Gibraltar’s schools have celebrated their work and achievements throughout the year in learning about and addressing climate change, with the Gibraltar ClimACT Schools Awards this afternoon.

The Awards were presented by the Deputy Chief Minister the Hon Dr Joseph Garcia and the Minister for Education, the Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change the Hon Prof John Cortes, at Bishop Fitzgerald Upper Primary School.

This saw pupils, teachers, school attendants and other school staff gather together to celebrate all their sustainability efforts, environmental advocacy and climate action. As part of the schools' numerous environmentally-focused community outreach initiatives, private sector partners involved in the Park 2 Park project, together with local NGOs, were also invited to attend.

This year, each school had some of their work on display at the awards ceremony and the pupil representatives from each of Gibraltar’s schools were given the opportunity to interact directly with the attendees and talk about the work done at their school.

The pupils shared their exciting, innovative and ambitious projects, which looked to encourage a sustainable mindset and promote wider action beyond the school walls. Pupils in all our schools and their wider school communities have been actively involved in a wide range of initiatives such as Wasteless Wednesdays, bee hotels and pop-up shops, walking to school and on field trips, as well as growing their own produce. Through a holistic approach, schools have successfully incorporated environmental learning across the curriculum.

The success of the Gibraltar ClimACT Schools project is testament to the ongoing collaboration between professionals at the Department of Education and the Department of Environment, who are working together in their joint workstreams under the Government’s Net Zero strategy to ensure that this important work continues to gather momentum and accesses any support required to bring about wider climate action.

The Director of Education, Keri Scott said: “A significant amount of work is done in each school every year to foster a strong environmental conscience in our young people. The Gibraltar ClimACT Schools Awards celebrate this and allow the wider community to learn about, and be inspired by, this work. Congratulations to everyone involved in this important, inspiring, fun and thought-provoking learning.

The Minister for Education, the Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change, the Hon Prof John Cortes, was keen to congratulate all schools stating how: “The Gibraltar ClimACT Schools project is a prime demonstration of how young people, and crucially, their educators, are focussing their efforts on building more sustainable futures. It is up to all of us – Government, the private sector, and individuals – to follow their example and embed sustainability into our daily lives.”

The Deputy Chief Minister, the Hon Dr Joseph Garcia, said: “Education is an important strand of the work of the Net Zero Delivery Board, and it is both exciting and encouraging to see young people actively contributing to addressing this great challenge of our time, in pursuit of a cleaner, more sustainable future for all of us.”