will test innovative new software that uses predictive data analytics to assist schools in decision-making and implementation of low carbon initiatives.
The initial CRCLCL-funded scoping study followed the success of the first case study school, South Fremantle Senior High School in WA - which became the first carbon neutral school in Australia. The research then expanded to track the development, implementation and impact of the current pilot with 15 schools in WA, with a focus on community influence.
This program, which is now expanding again to work with 100 schools nationally, aims to demonstrate how such a program can be mainstreamed and widely adopted. It will also encourage the families of the students in participating schools to use the online tool in their homes to calculate and manage their household carbon footprint. This will be tracked alongside the schools to document the impact the school is having on the community.
